Posted: 8/2/2011 8:08:13 PM EDT
| So my buddy and I have been argueing for over a month, would like to get everyone's feelings. My wife has a cow elk tag here in Nevada. We are using a 7mm Mag. she has shot it and has no problem with the recoil or anything else about the weapon except the weight( I will be carrying it while we hunt and hand it over if she gets a shot...no bigee). He wants her to use a 25-06 AI that he had built. My problem is this, that is a light slug, yes it can do the job, but it runs a chance of wounding the animal. I know, I know proper shot placement alleviates that. The weight of bullet we are using is 162 grain Hornady, and his 25-06 is a 116 grains I THINK not sure. So would love to here your opinion. |
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People get wrapped up in the Wildcats. Aside from a few designs, the only thing that most Ackley designs do is lessen/alleviate the need for trimming. In most of the AI rounds, you cannot get the velocities stated unless you are over pressure. The .25-06 AI is an ok Wildcat, but it is no .257 Weatherby. Never heard of a 116 grain 0.257" bullet. 115gr, 117gr, and 120gr, yes. The .25-06 would be a fine Elk round, if the Elk was not too big and the range was not too long. IOW, if it was a 350lb Elk for meat. If she can handle the recoil of a 7mm Remington Magnum, it is a much better choice, if the Elk is big, the range is far, or the angle is poor. |
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If it were me, and unless the elk were the size of German Shepherds, I'd go with something a bit bigger... like your 7mm.
Elk aren't small critters... in Idaho they were a good shot larger than the mule deer... use the 7mil and don't risk wounding the critter... 162 grains hits harder than 116... |
| In this instance where she has you to carry the rifle I would say the 7mm would get the thumbs up. If she were to be the one carrying the rifle that would be a different story. If she is comfortable with the 7mm and is accurate with it from different shooting positions then go for it. |
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Quoted:
So my buddy and I have been argueing for over a month, would like to get everyone's feelings. My wife has a cow elk tag here in Nevada. We are using a 7mm Mag. she has shot it and has no problem with the recoil or anything else about the weapon except the weight( I will be carrying it while we hunt and hand it over if she gets a shot...no bigee). He wants her to use a 25-06 AI that he had built. My problem is this, that is a light slug, yes it can do the job, but it runs a chance of wounding the animal. I know, I know proper shot placement alleviates that. The weight of bullet we are using is 162 grain Hornady, and his 25-06 is a 116 grains I THINK not sure. So would love to here your opinion. There is nothing to argue about the 257s are marginal for mule deer sized animals in less than perfect conditions, the 7mms with heavier bullets are a much better choice. |
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This isn't about 'wildcat' vs'proven caliber". This is about effective elk round (the 7mm) versus a lightwieght wildcat better intended for antelope,
I absolutely love the 25 and 26 calibers. I've long lusted after a 257 Roberts and a small bolt gun in 250 savage. I currently shoot a .260, which has a considerable edge on the 25-06 in terms of decent heavy construction bullets. And I'd have zero problems hunting elk with a wild cat. At a minimum it would need to shoot a 6.5mm 130 grain bullet on elk. I am currently working on development of a 260 load for caribou. Consider that caribou are usually about 300 lbs, making then smaller than elk by a significant margin. I'll be sticking to bonded bullets (129 interbond and 130 accubond). 140 partitions would work well too. And this is on a critter that is 200 lbs lighter than elk. With that said I would not use the 25-06 (AI or not) on caribou, let alone elk. Its simply too damned small (caliber wise), too light and too little section density. The 2506 ai is the wrong tool for this job, period. |