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Have a 25 06 in Remington SPS, very accurate and very dependable. What does everyone think of this caliber?

Flat shooting, accurate and tough to beat for anything from Varmints to Deer. I think it would be "OK" for Elk if you use premium bullets like the Barnes TSX or Accubond. I think a good controlled expansion bullet is key with such high velocity.
I like the .25-06. Load it with 80gr TSX at 3800 fps and you have a super flat shooting rifle that would take out any Antelope or Deer that walks the Earth! If you like heavier bullets, a 100gr TSX scoots along at 3,300+. The .25-06 gets the job done, has low recoil, and shoots flatter than most. A great pick, I'm sure it won't let you down.

If I were picking three centerfires, the .25-06 would be one, BUT I like it more for varmits than big game...as for elk, it is light..my hunting pal from northern Wy. used to use one and bought a .300 because he was tired tracking elk shot with the 25...he is a deadly shot...My main issue with the .25 is at longer distances....This fall I shot a nice whitetail on the east coast on a public ground hunt...he was about 300+ yards, (I ranged it before) when he came over the ridge I was ready...I put a 115 grainNosler BTBT in his left shoulder...with a hot 7mm or .30 cal. it would have been over...He crashed, but never went completely down, and pushed and flopped down the hill for another hundred yards before I got another round into his chest..I wish I would have skinned this buck to check out the bullet performance, but I gave the meat to my mom and she wanted it processed immediately to take home to a frind...Now this has happed to me before on several deer and antelope when shot with either 24 or 25 caliber rifles...All at over 200 yards....Now guys who shoot deer on private clubs or private land, it may work better if you can place your shot at an unsupecting animal...but for the reasons stated, I have questions about it as an all round caliber for big game...Over the years, I suppose I have shot 50-60 head of game with the 243-.257 Wea. It is not based on shooting a couple head of deer from a tree stand...

Put me down as liking the caliber. I found that handloads really brought out the potential in my 25-06. It was my first deer rifle I got just after it became a commercial offering and my son used it to take his first deer in rifle season. That rifle resides with pride in the safe and still comes out to accompany me for WT deer from time to time. Works great on varmints in open spaces with 87 grain HP bullets. For larger game such as elk, my personal preference is for a heavier caliber/bullet combo. For deer I avoid shoulder shots with lighter bullets such as those typical of 24-25 caliber and stick to aiming for the boiler room. The only time I had to track/blood trail with this round was when my boy hit a shoulder with a 100 grain cup&core handload, otherwise it has worked pretty well for me.