25-06....educate me please!

[Anonymous]

I've long considered myself a dedicated gun crank, but don't have much experience with the 25 cals except for a brief whirl with a .257WBY.

Local hook and bullet has a Barrett Fieldcraft in 25-06 that feels just fantastic and has a 1:9 twist. Frankly, if it were an 06 or .270...I'd have bought it straight out.

I know we've got some 25-06 fans hanging out here, please educate me!

 

[Blkram]

While I have no experience with the 25-06 myself, I have hunted with a couple of guys over the years that had them and loved them.
With some more handloading experimenting, I should come close to the same velocities as the factory loaded 25-06 ammo with my 250AI and Re-26. It is a fun rifle to shoot, even with the factory 100gr ammo while fireforming cases! Have only harvested coyote with it so far...need to take it after antelope! (My original plan!)
I have long thought that a 25-06 would make a great pairing to go with my 280 Rem and 338-06. A three rifle battery that would cover all of north america very well!
Someday I will bite the bullet and buy or build one on a LH Sako or Remington action.

If it feels that good and balance well in your hands and at your shoulder, it sounds like it should go home with you, then out to the range, and then out in the field! There be a caribou and a blacktail out there calling you and your new quarterbore!!!

With that twist, the 110 to 120 gr bullets should be your better choices...or even that new 130gr bullet I have seen talked about here in another thread.

Picked up a couple boxes of 115 gr BT's today to try in my 250AI or the 257 Bob.

 

[rjm158]

I was turned on to the 25-06 years ago by a friend who had hunted with one for many years. He used it for whitetail deer and pronghorn antelope, nothing bigger. He told me how the caliber put the animals on the ground, right there, right now.

I bought one and hunted deer with it exclusively for many years before I began a "program" of shooting deer with different calibers each season just for the experience and experimentation. However, I always had/have a 25-06 zeroed and ready to fall back on if needed. When I hunted with it, I had the same "bang, flop, dress, and drag" results he had told me about.

I use(d) 100 gr BT's in my rifles while Guy and others here favor the 115's. I gifted both my stepsons with Marlin XL-7's in the caliber and they have had the same positive results I did. One uses 110 AB's while the other uses the 100 BT. I/they have found it easy to load with light recoil.

Hope this helps.

Ron

 

[Slimfinn]

I have a tikka 695 with a heavy barrel i bought new when I was in my late teens(25+ years ago)I loved that gun, it would cloverleaf Remington 120 corlocks, same as already said above when shooting whitetails they just fell over dead after the shot. Fun to shoot coyotes rock chucks, you name it, i even carried it elk hunting a few times but never shot one, but know many have. Now mine sits near the back of the safe blocked by lighter easier to pack rifles, it gets out to the range now and then. Talking about it now maybe i should tinkering with some loads, i read an article along the lines of the 115 partitions seeming to hit harder then they should.
Anyway yes if that fieldcraft fits you as well as you say there would be no regrets with the 25-06!

 

[coop22250]

I had a custom 25-06 in the ruger tang safety with an Octagon barrel years ago. I really liked the round. Just make sure and use quality bullets because they are zinging out there pretty fast.


I have yet to begin to procrastinate

 

[35 Whelen]

This is one bad boy longrange hunting cartridge. Superb deer caliber for sure. Its a Dahl Sheeps worst
Enemy! Got a buddy that likes to kill Antelope out to
600yds with his......... And with the right varmit bullet
(90gr BlitzKings) It does things to a 45 lb coyote that
probably need to be seen to believe!
Buy the gun and become a believer yourself.
Here is ours ready for another season

 

[Guy Miner]

My rifle with last year's buck. One shot at 355 yards or so:

Rifle is just a Rem 700 CDL, 6x Leupold. Load is the 115 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip over a max charge (per the book) of Retumbo. Getting about 3120 fps from it - some batches more like 3150 fps. Excellent accuracy. Easy to load. Easy on the shoulder. Takes game just fine:

Nicknamed the Nosler Ballistic Tips "Blue Cyclones" some years ago. I still use that for them, makes me smile.

Normally they penetrate and exit on mule deer & pronghorn. Longest kill was a coyote at about 420 yards.

I've also loaded 100 gr Barnes TSX bullets to 3340 fps, with H4350, and mixed results. I think that my barrel didn't like the TSX bullets. Lots of copper fouling, accuracy fell off after 15 - 20 rounds.

Regards, Guy

 

[preacher]

I have used the Sierra 117sbt in the 25-06 on mule deer, fine round, and, for that Lot# of bullet it was on the "hard side". Complete penetration and practically no bloodshot! I have a friend here who uses his 25-06 with the 120 corlokts factory ammo even on elk, another uses his similar 240W on elk too. I have shot more game with the 257 Weatherby with Nosler 115PT and 100TSX, but really, I could have killed everything with a 25-06! I was recently looking for another good 25-06, they are hard to find! I have more of a use for a second rifle for coyote/deer than elk, so I settled on another 240W, but both are "06" capacity, one is 6mm the other is 6.3mm, ha But that 115-120 in the 25-06 would make "me" feel better in bear country, ha. Now, while I'm not scared of the devil himself, I make it a point not to hunt anything I can't "grapple with and kill with a knife"....I'm not willing to pay the price that Hugh Glass did! ha

 

[Thankful Otter]

Earle, that is one sweet looking rifle

Mike, what will you use it for ? Wolf and Caribou ? Maybe Blacktail and goat if you travel south. If you just want another rifle and caliber buy it, but in my humble opinion it isn't the best option for you in the area you live in.

That said, my husband has the 257 Weatherby and if you want to reach waaaay out there and touch a wolf or two it will do it. I dont believe the 25-06 will reach out quite as far but should be a good wolf eliminator.

you sure had a good season already, bear, moose and it is only the 1s part of Oct. well done

 

[1100 Remington Man]

25-06 Its what I bought for my Son for his first rifle Remington 700 CDL for Deer and Antelope. So yea I think a lot of the 25-06.

 

[Anonymous]

Mike, what will you use it for ? Wolf and Caribou ? Maybe Blacktail and goat if you travel south. If you just want another rifle and caliber buy it, but in my humble opinion it isn't the best option for you in the area you live in.

Yeah, It's a little on the light side for an all around rifle for my taste up here. I just liked the rifle and though it might be a good winter caribou/wolf rifle, or as you mentioned, headed down to Southeast to hunt black tailed deer. My goat and sheep spots are crawling with grizzlies, so I'll stick to my .300 for those!

 

[6mm Remington]

Hodgeman you will love the 25-06. Me and my wife have used it on everything from coyotes, deer, antelope, and elk. It's hard to beat a 120 gr. Partition for everything you would want to hunt, but the 115 Partition, and the 110 gr. AccuBond would work just as well. Nice rifle there!

 

[Ridgerunner665]

25-06 was my fist high powered rifle, its been a minute, a Remington 700 BDL special ordered from Jerry's Gun shop in Church Hill....1987 or 88... Jerry always made sure he had ammo on the shelf for me, nowhere else in the area had even heard of a 25-06 back then, lol.

I've since owned 3 others... another BDL and two ADL's.

It's a fine round, shoots flat, hits hard... kicks light.

Plain old Hornady ammo with the 117 BTSP Interlock bullets laid deer to rest in fine fashion from 40 feet to 400 yards.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[gerry]

Always thought it was one of the very best deer rounds available. I haven't had one but those that I know that have shot deer and bear with it have been very happy. I would own one for sure if the right gun came along.

 

[Guy Miner]

One time when my 25-06 seemed a bit "light" to me...

Wyoming, not far from Yellowstone. My pard and I had boned out a mule deer and were packing it out to the trail head about three miles away. I had my 25-06 & 115's. He, for some reason, hadn't even brought a firearm!

And we were coming across grizzly tracks on the only trail in and out of that canyon.

Yup, the 25-06 seemed a little light for bear-defense duties. Did a fine job on the mule deer though.

Guy

 

[preacher]

I figured you would have one of those packs that has a scabbard on it, and have that bolt action .375 in there? You shoot the deer with the 25-06, then swap rifles for carrying him out. Sure, its a heavier load, but hey, you are tough! ha You get those boys of yours to do the packing while you do overwatch!

 

[Guy Miner]

I figured you would have one of those packs that has a scabbard on it, and have that bolt action .375 in there? You shoot the deer with the 25-06, then swap rifles for carrying him out. Sure, its a heavier load, but hey, you are tough! ha You get those boys of yours to do the packing while you do overwatch!

Ya, my buddy and I were geared up to hunt mule deer down lower, in the sage hills... But... Not many deer were there!

So we went higher, a lot higher, and deeper into the mountains. Into grizzly country. His 270 and my 25-06 each took a mule deer. He left his rifle behind when we went in for my hunt! Never figured that out. I thought about bringing a bigger rifle. Luckily we didn't have any bear trouble. :grin:

I think the 25-06 is just dandy for deer sized game and have been surprised by the number of guys who've told me that they used the 25-06 for elk and black bear. But I have bigger rifles for that.

Regards, Guy

 

[preacher]

So you guys don't carry handguns regularly when you hunt? Some folks do, some don't.

 

[35 Whelen]

One of the worst poachers that ever lived around here used a 25/06 with Speer 120s for many many
years. He shot ALOT of deer under a light with it and always claimed it worked better than an 06 or 270 on Whitetails. He also did plenty of bear guiding and moose. Same story, never had a problem.......
He just passed this spring at 88 years old. Lung cancer after 70 something years of Lucky Strikes.
Always had 2/3 big bucks ( kids taged) hanging on barn. Lots of bears. Never remember seeing more than one hole in them....... The 25/06 is a heck of an
Underestimated caliber! The ultimate "wolf caliber" and I feel like mine folds em up at 300yds like my .243 does at 200yds.
Good luck
E

 

[Bbear]

I've had one since they first came out back in '69 or '70. 700 ADL model Remington. Started out with Winchester Expanding Point bullets and knocked deer down every time. Had it re-stocked and gave it to my Dad when his 270 died.

Consistently puts 5 into .75 even after over 3000 rounds down the pipe. This was also my first 'elk' rifle. 120 Nosler partitions took my first two elk.
My second one I got after giving the first rifle to my Dad. It was a pawn shop rescue I got for $100. Got a Fajen stock blank and had a local guy carve it and shape it. I've only put 1500 or so rounds through it but it still puts the same 110 AB's the other one uses into .5" consistently. This one I used for my longest shot - Blackbuck antelope at 613 yards.

If the rifle you're looking at is truly a 1-9" twist, grab it. There are some longer bullets out there that could work well out to 700 or more with that twist.