Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles .25-06...

Ya get a 100gr TSX from the 25-06 at 3300fps as opposed to a 85gr TSX at same speeds from a .243,also a bit better B.C. with the 100gr

Onliest reason I bought the 25 Bob over the 25-06 was cause of its history and my love of odd cartridges. Boy does it shoot and boy am I happy I went that route. There is no dust on the 25-06 for sure, but I am over the top with my Bob

Randy

Boxerdog, in my experience a 25-06 is a much better killer than a .243. I used 100 grain bullets in each, and got greater velocity and bullet diameter with the 25-06.Comparing the two cartridges on deer and antelope, the 25-06 drops them noticibly faster. YMMV - good luck

I've had much better results with all my .25s than a friend has had with his 6mm Rem. The .25/06 drops them quick, but so do the .250 Savage and the Bob. I love 'em all.

Congrats and nice pics.

Have been enamored with the 25-06 since I dropped my first deer with it, as was my son. Nothing but DRT's and in spectacular fashion.

One week from today I'll be packin' my Sako 75 in that cartridge on our deer opener. I'll be most confident in doing so.............

Read a nice one-page article about the 25-06 earlier this evening in one of the current hunting magazines over at the local B&N library. Nothing but good things to say about it, too.

What's the difference in the 243 and the 25-06????

100gr @ 2950-3000fps

or

100gr @ 3350-3450fps aka: Death Ray

you do the math...


Brett

The 25 06 is awesome. At times I have need to put down cows/bulls that weigh anywhere from 1400-2000 lbs. Sometimes I use the opportunity for a bullet test. From what I've seen a 100 gr. TSX will do at 100 yards there isn't a bone or critter in NA that bullet won't smash and penetrate.

Have shot mule deer with the 25/06;piles of woodchucks here in NE as well.Cooked a 25/06 barrel in one season(!)Seen the cartridge work on elk as well; but then,on the same ranch have seen them taken with the 250 Savage as well,and spent a good many evenings in a cold barn tracing the path of 25/06,250 Savage and 257 Roberts boolits through thoroughly defunct game,after seeing the stuff killed that day.

I've used the 257 Roberts much more, on many more game animals.I like the 25/06,but having used the Roberts a lot,and the 25/06 some,I can't see a lot of difference.Before I will reach for a 25/06 for big game, I will grab a 270.

I sort of concluded that with a 25 cal rifle, I did not want to burn that much powder,use 24" barrels,etc.I have run the Roberts at 3200 for a 100 gr bullet,3300+ with the 87,and never found it lacking for anything I wanted to do with a 25......at the end of the day, I'll take the Roberts,but that does not detract from the 25/06 at all

Hey CrimsonTide,
I still have that .25-06 you sold me, and it still shoots lights out (even with me at the helm). That rifle made me a .25-06 fan for life.

I've been tagging my mulies and whitetails with a 25.06 for close to 20 years. For deer of any size, IMHO it doesn't get any better. Are some others as good, sure. But not any better.

Used mostly Federal Premium 117gr. Sierra GameKing BTSP. The very few deer that didn't fall to one shot were my fault, not the rifle's.

Some critics have knocked the caliber for recoil, say compared to a 6mm, which I think is just plain silly. If one can't handle the kick from a 25.06, one isn't terribly serious about shooting center fire rifles.

I LOVE the 25-06 period!!! I grew up hunting as a kid with a 30-06 and feel head over heels for it but the 25-06 has 3 things we all love

easy to shoot
flat shooting
mild recoil

If I didn't have the itch so bad for a Marlin 35 Remington and a 760 pump 30-06 I would buy a savage package I found for less than 400 bucks!!

I got to wondering if you still had that rifle the other day. I am glad to hear that you do. It shot well when I had it, and I figured it had very little to do with the nut behind the bolt.

I have a Ruger 77 in .25-06 that I bought new for $137, so it was a few years ago (early 1970s). First ammo I tried in it was Winchester 120-gr Positive Expanding Points and it shot under a half-inch (3 shots off the bench at 100 yds). I reload for it now, and it shoots as good with Hornady 120 gr Interlock HPs. Have killed lots of deer, feral hogs, coyotes, crows, maybe a turtle or two, rattlesnakes, etc. and all have been dead on the spot but for one buck that took a shot thru the heart at 75 yds. He ran about 25 yds into the thickest prickly pear cactus patch on the ranch, and died! Yes, I have a 7mm Mag that I love to shoot, a .22-250, a 6mm Rem, etc, etc, and I have to make sure I give each of them equal time in the field.

A Ruger 77 was also my first 25-06. It was slightly used and had a custom stock, bedded full length. It wore a Leupy 2 X 7 X 33 which likely works just fine today. It shot the 120gr. NP with IMR 4831 like they were made for each other. Federal Match brass was my personal choice of brass back then......been awhile. I took my first 20 or so bucks with that rifle and my son took his first 10 bucks with it as well.

The accuracy started to go south and at that time I wasn't savvy enough to know to chase the riflings a bit or to try other methods of prolonging it's usefulness to me. I sold it with some hesitation, but have owned several others since and have survived it's departure. I guess I was one of the lucky model 77 owners who got a good barrel as they were notorious for having some very bad barrels.

My current 25-06 is a Sako 75 and I expect that it will forever (my lifetime anyway) remain one of my dedicated deer rifles. My 75 seems to be a bit more on the heavy side as each season passes, but aren't we all.......grin.

My 25-06 Remington 700 BDL is the single most accurate rifle I own. (actually it ties with my ruger #1 in 405win) Constantly shoots 1/4" groups or less at 100 with anything from 75gr. vmax on up.

I love the rifle and the round.

Warning- voice of dissention follows. Curious- so, would a 25wssm or 25 weatherby at 3600fps be even better? I am glad so many like the 25-06 but I could never warm up to it. I look at the case and feel 277 or bigger belongs there. Speaking only for myself, I don't see much need for exceeding 3000fps. I am glad you all like them and I too like .25's but just get the extra powder, longer barrel, heavier rifle (for caliber) or quest for max velocity for the ovwehelming majority of situations. The thing is loud and kicks for a .25. Please don't kill me. The thread is titled 25-06 so it is just one mans opinion.

I think it has to do with the dimensions and look of the case itself......any and every caliber bullet stuck in it seems to look and feel like it belongs there. Sounds like a gal I once knew.......

If you've set 3,000 fps at the top end in your mind at least, your not likely to choose the faster cartridges you've mentioned....makes perfect sense, the 25-06 being no exception. No harm, no foul, you're lucky enough to have certain expectations while the rest of us must choose and decide from a much larger pot. Feel blessed..................grin.

The first 25-06 I had was a Ruger M 77 vamiter tang saftey with the mid-weight barrle.It loved 115 gr Noslers Partitions,I don't know how many deer feel to including the muley in my avatar.Like a fool I traded her on a 450 Marlin.
I have probaly had 16 diffrent 25-06's after that one,all did the job,but none held the magic that old M 77 did.
The 25-06 is great round,I've taken prarie dogs to elk with it.Glad to see the love for it.
BBJ

Mine was also a mid-weight barrel. I liked the tang safety, but there must have been issues with such as they are not the first choice of manufacturers these days. I've never had a problem with any safety, be it how it works or it's placement.

Perhaps I can be enlightened as I am interested and have only owned one employing a tang safety......anyone?