Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles what is the best 25-06...

i went and looked at a marlin i liked the way the bolt was so smooth. I just dont like the syn, stock and i asked the man if i could get it in a woodstock and he said no. I would love to have one with a woodstock but im not saying i wouldnt take a syn, one either. And i also heard it is best to get them in 24" barrels not the 22" ones.

Will-I have one in the Marlin. I know a lot of people on here will talk about how much slower it will be out of the 22" bbl. and it won't be as accurate. But mine is plenty accurate and the deer I killed with it this season didn't take a step so it is hard to get any deader than that so velocity didn't matter to the animal. Find the Marlin for around $300 and get a wood stock from Boyd's. I don't like the syn. stock either and will be getting one from Boyd's by next season. Good luck-Eddie

My daughters Tikka T3 lite shoots 1/4" groups if you dig in my posts I think I posted them a while back.

Once again, the 257WBY fits the bill. When you use one on a deer, and see the lightning bolt strike type of DRT/bangflops I predict that you will never be without one again.

Marlin makes, or once made, the XL7 with a laminated wood stock. If you like the Marlin, you might check and see if your gunshop will order it in the laminated version.

Some come with a wood stock, not sure about the 25/06. Find a good used Remington 700 ADL/BDL and go hunting.

+1

I bought a Marlin XL-7 in 25-06, used, from a fellow here on the fire. He showed me targets where it was grouping 3/4"...at 200 yds.

Both that one and the 270 we bought are damned accurate. It is a hard to beat rifle in that price range.

Decisions, decisions....I say Rem 700. Mine has never let me down!

I'll throw another recommendation out there for the Marlin. I picked one up used but unfired recently. I am really impressed with this rifle for the money. I haven't started loading for it, but factory CoreLokts are shooting MOA. I don't care for the cheap plastic stock, but then it makes for a very utilitarian weapon. I don't worry about messing up a nice walnut stock. Boyds is offering several options for it, though. The Pro-Fire trigger is awesome.
Mine even got welcomed into the gun family the right way...took a nice buck with it last weekend. Definitely a keeper.

How heavy of a bullet are you shooting in those marlins? What speed are you getting?

Another vote for the Rem. 700 CDL, just picked one up slightly used and it shoots the Federal with the 100gr. tsx very well.

I have chronographed the Barnes Vortex 100 gr TTSX at 3002 fps out of my Marlin 25-06

243 territory right there.

What are factory loaded .243 100 gr real velocities? According to the box those Barnes TTSX were supposed to get 3225 fps.

The Winchester Model 70 FWT is available now in 25/06. I know because I picked one up last month. And this one actually does shoot MOA with the 100 grain Hornadys over Reloader 22. So there's another option for you. More expensive than the Marlin I suppose but it's a Model 70.

I have a Rem 700 I bought several years ago and it has served me well and I've taken a couple of nice deer with it. I really like this caliber and, if I were buying one today, it would be a Browning X Bolt. I have one in a 300 Win Mag, my hunting buddy has one in a 270 and a 338 Win Mag, and my brother has one in a 308. I've shot them all and they are accurate, light weight and have a really smooth action.

I have a Rem 700 SPS that I'll put up against any other manufacturer. It's an absolute slayer of game. Here's a couple critters with the rifle:

The Sako A7 25-06 I sold to SU35 would put 115 TSX in .5 inch groups @ 3160 fps or 80 T-TSX same size hole @ 3673 fps.

Still breaking in my 85 Finnlight 25-06 it too is a MOA or better gun.