Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Why do campfire looneys ignore the 25-06

The 25/06 might be ignored by Campfire Loonies, but I think there are lot of 25/06 owners out there shooting and hunting instead of endlessly pondering whether a 6.5X55 is better than a 260.

I freely admit that I am not a rifle loony. I am a hunter that shoots, not a shooter that hunts. My reasons for venturing into 25-06 :
1) I'm 56 and one of these days recoil is going to start bothering me. I therefore resolved to buy one more 30-06 and then start investigating smaller calibers. In that respect, 25-06 was a good first step.
2) I don't do a whole lot of varminting, and most of what I've done in the past has been with 22LR and 223 REM. 25-06 seemed like a good varmint/deer chambering. I have killed coyote before, but always as a target of opportunity.
3) My buddy had this custom 25-06, that he'd hunted with for 30-some years. He went blind at 84, and had to give it all up. I bought the rifle so it would have a good home, and I did not quibble on the price.
4) I don't have to reduce the powder all that much and I'm down into 257 Rob levels. It is always easier and safer to load down as to try and force it and load up.

I have one and like it. Works great on deer and antelope. I also think a 270 is a better mouse trap.

just a quick cell phone photo grab:



Dad's .25-06 pre-dates the round's standardization by Remington. It's in a Mauser of uncertain parentage - I was told he bought the rifle from a coworker who needed money. The heavy 26" barrel has a a 1 in 11" twist for some odd reason. It will shoot very well with 110 Accubonds, however. I launch them with a modest charge of Reloader 22, at just over 3000 fps, in deference to the old action.

The period Weaver K4 wasn't so hot looking into the setting sun, giving a lot of glare, but I did manage to see the doe well enough to hit her. She ran perhaps 40 yards before dropping. A little lower and I suspect the run would have been much shorter.

Yes you are right and along with the fact that the 1-10 twist rate has hampered development of future high BC bullets. Still for those that use MPBR type shooting of Deer/Hogs/Varmits it is a good one.

Funny I stumbled on this thread as I am heading to look at a Savage Long Range Hunter on Friday in the quarter bore. Rifle is brand new, been on the shelf 2 years and is at a way reduced price. Thinking I will try 115 Partitions should it come home with me. Don't know that it will work any better than my 6mm Remmy or my 270 but it needs a home anyways.

He was obviously pretty sadly underloaded on the 25-06 then...........

MM

To me the .25's are a little big for a varmint rifle and a little too small for big game.

Of course a 25-06 will blast down stuff.

A buddy from long ago hunted every thing from chucks to deer with his M722 257 Roberts.

He was up at the camp (VT late 1960's) then with it hunting deer and a hunter came by and asked him what he was shooting. When the hunter heard it was a .257 he lectured him that the 30-06 was what to use because of it's big bullet, power and reputation.

Not long after the hunter went up the hill a buck came by and my buddy shot it. The hunter came back down the hill to see what happened.

As he began to gut the buck and the intestines spilled out the expert lost his breakfast and threw up!

What's a 25-06???

I remember about 10 years ago or more here at the fire, the 25-06, 25-06 Ackley Improved, and 25-284 were all the rage of the rifle loonies. Big Stick and few others was pushing those chamberings hard at the time, and all kinds of guys here were building them. I even got a 257 Ackley for myself, which I still have. Then everyone suddenly got wise to ballistic coefficients, and the long range shooting craze took off about the same time. Suddenly the poor 25 calibers got no more love. Never mind the fact that 95% of the guys will will never shoot past 500 yards.

Every deer I have shot with the 25-06 has died within a couple yards. It has low recoil is easy to load for and shoots more than flat enough for any distance that most hunters have any buisiness shooting at. Its easy to get caught up in the high BC gack but at 300 to 400 yards and most deer are shot much closer the (sheety) 25 caliber bullets are just fine.Its a fine cartridge that will continue to survive quite well on its own merits IMO.

Unless its a Roberts the 25 bore gets no love like the 270 either you like bigger or smaller...
25/06 is fast and flat shooting and really rather boring...like the 270...both great carterages just people would rather rave on about somthing that on paper is better..

I had a .25-06 for years, killed a pile of Ground hogs with it. The things the old 75 gr sierra hps would do to them was almost gross at times...... I only killed on deer with it as the gun was built by someone else with a 1-14 twist barrel. It would barely shoot a 100 gr bt decent. I brought it with me when I moved out west. The wind here convinced me to put a 6.5 barrel on the gun and I never have been sorry. a .25-06 can not push anything as effective in winds as a 130 gr. JLK or berger offerings......

Curious as to what you chambered the new barrel to?
When I had my 25-06 barrel made up a while back, I strongly considered a 6.5-06 or even a swede.

The main reason that interest in the 25-06 has tanked is that not much new has happened with it since Remington legitimized it nearly 50 years ago...
The big reason that nothing has changed is that it was so good from the get-go...

And vld bullets do offer advantages, at truly extended ranges.
I'm convinced that most guys never shoot those distances in the field...

And I find it curious that guys have written to nosler asking for a .257 vld bullet. They state their willingness to have a new faster twist barrel made up to shoot it.

If I wanted to shoot a vld, I'd just do a new barrel for the several excellent .264 bullets so configured...

Actually, he doted on his "little blue pills", aka 100 gr.moly coated Barnes X in 257AI and 257 Wby.


I could never make 'em work in either of my rifles.

Maybe this will be the year I make the plunge and get a 25-06. I always end up spending the majority of my big game season with a .270 or .30-06 but from what I'm hearing the 25-06 is flatter shooting, kills just as well, and can do double duty as a varmint rig. And less recoil never hurt anyone. Pun intended.

moose, for some one not interest in extreme long range shooting the .25-06 is a dandy.. Had my first when it was still a wildcat, but just a short time later it was standardize.. Have had three or four.. Right now I have one on a 700 action with a 27 in Douglas barrel.. Put it together for long range coyotes and windy days..
Have a couple 06's, a 270, plus a bunch of magnums.. Right now the 25-06 is one of my three favorites.. I shot only one whitetail with it this fall, and one antelope.. It is good for both of these.. I think if a guy wants to hang with the ultra long range crowd, there might be better choices.. But for the guy who hunts medium game and does most of his shooting at less than 400 yards, it is a dandy..

My browning a-bolt II medallion topped with Swarovski z3 4-12x50 is my favorite all around rifle I own by far! And I love my .243's so that's saying a lot! I've had more DRT's out to 300 yards than any other rifle I own. Never getting rid of it!

When I was preparing for my first western mule deer hunt (MT), I was wearing the outfitter (who I respect a great deal and am now glad to call a friend) out with tons of questions through email and phone calls in preparation. At one point, I asked what calibers he was most fond of. I've always appreciated, and smiled, at his reply. He said his favorite was the 25-06, and least favorite was any of the 300's. Of course, I had to ask him why. He said it had been his experience with many hunters over the years that a well placed 90-115 grain bullet out of a flat shooting, low recoil rifle was much preferred to a larger grain bullet from a heavy recoiling rifle placed into the nearby hillside.

While I still enjoy my 30-06, 7Mag, and 300WSM, I've never forgotten that sage advice. I picked up a Ruger #1V on here recently, and it will be with me when I return to hunt with him in November 2015. I look forward to all that comes with a new (to me) caliber. Once fired brass tumbling in pins as I type.