I have a original Ti long action stock and a stainless 700 .30-06 action. Looking to build a deer/antelope gun. I am leaning 25-06, but am open to suggestions. I believe the stock is channeled for a #1 contour. I already have a 1st gen Ti in .270
Or a 240 Weatherby Mag. If you're opposed to belted cases then go 6mm/06.
Go with a KS contour. It's a Remington taper that is kind of between a mountain rifle contour (which your Ti has) and a sporter (which measures .66 at the muzzle).
KS will measure .6 at the muzzle vice .56'ish for the mountain rifle contour. You'll only need to open the barrel channel up a RCH.
The 25-06 is a great platform. Mine shoots everything well.
I would add if you're going to buy an aftermarket barrel and you hunt in cold weather/low altitude you might consider an 8- or 8.5-twist barrel. Bullets aren't getting shorter, and the standard twist for a 25 cal barrel is a 10-twist. Berger's twist calculator recommends an 8.5 twist barrel if hunting at 0 degrees F at sea level for the 115 Berger. If Nosler ever comes out with a .257 Long Range Accubond it will probably also be a long bullet. Berger's twist calculator recommends an 8.5-twist for the Nosler 110 Accubond also, under the same conditions.
If you add about 45 degrees and 4500 ft elevation, the 10-twist is fine for the 115 Berger and 110 Accubond. Maybe an unrealistic consideration considering all the deer and antelope killed with a 25-06.
Mine is a 10-twist. If I ever end up hunting Whitetail in Saskatchewan I'll use 100 grain Partitions. The 10-twist has no problems stabilizing the shorty Partition.
Load some 130 ttsxs in the 30-06 and go kill antelope and deer.
Edit: Missed the part about the 30-06 being just an action. Since you already have a 270, sell the other stuff, load up a bunch of 130s or just buy some Federal Blue Box factory loads, and go kill stuff.
At the risk of losing my rifle loony card Id say sell the 30-06 and use it to buy other gear. I may also lose my man card for suggesting you run the 270 . Really your 270 covers all the 25-06 and 30-06 would do
Here is a one minute video of my hunting buddy shooting an antelope at 75 yards.
Earlier I shot one at 50 yards with a custom 7mmRM that I practiced and practiced out to 500 yards.
Over the years I have wasted too much ammo shooting at running antelope. I give up. Practice out to long range. Shoot at close range. Don't shoot when they are running.
I throw some gas on the fire. I'd build a 6.5x55. Awesome bullets, and that cartridge just wants to shoot accurately. I was dusting rocks at 1000 yesterday with mine and 123 Scenars. Never been a fan of 25's. Slim pickings for real bullets in that caliber.
By "real bullets" you mean what, exactly? Match bullets? Plenty of hunting bullets are available in 25, which is the OP's purpose in building the rifle.
My personal experience with the 25-06 showed me they are finicky to load for, and the bullets suck ass.
If I were building a lope/deer gun, I would think "wind." Shooting a bullets with wind bucking ability would be top of the list. 6mm's, 6.5's and 7mm's would be on my radar.
Funny, the guys actually out there killing game instead of squawking on the internet do just fine with the 25-06.
I've only loaded for three 25-06s and one 25-06 Ackley, and I found them to be amongst the easiest I've loaded for.
The last thing I would do is build a 280 when I already had a 270. Especially one specifically built around a bullet that a: just went back into production so will have a huge backlog and may not be readily available anytime soon, and b: many of us don't want to use for game.
If the OP is hot and heavy to jump on the High BC bandwagon, he can buy some 150 LRABs for his 270.
I've ran the 25-06, 6-06, 6.5-06, 270, and 30-06 quite a bit. With today's bullet inventory I could put all the choices in a bucket, pick blindly, and do the same things with any of them. Your 25-06 thinking will be perfectly suitable. I'd pick it over 6-06 or 6.5-06 having owned all 3. I always end up comparing both of the others to the 25-06 anyway.
If we need to get all into the gack: Run the calcs on .243-105s at 3150, .257-115s at 3200, and .264 130s at 3050 on the 3 mentioned cases and you'll see they are a little more similar than many think.
Fairly certain 25 it is. 9 twist for the 120s. I have several .243 rifles so going for the heavier bullets. Not interested in building the lightest rifle possible so thinking KS #2 contour at 22". Seems like a 20" featherweight #1 would be too short?
Thanks for all the input so far. Considered a 280 AI but have 270 and 06 rifles already.
Please feel free to set me straight if I am confused. Basically looking to build a light medium long range gun without too much recoil.
Funny the OP isn't the one going on and on about high bc bullets. He just wants a cool rifle to shoot deer and antelope. The 25-06's I've loaded for haven't been picky or finiky. Some folks have more trouble than others I suppose.
6-06 would be very cool and I'll likely have one but I know it's not going to offer anything over the 25-06 for hunting.
. Really your 270 covers all the 25-06 and 30-06 would do
