Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 308 or 25-06

I was recently talking with a friend about the 25-06 and the 308 and the recoil with both shooting mild loads.
308 shooting 125 gr bullets and 25-06 shooting 87 gr loads
I don’t have the exact loads in front of me (we are packing up to move so alot is in boxes) but will find and post them
How comparable is the recoil of the 25-06 to the 308 ?
I know one is short action and one long action, I was wondering if the 25-06 would be to much for my wife and daughter with out having them shoot it and being scared of the recoil. They both shoot the 308 with out issues but if they go hunting the same time they both want to have a gun.
The guns are both Tikka T3 lites 308 is a compact, 25-06 is regular length that I have compact and regular stock for.
Thanks in advance
Dan

2506 wins easily. Can load it down slightly and still have a lot of punch for your target. 308 to me seems to snap no matter what

Another vote for the 25-06. Its a great round, and I’d have no reservations about a youth or lady using one.

Real close in bullet weights and velocity it's going to be a wash but it should be easier to find lighter bullets for the 25-06 and load it light than for the 308. The 308 can be specialty loaded I know since I've read of folks using pistol powder in them to lower velocity. I'm just saying the 25-06 should get you to low recoil without jumping through hoops.

The 25-06 is a pussy cat, shooting a 25-06 in summer clothes would not even be an issue for women or kids.

Hodgdon has mapped some general rules for H4895 and reduced loads:

https://www.hodgdon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/h4895-reduced-rifle-loads.pdf

You can choose the round, leave it open to all bullet weights, narrow the powder down to Hodgdon, then 4895 and run the 60% formula on the max loads and work up from there. Gives you options to explore either round.

A rifle weight, bullet weight, powder charge, and velocity (or close estimate) can give you a rough idea how the two compare recoil wise:

http://www.shooterscalculator.com/recoil-calculator.php

I have both, go with the 25-06

Using starting loads in a 7.5 lb rifle calculated here http://www.handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp

25-06 87gr bullet+53 gr powder @ 3200 fps = 10 ft lbs recoil
308 125 gr bullet +45 gr powder @ 3000 fps = 13 ft lbs recoil

^^^^^^This^^^^^^ I have been shooting a 25/06 since 1980. 1st one was a Ruger 77 and the one I now shoot is a little Marlin XL7. I have killed a lot of deer with baby '06 and have watched everyone of their reactions in my scope. Light recoil, IMO, whether on the bench or in the field, even with the lighter weight Marlin. I have never understood when someone whines about the recoil of the 25. Get it and go forth and shoot and kill animals with it. I have no doubt your wife and daughter will enjoy it. And, it kills deer and crows quickly! Haven't shot anything else with it...lol. Good luck whatever you get, but my vote would be the 25/06.

Not a .25-06, but my .257 Roberts with +P loads is my favorite rifle and has been since I acquired it back in 2004. Recoil will be about the same for a .25-06.

Last one that I would own again is a 25-06. Many more bullets available for the 308 from 110 up. You can down load it for low recoil. It is also much more accurate than the 25-06.

Recoil is far more an issue when shooting from a bench during sight in....it's almost never an issue when hunting.....further, noise can be a far more critical issue than recoil.....and many folks can confuse them.....that said....if one thinks the gun hurts.....it'll show in the field....it's simply human nature.

It's just plain smart to never let anyone (including yourself) target practice without good hearing protection.

I'm an old die hard .25-06 lover....it a great cartridge! and actually can develop less recoil than the .308. However for a hunting rifle, the .308 with 125 grain monometal bullets is also a fairly light recoiling round and with a slightly heavier bullet can double for elk. For a deer only rifle, the .25-06 is truly hard to beat.

No need to download for the 25-06. It is simply a beautiful hunting cartridge. And I have more .308s than I do 25-06s, but I don't own a sporter more accurate than my Redneck built Model 70 Featherweight 25-06.

I think that anyone that can handle one can manage the other with the right bullet weight. .308 Win with 168 or 180 gr bullets has a little “snap” but not horrific. Happy Trails

Since you already have both, why not let them shoot both? They'll find out which they like better quite quickly that way.

recoil can be a factor for recoil shy people men or ladies, my adult daughter can be recoil shy at the range but I have seen her killed deer with no fear at 200 yards with a 7 mm mag. and never remember if gun had recoil.

I just didn’t want the 25-06 to be too much for them, they way it sounds it shouldn’t be much different form the 308.

.25-06.

My daughter weighs 100 pounds and has a custom 257 Roberts and a custom .25-06 to choose from for deer hunting. She annually takes the .25-06. Says she doesn't feel much difference in recoil when shooting either one of them.

.25-06.. Have used it just before it was factory round... Great caliber..

25-06 by a mile.



Travis