Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 25-06 vs. 270 for whitetail

Choose the one you like best.

I've often thought the .270 might be the best choice for a dedicated deer cartridge but it would be damn tough to tell the difference between a .257"/120g and a .277"/130g.

Hunted with both calibers quite a bit in the 50 years I've been hunting.
The guns in my safe should give the answer;
0 - 270's
2 - 25-06's.

One of the '06's is a first year production model with more than 3000 rounds through it that STILL prints sub-.75" groups at 100 and drops deer consistently (if I do my part) out to 500 yards. The other has a Douglas barrel on it and has taken 2 elk and a multitude of whitetails from 30 yards out to over 400 with 120/110 gr pills.

Bottom line is, either will do the job on whitetails, I just prefer the 25-06 to the 270.

A .270W with 110 TTSX...pretty much the 25:06/270W in the same rifle.

Tell me more, I always want to learn.

postoak I'd love to discuss it but the subject is making my head hurt....

All I can suggest, is shoot a bunch of stuff with a bunch of calibers and bullets and patterns will sort of emerge.

All I will say is I have never seen a 6mm that was as good as a 270 across the board; and I'd take the 35 Whelan as a brown bear cartridge over any 270. The mileage of others may vary.

But I wouldn't run away from a brown bear if I had a 270 loaded with good bullets.

Clear as mud?

But we're talking about whitetail deer here, not brown bear. People who've used the .35 Whelen (true of the .45-70 also) on deer have been disappointed -- it doesn't kill particularly quickly.

As for the .24-06 killing faster than the .25-06 and both of them killing faster than the .270 -- I'm not convinced, either. That makes me think there is a velocity beyond which increases don't result in any gain in killing ability.

From what I've witnessed the 25-06 is the hammer of Thor under 100 yards. Long distances may be a different story.

270 hands down.

WRONG on my account. I never had any disappointments using the
Whelen on Wts.

Maybe ? Maybe? those or others used TOO heavy bullets.

I found the 180 gr Speer FN and 200 HSP quite LIFE ENDING for wt.

Remember this -

There is a 25-06 IN every 270 W.

It's quite possible they used too heavy bullets. And, of course, the .35 Whelen kills deer. The question is, does it kill as fast as the smaller diameter -06 based calibers firing lighter, but smaller diameter bullets. What kind of speeds do you get out of the .35 Whelen with 180 grain bullets? If it is in the 3100 fps range then this may be the best answer for whitetails out to 125
yards. You just don't need much sectional density to penetrate deer.

Forget the cartridge choice for a minute and think about the rifle you like to house it.

If that rifle has a 24"-26" barrel, get the .25/06. If it has a 22" tube, then choose the .270.

A 100gn TTSX in a .25/06 is a very flat shooting and practical allround load for any deer. The .270 is well, is not quite a .30/06 so is less important.

.013

Rifle vs whitetail

Pick one, either will put backstrap on the grill. Myself personally would take a 25-06 something along the lines of Remington mountain or Kimber 84l.

I love my 270's but either will take a whitetail just fine. Pick em

P O (postoak that is <G>)

So as to NOT derail this thread EITHER -

PM me and I'll gladly share my Whelen info, OR

Let's start another thread on the Whelen.

For me, it is 25-06. All day, every day and twice on Sundays. That said, there is no practical difference in performance . No whitetail has a chance against either with a good BULLET. It should be noted however, THAT THE 270 IS GAY.

Either are great but I would pick the 270 personally.

You can always make it act like a 25 06 by shooting 110 accubonds or the 110 and lighter Barnes bullets plus have the ability to go up to 150s and 160s in you would choose to for bigger game

Hey Dude -

Don't forget the 180 Woody's in 270 W.

Sorry my bad...I never think of cartridges in terms of deer only.

No 6mm or 25 is going to kill any deer any faster than a 270 Winchester.Neither is a 35 cal for that matter assuming you hit it right.

Speed can be important to the degree it effects bullet expansion.

Everyone should have at least one of each.
Big fan here of the 25-06, (257 Roberts and the 257 Weatherby too) but if the power grid went down I would grab the 270. Theres lots of variety of shelf ammo and it is more reasonably priced that the 25-06. Both are great to reload.