Which one and why?
Is one more effective or is it more "half a dozen of one, 6 of the other"

As long as it's in a McSwirly it's all good

They'll both work.

Off to a bad start

An early 70s Remington M700 in .25-06 is all a man could ask for.

The quarter bore for sure, that way the venison wont be a "rainbow of colors".

Then he should use a 7mm Mauser.

Damn, beat me to the punch right out o' the gate.

.....comedians

I like both for whitetails.. The .25/06 is one of my 3 favorite calibers, BUT if I were only hunting whitetails and had to choose, I think I would opt for the .270...

You've been a member here long enough to see this question asked how many times?

I can't keep track of all this stuff
That's why we are called rifle LOONIES

I use a 270....

The 25-06 was originally built for killing muskrats on Venus. Some have even suggested that extraterrestrial intelligence was used for its development.

Although it has been successfully deployed into roles other than that it was designed for, I would not choose it over the greatest whitetail caliber of all time...on any planet!

270. Unless you are a recoil sensitive type. And if you're not recoil shy, why f around? Go for the jugular, go 30 Gov't 'o6.

The answer to this question is "yes." But, if I had to choose I may go 25-06.

Flip a coin...I like my .270, but I would like it just as well if it were a 25-06 or a .257 Bob...that being said a 130gr pill at 3k sure knocks the stuffing out of a whitetail...

So does 117/120 gr out of the .25 at something over 3k! At least it did on caribou.

Why? I couldn't find a .264WM in the shop at the time I was buying. I'd go 270 now tho. No particular reason except bullet weights available.

Ballistically very close. Have never hunted with a .25-06 and only very limited with .270. I would lean towards the heavier bullet weight in the .270, but suspect the '06 would be better at really long range.

Would like to hear from some of the experienced .25-06 guys here however.

No significant difference in a 120 or 130 gr partition at about the same velocity.

I like the 25/06 because recoil is just light enough that I can see the reaction of the deer. A significant advantage, IMO. YMMV

I have use both in the past but right now am happy hunting whitetails with my 25-06 and 100 gr TSX.

Neither.... they both bounce off deer. I hear a 30-378 is fairly effective for a low recoil alternative on deer tho.

Soapy, my 25-06 experience was good, the deer I hit with it dropped quickly and recoil is surprisingly light.

Most whitetail hunting is less than 300 yards. But you will need to be aware that .25 caliber bullets are not as high in B.C. as say a .270 140 or 150 bullet and would not be as good in high winds or extreme range.

The 25.06 has my vote. For deer with a 115 ballistic tip it drops them in short order. Light recoil and accurate are two characteristics I use to sum up the 25.06. I would suggest that you reload for this cartridge since I noticed it is not as readily found as the 270 (at least in my area).

A question is does velocity past a certain minimum continue to contribute to lethality? I don't know the answer but if it is "yes" then the .25-06 should be better as the lighter bullet behind the same amount of powder will be driven faster. And, in that case, the .24-06 should be even better.

If the answer is "no" then the .270 wins out and the .35 Whelen should be even better, if properly constructed bullets are used.

The few reports I've heard is that the Whelen *does not* kill particularly well compared to the smaller diameter variations of the '-06', but I'm not sure those using the Whelen were using optimal bullets for light big game like whitetails.

Things don't quite work out that way.

There is just something sexy about a 25-06 . For a deer rifle it gets my vote.

I prefer the 25-06 Improved, also known as the .257 Weatherby.

I have both,and have been impressed with each. Really a toss up. I will say this though. My daughter and I just put money down on limited Antelope in WY for next fall. She has been using her Mom's old M700 270 for deer here locally. With good results I might add. I will however,put her in the 25Otter for the Lope hunt. The reason being it will be more pleasant to shoot prone,should the need arise. It's also a M700,her grandpap's old rifle. The transition should be a smooth one.

That old M700 wood stocked 80s vintage rig shoots 1/2 MOA out to 400 yds yet. I occasionally take it to 400 yd deer target shoots just for the fun of it. Heavy enough to soak up what little recoil there is too. Her Grandpap wanted to take a lope with it but never realized that dream. I figure his "Punkin" can carry the torch in his honor.

Chicken and egg argument for sure. Dead is dead and both will give you dead on whitetails. I've shot a lot of antelope and some deer with the 25-06 it works ,If you like to eat your game stick with 115-120 gr bullets in cup and core designs. The 270 W is never wrong and that is why it is immensely popular and has a better bullet selection for your choice. If you can't get it done with the 270 spend more time practicing ,failing that stay at home and perform honeydos. Magnum Man

Either one will work fine on deer.

If you are planning to hunt in strange, exotic locales opt for the .270 just in case your ammo gets lost because .270 ammo will be easier to acquire.

I choose the .270W. Only because I've never owned a .25-06.

AKA 25-06 on steroids!

I only shot 2 deer this year. One with a .270, it went 30 feet.
The other with .257 Wby. It went 3 feet... backwards.

Used them both. They both kill but I can only carry one at a time. So I'd take a 270.

I'm a fan of all things .270 so it's a no brainer for me!

If forced to slum a .25-06 I'm sure the deer would die just as dead.

Mike

The 25/06 is just a 270 that is lite in the loafers.

Shod

If you reload use the lighter 6.8 bullets in the 270 and you'll have the 25-06 for what it's worth.

If you want a quarterbore get the Bob and call it day.

No whitetail will know the difference if you shoot them through the lungs with a properly constructed bullet. I shoot 115 thru 120 grain bullets in my 25-06s and 130 and 140 grain bullets in my 270s. I think that out to a quarter-mile or so, the trajectories of the 115/117/120 .257" bullets fired from a 25-06 are all within a couple of inches of the 130 grain .277" bullets fired from a 270, assuming that all variables are equal.

If you shoot factory ammo, most standard grade 270 ammo from Fed/Rem/Win is easier to find and less expensive than 25-06 ammo from the big three. Hornady's American Whitetail ammo is excellent and about the same price in both 25-06 and 270, but it is less common anywhere that I have been when compared to Fed/Rem/Win ammo.

I have not been shooting either the 25-06 or 270 for very long, as I had always considered them to be "too common" and uninteresting when compared to the 257 Roberts, 257AI, 25-284, 6.5x55, 6.5-284, 256 Newton, and 7x57, but I have come to like them and think that either would be a particularly good choice for the person who doesn't reload.

Is one more effective or is it more "half a dozen of one, 6 of the other" [/quote]

U. S.
You got the answer correct. However ... Since you can not always bet on the suicidal cooperation of game animals I prefer to error on the side of Sectional Density rather than Ballistic Coefficient so I generally would go with the .270 of the two choices you have provided. Whitetails have a nasty habit of being nervous and "flighty" so as to make perfect anatomical presentation problematic. Whitetails also have a reputation for wearing a form of Kevlar at times, or so I'm told. I would prefer the added weight and SD of the 140 grain .270 over the 117 grain .257 regardless of the BC. If I'm loading the ammo I stay under the 3000 fps level or whatever your rifle shoots the best. Enjoy your hunt; 6 of one, half dozen of the other.

I'd take the 270 myself.

Can I prove that it's better? No.
Would anyone postulate though that it is worse? No.

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.

The 25/06 and 270 are elk medicine.

If I was looking for a deer cartridge it would be a 250 savage or 257 Bob.

Shod

I like your style!

The 110 gr Barnes in the 270 Winchester (3400-3500 fps) renders the 25/06 obsolete.

I've always heard that the 30/06 is slightly fatter.....and a little slower.

Shod

No point in either one. The .223 is all you ever need. Just ask all the .22 CF fanboys around here. Anything bigger than .224" is just overkill on deer.

Blackheart I have to admit that's one of the bigger "who cares" issues discussed around here...for me anyway.

Not necessarily true. Where you hit them still matters. The last mule deer that I shot with my Whelen (225 gr partition) dropped straight down without taking a step. My guide said he'd never seen one go down so fast.

The last whitetail that I shot with my .257 Weatherby (100 gr. partition) went 10 ft. Which proves nothing except it is hard to generalize.

I am with Bob, the 270 beats the 25-06 at its own game.

I think Prairie Goat and/or his pop have been having good luck with the 85 tsx at something like 3800 fps on deer and lopes.

I fixed it for you

Not that the 25-06 isn't a great cartridge, I've just never liked it. It really is at its best with a 24" barrel, and I'd sooner use a 22" bbl.

Really, were I wanting a 25 cal for deer it'd be a Roberts.

Otherwise, 270 all the way...

My .45-70 may not kill like lightning but the 5x5 bull elk I shot with it (213 yards) never took a step and the buck I shot (197 yards) left a blood trail that looked like someone had sloshed blood out of a bucket. Of course the buck's "trail" was only about 10 feet long...

When it came time for me to become a rifle shooter, I realized I needed at least one chambering that I needed to despise without any logic or reason. Otherwise, I would not be a real shooter. I already had one that I clung to without hesitation. That was the 30-06, so that was out. 270 WIN was an easy choice. I have spent the last 30-some years hating on the 270 for no good reason.

As to the 25-06, I kind of fell into that one. A buddy was getting too old to hunt and I bought his favorite deer rifle and it just happened to be 25-06. I have been impressed with it. I'm 56, and figured that it was time to start exploring things smaller than 30-somethings. the 25-06 with 117 grain Hornady SPBT's did a nice job on a doe this year. I'm satisfied.

I will say this, if you have an unrealistic and illogical bias against 270 WIN, then you will have a lot of fun taking cheap 270 WIN brass and resizing it to 25-06. There is just something deeply fulfilling knocking the gay out of that brass.

"Knocking the gay out of that brass"

That is some funny stuff right there!!!!

They are both good cartridges I have owned, hunted and killed deer with both.

That said, I still favor the 270 Winchester over the 25-06.

Id suspect both where the bullets placed and which bullet you used , and the hunters knowledge of the games anatomy,has a huge effect on results , Ive used both the 35 whelen and 45/70 on both deer and elk in the past and had very good results.
now Ive seen several deer and elk shot with a 257 Roberts and 270 Winchester rifles also and the same things hold true, place your shots well and use a decent bullet and any of the mentioned calibers work, pure physics suggests a larger more massive projectile, that expands but maintains most of its physical integrity has some potential benefits in causing more consistent and deeper wound damage, on the larger animals but Ive seen a 257 Roberts dump an elk from 200 yards, in seconds after bullet impact, quite convincingly and the same thing happen with my 45/70 so I'm not overly concerned with head stamps, just accuracy and consistency.

The 25 will never trump a 270. Just sayin'...

W

We'll put !!!

well, the .270 shoots a bullet that is 7.78% larger than the .25-06, so, you should get 7.78% better blood trails.



I've killed three deer with the .25-06, and five with the .270, and the .270's have all been bang flops. The deer ran more with the .25-06. Which is probably because I've historically loaded the .25-06 fairly mild, and I firewalled the .270 with bullets that expand easily. They don't go anywhere when their heart is mostly disconnected from everything.

But as a practical matter, I doubt caliber makes a lot of difference between the two. Individual bullet/load performance and shot placement will make a bigger difference.

I don't see talking about the .24-06 and the .35 Whelen here as derailing the thread. If someone wants to compare the .25-06 to the .270 then extending the range downward and upward with cartridges of the same powder capacity should make clearer the differences.

I'm ok with that, let it evolve....

By Your Leave....

I had a 35 Whelen reamed out of a 760 Rem pump. I made a dummy round for my 'smith and he did EXACTLY what I asked. Now this was in the 80s before Rem made production runs of the 35 Whelen.

Also I had no ideas nor plans of hunting anything other than WT deer so I didn't have it throated for 250 gr bullets AND I never tried them either.

"postoak" no I didn't get 3100 fps BUT @ 3000 fps with the Speer 180 FN. I researched the Whelen and talked with JDJ (Jones) and AT THE TIME- IMR 4320 powder was THE powder for it.

I did try a few others and none came close in velocity (speed) and 4320 gave terrific accuracy.

Someone, don't remember who, gave me enuff Rl 12 to test and it gave considerably less velocity.

I also tested and USED the 200 HSP and it too 'flattened' WT deer. One in particular I will never forget. I was in a stand on a hillside of open hardwoods. This nice size forked horn fed out of the brush behind me. I slowly turned and shot him behind the right front shoulder. He INSTANTLY went stiff legged (all 4) and looked like an ironing board. After a few seconds he fell over on his left side with all 4 legs sticking straight out.

I don't remember exactly how many deer I killed with 180 Speers and 200 HSP but NONE went far and MOST DRT. I shot every one BEHIND the shoulder, avoiding large meaty areas.

That gunsmith has since Passed On and I miss his work. The ONLY reason I got rid of that 35 Whelen pump was the 'SCUTTLEBUTT' said Dupont was discontinuing 4320 powder. WELL we know that didn't happen. I could get another but CAN NOT get that one back.

***These are MY loads in MY custom cut chamber/throat, using MY lots of powder and primers***
Exercise caution using YOUR rifle, powder, primers, etc.

* Rem Factory 200 PSPCL -- 2520 fps---advertised 2675 fps. *
These were purchased AFTER the Rem production run.

Hornady 200 HSP - 62 gs - IMR 4320>>>>> 2850 fps
(Rl 12 gave 2750 fps.)

Speer 180 FN - 65 gs - IMR 4320>>>>> 2960--2990--2999
(those are 3 averages using diff lots of powder)

Speer 180 FN ( Reloader 12 )>>> 2875 average.

General Notes:
I did not use Rem cases. I used Federal and Win 06 cases necked up.

My notes say 1986 was my first season to use it. I thot it was a little later than that.

As JRS said, "A Little Miss I Have Known"

Actually, they do go a long way when the heart is destroyed (disconnected) as the blood has quite a bit of oxygen still in it when headed back to the heart. Removing the pump does nothing to move the blood out of the muscle tissue.

Leaving the suction side of the pump alone and venting the power side moves the blood much faster and it will dump everything within 7 heartbeats (according to a group of cardiac-doc-friends) and the animal will lose consciousness...

I have seen way too many critters run considerable distances with hearts completely destroyed.

The several heart shot animals I have taken vs other would tend to agree with that.

The specific animal I have in mind is a caribou that I shot the top of the brisket out of at about 360 yards paced (I thought, pre-rangefinder, he was 300 yards). Bone or bullet fragment slicing open the lower part of the heart. I found the bullet jacket in the off-side elbow. Not bad for a Corelokt. He ran about 100 yards straight away, turned, and ran back at an angle for slightly more than that distance to find the perfect sized and shaped bog hole to fall into... I have, and have posted the pictures years ago.

That was with a 180 grain slug out of a 17 inch barreled '06, however.

Yup, have a whole ton of personal anecdotal evidence the docs know of what they speak...

And all this explains exactly why a .25-06 or a .270 are "perfect", "awesome", "barely adequate","seriously under minimum" and "no damned good" for hunting white tailed deer. No game animal, up to and including elephants go far without a functional heart. However, if you are in the pathway of a "clinically dead" jumbo it becomes a serious personal problem. A heart-shot whitetail that jumps the SOB neighbor's fence is extremely depressing . So much of hunting "depends" that it gets to be unrealistic to be all too certain of much of anything. Is the animal calm or panicked or wounded? What is the bone structure? What caliber or bullet is used or the placement? Is the hunter relaxed or gasping for air? Is the firearm suitable or marginal? Does the animal have a reputation for being "hard to kill"? Wild animals have a penchant for moving around, especially, as I pull the trigger it seems to me. That perfect broadside shot that becomes a neck shot or "a bit far back" happens. My fault (usually) or the not it happens. Anyone who claims to never have missed or botched a shot either does not hunt much or might be prone to stretch the truth. You do your best and live with the results.
The two necked down 30-06 cartridges will do very nicely killing whitetail deer with any bullet that is designed for big game hunting. Flip a coin. On the other hand there are about 200 other calibers and even sticks that will kill also kill deer. IMO

shot placement/bullit wight/type of bullit. have used both have both. prefer 257 cal. 25.06/257 bob/257 weatherby. your choice all will do the job.good luck

In 2012 I began hunting 'private' property bordered by 'private' property so...

That's exactly why I've gone to shooting the SCAPULA. No deer can travel, much less jump a fence.

Yup.

Ha. Life is too short to hunt with an ugly, overweight gun.

My 'cinnaments' exactly. WHY carry UNnecessary weight?


__________________________________________________________________


THAT'S right too. <smile

Have used, and seen both used on a variety of game. No difference in performance with comparable projectiles.

I have three 270s and not a single 25-06 in the safe at this moment. Something tells me I prefer the 270. Probably because I've killed more game with a 270 than all other cartridges combined. It is effective and acheives good velocity with a 22" barrel.

YMMV.

Then, again, if you are still wavering you could split the difference and go with 6.5/264. That might stir the pot. Just saying :-)

I own and have killed several critters with both and can tell no difference in killing power. If I had to choose one it would be the 270.

-MJS

What kind of oddball is that ? 6.5/264


smile

My other brother Daryl called it a 6.5 Polish LOL

Have 4-.270's and 1-.25-06,you are behind....again.

I have seen the .25-06 referred to as "The National Rifle of Texas" due to the large number of rifles so chambered used in the state (or Nation as we prefer to say). There is no doubt that the .25-06 is a deadly caliber on whitetail deer at any reasonable range you care to use it.

The .270 has just as good a reputation (if not better) as the .25-06 in Texas as well as the rest of the world. It could be argued that the .270 might be the mythical "perfect" whitetail round.

I have used both chamberings quite a bit and can see little difference in performance and "killing" ability of the two rounds under anything like "normal" conditions...that is, fairly open terrain and medium to long range shots. Both the .25-06 and .270 shine in these situations.

The "fly in the ointment" comes when the conditions are NOT "normal"....as in extremely thick brush and tough tracking conditions. I grew up hunting in the "Big Thicket" of East Texas and have also hunted in the "Brush Country" of South Texas......which compares well to the conditions in deep East Texas (although he "brush" is quite different). The Pacific Northwest (which I have seen) is pretty close to being as thick....but just a bit more open.

Under those conditions, it is NOT about "killing" the game (that is a given with both the .25-06 and the .270) but the "finding" of the animal after it runs and they ALL will run from time to time...even if only 50 yards. In really thick brush, a VERY good blood trail is critical.

I have been critasized (even attached) for saying it, but the .270 is the minimum caliber I would choose for all-around use including really thick brush country. The .25-06 kills just as well but the smaller caliber round just doesn't leave (as a general rule) as good a blood trail....which makes "finding" your kill more difficult.

I bought my own .25-06 specifically as a long range (400 yards or so) Pronghorn rifle and it served me well. However, over the years it spent a lot of time in the gun room while my .270 (or even more often the .30-06) got the most time in the field.

As far as choosing between the .25-06 and the .270 I'd go with the .270 every time. Just as good at long range (with 130 grain bullets) and more useful (at least minimally) on larger game (with perhaps heavier...150-160 grain bullets) on lager game than deer.

If you (like me) can afford a "rifle for every purpose" then the .25-06 is a GREAT long range, smallish weigh game rile (deer / pronghorn) but for a man that is more limited in his arsenal..... .270 is the better choice. Just as good at long range (if not better)...and much better on larger game and thick brush.

Kindalike MY 284/284-------or 7mm/284