I'm trying to warm up to 25-06, but we haven't rounded first base yet.

I enjoy quarter-bores in the form of 250-3000, but limit them to varmint loads. I live in the northeast where 200yds is a WAY long shot.

But I just can't see where a 25-06 does anything a 270 won't do. What am I missing?

You are missing absolutely nothing.....the 270 WIN rocks....

I could grab either one as my "One and Only" deer rifle. Always had the hankering for a Fly-Weight 25-06
Remmy 700 action - Trued and Slicked up
Fluted Bolt
Skeleton Handle
24" Mountain Rifle Contour...
Edge ADL in Mountain Rifle Pattern, OD Green and dabbed with sea sponge and black Krylon.
2.5 lb factory trigger
6x42 CDS with Talley LW
1" Montana Sling
TTSX 100's and a full case of a slow burner

Back Straps
Big Camp Fire
Hot Coals
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Crown on the rocks

Dammit! What was the question? Fuggin ADD kicked in again...

Not much. The 25-06 used to have the advantage when it came to light bullets at warp speed. After the introduction of the 6.8 SPC, light big game bullets became available for the 270, which can scoot them along quite fast, especially when lit by RE-17.

I've owned both, shot deer with both, and I still don't see any advantage of the 25 over the 27. The 25 burns too much powder for serious varmint use and the 270 with 100-130 grain pills covers the same ground at the 25-06. To me the bonus is heavier bullets in the 270 which make it a better bigger game hammer.

Of course I just picked up a Montana 270 which will become my mountain rifle.............

Gunnut, I like the way you think.

Are redheads better than blonds?

Use the Hot/Crazy Matrix to answer THAT question.

But to the OP's question, shots within 300 yards there is no difference.

My .25-06 has proven itself a tremendously effective hunting rifle. Easily my favorite.

But... If I'd already owned a .270, I wouldn't have bothered. They're so close to the same thing... Fast .257 vs fast .277 - not much difference in reality.

Guy

Unless you're a woodchuck hunter you're not missing a thing.

Love my 25-06 and 110 grain Accubonds! I don't think it kills any better than any of my other cartridges, but any deer shot with it just might disagree.

If you want one, get one. Then, like most of us here, pace in front of your safe for a few minutes trying to figure out which rifle to hunt with! 😃

I have both. For years the .25-06 was one of my three favorite calibers.. I still like it for coyotes, and antelope.. But since I found a .270 I really like I prefer it for deer hunting.. Maybe just my rotten luck, but my favorite .25-06 hasn't been doing the job on deer that I think it should.. Maybe the .270 wouldn't have done any better, but so far I have had no problems with it.. I would prefer the .270 for deer..

You aren't then with the 90HP in the 270. I've used both and will take the 270.

The 110 grain bullets also make great varmint loads for the old .270..

I have multiples of both and prefer the 270 to the 25-06.

The 25/06 is better than the 270 only in the dreams of those who like it. GD

I like my 25/06, the recoil is just light enough that I can watch the deer's reaction to the hit. The 270's recoil is certainly not objectionable, but it's just enough to lift the scope off the target. For deer, I can see no difference in performance, given similarly constructed Bullets.

There isn't 5 cents worth of difference. The advantage of heavier bullets for bigger game goes to the 270 but if you watch bullet placement both/either will work.

My brother has a 25-06 and my son a .270. I've seen multiple deer killed with both and can't see a nickels worth of difference. If I'm going long action I'll still take a .30-06 over either. For my own deer hunting here in NY I'll take my .243 or .30-30 over any of them.

I've owned and used both. The higher weight and BC of the 270 projectiles make it the winner past 300, considering a 140+ pill. Inside 300 is is little difference. Bullets mean more than headstamps.

Yup!

Hard to beat a 270....

This is true. We shot piles of woodchucks with 270's,10X scopes, and 110 Sierra's loaded to 3300+.

I could see the 25-06 as being a good tweener as a walking varmint/predator/deer rifle out where I live. However, I have to have a sub-6mm to legally hunt predators during big game seasons, so I prefer a larger caliber to compliment my 22-250.

I have both and like both. If I could only have one, it would be the 25-06, mostly cause I like the one rifle chambered in it better then the other. Still, it does shoot marginally flatter and recoil marginally less.

I have used both. In my experience there isn't much difference on deer sized game. However, when you move up into moose, elk, or caribou the 25/06 is marginal and the 270 a clear winner.

I've always wanted to get a 25-06 to try out just never got around to it. Too satisfied by the 270's I've owned I guess.

I am really fond on the 25-06. It's flat shooting and hard hitting ability with 75/85 grain bullets on coyotes really puts them down. The 257 Roberts is a real pleasure to shoot too.

Not real sure what you are hunting and if you already have a 270 or not. You said around 200 yards was max?

Jeff -

I have a long time friend, hunter/handloader, and he has a 25-06. I have told him...

"there is a 25-06 IN every 270 W." grin


Jerry

Have both and like the 25-06 better, tad less recoil.....

This is almost exactly how I see it. I have a 25-06 that between myself and 2 boys, put dozens of deer and antelope in the freezer. My father guided elk hunters that used 270's in the 1940's and said they did nothing but wound elk. He had no use for a 270 and I followed suit, that was until I got a pre-64 model 70 in 270 myself.

After using the 270 with 130 BT bullets on numerous deer and antelope, I have since bought another pre-64 model 70 in a featherweight and it has become my favorite deer rifle. The 25-06 hasn't left the safe in years...

I'm a 25-06 fan and just never warmed up to the 270. That means nothing to anyone except me.

I just like to do different than others and seemed like everyone had either a 270 or 30-06 when I was growing up. So I became a fan of the 25-06 and the 7mm Rem Mag. Nothing wrong with any of them honestly, just a matter of personal preference.

Sounds like you should've picked up a 35 Whelen!

This.

I've killed 20 something caribou out to over 500 yards with the 25 and 120 gr dynamite round! But the 130 in 27 will do the same. Of course I've only killed one black bear, a sheep, and a moose with the 270 and 150, all inside 70 yards , so what do I know? . It's a .30-06 now by necessity rather than other.

I have / have had both.

At present shooting a 270 Win a lot and can't fault it. Also shooting lots of 250-3000AI.

I always felt the 270 had a distinct edge.

If I was starting over now (and I may yet) I'd go for either a 6.5-06 or a 6.5 Creedmoor with the twist and throat / mag length set up to make the most out of the best bullets.

"Better" is a relative term and depends on a lot. I don't think either is "better" than the other in general but maybe one is better than the other for specific purposes. Will they both kill deer and other critters? Of course. Will 99% of the time it not matter to the animal which one you are shooting? No. If I only had one rifle chambered for either I would not give it up to buy the other. I prefer heavier bullets if I'm shooting elk or even big deer at longer range so if I could have only one and used it for that purpose I would lean towards the .270. but I would still hunt elk in a second with my 25-06 if I needed. Many many moose are killed with the 25-06 in Canada and Alaska every year.

I have both, I prefer my 25-06 but not because of the caliber, but because of the rifle it is chambered in. I honestly rarely use either because I have so many other calibers that I prefer and like my .280 better than either, but would still happily hunt with any of them.

If you already have one, be happy with it and kill everything with it, if you are looking for an excuse to buy another rifle or two, then get to it and buy both. If I had no rifles at all (God forbid) and was looking at buying a rifle for mostly big game and had to choose one of those, I would pick the .270 just because I live out west and like the option of heavier bullets for bigger stuff a ways out there.

I still say pick whatever one floats your boat though, the difference is not huge.

I have both and am really surprised that the smaller diameter bullet doesn't fly noticeabley faster.
In the 270 I mostly use 130gr and in the 25-06 mostly 117, about 9% lighter and smaller diameter which should mean more FPS but this isn't true?

The 130gr flying at 3150 is hard to beat by any standards, and now some are pushing them to over 3200. Not sure of their group size.

Also another advantage is the 150gr, if a person wants to step up to moose size game. But on the other end of the spectrum for predator hunting you can get great results with light bullets in the 25-06.

I prefer the 25-06 but I had it built with coyotes in mind as a primary target.

For several years after it was built, I'd guess that I used it for 15-20 coyotes for every deer It took. Over the last couple of years I have backed way off the coyote calling, and the only game taken with my 25-06 this year was a couple of does.

I always have and likely always will prefer rifles that are chambered for dual purpose cartridges. And for me the primary purpose is the lighter end of the spectrum.

Throw velocity and bullet weight numbers around til Illinois balances a budget and either cartridge will still do about anything a rifleman wants to do.

Well I really appreciate all Your considered responses, and your resisting the temptation to bash a caliber for it's imagined characteristics (...not a single homo-phobe joke in the lot, I'm impressed!).

I like the 270 I have because of the gun it's on (Rem 721), and haven't bothered with the 25-06 because of the gun it's on (Marlin XL7). I hadn't appreciated how much unconscious difference that makes. Thanks for pointing out that!

Living in the northeast I've really become a short action fan. I love the 284win and have gathered up five different rifles in that caliber. I think I'll stick with the 270 with a full spectrum of bullets, and 35 Whelen, and call my long action collection complete!

...unless I find a BLR in 30-06.

Happy New Year to All!

When comparing bullets & velocities of different calibers, using similar length/bearing surface bullets makes for a more meaningful comparison. The 117 in the 25-06 is on the upper end, while the 130 in the 270 is middle of the road. The difference being that the 117 in the 25-06 is longer and more bearing surface most likely, and thus more friction. I think the 100gr bullets in the 25-06 is a better comparison to 130's in the 270.

Ok TX, that makes sense.

My thoughts were the practical application of shooting whitetails.
Optimum bullets weights of each caliber for medium game would be 117 and 130 respectively.

If a person wanted to shoot a larger animal 270 150gr. If you wanted a 400yd coyote killer a 2506 in 100 gr.

Ok TX, that makes sense.

My thoughts were the practical application of shooting whitetails.
Optimum bullets weights of each caliber for medium game would be 117 and 130 respectively.

If a person wanted to shoot a larger animal 270 150gr. If you wanted a 400yd coyote killer a 2506 in 100 gr.

The only thing you missing is that woodchucks are tough SOB's and unlike a 223, the 25-06 does a really nice job on them.

So deer wise I use 100 Gr TTSX in mine, I use 85 grain for mid to long range anything else.

I have a Sako A7 .. It shoots bug holes (smaller than a clover leaf)...

I married a brunette

She has changed that color at least 100 times in 27 years

Woodchucks are too tough for a .223?

I've shot them with both, I like the 25-06 terminal results better.... EWWW... Yuck.

Well the .22-250 was the bestest thing I ever used on them. On a still day those 40 grains would cut them in half. On breezy days the 55's got the nod.

Or maybe she was blonde back then.......I forgot

Dude used his .270 again this mornig..

My experience is the 25-06 shines with the 75/85 grain and 100 grain bullets. Heavier bullets the 270 would be my choice.

Having had 22", 24" and 26" barreled 25-06 I perfer the 24 for velocity and balance/muzzle blast.

I think a 7mm or 30 cal short action sounds like the ticket in your part of the country.

Good for Dude!!!!! Awesome.

+++1! His decision is made!

A handload 260 Rem makes both cartridges redundant !!

time for some your dudes to be dragged into the 21st century, the dark ages finished along time ago......

.260???? Is that some obsolete round!! Never see ammo or guns in this country!!

It will never amount to what the .270 did. And will never even catch a glimpse of the taillights of that cartridge that was developed (fine tuned?) in 1906.

I love the .260, but MM is right.

Hey white rice is the most popular food in the world, doesnt mean its tasty !!

so why put up with

a longer heavier action ?

more muzzle blast, faster recoil ?

and why throw powder $$$ away when it can be done alot more efficiently.......

.
If your talking a short action, modern cartridge, superb performance, efficient case design, I agree, you must be thinking of the 270 WSM.

Some Reloader 17 with 140gr Nosler Accubonds and you are talking efficient! Makes the $40 a box 260 look like white rice.


But we are not! This post is comparing 2506 to the 270.
Please feel free to start you own thread?

Faster recoil? Really?

The .270 which is 6.9x63 is ballistic duplication of our legendary 7x64. Surely that is enough reason to pick that instead of 25-06.

I have never shot either... What's the difference in recoil ? Any?

200yd shots?

Not like flat shooting matters. 270 with 150gr Partitions with big black bear in mind. Or use a 115 or 120gr partition in the 25-06. The 115NP a favorite of mine.

Other than the .270 pokin a bigger hole in a critter? Whatever floats your boat. Nothing wrong with havin one of each.

I've taken many deer with a .25-06 and never felt the need or desire for a .270. If I am hunting anything larger than deer then I go for a .30 cal.

BS we didnt duplicate anything.

we just out performed...... its called an 06 and it bailed a whole bunch out of a tough jam.

I haven't hunted with either one of them but would choose a 270 first.

I've never tried a 25-06 but I've shot a bunch of deer and elk with a 270. It does it all. For deer, a 25-06 is great but I like to use the same gun for everything.
I finally settled on 150gr bullets for everything (I didn't hunt varmints with it, though). A 150 will shoot almost as flat as a 130 and hits harder when it gets there.

Good grief that has nothing to do with this discussion. The 303 British did as much "bailing" btw.


I like both the 25-06 and 270 Win but the 270 Win is definitely more versatile.

This is just a subset argument of my thread about best deer cartridge from the '06 family.

Small edit.

If you're hunting deer and 200 yards is a long shot, then what you're missing is the 250-3000 slinging a good bullet is pretty good itself.

I've always figured a .257 Roberts or .25-06 were the best dual purpose varmint/deer (including antelope) cartridges.

And that the .270 Win was about as good as it gets for a dedicated deer cartridge.

My Roberts has taken 'yotes out to 500 yards with 75g V-MAX and antelope up to 373 yards with 110g AccuBond. It has been my favorite rifle since I got it. A long throat and +P pressures gets me ~3600fps with the V-MAX, 3230 with 100g TTSX and 3160 with the 110g AB. When hunting elk it gets a 120g A-Frame at 2947fps.


A .25-06 is just a little more of the same.