I will soon have a custom Mauser in 25-06. It's a long story, but basically a buddy has decided he's past his last hunt.

I've never thought about 25-06 before. I figure it will make a good whitetail gun. Bullets? Powder? I'm interested in all your opinions.

Great calibre with a great many bullets. The latest load I am using is RL22 with the 110 grain Nosler Accubond it has worked on deer as close as 18 yards and as far away as 275 yards (not that far I realize). I have also had good success with the Nosler partition and barnes bullets.

The Seirra gamekings I used for a season did not inspire me to use them more, not a bullet i would suggest for sharp angle shots or those with a lot of bone to break before hooting the vitals.

Enjoy, please post pictures. GRF

Kinda "old school" these days with far more powder choices than when I started loading the cartridge in 1978, but 54grs of IMR4831 and a 100gr bullet has long been the choice in my 25-06s.

Others grumble, but I've had zero issues with the 100gr Btip on numerous whitetails.

55.0 grains of 7828 w/115gr Ballistic tip. Not the fastest but a great hunting load. powdr

I haven't had one for a while now but for a few years, .25-'06 was my only centerfire rifle and got used for everything I hunted. It is real capable if you match the bullet to the specific job.

For deer, I like the 115 and 120 grain partitions. Each gun is different. Play with powders. I'd start with H4831 or RL22, if they don't work, try something faster like one of the 4350s and something slower like 7828. Don't overlook trying one of the slower spherical powders if the cylindricals are not performing for you.

Throw about 55 grains of Win 760 under a 75 grain Sierra and you can ruin a gopher's day.

Tom

Have shot the .25-06 off and on since just before it became a standard cartridge.. It is one of my favorite coyote rifles.. An over the years lots of deer and antelope have fallen to it.. Likely some more will in the future.. As much as I like the caliber, I would place it among my 3 favorites, I am not always satisfied with using it on deer at long range.. Other times it turns in excellent performance.. In 2006 I killed a very nice mulie with 100 grain Serria Flat Base.. But only a bit of the jacket exited.. Since then I have used 115 grain NTBT quite a bit on game.. Two years ago it dropped a nice whitetail for me the last seconds of season just short of 400 yards with the 115's. I have also used 100 grain Part. abit..One neck shot deer proves little.. I have a bunch of 110 grain Nosler Accubonds, that will be my bullet of choice from now on, but I have hundreds of Serria 100 grain and Nosler 115's. As much as I like my .25-06, I do not have complete faith in it for long shots on deer.. It is easy to hit with, but for really long range I prefer a rifle with more diameter and bullet wt.. I am sure others have had super success with it..As I said it is one of my favorites..

Although I've run the 100's with H4350 for 3340 fps, I prefer the 115's at an easy & accurate 3120 fps via Retumbo.

Used the 115 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips last season. One shot, instant kills on a mule deer buck @ 260 yards, a pronghorn at 160 yards, and a coyote at 420 yards.

I keep the rifle sighted-in at 300 yards. This has worked out real well, with close shots and other shots out to over 400 yards. It's an easy-shooting cartridge, and easy to handload with excellent results. Enjoy!

Guy

Shaman: The oldest VarmintSon has an amazingly accurate 25/06 Rifle.
It is a stainless Remington 700 DBMS model with 24" barrel.
It has a Leupold 4.5x14x40mm scope on it and has used ONE bullet since it was brand new!
And that bullet comes in the factory Remington cartridges - it is the 100 grain PSP.
With this bullet/Rifle combo the VarmintSon, his brother and myself have killed all manner of Mule Deer, Antelope, Whitetailed Deer and Coyotes.
Each of those kills (as best as I can recall!) have been one shot kills!
Including the first kill the VarmintSon made with it on a prized Buck Antelope at a pace or two past 400 yards (Leica lasered!).
Try as we might we could not get any closer to that double dandy Buck and in a no wind situation at noon on opening day of Antelope season on public accessible lands he killt that Antelope in its tracks with that single shot.
So for 15 years or so that Rifle has only fired the factory Remington ammo - it consistently shoots 3/4" groups (5 shots at 100 yards) with it.
I hope you will be as happy with your 25/06 as I and my family have been with ours.
By the way I do have friends here in Montana that routinely harvest Elk with their 25/06 Rifles - I have not tried that out as yet and if I were so inclined I would definitely get a heavier and sturdier bullet for that endeavor.
Again best of luck to you.
Hold into the wind
VarmitGuy

I used to load 51.0 grains of IMR 4831 over a 117 grain Hornady BTSP and found it to be very accurate in three different rifles. If I had another .25-06 come home with me today, that would be my starting point.

I've run RL22 and ramshot magnum in mine. If you're shots are closer, you may want to run a faster powder and slow it down a bit. I haven't killed anything with it yet, but I've used 100 grain triple shock's in my .257 weatherby to good effect. The wife of the rancher where I hunt elk uses a 25-06 with core lock's. They do blow up on elk shoulders from time to time, so if you're going to run it wide open, and hitting bone is a possibility, I'd run a stouter and or heavier bullet.

I have good luck with RL17 and 100 grain Noslers.

Dink

Hard to beat 100 grain bullets and IMR4831 in a 25-06.

Near Max load of RL-22 and the 100 grain Hornady is pure poison on whitetails.

Had three 25-06 before moving up to a 257 Wby, got best results with IMR7828ssc.

Other great powders Retumbo, H4831SC, Reloader 22

I recently happened upon a 700 classic in .25-06 that really likes 100 grain TSX's over R22. We've had to back them off the lands a bit to tighten the groups, but we're now sub-moa & just a hair under 3,200 fps.

If I can ever bring myself to take such a pretty stock into the woods, I'll have complete confidence in that bullet at that speeds, to easily take whatever critter I'm pointing it at.

FC

Hunt with it! Those 700 Classics were meant to be used. They're fine hunting rifles.

I like the .25-06 for the same reasons I like other smallish-bore, high velocity cartridges:

Easy on the shoulder
Accurate
Flat shooting
Quickly lethal on deer sized game

Those qualities have long endeared several similar cartridges to me and have earned the .25-06 the top spot of my hunting rifles. It's just a dandy to load and use.

Regards, Guy

Thanks everyone. Keep the answers coming.

I went out and looked for powder. DANG! This is going to be the big problem now-- finding components.

Might wanta make a list of all the suggested powders above.

Now a large selection of powders that work well in the 25-06 these days, so ya may get lucky and find at least one of them in stock?

I've been fussed at a few times for continuing to use IMR4831, by guys that tout this or that newer powder. Don't doubt that they work well, but I'm old'n cranky and not prone to fix something that ain't broke after 35 years. ;O)

You can often find powder on line, like at Powder Valley, etc.

The problem is the Haz Met charge. It's hard to find all the stuff you want at one place. And, primers are probably a bigger problem than powder.

Try to find as much of what you need at one place and get a bunch of it to prorate the Haz Met.

They can't control our guns. So, they're working on ammo, causing people to haord when they previously didn't. That makes us all want to stock pile when we find what we need. And that makes the problem worse.

Just be glad you're a reloader.

IMHO,

DF

shaman,

I've had several .25-06's and the two most consistent powder/bullet combos with those rifles have been:

100-grain bullets: 52.5 grains of H4350, though I'd imagine IMR4350 will work just as well. This isn't quite as fast as some other powders, but has gotten 3300+ in all of my rifles, with fine accuracy.

115-120 grain bullets: 60.0 grains of Ramshot Magnum. This gets 3100+, also with fine accuracy.

John, thanks for checking in.

I'm about a month away from procuring the rifle, so I'm eagerly looking for available powders.

Had a 25-06 that loved 120 Hornady hollow point interlocks and 50.0/H4350.

51.5 grs. warm weather, 52.5 grs. cool weather of RL22 with 110AB, 115BT, 117 pro hunter will be your huckleberry in the 25.06

+1 Great bullet!

+2 This bullet works great. I have every bit the confidence in it as a Partition. The .25-06 will take elk as easy a a .270, and as for long range I haven't tried it but have taken some mid-range game one a nice 5x5 at 350yards.

shaman,

I've owned and hunted with several .25-06's and have two right now. While individual rifles vary, I've found most .25-06's shoot well with 100-grain bullets and 52-53 grains of either H4350 or IMR4350, or 115-120 grain bullets with 60 grains of Ramshot Magnum.

RL22 with the 110 grain Nosler Accubond

58 grains of RE25, CCI 250 with Speer 120 BT for 3000fps in 26" Sendero. 60 grains of RE25, CCI 250 with 110 Accubond 3300fps and accounted for a big bodied whitetail at 75 yards, bullet blew up on raking shot. Deer ran more than 100 yds then dropped. Thought I missed. Aimed at off shouilder thru last rib, acted like a hand grenade inside of deer. Very dead deer tho.

Interesting......Accubombs ain't supposed to blow up!

That little Accubond was going damn fast went it hit the deer. I've shot many deer at that angle w/270s and they all went thru the deer completely, w/cup and core bullets.

I dunno. The Nosler website, under "optimum performance velocity", says "no maximum" for the Accubonds.

It surprised all of us as the guides are big time loonies and want their clients to use Accubonds as they tested them w/Nosler. Mine was probably the first one they ever saw explode and they looked for the bullet big time. An example of one means little. I'll load some Barnes tho for my Cody deer hunt w/ 270 if they shoot, big critters there that bite.

Imr 7828ssc and 115vlds for deer and everything else Berger himself helped me find the load as well as seating depth. This was the hardest bullet for me to become happy with on bench. I've killed a hand full of deer with it at 100-300 yds all kills in vitals and little or no travel after impact.

I've also used accubonds with similar results

Don't like partitions

Use 115 triple shocks as my elk bullet

Well, I've got the rifle-- went down to the farm over the weekend to get it. I'd promised O.T. I'd be down first week in August for it. O.T. called earlier in the week to ask about my health, so I knew he hadn't changed his mind. O.T. had a heck of a time getting the safe open. He blamed bad eyes, but it was obvious it more than that. He's had his last hunt.

We spent a long time talking about how it used to be. We were up on the front porch looking out over the cavernous hollow where he did the bulk of his deer hunting. Imagining O.T., rather a slight man, schlepping a 200 lb buck out of that jungle kind of boggles the mind, but O.T. was a tough old bird--a WWII Navy vet. Somewhere down in that hollow there is the abandoned town of Browningsville. O.T. is the only man I know that can remember Browningsville. I know the road that goes down there. I need to get there some day before the memory of O.T.'s tales start to fade.

O.T. had the rifle over thirty years-- longer than I've been deer hunting. He has three nice racks up on the wall, and each one had a story to it. Finally Angus and I realized it was getting late and it was time to get back to town.

He said 100 grainers and 120 grainers shot equally well. The scope hasn't changed zero in 30 years. He gave me a box of Remmie 100 grain Corelokts to put in the case, along with the minty looking manual for the early Aimpoint scope and the battery. I'll put up a pic when I can.

That will be a special rifle for you simply because of your relation to O.T. Enjoy it for his sake.

I think you lucked out.I think its a fine deer round,especially at longer ranges. You know probably more than I do about powder and bullets to reload, but I will tell you that if you are unsatisfied with the caliber, you can get it rebored to .338-06, 35 Whelen or 9.3x62 by one of several companies on that action and see if you like the larger caliber better.Its only $350 or so. I'd go for the 9.3x62.

http://deltagunshop.com/clearwater_reboring/index.html
http://randyscustomrifles.com/
http://www.35caliber.com/2.html

Regards

Oh! I'm hoping to be very satisfied. I figured this would be my last deer rifle.

I don't mean this as the last one I buy, but it would be the one I adopt later in life when recoil loses its luster. My desire originally was to get some obscure European chambering that no one knows so there'd be no second guessing me and anything I said would be Godlike truth. 25-06 is not quite that obscure, so I'm going to call it my 6.5X63 European Wildcat and I'm thinking seriously of using Lapua Brass, PRVI bullets and . . . well, I might use VARGET, but I'll pronounce it "VARJAY"

I'll wear a Loden coat and Jodhpurs and a Tyrol.

That sounds like a gift with value beyond measure. Good Hunting. I hope you enjoy fond memories of your friend every time you touch the trigger.

The 25-06 is an excellent deer rifle, even on big old Idaho Mulies. About thirty years ago, before their family sold the cattle ranch, I knew a band of five men who limited out on bull elk every year. And each of the five carried a Ruger 77 in 25-06. They often used the Hornady 117 btsp, and then they discovered Barnes Bullets.

Yup not much in Idaho the 2506 can't take care of. Its all I use and I've tried out a lot including wsms 300 win 264 and 3006's

115 triple shocks are my I big critter getter bullets

IMR-4350 & 100 gr Interlocks

Well, I finally pulled the trigger on some components.

What I was able to find was not EXACTLY what I was hoping for, but it was not too far out from y'all's suggestions:

Here's what I ordered:

100 rounds of 270 WIN once-fired brass. New 25-06 brass was outrageously priced everywhere I looked. I got the 270 for $25 bucks. I don't own a 270 WIN, so it won't be too big of a problem. I'll mark the loaded rounds well.


Redding Dies

Hornady 117 Interlock SPBT.

I'll use H4895 and CCI lg rifle primers, because that's what I have on hand.

Don't forget to trim the 270 brass down to 25/06 length after you neck it down to 25 cal.

Keep us posted on your results. (Pics would be nice!)

You'll love it. I'm shooting 100 gr NP I order from Nosler directly, supposed to be hand loaded. I get .5-.75 inch groups if I do my part. Only shot one deer with it but very happy with the results.

Congrats on the 25-06. Pretty awesome cartridge when loaded up well. Should be excellent for deer.

I finally have a pic to share with you. Here is the 25-06.



It came with a 2X early model Aimpoint. However, the guy who owned it previously is an eagle-eyed fellow that was a full head shorter than me. I tried every way I could to warm up to that scope and couldn't get my face right. I switched it out for a 4-12X Bushnell Banner and medium rings and it came right up like it had known me all its life.

I haven't read all the posts but if it don't shoot a 120 gr or 117 gr bullet with 54 grs. of H4831 I would be surprised all other .25-06s seem to

I exceed the velocities in this thread using Win 760 with all bullet weights.
My 25/06 has a number 5 stainless, fluted, 26" match grade barrel.
John

Looks like a 1970's Parker Hale model CF2. They were common in Oz back then.
John

John,

I know you love 760, but the most recent, pressure-tested Hodgdon data shows 760 as the SLOWEST of 16 powders listed (well, except for Trail Boss in reduced loads) with 100-grain bullets. 760 isn't even listed in their data for 117-120 grain bullets, apparently because it just doesn't work as well as their many slower powders.

Well, I did not have a chronograph along, but I did get to run 15 rounds through it. As is, it's getting a solid 1" group with Hornady 117grain BTSP's over H4895. That is the only rifle powder I have at the moment. I'm sure it is not the best, in fact, as it is, I've got a back-door 257 Roberts, as far as velocity. SuperCore is going to Knob Creek next weekend and promises to bring me back something more suitable.

I'm very much sold on the 25-06, the rifle, everything.

I had my Savage 99 in 308 WIN out today as well. The recoil on that was quite a surprise after the 25-06.

Neat looking rifle. I think you're going to enjoy it.

Give some of the slower burning powders a try with the 115 - 120 gr bullets. Retumbo is my favorite for that application, though RL-22 is excellent as well.

Guy

Glad you like it, Shaman. The 25-06 is a dandy deer cartridge.

Sounds like your getting a nice rifle from a good friend, what more can you ask for?

I've had a few 25-06s and am currently scheming to get another one (or perhaps a Roberts in a short action). For me, the recoil is noticeably less than 270-280 etc., which makes it significantly more fun to play with. For the deer hunting I do, I am convinced one will do everything I need.

A perfect cartrdige if ever there was one. Bullet selection critical, the biggest point being don't use explosive ones on game! The cartridge is capable of exploding bullets!!!

I hunted whitetail for many years using factory loads of all weights and construction. NBT's were explosive. I thought the 25-06 was a nice balance of recoil and power.

JB
I often decide to drop it from the range on the shelf but it seems to always be there. When I test a rifle, I commonly run around a half dozen powders and 2-4 times that in various bullets to see what it likes.

I have had a long history with 760 but in my rifles it often shines and the commonly favoured powdets don't.

In the end, I blame the Oehler 35p for its direction and the fact that I don't have your experience hunting in weather extremes. Looks like I may be moving again soon, this time with more elevation, mountains and lots of cold temps which I am warm to.
John

Please keep me posted on the move!

win primer in win brass, 57g was my load with a 100g Speer BTSP, this is some really wicked medicine for white tails and
hogs. I jumped the bullet a little, each rifle is different.

My Rem 700 shot 1 1/2" with this load at 300 yards.

Work up to this load in your rifle.

The 25-06 is, to me, what the .270 wants to be (with 130 grain bullets).

Step up to 150 grain bullets and the .270 is another class but with "standard* 130 grain loads it is nothing more than the .25-06 with a bit more "bark".

For deer or "normal" size hogs (under 250 pounds) the .25-06 is just the ticket.....just as is the .270. For bigger game it begins to run out of gas (just as does the .270 with 130 grain bullets).

Keep it within it's range and it will be great, but don't try to make it a "do all" cartridge and make it do more than it was intended. It "can" do more with perfect conditions, but is best on small to medium game.

I'm on my second 25-06 and it is IMHO a very fine deer caliber. Would love to have one with a Mauser action but, my Rem 700 works well for me. With respect to deer, there are several good bullets. I've used 117 gran Remington Core Lokt with good success (4 bucks as I recall) and have also used Nosler Accubonds and 115 gr. Nosler Partitions. The NP's are a great all around bullet. I reload and I've had my best results using H4831SC.

JB
Will do.. I hear there is an offer in the wind.
JW

Shaman,
Congratulations! I have been shooting a 25-05 since 1975. The first deer I shot was quartering away and I used a 100 grain Sierra. I recovered the bullet under the skin in the neck.
Next I used a 115 grain Nosler Partition and the deer dropped instantly after being shot in the heart.
I shot many pounds of Winchester 785.
If you want one bullet for deer and varmints try 100 grain Ballistic Tip and IMR 4350.
Enjoy!
whelennut