Best .25-06 factory ammo for whitetail?

Hornady American Whitetail or Federal Blue box 117gr

I know there are a lot of naysayers about the Core-lokt, but I have been shooting the 120 grs. in the 2 25/06's I have owned (and still own 1 of them) starting in 1980 and have never had one fail me. And of the dozens I have killed with the Core-Lokt, I suspect from 85-90% failed to take a step. And have never had one run more than 40-50 yds.

Federal Fusions seem to work well and are normally accurate.

Same as Ruger 77,120 grain core-lock

Which ever carries a 117 RN soft point.

If you're going to shoot factory ammo, I'd look at the Winchester/Olin Expedition Big Game with the 110 grain AB.

If you're going to shoot handloads, the 110 grain AB is a great bullet for medium game.

Federal premium 115 gr. Partitions seem to work well both near and far.

Buddy swears by Hornady American whitetail 117 Interlock

Best? Good Enough? Is there a difference?

Core Lokt 120s shoot good from mine. Kills deer just fine.

Is it the best? I doubt it. But at the price, and performance.... Well, it's certainly good enough.

-jake

My inexpensive Marlin XL7 in 25-06 shoots anything you drop a hammer on into good groups, even the inexpensive Hornady American Whitetail and PPU factory ammo.

260...I have that exact rifle, only I have never felt the need to try other cartridges. Some like to experiment. My belief has always been, if it works...it don't need fixing.

As for the 25/06, I was talking to a guy at the LGS last week. They had a Ruger Hawkeye in left hand in the caliber and we were discussing it. He said he had only killed one deer with the caliber, and it dropped in its tracks. But he never hunted with one again...lol. I know it's different strokes for different folks. I'm on a hunting club with this guy and he is a magnum guy. I enjoy seeing the reaction of the deer when the rifle goes off.

That’s exactly what Ive used and it dropped every deer where they stood.

Federal partitions

"Best?"

I hesitate to say what's best for you or anyone else.

I use factory loads, Federal Premium, 25-06, 117 grain Sierra Game Kings BTSP. That's what's best for me.

BTW I also use the ones with chrome/stainless casings so it's easy to distinguish them from my 30-06 ammo with brass casings.

KC

Hard to improve upon the partition on almost any 06' based cart.

Federal Blue box 115gr The last 3 have dropped in their tracks

Expensive ammo for a deer. You could get Federal Blue Box ammo and use the leftover money for beer,

It's not like whitetail need a whole lot of cartridge/bullet...

Anything other than the varmint loads should do well, if ya put the bullet where it belongs!

Best of luck to you this season!

Regards, Guy

I don't know about now, but 40 years ago, I knew several 25-06 users in Texas who handloaded the 87gr Hornady spire point. They literally shot pick-up loads of them and hogs! I have only used the 117 Sierra sbt in the 25-06, the older Hornady 120HP in a .257 Ackley Improved ( same, same) and in the 257BEE both the Nosler 115Pt and the 100gr TSX. ( I know 2 guys here in Utah that use the 120cl load on elk!) Lots of good choices for a great deer killer! have a ball!

I'ved used the 117gr Sierra Game King for years with good results. Most are drt or pretty close to it. I have been considering giving the accubonds a go since I don't get as many pass throughs as I would like with the Game Kings.

That’s a fast moving BB out of the 25-06.... velocity is good for expansion with copper solids which would be pretty much all of them!

The load data from Barnes has the 80gr. TTSX flying at 3700-3800 FPS.

Smack!!!!

My cousin could fill a traincar with deer he's killed using Remington 100gr. Core-lokt bullets. I've only killed one deer with a .25/06, and I was using a 100gr. Partition. My deer wasn't any deader than his, though.

I've read a good many reports over the years where the 100 gr. Core-lokt worked good on WT's. I want to try them, but old habits die hard and without any failures on the deer I have killed with the 120's, just can't justify trying anything else...even if it is another Core-Lokt.

Earl (yes, it's his real name) just bought whatever he could find at a price point, and he'd buy a case and call it good. His first case when he bought the .25/06, was Remington 100s. I sighted the rifle in for him, and it shot well, and recoil was negligible. I've shot that rifle quite a bit (Remington ADL, walnut stock, pretty plain). He had to restock it some years ago, after he'd backed his truck across the thing one day. Later, he had to cut a couple inches off the end of the barrel and have it recrowned (bore obstruction). He's a farmer, not a gun guy, though he owns a helluva lot of decent rifles. He's just a putz, a really lucky deer-killing putz.

He kills deer in Missouri, where there are a lot of deer, and he kills multiples almost every year on his farm ground. He's got some big guns, but always shoots the .25/06, or a 6mm Rem. or lately a .243 WSSM when he can find ammo for it. He doesn't like recoil.

ratsmacker...one of the best deer hunters I have ever known shot an old single shot shotgun. Never knew him to own a rifle, and the shotgun he used looked to be his age when I knew him (late 60's to early 70's back then). Sometimes we way overthink this deer hunting thing. Make it more complicated than it really is. Neat story, and you and Earl sound like my kind of men. Thanks for the story...Eddie

LOVE the Fusion's out of my Tikka!

Before I started reloading all I shot was the 100 gr Core Loct. Killed lots of deer over the years with those.