25/06 what does it do best?
- Thread starter quaticman
- Start date
Perfect for deer IMO, though I use mine for bear and moose also.. I really like it for deer with dogs.. I like that it is fast enough that the lead on running game isn't huge, way less than what I was use to with slower rounds.. A lot less calculating on my part..
It does small deer and antelope best. Sheep and goats too.
Too big for coyote, too small for elk/moose. Not saying it can't take either, but I'd rather smaller for coyote and bigger for elk/moose. Gimme a 223 for yotes, and 270 or 308 for the biggies.
Probably a very versatile only gun for a hunter of everything, but Im not experienced enough to want to try to use one for a moose. Personally I feel the 270 fits this role better, due to the heavier bullets available and the fact that neither are particularly good for small game. Whats a heavy bullet in 257cal? 120 grains? Thats only a sectional density of .260, which a 150 grain 270 is more like .279, and 160 grainers even higher than that.
edit - would also make a nice choice for target shooting. Low enough recoil to shoot all day long, but enough recoil to feel like your shooting a real gun. (as apposed to say a 22lr)
Too big for coyote, too small for elk/moose. Not saying it can't take either, but I'd rather smaller for coyote and bigger for elk/moose. Gimme a 223 for yotes, and 270 or 308 for the biggies.
Probably a very versatile only gun for a hunter of everything, but Im not experienced enough to want to try to use one for a moose. Personally I feel the 270 fits this role better, due to the heavier bullets available and the fact that neither are particularly good for small game. Whats a heavy bullet in 257cal? 120 grains? Thats only a sectional density of .260, which a 150 grain 270 is more like .279, and 160 grainers even higher than that.
edit - would also make a nice choice for target shooting. Low enough recoil to shoot all day long, but enough recoil to feel like your shooting a real gun. (as apposed to say a 22lr)
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I looked pretty hard at the 25-06 before I bought my 243 for deer (was looking for a 24/25 cal, not to hard of a kicker to dedicate to Bambi hunting).
It is probably the flattest shooting non-magnum (common) caliber out there. And yes, if you look at the ballistics feeding each respective caliber with a "typical" hunting round, the 25-06 is flatter than the 270 Win, 7mm Rem Mag and even a 300 Win Mag out to 500 yards.
If I lived out West and had to shoot longer distances for deer/other critters, the 06 would have been the better choice. At 200 yards or less it has no real advantage over a number of other calibers that have ammo available "on the shelf" in Bubba's corner store.
I see you have your location listed as Waterloo, On.
To make my point about "bubba's", 25-06 ammo has been on "standing order" for about 18 months now where I work (7mm-08 as well for that matter) - I haven't seen a box since sometime in 2013.
Can sell you all the 243/270/308/30.06/7mmRM/300RM and even 270/300 Win Short that you want.
If you reload, maybe not an issue, but if you reload then why not go with a 257 Wby which shoots the same bullets as the 06 but kicks the snot out of it any way you want to measure...
And besides deer I "might" consider using a 25-06 on Moose sub-100 yards - I would definitely use the 257 Wby for Bullwinkle.
It is probably the flattest shooting non-magnum (common) caliber out there. And yes, if you look at the ballistics feeding each respective caliber with a "typical" hunting round, the 25-06 is flatter than the 270 Win, 7mm Rem Mag and even a 300 Win Mag out to 500 yards.
If I lived out West and had to shoot longer distances for deer/other critters, the 06 would have been the better choice. At 200 yards or less it has no real advantage over a number of other calibers that have ammo available "on the shelf" in Bubba's corner store.
I see you have your location listed as Waterloo, On.
To make my point about "bubba's", 25-06 ammo has been on "standing order" for about 18 months now where I work (7mm-08 as well for that matter) - I haven't seen a box since sometime in 2013.
Can sell you all the 243/270/308/30.06/7mmRM/300RM and even 270/300 Win Short that you want.
If you reload, maybe not an issue, but if you reload then why not go with a 257 Wby which shoots the same bullets as the 06 but kicks the snot out of it any way you want to measure...
And besides deer I "might" consider using a 25-06 on Moose sub-100 yards - I would definitely use the 257 Wby for Bullwinkle.
I don't think it's "best" for very much. Too big for the small stuff; too small for the big stuff. So I have never wanted to own one.
I think it would make an ideal antelope cartridge, but that is about it, and there are lots of others that will do antelope just fine.
I think it would make an ideal antelope cartridge, but that is about it, and there are lots of others that will do antelope just fine.
pete dobinson
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Courtenay BC.
Its suited for deer size game and can also be used as a long range varmint round.
It might be best as a dual purpose ground-hog gun that goes deer hunting once a year? Or maybe a primarily coyote plinker that doubles as a once a year deer gun? Otherwise, I can't think of anything that it is the "best" for. Its good enough for a lot of things though. I can't think of any .25 caliber deer situation where it would be better than a .257 Weatherby, and as far as that goes I can't really think of a situation where a .257 is better than an STW or one of the .300s without saying recoil, kids, recoil-shy or pussy in the sentence.
When you have an over-abundance of hunting rifles there are often times when you have to get creative inventing a "reason" to take one along that day as opposed to the rest of the herd. My 25-06 is the hardest one to dream up a reason for. Its a deadly accurate Steyr Pro-hunter Stainless, and the best I can come up with is hunting deer in the rain on days that its detachable magazine is handy for getting in and out of vehicles? Make that on a day when I'm hunting with the kids and don't plan on shooting at all.
Maybe it's better at being a better .243 than a .243 is?
When you have an over-abundance of hunting rifles there are often times when you have to get creative inventing a "reason" to take one along that day as opposed to the rest of the herd. My 25-06 is the hardest one to dream up a reason for. Its a deadly accurate Steyr Pro-hunter Stainless, and the best I can come up with is hunting deer in the rain on days that its detachable magazine is handy for getting in and out of vehicles? Make that on a day when I'm hunting with the kids and don't plan on shooting at all.
Maybe it's better at being a better .243 than a .243 is?
I love mine. BUT I hardly ever get to use it. I prefer to use .243/6mm Rem. for varmints , lighter recoil , better bullet selection . Recoil is virtually as heavy as a .270 Win. I am not a fan of the .270 either. For a long range Deer , Sheep , Goat , pronghorn rifle you would be hard pressed to find a better calibre than the 25-06. Just not my choice.
My 26 inch 25/06 has always done a superb job on whitetails for me. A 257 weatherby would not kill deer any deader, and neither does my 375H&H.
A joy to shoot, very mild recoil, and always seems to hit where I want on any whitetail I have shot with it, and it has shot a pile of whitetails!
A joy to shoot, very mild recoil, and always seems to hit where I want on any whitetail I have shot with it, and it has shot a pile of whitetails!
Yep....will have to bury me with mine.
I would say it is one of the very best rounds for long range shooting of animals from 150lbs to 450lbs currently being loaded. I don't own one but a good friend of mine has run one for years and it is a devastating killer at any sensible range on animals of this size. Low recoil and good barrel life as well.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
So will a hatchet, doesn't mean it's a good choice for the job. Not legal for our, or the Yukon's Bison either. Would rank up there for worst choices in Grizzly rifles, as well. It's a good light big game cartridge, pretty ideal for Whitetails, Mountain Goat, Antelope, and so forth, with a nice varmitning demeanor.
