25 - 06

^ honestly? Yes

There’s nothing in Canada shy of a bison or polar bear I wouldn’t shoot with 150 grain premium 270 loads
 
Would you shoot something with the 270, you would not take with a 25-06?

Absolutely. You can even get 180 grain bullets for the 270 that’ll make it technically legal for bison. As for bears, Phil shoemaker gives it the nod with 150gr noslers. It’ll out run a 25 with 110 grain bullets as well. All while being cheaper and more available.

That being said, I have all sorts of weird sh*t in my safe for no good reason so fill your boots.
 
Absolutely. You can even get 180 grain bullets for the 270 that’ll make it technically legal for bison. As for bears, Phil shoemaker gives it the nod with 150gr noslers. It’ll out run a 25 with 110 grain bullets as well. All while being cheaper and more available.

That being said, I have all sorts of weird sh*t in my safe for no good reason so fill your boots.

I had a disheartening evening on the ballistic calculator a decade and a half ago where I realized bigger bores’ greater efficiency at turning pressure into kinetic energy largely offsets the ballistic advantages of the smaller bores at all practical hunting ranges. Out to further than most of us would ever shoot.

The same case needless to say moves more weight at more speed the bigger you go, with a practical cutoff of .375 due to ballistic coefficients after that for any hunting of reach. My pet .375 Kemano wildcat throws a 260gr Accubond with a .30-06 powder charge so as to remain supersonic at 1000 yards, and do 90% of what I’d do with a .375 H&H inside 100. Greatest thing since sliced bread, it is not, just another collection of compromises, ones I find agreeable. It almost tricked me into thinking just stay at .375 and make everything I own that bore.

The big caveat, is of course recoil, and that’s where .25s reign supreme. I say it often, even guys that could really shoot, shot better with 6mms, .25s, 6.5s, .270s and 7s. After all that playing around, I started with a favourite of 7s, slid to .270s for a good bit as they always blew me away with their outsized effectiveness and how well people shot them, and I jumped right past 6.5 and embraced .25. I like it as it’s topped out at the .270s lighter weights, 110-130 which are of course the go to .270 load in the 130gr flavour.

Then, regressing back upwards in bore I had to admit .30 is a pretty damn stellar middle ground between all I want from a bore. That’s a dead horse though, and while I’ve tried to cut down to just .30 I haven’t been able to eliminate .257 and .375 yet. In the end, we pick the compromises we find most agreeable, and all I’ve done is settle on the bores that suited what I was handloading to anyhow; downloaded .375 with mid range weights, and .270s with 110s. .30 is just a too good and irritating do all I can’t argue against.

As for Bison, I’ve loved making that case repeatedly, and it’s my favourite game meat. But I gotta recognize only a handful of us on here in the northwest hunt them, and while it’d do it I wouldn’t choose a .270 for that job even with a load that meets the requirement. In the same breath, if it was all that was available, I’d use it without a third thought.
 
It's not a 257 Wby and wishes it were.

TC Pro-hunter with a 28 inch barrel, shy 100fps. Sold the rifle for many reasons. You can find 257 Wetherbi ammo? price and bullet availability?
I made 25-06 ammo with 270 and 30-06 brass.
Oh , brain farth allert, one of my buddy cant afford the ammo of the 257 wetherbi. he asked me to take my 7mm Rem Mag brass, full length and fireform in is Mark 5. what a cheap bastard. I had a T3 too, Shot few deers/yotes/groundhogs: with Great succes, sold it and cant remember why. maybe because my ex was using it. Both 25-06 I had didnt like anything over 110 grains. best was with 75, and 100 grains. I loaded some 110 Accubond for Ex-wife T3 for moose, accuracy was 1.5moa. She had a panick attack when she saw the bull at 75 feet, I cant say anything else.....
 
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Hi, I am thinking of trying to find a hunting rifle in the 25 - 06 cal, probably using it for deer and coyote.
Any opinions on the 25 - 06?
Thanks.

dogger

I had two, with 100 grains its great, very good souvenirs overall. for some reasons, I dont have this caliber anymore is the rack. Still have 243's 6.5,7mm... I can share load data and pictures of grouping and effect on deers and groundhogs, pop me a PM if interested.
 
Yep you missed a few, google the manufacturer you want and .25-06 and fair chance it’ll be there. Just did that out of curiousity for Tikka, Savage, Remington, Sauer, Winchester, Ruger all online new in .25-06.

On Peterson Hunting’s ten cartridges for North American hunting list I saw during that brief adventure as well. I’ve always dalliance’d with its older, shorter sibling the .257 Roberts, but as such can’t disagree with what .257 does afield especially one that’s a bit quicker.
 
Really? I've been looking online and most manufacturers don't list the 25-06 in their offerings, am I missing something??

I think you need to get your google-fu on. They may not offer the chambering in every model or configuration but usually in hunting style rifles. Try “tikka 25-06” replace tikka with your manufacturer of choice. Good luck.
 
It’d be around 2018/19 I jumped into the 1/4 bore scene when I acquired a 26” SS heavy TC Encore barrel off here.
I found the 100gr Sierra GK to work quite well with just over Fiddy grs of IMR 4350.
I’ve only had the one opportunity to drop a muley doe at 240yds. DRT!
Now I’m playing with the 117gr SST with a Savage Axis.
With plenty of 30-06 brass and the in between cal dies I work the brass down. I haven’t noticed any dramatic increase with neck thickness yet.
I almost wish I knew about this cal earlier but having started out with a 6.5 Swede there’s little challenge.
 
You’ll have a hard time convincing me there is a meaningful enough difference between one brass tube holding the same powder and primer and another, and that one shape can ‘suck’ and another changes one’s hunting experience.

Good news! One doesn't have to convince you of anything... except maybe the .25-35!!! : ) it is the experience that counts. No?
Lots and lots of choices when it comes to brass tubes and powder.


R.
 
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Good news! One doesn't have to convince you of anything... except maybe the .25-35!!! : ) it is the experience that counts. No?
Lots and lots of choices when it comes to brass tubes and powder.


R.

Oh, been debating if there’s a .25-35 hole in my life for a few months now. I’d have to make mine an Improved, as my own case prejudice relates to excessive taper and case trimming / life, H&H aside. Guess we all have our case quirks. ;)
 
Didn't read through the thread.

I don't recall ever coming across anyone who had experience with the 25-06 who didn't like it.
 
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