Let's debate. The .25-06 vs the .270 Winchester, go!
- Thread starter pharaoh2
- Start date
I don't know much about either cartridge as I'm more of a 30cal guy but I was really surprised by these #'s. I thought the quarter bore would be more susceptible to wind drift even w/ the slightly higher velocity. Interesting....
Own both, forget paper ballistics. With the 120gr /25-06 and the 130gr/.270 they are indistiguishable on big game up to and including moose.My son double lunged a meat 3pt bull elk at over 400 yards with a 120gr Hornady handload and took out a rib going in and another exiting.Ran 50 yards and laid down DEAD.I always used the 130gr /.270 Hornady handload on moose and never had a complaint.Same deal on blackbear.25-06/270 Pete and repeat with the above bullet wieghts................Harold
0.4 1.4 -6.3 -18.5 -37.7
0.5 1.5 -6.8 -20.3 -41.8
110 Vital shock, And the Nosler partition's are about the same. But come on, at least use the same size bullet. The only reason I'm here is because I shoot one of those forbidden 25WSSM. And I am afraid we don't have elk
Using identical bullet weights would make it apples to oranges. Sectional density is a better way to compare cartridges. Example - A 270 Win with a 110 gr TTSX will do 3400 fps with Federal factory ammo...a 25-06 with 110 gr Accubonds does 3100 fps. At 500 yards the 270 is hitting about 8 inches flatter...so there goes the "flatter shootin' 25 cal" arguement
Uhhhhhhh......done.
I agree with the past posts regarding what your likley to hunt other than deer with the cartridge. I think that a 85gr BT would be better on varmints from as 25, than a 90gr TNT out of a .277. Than said I'd rather have a 150gr Partition for Moose than a 120gr partition for moose.
Both are great cartridges on the prairie for the deer though.
Both are great cartridges on the prairie for the deer though.
- Location
- Colorado Springs, CO
You load a 25-06 up with some Barnes TSX's in the 115 gr, it will take a Moose easily, they have outstanding penetration and I wouldn't have any problems using it. I use mine on Elk with that load. Les
I have had a few of both and I always favour the 25-06. Very light recoil and amazing accuracy with nearly any bullet I have tried. I started my boys out on reduced loads on the 25 and now they shoot full house 100 gr tsx. Moose and elk go down just fine. I recently added a 257 wby and found new respect for the 257 bullets.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Years ago, I got the advise that when choosing a big game cartridge for North America, the minimum configuration should be a 120 gr .257" bullet fired from a rifle-cartridge combination that will keep the bullet in excess of 2000 fps at the target. The .25/06 seems to do this in spades. My experience has caused me to revise the minimum criteria to 6.5, but this does not alter the fact that 95% of the time the .25/06 will get the job done.
The .270 has some advantages that cannot be overlooked, but it is up to the individual hunter to know if those advantages are an advantage to him. The .270's velocity is less effected by choosing a shorter barrel than is the .25/06 velocity. This means that the rifle can be shorter, lighter, and handier with a smaller sacrifice in performance. Heavier bullets are available for the .270, but unless you are an elk, moose, or big bear hunter this is of little consequence, and the .25/06 kills moose. The real advantage here in favor of the .270 is that a short barreled rifle looses less velocity in comparison to the long barreled rifle when loaded with heavier bullets. This is because the velocity is initially lower with heavy bullets and there is less powder to burn under the heavier bullet. It could be argued that the .25/06 will have a shorter bore life, but this argument is flawed on a number of levels since there is an overlap of bullet weights and powder charges between the two cartridges.
When the game is a Dall sheep, pronghorn antelope, caribou, or other difficult to reach game, a long barreled .25/06 would be hard to beat. If the list of game is going to include animals that exceed 1000 pounds, or game hunted in difficult country, a compact .270 might be the better choice.
The .270 has some advantages that cannot be overlooked, but it is up to the individual hunter to know if those advantages are an advantage to him. The .270's velocity is less effected by choosing a shorter barrel than is the .25/06 velocity. This means that the rifle can be shorter, lighter, and handier with a smaller sacrifice in performance. Heavier bullets are available for the .270, but unless you are an elk, moose, or big bear hunter this is of little consequence, and the .25/06 kills moose. The real advantage here in favor of the .270 is that a short barreled rifle looses less velocity in comparison to the long barreled rifle when loaded with heavier bullets. This is because the velocity is initially lower with heavy bullets and there is less powder to burn under the heavier bullet. It could be argued that the .25/06 will have a shorter bore life, but this argument is flawed on a number of levels since there is an overlap of bullet weights and powder charges between the two cartridges.
When the game is a Dall sheep, pronghorn antelope, caribou, or other difficult to reach game, a long barreled .25/06 would be hard to beat. If the list of game is going to include animals that exceed 1000 pounds, or game hunted in difficult country, a compact .270 might be the better choice.
beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
For me the 25-06 was an easy choice ... already had a 35 Whelan, so the
25-06 takes the same shell holder and is the same trim length. With a 45 in the cabinet as well, so no need to mess up the progression of numbers...
25, 35 & 45 ! Good bullet choices for lots of things: 75, 85, 100, 110, 115, 120, 180, 200, 225, 250, 300, 350, 500 ... and a few in between.
25-06 takes the same shell holder and is the same trim length. With a 45 in the cabinet as well, so no need to mess up the progression of numbers...
25, 35 & 45 ! Good bullet choices for lots of things: 75, 85, 100, 110, 115, 120, 180, 200, 225, 250, 300, 350, 500 ... and a few in between.
35 extra grains in bullet weight, doesn't amount to a whole heck of a lot more killing potential, there are a number of experienced 25-06 users out there that use 100 gr loads for all of their animals. The same basic premise, if you are good with your 25-06, animals will be just as dead with a 257 bullet as they will with a 270 bullet. FS
