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25-06.... Why?

A high performance capable long range rifle should not be bought to use on big game. The objective of a "good hunter" is to get close not shoot far. Varmints that's a different game. The 25-06 is a very capable cartridge for deer at reasonable ranges and excels at longer ranges for varmints. I've been shooting the 25-06 for over 60 years, bullets from 75gr. to 120 gr, Nosler partitions, never a failure, but have needed to shoot more than once at gophers 'over yonder'. None of the critters I shot, knew if it was an old 'wildcat' cartridge or some new pseudo scientific what ever.
 
A high performance capable long range rifle should not be bought to use on big game. The objective of a "good hunter" is to get close not shoot far. Varmints that's a different game. The 25-06 is a very capable cartridge for deer at reasonable ranges and excels at longer ranges for varmints. I've been shooting the 25-06 for over 60 years, bullets from 75gr. to 120 gr, Nosler partitions, never a failure, but have needed to shoot more than once at gophers 'over yonder'. None of the critters I shot, knew if it was an old 'wildcat' cartridge or some new pseudo scientific what ever.
AND....the .25-06 does it at MUCH lower pressures. I also think that Mag-Na-Port is a better choice for a hunting rifle than a muzzle brake. I've shot both and I much prefer Mag-Na-Port. To each his own.
 
One of my hunting buddies refers to the 26-06 as God's gift to hunters. Killed a lot of 4-500 yard Floyd County VA whistle pigs with mine in the 70-80's.
Are you sure those are whistle pigs? A full grown adult is about the size of a soda can and will weigh maybe 12oz and they are pretty much limited to high desert country. Just asking ( :
 
The first time I went out to shoot ground squirrels my guide was a friend of mine who worked for the BLM. His rifle of choice was a 25-06.

Mort
 
Are you sure those are whistle pigs? A full grown adult is about the size of a soda can and will weigh maybe 12oz and they are pretty much limited to high desert country. Just asking ( :
"Whistle pig" is slang, and subject to local fauna. Any ground-dwelling rodent that sits up and squeaks in alarm is likely to be so called. I'm assuming he meant a species of marmot (aka groundhog, woodchuck, rock chuck).
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Shine the light....please! I mean, this whole forum is about more efficient cartridges that shoot accurately. I think something might be out there with less recoil, more efficiency and works close to the same performance.
I never answered this post way back when. Although a lot of other posters did.

True, efficiency does drop off as case capacity increases for the same caliber bullet.

But the smaller capacity case will have to generate more pressure to gain the same velocity. Sooner or later, it simply will not keep up.

Back when the 22 BR first came out, everybody was saying……”it will do anything a 22-250 will do”. Well, no it won’t As bullets get heavier, it runs out of gas.

Since I am a Short Range Benchrest Shooter, I am a big fan of high efficient, short, chambers with minimum body taper. That’s how you can describe a 6PPC and a 30BR.
 
I have a cousin here in Texas that wants me to build him a custom rifle. He has shoulder issues and wants a little less recoil for Elk, mule deer and hogs. His brother has a 25-06 and expounds endlessly about the virtues of the cartridge. I’ve been studying my books.
The 25-06 launches a 117 grain bullet at 3000 FPS. Woohoo! So can a .243, a 6xc, 6.5-55 ! My 6.5-47 launches a 123 at 2950.
Am I missing something? It seems to me there are some great modern cartridges that use a lot less powder in a short action, with the same performance.
Opinions wanted. I just don’t get it.
I’m thinking 243 as a suggestion. Maybe a 260 or 6.5-55.
I'm sure you've already built the rifle.
6.5x55 improved will push a 140 as fast as your 6.5x47 does a 123, as will a 260AI and still functional in a SA.
Long action id go 280ai or 6.5-284
My 280ai pushes a 140ttsx @ 3125 out of a 22" barrel, 6.5-284 I'm at 3050 with a 140 but never poured the coals to it as it's shooting dots at 100 and didn't see the need as I've honestly never shot an animal past 200 yards, I guess that's mostly due to being a bowhunter at heart.
 
A full grown adult is about the size of a soda can and will weigh maybe 12oz and they are pretty much limited to high desert country. Just asking ( :
The tiny "picket pin" ground squirrel across S. Idaho is Townsend's (Citellis townsendii). In SW Idaho (Owyhee Country) are Richardson's (C. richdardsoni; much larger) and Belding's (C. beldingi; larger, and reddish colored under the tail.)
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A hunting buddy of mine grew up in NC. He had a friend there w/ a 7mm Rem Mag who complained he kept hitting deer that would bound away, dive into the swamp never to be seen again. My buddy told him to put the 7 mag in the closet and get himself a 25-06. The bullets started expanding and lodging inside the hide, deer dropping where they stood. Likely placed the bullets better without flinching, too.
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2506 with a 26" barrel gets it done all day. Just saying from field testing. Custom hand load on any cartridge is a must.
 
I'm sure you've already built the rifle.
6.5x55 improved will push a 140 as fast as your 6.5x47 does a 123, as will a 260AI and still functional in a SA.
Long action id go 280ai or 6.5-284
My 280ai pushes a 140ttsx @ 3125 out of a 22" barrel, 6.5-284 I'm at 3050 with a 140 but never poured the coals to it as it's shooting dots at 100 and didn't see the need as I've honestly never shot an animal past 200 yards, I guess that's mostly due to being a bowhunter at heart.
Yup! I kinda posted the question in jest, wanting to see how much of a following it had. If you know me, you know I need little motivation to buy a new gun. The guy I bought the gun for is a “true believer”. “No better cartridge out there!” he says. I like to look at the numbers. Velocity of a certain weight bullet VS powder burned. A lot of research has been done over the years to develop more efficient cartridges. I do lean towards them while keeping a love for history and some of the older ones. The 6.5x55 is my old favorite. My Swedish Mausers get a lot of my attention when I get nostalgic. I did build a custom so I could push it to it’s full potential.
Quirky as I am, I have TWO 6.5x284 guns that I haven’t shot yet. I bought them to shoot “long range”. Life had different plans for me but I can’t seem to give up the hope of “someday”.
I do shoot a nice 6xc I picked up for a song in an estate sale. Tikka action in a Manners stock. One of the few synthetic stocks I actually like. It launches a Lapua Scenar 115 at a pretty good clip. I’m between chrono’s right now but my old Magnetospeed says I’m at 3100ish. When I get a Garmin, I’ll be able to confirm that.
 
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One thing I don't see mentioned all that often is reliable feeding. Those old '06 and .308-based cartridges with all the "inefficient" body taper never seem to hang up like more modern cartridge sometimes do. They just feed like butter, which may be an issue if you're somewhere where bears are in the area.
 
I never answered this post way back when. Although a lot of other posters did.

True, efficiency does drop off as case capacity increases for the same caliber bullet.

But the smaller capacity case will have to generate more pressure to gain the same velocity. Sooner or later, it simply will not keep up.

Back when the 22 BR first came out, everybody was saying……”it will do anything a 22-250 will do”. Well, no it won’t As bullets get heavier, it runs out of gas.

Since I am a Short Range Benchrest Shooter, I am a big fan of high efficient, short, chambers with minimum body taper. That’s how you can describe a 6PPC and a 30BR.
OLD THREAD,,, But here goes. This hits home! I also have a long standing Short range BR love, and some LR, as Jackie points out Efficient! I also never answered this way back, didn't even read a lot of the post. But I sure have read enough to we have many making statements that never used a 1/4 bore. I also seen many using loads at 60K cup to justify comments over the 25 cal at 50K cup!

I won't nock the 25/06 but when it comes to this bore, it is a bit over bore, and wastes some of it's space, is a tad pickier and much harder on throats, over a 257 Roberts! Make that an Ackley Improved Roberts, and the differance is a thing only a chronograph can distinguish! Plus the 257 AI uses about 10% less powder to get the same job done. It stretches less, and has longer more forgiving neck. Its just more efficient doing the same job. Plus easier to tune, and still can use factory Roberts ammo in a bind. Anytime you compare hand loads to factory, your leaving performance and accuracy on the table, with any cartridge using factory!

I have used many of the 6mm'rs, and I assure you, I'll take the 250 Savage over them anyday, and twice on deer hunting day! The 1/4 is a much better Hammer on deer size game. for deer or antelope, it is the most practical caliber I have ever used. out to 600 yards DRT is, well dead right there! Ya you can use a bigger caliber, more powder, more recoil, and do the same job. But doubt it will be more accurate, easier to tune, or as capable in as light of a rifle! One thing many forget to mention is how accuracy becomes much harder in the field the lighter the package is, just because of the recoil, it's hunting, not setting on a bench with winflags and an absolute rest with heavy rifle, if it is I've confused EFFICIENT once again,,,,

Make mine a 1/4 bore for deer size game, and I'll take mine in a 257 Rob AI! At least till I find something more efficient and as capable, @70 years old, I'm still looking!
 
I would have phrased that "... need not be bought ... " but that's me.

I think 25-06 is a great cartridge, and recall how excited my hunting buddy was when he stumbled on a Ruger No. 1-V in 25-06 at a gun show. We did a lot of antelope and desert mulie hunting.
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Yes Brian you said it better. I can shoot deer, antelope or elk way over yonder, because I know I can hit a gopher way out there. BUT, I wanna get close, measure the distance in feet, not kilometers, that is the goal. I got 2 bucks the same year in the Bob Marshall at less that 100 feet, dumb luck.
 
@wildcatter,

If we're adding AIs to the mix, and you love the 250 Savage, I'll toss in my 250 Ackley Improved (and its modern twin reinvention, the 25 Creedmoor) as possibly the ultimate quarter-bore for efficiency and efficacy. That said, one can find 25-06 ammo on the remotest store shelf in the country, and as someone pointed out factory velocity data in no way represents the easy potential of the 25-06 in the hands of the handloader.
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