25-06 Harvest Thread

[Kpknifemaker]

Here's my Cooper decked out with a 6.5 X 20 Leupy VX-3 and a Ken Farrel Rail. Heavy rig to stalk with, so pretty much reserved for elevated blind hunts or off a bipod. No reason not to have at least 2 of these so I think I got my eye on a Finnlight for my second .25-06.

View attachment 196920

Never enough guns. Two are definitely better than one.

 

[Pulpwood]

I'm a newcomer to the 25-06. Always loved the caliber, just seemed so.... traditional. Researched like heck the terminal performance. And sure enough, very first shot at an animal, dropped him like a ton of bricks.
Anyone else out there have any harvest pics/stories of their 25-06?
View attachment 196828

I would like to share a 25-06 story with you guys . Years ago I was in a hunting camp with 3 guys from Texas (no pun intended) the night before the hunt as we all got our guns out getting ready for opening day they made fun of my little gun (25-06) they ask if I knew how big bodied the Nebraska deer where . My only reply was that the ranch did not contain a deer that I could not harvest with that rifle . They cared a 300 Weatherby , a 300wm and one 280 . After the hunt the 300 Weatherby carrier shot 5-6 times at his deer , the 300wm 3 times and the 280 2 shots , the 25-06 only 1 at a very mature Nebraska whitetail. Just before leaving the camp I had only one question, how many times did you guys have to shoot those big guns . Ps they never said anything else like that again

 

[del2les]

I've found the 25-06 to be a nice medium, flat shooting round, and through the decades, I have used it on P-dogs to elk. Loaded with the 85gr NBT @3,600fps from one of my old 26 inch varmint tubes, I took my first 1,031 yd P-dog 3 decades ago, and it shot countless shorter range dogs under high winds. Using the old Barnes 85gr X-bullet loaded @ a "warm" 3,750fps from a 26 inch, it was a banjo wire on Southern whitetails across bean fields, pastures and clear cuts. Today, the 80gr TTSX fills that role.

For elk and larger Western mules, I load the 110gr NAB with Retumbo @ 3,310fps. It simply does the job and holds tight groups. Years ago, I even played with it on the 1,000yd comp line, but that was just for the fun of it.

 

[JMW67]

The first custom rifle I had built was a 25-06 a very fine shooter, it has not been fired in a decade or longer after reading this post it will come out of the safe very soon and get played with once again thank yall very much for peaking my interest in this fine caliber once again

 

[merasmus]

I'm a newcomer to the 25-06. Always loved the caliber, just seemed so.... traditional. Researched like heck the terminal performance. And sure enough, very first shot at an animal, dropped him like a ton of bricks.
Anyone else out there have any harvest pics/stories of their 25-06?
View attachment 196828

My present 2506 is a Browning XBolt and is used o everything from gophers to Sell. My favorite big game bullet is the 125 nosler partition. After reading some of the posts on this site I have decided to try some 110 ACBonds. I haven't figured out yet why someone would want a bigger caliber when the 2506 works so well on everything.

 

[UplandFreak]

My present 2506 is a Browning XBolt and is used o everything from gophers to Sell. My favorite big game bullet is the 125 nosler partition. After reading some of the posts on this site I have decided to try some 110 ACBonds. I haven't figured out yet why someone would want a bigger caliber when the 2506 works so well on everything.

I sold my 25-06 last year and went to a 6.5 PRC - it was a tough call, but ultimately I was chasing high BC bullets to buck the wind at long range.

 

[merasmus]

I sold my 25-06 last year and went to a 6.5 PRC - it was a tough call, but ultimately I was chasing high BC bullets to buck the wind at long range.

Autocorrect sure does wonders sometimes. I use 115 nosler partitions on Elk

 

[UplandFreak]

Autocorrect sure does wonders sometimes. I use 115 nosler partitions on Elk

Out to 500 yards the 25-06 is tough to beat. Once you go past 500, the high bc 6.5 bullets start to pull away. For people who don't hunt past 500 yards there really is no need to punish yourself with heavier recoiling cartridges - the 25-06 just flat kills, even big ol bullet proof elk.

 

[Threejs]

I only ever killed 2 deer with a 25-06. Neither ever took a step. I then bumped to a 257wby. Shot a bunch with that and few ever wiggled. Ignore what the BC is on paper and shot the rifling out of it. Anything on that 30-06 case is a great cartridge

 

[Trekster]

a fan here as well of the 25-06. Too many deer to count but took this last year to add to the continuously growing list:
View attachment 196888

wow. Impressive. Now that is a true believer in the 25 06. Bold. Super cool. Love it.

 

[Wild7mm]

My dad and I have shot the 25-06 for years and after a short stint of not owning one, we now have one again. A Sako 85 finnlite. Has anyone ever tried the 110gr ELD-X? How'd they shoot and what powders are best?

 

[Plinker147]

My dad and I have shot the 25-06 for years and after a short stint of not owning one, we now have one again. A Sako 85 finnlite. Has anyone ever tried the 110gr ELD-X? How'd they shoot and what powders are best?

I'm actually working with them now. My goal was to get an accurate load at 3200fps just for giggles. So far no luck, I've sent about half a box down range with r25 , couldn't get useable ladder or seating depth with them yet. Gonna change powder and see what I can get done with the rest of the box.

 

[Toecutter]

Tikka t3 lite with 110 ABs at 3200fps. If bears knew what the heck hit them, they would surely hate it.

 

[Kpknifemaker]

Tikka t3 lite with 110 ABs at 3200fps. If bears knew what the heck hit them, they would surely hate it.

What powder are you using? I am still working on a load with my Tikka T3x.