How has your 25-06 treated you?

[threejones]

My daughter can finally hunt with me next year, so I'm going to put a new rig together for her. Plus I've had a hankering for a new quarter bore wolf rifle for awhile, so it seems like the time is right. I'd just like to hear a little feed back about the 25-06 on deer, (think big eastern MT muleys). I know we'll have to get in a little closer than I'm used to (most of my muleys have been taken with a 270, or a 7mag that I can really stretch things out with).

What pills/loads do you guys like? How far do shoot your 25-06 on game? Feel free to skip the x energy at x distance, or the properly placed shot will kill at a zillion yards stuff... I already know. I'd just like to hear some real world experiences from guys who hunt with it alot

 

[Tikkamike]

I am on my second one... wore the first one out. It is primarily my coyote rifle because it shoots a 100gr ttsx at 3200 fps so its flat shooting and hammers them. I have killed lots of deer antelope and an elk with it here in wyoming... the elk wasnt the best matchup for the 25 but it got it done. I think its a great caliber.

 

[RT2506]

I do mostly bean field white tail deer shooting. I have used about every caliber from 22lr up through 45-70 to kill deer in the past 43 years. I helped work as a control hunter on a big farm in east NC for 15 years where my buddy and I took 100 deer a year. We both think that the 25-06 is on the top of the list as the best round we have used for deer. We have shot deer between 500 and 600 yards and it killed them just as dead in their tracks as one shot at 100 yards. We have used many different makers bullets from 100 gr to 120 gr and we both like the Sierra 117 gr the best. My rifle likes the flat base pro hunter best but they both react on game the same. My current rifle that I have is a Rem 700 with a #6 Shilen SS 26" barrel. My load is 49 grs IMR 4350, Rem case, CCI 250 mag primer and the 117 Sierra Pro Hunter average 3000 fps. It will shoot 1/2 or better MOA all day. I just came home from a 3 week hunt in east NC and killed 4 deer with this rifle and load all bang flop.

The other standard load for the 25-06 had been 52 grs H-4831 with a 117 gr bullet. It will do 3000 fps also.

I might add that I think you need at least 24" of barrel with the 25-06. Be aware that the Marlin and some of the cheaper rifles being put out these days only have 22" barrels. Even the fine Teka only has a 22" barrel.

I also might add that the the 115 gr Nosler partition is a really good bullet especially for really large deer size game. I have not used any of the 110 gr Nosler Accubond bullets but I hear really good things about them. I use the 130 gr Accubond in my 264 Win mag and it is one super bullet. It flies like the ballistic tip and starts to open up like the ballistic tip but holds together and keeps on trucking like the partition. The best of both worlds. Good luck with your 25-06 you could not make a better choice for your situation.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

IMHO the 25-06 is one of the most underrated calibers ever made. My Ruger M77 heavy barrel will take deer out at distances mentioned in the other posts with no problem, although I mainly use it for yotes and antelope. I'm under a MOA with the 117 grain Hornady BTSPs that I handload for it using 50 grains of IMR 4350 and it is pushing that bullet out the muzzle at 3025 fps. It will take elk, but I move up to my 30-06s for those.

 

[Korhil78]

I really like my 25-06. I have shot Barnes and Bergers out of it. I have killed more game with the Barnes combo and it never lets me down. I have only shot deer and coyotes with it. The farherest deer was 330 yds. But I wouldn't hesitate shooting a deer with it out to 600. No recoil, flat shooting and light. There isn't much that you can say against it. Are there better calibers out there? Sure but there is just something about the 25-06 that I love.

 

[Clay Target Guy]

I like mine but don't hunt it much as I end up going to my 260. Nothing wrong with the 25-06, just like my 260 better.
I am running 100 gr Nosler BT's out of my 25-06 right at 3200 FPS.

 

[300 ultra]

I have a Tikka T3 LITE in 25-06 that I put Bell and Carlson stock on. It shoots Barnes 100 gr TTSX very well. My son uses it now and shot his first Deer with it when he was 10.

 

[300 ultra]

My 25-06 is the one on the top of the picture.

 

[threejones]

Yep, I'm pretty much sold. Still, I'd like to hear any extra input anyone may have.

 

[dogbuster0006]

My dad has used a 25-06 for yrs on deer and coyotes he loves it. I got a good deal on a Ruger M77 while back and I'm a believer too!!! I will say the older rem corlocks wanted to splash and not penetrate very well up close on broadside shots, the killed ok I guess but left terrible blood trails. We switched to the 117gr hornady interlocks and it's generally bang flop. I took two doe with 115gr winchester silver tips this wkend at 385yd and 440 they were both bang flop never even kicked. Complete pass through on the first deer broadside shot and found a couple fragments in the rump of the second she was quartering to me a little more than I wanted but, its meat in the freezer. They weren't my first choice but when that's all I could find at the local wal-mart they shot good and did the job just fine. For a bean or cornfield rifle they're hard to beat. I killed my first deer at 9-10 with dads rem sendero and had wanted one for a while.
To us the 25-06 is as close to perfect a deer rifle as was ever invented, we've shot them close we've shot them far and they will fill a tag every time we do our part.
Good luck and happy hunting
Post us some pics when you get her built

 

[Centxshooter]

the 25-06 is still my favorite round in the cabinet. I have bought, built, and sold every caliber out there and still have my trusty Rem 700 25-06 stocked in B&C and it shoots lights out with 117 grain sierra bullets pushed by 49 grains IMR 4350. I have been amazed at the results that little bullet does. Great round and in the new age of speed it just flat out gets it done!!

 

[Canvsbk]

RL 19 and 110 Accubonds have produced DRT on pronghorns for me the last two years. 335 and 285 yards. Almost zero recoil but maybe a touch noisy. With 75gr Vmax and a case stuffed with VV N560 it leaves football size holes in a coyote.
I try not to pick favorites with my rifles but I reach for the .25-06 first quite frequently.

 

[112Savage]

try the 117 sierra BTSP or the 115 bergers. Both fly extremely straight and accurately out of my rifle. The bergers have the edge in accuracy and wind deflection, but not as much in the penetration game. All shots have resulted in dead deer/ groundhogs. As an all around caliber I can't say enough about my confidence in the 25-06 with 115-117 grain bullets. Sure there is better for lighter and heavier game, but for the game that 90% of Americans shoot every day I don't know of anything better.

All of that being said. I shoot 115 berger from a 26" factory barreled savage at 3135fps using Retumbo and ww cases. Recently hitting center of a rock at 575 yds in a 12 mph wind was no problem.

For a while I tried the 100 grain sierra btsp and matchking at 3200fps using RL-22. Really accurate load but showed severe temp sensitivity and tended to disintegrate on game; so I upped the bullet weight.

 

[Dosh]

Three jones, my son bought a heavy barrel Ruger tang model 77 in 25-06 at a moving sale. It had what looks like a custom made thumbhole maple stock and two 3x9 scopes a nice case, all for $260. Cleaned it up, lightened the trigger, epoxy bedded, refinished the stock, 4x16x50 scope and 115 Bergers with H4831 SC. Wow, shot .330 at 100 yds. Tried it on Javalina at 420+ yards and tore the top of the neck and back of the head up. Note: for some reason it shot crappy with Winchester brass, but switched to Hornady brass and the accuracy was there. He will use it on a mule deer hunt as soon as he draws a tag. We both own .257 Wby, but they are not as accurate. Good luck and get the kid hunting.