Tikka T3 25-06

[threejones]

I'm in the market for a 25-06. It'll be my daughters first deer rifle, (and my backup wolf rifle). I love Tikkas, the weight and size are perfect, but the 22in tube scares me, I'd prefer 26in. I know I'm gonna lose some speed, but is it really going to matter? This is my first venture into quarter bores, so any real world input would be helpful. I know I can always rebarrel, but I'd rather just add glass and go blast.

 

[farout]

I have a Savage 25-06 with a 22' barrel. I use 59 Gn of Retumbo (max load) with 110 Accubonds and average 3060 FPS. Holds .5 MOA at 300 yards. I am happy with that.

Retumbo is a good powder for the 25-06 since the it is kind of overbore. I am probably blowing some powder out the barrel though.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Look for a Browning A-Bolt II in .25-06. Some places will still have some leftover that are brand new for an awesome price. I believe it will have a 24" barrel on it, if I'm not mistaken... And the A-Bolt II's are fairly lightweight, as well. They're very accurate and reliable, too.

 

[Tikkamike]

It wont hurt you a bit to go with the 22.5" I had one in a tikka now have one in a sako a7 both are the 22.5" I get 3200 FPS out of both with the 100 gr TTSX the extra inch and a half of a 24 will give you a little extra but in small bores an inch and a half will only net you so much.. I have killed out to 760 yards with no problem on a 22.5" tube. the handiness of it trumps the added velocity of a 24 to me.

 

[RT2506]

You won't loose much more than 75 fps if that much with the 22" over a 24" barrel in the 25-06. A deer will not know the difference. If you shoot a few deer with that 25-06 it just may become YOUR primary rifle. They kill that well. I have a custom 26" #6 SS Shilen barrel Remington action on a HS precision stock 25-06 that has killed about as many deer as black tongue has. I love 117 Sierra Pro Hunters, accurate and deadly.

 

[Tikkamike]

you won't loose much more than 75 fps if that much with the 22" over a 24" barrel in the 25-06. A deer will not know the difference. If you shoot a few deer with that 25-06 it just may become your primary rifle. :d they kill that well. I have a custom 26" #6 ss shilen barrel remington action on a hs precision stock 25-06 that has killed about as many deer as black tongue has. I love 117 sierra pro hunters, accurate and deadly.

exactly

 

[threejones]

exactly

You boys are tellin me what I want to hear! Hey Mike, did you ever try the 117 pro-hunters? Seems like that's the round of choice for the 25-06, plus anything heavier that'll buck the wind well is HUGE for me. Seems like every time I head to eastern MT, the damned wind pushes me there for free... and then doesn't want me to leave... Last years buck was shot in a steady 25-30 mph cross wind. On the up side, I didn't have to worry about him hearing me from 300yds away.

 

[MudRunner2005]

You boys are tellin me what I want to hear! Hey Mike, did you ever try the 117 pro-hunters? Seems like that's the round of choice for the 25-06, plus anything heavier that'll buck the wind well is HUGE for me. Seems like every time I head to eastern MT, the damned wind pushes me there for free... and then doesn't want me to leave... Last years buck was shot in a steady 25-30 mph cross wind. On the up side, I didn't have to worry about him hearing me from 300yds away.

Try the 110 Nosler Accubonds...Phenomenal for whitetials. I shoot them and Berger 115 VLD's out of my .257 Wby. And I will be shooting both out of my Sendero SF .25-06 Ackley Improved once I finish getting it built... All I need now is final smith work, and finding an original Sendero SF stock, and she'll be ready to drop 'em.

 

[Hookturnr]

I have an Abolt II in 25/06 with the BOSS that I picked up for the wife to hunt with...put to gether a wicked accurate load of H4831SC pushing a 115gr VLD that is a SLEDGEHAMMER on Pa whitetails...don't let her know, but I've been known to carry that nice light little rifle more than a few days myself!

 

[mrbofus]

I have a Savage 25-06 with a 22' barrel. I use 59 Gn of Retumbo (max load) with 110 Accubonds and average 3060 FPS. Holds .5 MOA at 300 yards. I am happy with that.

Retumbo is a good powder for the 25-06 since the it is kind of overbore. I am probably blowing some powder out the barrel though.

I too have TIKKA on the Brain. either is 25-06 or 270. and after reading this and other threads, so much is said about the 25-06 needing a 24" barrel to achieve its potential, I began to wonder about the 30.06? Does it need a 24" barrell also?

Sorry not meaning to hijack this thread.

 

[LightfootE]

I own a tikka 25-06 ss. I bought it to use as my deer hunting/backpacking specific rifle. I have loaded the 110 accubonds, 115 bergers, and 100 ttsx. With no load work up at all, all three will shoot 3/4" or less @100 (4 shot groups). 53.3grns of RL-22.

I chose the ttsx this year just because of a discussion I had with my hunting partner earlier in the year about less than ideal shot opportunities. After seeing some pretty explosive results with the VLDs, the though or a quartering away shot or straight on shot was very concerning. Coincidentally I ended up finding a monster of pure blacktail buck this year and he left me short of on ideal shot. Lets just say I was glad I went with the ttsx because the bullet traveled the length of his body, even having broke the shoulder, and did very minimal damage to the insides. Tuned out to be a really clean carcass.

So through my unnecessary rant, I'm just trying to say Yes the tikka in 25-06 is a formidable weapon and will likely kill just about anything with the right bullet.