25-06 or 260 ?

[jefflee1]

I am looking for a new rifle for my son, 11 yrs old 5'2" 110lbs , he now owns a 22mag. ( got it when he was 8) I am looking for something a little bit bigger for varmit and deer, for next year. I thought about a 243, but then got interseted in 25-06 or a 260..
I am interested in pros and cons for both...
I am sure I am going to also end up using this rifle.

Jeff

 

[hoghunting]

I'll take the 260

I recommend the 260 since it is a very accurate round and ammo is not hard to find. It will work just as well as the 25-06 and can use heavier bullets for larger game. I'm not sure I would try it on elk, but it should work if you can wait for your shot and stay within 150 yards.

Another bonus is that you can get the 260 in a youth model and buy a larger stock when your son grows.

 

[rangerruck]

i disagree with hog, the 2506 can be had in more configs by more companies, with more fact mfrg ammo than the 260. the 2506 will be able to take most of your n. amer game with the exception of the really big boys. also if you check out some diff ballistics tables, you will see that the 25 is a top 5 performer in speed,trajectory ,energy to 500 yds , etc. now that being said, the 260 is an excellent round, and if you handload, you could rival the 25 , and use heavy bullets. then you have to start worrying about recoil. but a 25 with say a 115 or 120 grn bullet, has recoil of say a 243, if you are using a longer bbl, it feels even closer to a 223.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I like the 25-06 because it can morph up to a really nice deer rifle and also cut all the way back to a decent varmint gun. I find mine accurate, reliable and overall just an easy gun to shoot.

 

[Dale Taylor]

Look for 6.5x55. Both my sons learned with mine. Harvested many deer and hogs.

 

[jefflee1]

Thanks for the replys so far, I live in CT so there aren't any Elk around here, the biggerst game I would go after with that is deer.
The more opinions the better.

Jeff

 

[MatthewVanitas]

Correct me if wrong, but 25-06 and 6.5x55mm require a long action, while the .260 fits into a short action, yes?

That would seem to have some advantages of its own. I believe the 6.5x55mm vs. .260 debate has been covered extensively on this board by folks smarter than I, but IIRC the end consensus were that the two rounds were much of a muchness. I can see being thrilled with a vintage Swede Mauser in 6.5x55mm, but why get a modern rifle in the older long-action cartridge vice its modern descendant?

@rangerruck: In terms of rifles offered in each caliber, the .260 is available in the Remington Model 7 (and Model 7 Youth), while 25-06 is not. That would be a clincher for me personally.

-MV

 

[Dale Taylor]

6.5x55 needs short action.

 

[FatalMove]

think 280 rem

just get away from .24 and .25 cal and jump to 7mm.
.280 rem offers ballistics close to 7mm magnum in smaller weights like 140gr
but with recoil i think your son can handle. Comes on 2 good platforms from remington. if your a bolt man go with 700 rem action if your a semi-auto or think your son is responsible and safe enuff to go with semi the 7400 auto loader is one hellofa deer getter. Offers quick followup shot will not give away your position like rackin the bolt rifle . not to mention the auto will further decrease recoil. Its more of a push than a kick. if you study ballistics of .280 rem you will see that for the bang you get alotta buck

Anyway just my opinion , Opinions are like butts everybody has one but they all stink.

FataL][V][ove

 

[Bigfoot]

6.5x55 needs short action.

Dale, this was a misstatement right?

 

[Preacherman]

Jefflee1, I guess the first question is: why are you looking specifically at the 6.5mm. range of calibers? You mentioned "varmints and deer" as likely targets. While the deer are certainly suitable targets for this caliber round, varmints are usually shot with something rather lighter.

If you want to keep the varmint-and-deer combo in mind, I'd suggest dropping down to a .243, as this is usually considered a good round for both - bigger than the .224-caliber cartridges, and therefore suitable for smaller deer, but still small enough to use on varmints with lighter bullets. If you move up to the 6.5mm. range, you're getting more into deer territory, but moving out of typical varmint territory.

Also, there's a question of range. You're in Connecticut. I imagine that means that most of your shooting will be at short to medium range - probably not much over 100 yards for most shots. The .25-'06 is capable of reaching out to 400 or 500 yards with no trouble - wouldn't it be "overkill" for a short-range situation? Also, rifles chambered in this caliber typically have longer, heavier barrels (I've seen several with 26" bull barrels). Is this suitable for general use in wooded country like yours? In such terrain, I'd usually prefer a shorter, handier carbine type of weapon.

I'd like to suggest that you consider splitting your weapon use into categories. For deer hunting, why not look for a .30-30 lever-action carbine that can be cut down and fitted to your son? It'll do fine on CT deer over typical ranges, and won't cost very much. You could then look for something in the .224-caliber range for varmint use, or even go to a .17 rimfire round, for use on small varmints at typical CT ranges.

Just a thought...

 

[FatalMove]

30-30 Not

Quote from peacherman: I'd like to suggest that you consider splitting your weapon use into categories. For deer hunting, why not look for a .30-30 lever-action carbine that can be cut down and fitted to your son? It'll do fine on CT deer over typical ranges, and won't cost very much. You could then look for something in the .224-caliber range for varmint use, or even go to a .17 rimfire round, for use on small varmints at typical CT ranges.

I know many deer have been taken with 30-30 but why not just use .308 it has more energy at 100 yards than the 30-30 does at the muzzle. Not to mention mild recoil for a kid. The 30-30 limits you to round nose bullets that are not aerodynamic cause of the tubular magazine. Why waste money on junk! .243, 7mm-08, or .308 all way better choices than the 30-30. Just my .02 and what if you decide to go out west to hunt sometime instead of the CT woods. Hope your son is sneaky cause the animals will be seen at ranges the rainbow 30-30 trajectory can reach. but maybe he can sneak up on em with the 30-30. Just my .02 but you already know my take on opinions from previous post. But Preacherman , i agree with you on your 2 rifle concept one for deer one for varmits. But if money is an issue the .243 can do both with a 55gr bullet for vermin and 90-100gr for deer.

 

[North Texan]

I've got a Mod. 70 25-06...

and it is a really nice round. I handload, so I can really play with the versatility, but there are also many decent factory offerings available. Black Hills is even offering a few loadings. I have had no problems getting decent accuracy from 75 grain Hornady V-max's all the way to 110 grain Nosler Accubonds. It's got a 24" sporter barrel, so it's not overly heavy, yet it's still got enough rifle to keep the recoil down to a minimum. The .25-06 delivers punch at distance and shoots flat enough to make even fairly long range shots easier. Shoot a deer in the boiler room with the .25-06, and the bullet should exit and even if the deer makes a dash, you'll have a trail to follow.

BTW, I have had a lady friend at the range that was probably pretty close to your son's size, and she liked the way it shot and had no problems with the recoil.

 

[North Texan]

And Peter I'm a little jealous of your groups. I haven't got mine to that point yet. I think I'm going to have to do a little bedding work.

 

[BOOM]

I'd stick to the short action cartridges. Of those choices, I'd go with a 243 for deer/varmint. For mainly deer hunting, take a close look at the 7mm-08, but I'm sure the .260 would work well.

If you hunt in places where you often have shots at 300+ yards, and you think he can handle the recoil, I'd go with a 25'06 for deer/varmint, or a .280 for deer.

 

[rangerruck]

you know, teh 6.5 swedish is a good thought, mild recoil, bullets are cheap at the gunshows, and several companies, take the old carl gustafs, and shine em all up and recut the bbls, then put them in lightweight, sprter type synth stocks. you can usually pick them up for 3 to 400 bucks. Kimber and howa does a real good job with these.