.25-06

[Shadow Shock]

My dad ordered a single shot .25-06 and it's in a gun store down in San Antonio, we'll go pick it up as soon as we get the money. I am not familiar with the .25-06. I intend to use it for long-range deer and hog hunting. By long range I mean past 500 yards. Within 400 yards, I'm comfortable with my .223, and within about 550yd with my .243. Can Anyone give me an idea on the capabilities of the .25-06? I know it's got more in the brass than my usual deer hunting calibers, and longer range. About how far good a pretty good shot hit with it? I know the rifle itself is very accurate as I have used it in other calibers, I just need to know about the round itself.

 

[Stinger]

500 yards is roughly 5 telephone poles apart.

 

[MachIVshooter]

If you're shooting at deer with a .223 from 400 yards, I suggest you first get a lesson on hunting ethics. That's just plain irresponsible.

 

[Eightball]

I'm not too familiar with it, but the .25-06 is a smokin' round, and will put down a deer much more humanely than your .223s at that range, or your .243 at that range, either. I would personally recommend that you replace your other guns with the .25-06, because depending on the platform, it should perform much better than either of the other rounds both in the areas of "at range" and terminal performance. Gimme a day or two, and if the walking dictionaries haven't answered your questions to your satisfaction, and I should be able to tell you more than you ever wanted to hear.

 

[Shadow Shock]

Or maybe all it takes is bullet placement? The M16A2 with FMJ's has an effective range for a point target (a human) of 600 meters. Why would soft points not be able to take a deer at 400yd? And fired from my Remington 700, they allways go were I want. It's not irresponsible, it makes perfect sense. The problem is, most people ignore the facts and stick with the narrowminded "Big Bore" theory. If you can't shoot well enough to take a deer at that range with a more than adequate cartrige, maybe you are the one who should reconsider the ethicsof going out in the woods and risking wounding game. In Central Texas, deer greatly out number people. We get 5 tags a year. In the last six years, I have killed 29 white tails, 25 with my .223, 2 with my .243, 1 with a .222, and one with a compound bow. The only one that ran more than 50yd was the one I shot with my bow, she ran 80yd.

 

[eliphalet]

25-06 is a 25 caliber shoots about in the neighborhood of a 90 to 120 grain bullet if I remember right. It's a great caliber but if I was wanting to shoot things at the ranges your talking about I would opt for something heavier for more down range energy.

 

[Geno]

At 500 yards, the .25-06 has lost a lot of energy. Will it kill a deer? Sure! Furthermore, it is a very accurate round, provided that the rifle is sound. Check the ballistic software programs and keep your energy at impact between 1,000 to 1,200 FPSI. I shot a whitetail deer at 525 yards with a .257 Wea. Mag. It was standing still, zero wind, 50ish degrees, sunny, perfect conditions. I am not convinced that I would try the same with a .25-06 Rem. Check the ballistics. Compare the two. In fact, I can tell you, I would not. That range is considerable.

 

[Shadow Shock]

Thanks Doc. We stress that a bullet in the right place will do it. before every hunting season, we make sure are rifles are sighted in. If they cant hit an acorn at 100yd, we resight them. And my dad won't let me hunt if he thinks I might wound and not kill.

 

[deehohunter]

i agree strongly with shadow shock it doesnt matter really how powerful the gun is but the placement of the bullet

 

[atblis]

Well

I like to have a little extra gun. Yes if you make a good shot... However, anytime you fire a shot you're dealing with probabilities. It is preferrable to have something that is a touch overkill in case something goes wrong. 223 on deer at the limit of the "effective" ranges is asking for trouble (unless you don't care about actually killing the deer and are just shooting at stuff for the hell of it).

25-06 at 500+ yards, I'll pass thank you. 7mm mag, now you're talking.

<400 yards, sure.

BTW
The DC sniper used an AR , and he didn't have 100% clean kills all the time.

What the military considers "effective", and what is consider ethical for hunting are two different things.

 

[Shadow Shock]

Thank you deehohunter. as a matter of fact, my grandpa has killed more deer in the woods of East Texas with a .22lr than most cityslickers will ever see in their life. This was before the ban on deer hunting with rimfires though, or I would use .22lr a lot too

 

[atblis]

Wow

How old are you two? You sound like teenagers.

 

[bensdad]

atblis,

Stop encouraging this.

 

[Shadow Shock]

Thanks to those who gave me information. And to those who doubt the use of .223 on deer at range, I respect your opinions. You stick to your guns, I'll stick to mine.

 

[trueblue1776]

I wouldn't use that on hogs, with hogs you need to crush bone down here, maybe on <50 lbs pigs. I have shot 150 lb hogs 5 (guess, massive adrenaline when you realize it isn't going down) times with a .223 that keep running. They don't bleed like deer. Low velocity super heavy rounds have always done it for me. You go pig hunting and you don't know if you'll see 45 pounder or a 350 pound beast. .25-06 single shot against a mammoth feral hog is a losing proposition.

I do love the .25-06 for deer, it always seemed really loud to me though.

 

[Stinger]

Okay, after this, I won't feed the trolls anymore.

Shadowshock, please tell me that you didn't register under a different name to support your previous post.

 

[Shadow Shock]

no I did not, although i just found out that one of my freinds registered without my consent to support me. I wish I hadn't told him abt The High Road now because I was being serious and now I've been undermined by my own freind as most of the stuff he said isn't true. I apologize for leading him here and meddling in a place were he doesn't belong. btw Tyron, please do not post anymore replies here

 

[floridaboy]

I'm pretty sure, 99.999999% that the d.c.snipers used a .223. I lived there at the time.

 

[Shadow Shock]

TrueBlue, I only use the .223 wen I'm out of harm's way. If they are close enough to hurt me, I draw my M1911. and Florida boy, he did use a .223 Bushmaster, deehohunter doesn't know what he's talking about.

 

[Frog48]

.223 will easily kill deer at close range, especially down here. Deer in TX are scrawny runts compared to what you guys have up north. However, I still prefer to use my .30-06.

The DC "snipers" used .223 (out of an AR15), not .22LR.

 

[Shadow Shock]

deer are a lot smaller here than up north. And the D.C. shooter doesn't even deserve to be called a sniper. He took potshots at innocent civillians. A true sniper hones his skills for years and has no rival except for other snipers. the D.C. guy was simply a terrorist who had a slightly above average level of marksmanship

 

[rangerruck]

a 25 .06 is a quarter bore, 30.06, bullets are usually found 90 to 117 grains. they are fast, and flat, the only bullets that are faster and flatter are the ones that came from true wildcatter stuff, or weatherby stuff.you should be able to knock over any deer or such that you see with it, however I dont know if I would have the guts to use a single shot for hog hunting. better put the bullet in it's neck or ear.

 

[Geno]

The .223 is legal for deer in Michigan. I personally wouldn't use it for deer, but there many hunters who do load up with 70 grain bullets and are successful. For fact, it does possess the sectional density to get the job done. I like larger bullets.

I really enjoy the many times that I read here at THR about how professionally we take our shots. It is refreshing. Thanks all for that fact. If we are going to harvest an animal, we should try to take it as quick and clean as is possible (preaching to the choir).

With my .25-06 (a Weatherby Vanguard VGX), for varmints, I liked using the 75 Gn. Hollow Points, and the 85 Gn. Nosler Ballistic Tip Boattails. For deer, I liked the 100 Gn Nosler partition. They were wicked.

With my .257 Wea. Mag. (a Weatherby Mark V, Fibermark), for varmints, I liked using the exact same projectiles: 75 Gn. Hollow Points, and the 85 Gn. Nosler Ballistic Tip Boattails. For deer, I liked the 100 Gn Nosler partition. The sole difference was velocity, but velocity nets greater reach.

 

[aspade]

The 25-06 has a rep as an exceptionally flat shooting chambering but when you run the numbers the large deer appropriate bullets won't keep up with a .270 with 130s.

The 100 grain loadings smoke and there's probably no finer setup for open country antelope and smaller deer.

 

[rangerruck]

that would make sense, as the 270 is a necked 30.06 as well, I think 100 to 110 bullets though would knock out any deer, and get you really far out there, if need be.