I believe the 25-06 would be more a flat shooting rifle than a 243, per case size, the 6mm-06 (24-06) would have better long range trajectory than the 25-06.
A 105 grain Berger VLD from a 6mm-06 or 6mm-284 can be launched at 3400 fps The 25-06 might be able to get 3500 with a 100 grain, but we are comparing velocity of the equivalent or as close to so Ballistic coefficient bullet
For Example a 25-06 can launch a 115 Berger VLD at 3200 fps
a 6mm-06 could launch a 95 Berger VLD at 3600 fps..
The 115 grain .257 Berger VLD has a BC of .522, the .
The 95 grain . 243 Berger VLD has a bc of .524 and
the 105 grain .243 Berger VLD has a BC of .565
However in defense of the 25-06, the .257 115 is a little heavier than the 6mm 105, more suited for larger deer.. also
the Thin skinned Bergers lose accuracy if driven much over 3200 fps..
The 6mm Berger 115 VLD has a BC of .597, pretty impressive,, but required a 1:7 twist, and an 06 case or equiv (6mm-284) would be hard pressed to get 3000 fps out of a 26 inch tube, and the 1:7 or 1:8 twist would limit velocity as bullet would spin jacket off if driven too fast..
The standard 25-06 1:10 twist will handle the 115 grn .257 Berger VLD fine
These are great bullets..
I shoot them a lot.. My Best Friend has a 22-250 Winchester with 26 inch bbl, he swears the speed of the cartridge is what makes it so devastating.. and it is a nice round..he brags about his 45 grain factory loads that do a blazing 4000 fps!
I tell him, but no animal on earth is going to walk up to the muzzle and only at the muzzle does it do 4000 fps..
those 45's have poor BC drag, something around .162 BC..
By 200 yards, my 25-06's 115 VLD Bergers launched at 3200 fps are still traveling 2800 something fps, while his 45's launched at 4000 fps from the 22-250 are only traveling 2700 something fps at 200 yards He refuses to believe it.
I talked him into getting the 50 grain ballistic tip loads at 3800 fps, much better Bc drag.
he has two 22-250's. his shots are from 50-250 yards.
and most are 150-200 yards.(coyotes)
So muzzle vel means squat. Vel at range is what you want, and the VLD's will deliver!
I fell in love with the 25-06 in the late 1980's, my late friend who had a shooting range had one... a Ruger hvy 24 in bbl with a 6.5-20 40mm Lpld scope.
I at the time had a win 300 win mag...
.
As my old late friend Ed with his 25-06 and another 12-14 bench rifle helped me along.. He got me into accuracy.
I could never get more than 1 moa avg from that 300 mag.. even aft we bedded it and so forth.
was loading 125's, but could NEVER get em the speeds of his 25-06 with 75's Sierra's 80's (Brunos) and 85-87's
His 25-06 would print 1.5 to 2 inch groups at 400 yards all day long. His Friend Louie Who had a Ruger no# 1 in 257 Roberts, also would print 1 inch groups at 400 yards.
They loved the .257 bore, and refused to more to the 6mm or 6.5mm and wanted to make the 25 work.. a challenge I guess. They also had 308's 35 Welon, 17 rem, 45-70 and many others, but they loved the 257's
.
In 1994 I bought me a 25-06, I had not seen Ed in months as I had been busy working... I bought a Ruger like his, except mine was a 26 inch bbl, same Leupold scope, except mine had a 50mm obj,, bedded it, worked up some loads.
I went out to his home in the country, and he had passed away 2 days earlier from a heart attack. 72 yrs old (I was 29 or 30 then)
I never got to show him my 25-06.. He was a big heavy set man, all of the family was, they ate a lot of good food, and always insisted I ate with them if I went to the range.. It was GREAT.
When I see any 25-06 I think of him.
Sorry for the long post, I had to give my good late friend, Ed Hall some credit for introducing me to this fire breathing round!
Scotty
