Compare 25-06 & .270 & .243?

[Sniper66]

I'm thinking about another rifle and have heard good things about the 25-06. You guys out there have always a been great source of information. I'm asking for comparison with .270 and .243 because I've shot them quite a bit, make hand loads for both, and have killed deer with both. So it's a good point of reference for me. If you really prefer the 25-06 to other rifles, what is it that you like? And finally which manufacturer do you like? Thanks for your help. Tom

 

[LoonWulf]

I like the .25s better than the 6mms or the .277s, but they generally suffer the same slow twist issues then .277s do.

In practice there isnt much difference in what you can hunt with any of the 3, except at the extremes.
If something over 800lbs is on the menu, the .277s are a better choice.
On the flip side if smaller stuff, say under 100lbs is on the menu, the .243 will do everything the .25s will do, but kick a little less, and cost a little less.

If your in the middle, well it dosent really matter. If youve never shot a .25 try a .25-06! Better yet build one with a fast twist tube, and make real use of that extra capacity.

 

[mustanger98]

I'll have to look back at the Hornady manual, but .25-06 with 117gr bullets... SP's and RN's... can be loaded a wide range of speeds from about 3200 down around 24-2500. What to load depends on what/where you're hunting.

I know Savage used to offer .25-06 in a 111G back when they had wood stocks.

 

[js8588]

25-06 will cover 95% of the ground covered by 243 & 270.

Varmints to Elk. About the only critters in North America I wouldn't use it for are Moose & Brown Bear.

6.5x55 on the other hand...if there was ever a "do it all (in North America)" cartridge. 100 grainers for Varmints. 110-129 for deer sized game. 130-140 (or 120 gr all copper) rounds for Elk, & then the 156-160 gr stuff for moose & bear.

 

[mshootnit]

I'm thinking about another rifle and have heard good things about the 25-06. You guys out there have always a been great source of information. I'm asking for comparison with .270 and .243 because I've shot them quite a bit, make hand loads for both, and have killed deer with both. So it's a good point of reference for me. If you really prefer the 25-06 to other rifles, what is it that you like? And finally which manufacturer do you like? Thanks for your help. Tom

25-06 is going to be a little flatter shooting with less recoil than your 270. And with 120 gr. it will have a little more punch than your 243. Where 243 can be considered very reliable on large bucks to 300 yds, 25-06 will increase that comfortably to 400 yds or beyond if you can shoot that well.
You can also load it down to 100 gr and have real nice deer/ coyote round. Factory 1:10 twist is fine for 75-120 gr. 25-06 rifles are generally not used as target rifles and they really shine as a fast, low recoil hunting outfit, or as a very fast powerful varminter.
Though they all go bang, I believe a 25-06 barrel should be a minimum of 24" to take advantage of the round.
Some of my favorite bullets include the Hornady 110 gr. Interbond
Hornady 117 SP Interlock and SST
Nosler 110 gr. Accubond
Nosler 115 gr. Ballitic Tip (blue)
Sierra 117 gr. Pro Hunter discontinued
Hornady 100 gr. SP Interlock discontinued
Hornady 75 gr. Vmax

 

[Skylerbone]

If you already own a .243 and a .270 then buying a middling in a long action wouldn’t offer any benefit from a practical standpoint. If you really want one however it can be a good choice with a long barrel and the right twist. I went digging around a year or two ago but came away with 6.5 Creedmoor as a simple answer to anything not needing .30s and yet my latest purchase was .243 (go figure). Sometimes nostalgia wins out.

Any thoughts on use?

 

[Mosin Bubba]

243: 100gr at 3000 fps
270: 130gr at 3000 fps
25-06: 120gr at 3000 fps?

Not really seeing the need for a 25-06 to supplement the former 2 cartridges, but since when have we let need stop us before...

 

[Mr. Zorg]

I like the balance between bullet weight and recoil the .25-06 offers between the .243W & .270W. I'm not a varminter so .257 diameter projectiles < 100 grains don't hold any appeal for me personally.

A good all-around load I found that goes beyond the typical factory fodder is the 110 grain Nosler Accubond (G1 BC = .418) with a muzzle velocity of 3250 fps offered by Underwood.

https://www.underwoodammo.com/colle...osler-accubond-spitzer?variant=18785712242745

The down side I've always read about the .25-06 is rifle barrels need to be 24" long or more for the cartridge to live up to its potential. My Interarms Mark X (Zastava) .25-06 rifle has a 24" long barrel with 1:10 inches rifling twist rate, and it's done everything I've asked of it. So if you're looking for a brush gun with a 16" to 20" barrel, then there are better choices than the .25-06 Remington with similar recoil. Such as 7mm-08 for example.

 

[Sneakshot92]

Dad has a 25-06 Ackley an it is an absolute laser at 500yds on prairie dogs. Although the standard 25-06 is also great for lots of critters.

 

[Sneakshot92]

A good all-around load I found that goes beyond the typical factory fodder is the 110 grain Nosler Accubond (G1 BC = .418) with a muzzle velocity of 3250 fps offered by Underwood.

https://www.underwoodammo.com/colle...osler-accubond-spitzer?variant=18785712242745

Dad handloads those bullets as well as the Partitions and lemme tell ya. When I was growing up his rifle kept meat on the table.
Then he re barreled the rifle to 280 rem and can't do squat. Glad I bought the 25-06 Ackley barrel from him right away. If only I had a home for it...

 

[Steve S.]

All three calibers will do the same clean killing behind a rifleman that knows what he/ she is doing 99.9% of the time. There is no right/ wrong or good/ bad choice, they will be the same destroyed chest cavity to the receiving animal - Ford or Chevy - it likens to what is your favorite color.

 

[WisBorn]

I have owned 2 different 25-06 rifles a Ruger No 1 and a Ruger M77. The cartridge worked very well on deer. I always thought that the 25-06 was the perfect pronghorn antelope and coyote round.

Enjoy your search and safe shooting!

 

[redneck2]

If you buy one and like it more than the others, I strongly suspect the underlying reason will be more emotional than logical

I used to believe that I had to have one of every caliber size. After a while, I figured out that one pretty much performs as well as the next. But, if that’s what make you happy, go for it.

 

[Aletheia]

There is so much "overlap" between the .270 and the .243 in terms of practical uses and effects on game that I could not justify a .25-06 if I already owned the other two. The .270 is a better big game round than the .25-06, and the .243 is a better varmint round than the .25, and both rounds are just fine on deer. If you don't mind redundancy, and you just like the idea of a .25-06, there is no reason to NOT get one, but there is, in my mind, little reason to justify it.

 

[Slamfire]

I would rather a 257 Roberts in 25 caliber than any other cartridge. Assuming you can find brass! Check brass availability in any caliber before committing to a rifle. Based on the attached search there is plenty of 25-06 in stock, but, it took years to find new 257 Roberts brass. It is in stock, but once the supply runs out, it might be years till it comes back.

 

[jmr40]

I'm not a 25-06 fan. It isn't enough different than 243 to justify owning one for me. Compared to 243 it shoots bullets only .014" larger in diameter that are only slightly heavier to about the same speed at the muzzle. But the better BC's of the 243 bullets mean they will shoot faster down range.

I still think the 243 is the better varmint round, the 25-06 is only slightly better as a deer round and neither are the best choice for game bigger than deer. Although there are some hunters who elk and bear hunt with both.

Others have hinted at this, but one of the modern 6.5 options would make both your 243 and 270 safe queens. You'd be able to shoot 100-150 gr bullets; you could hunt everything from varmints to elk with one rifle. And if you wanted to shoot targets at 1000+ yards you'd be able to do that too. And do it with less recoil and better accuracy than either 25-06 or 270.

 

[joed]

Sometimes we shooters do not follow logic and pick a cartridge or rifle because it has intrigued us. The .25-06 did that to me 42 years ago, and I do not regret the decision. In my younger days a group of friends in Ohio decided to take up groundhog hunting. After I had picked the rifle I agonized over the cartridge for a few days before settling on the .25-06. The .25-06 was a great choice for me. It was an exceptionally flat shooting cartridge that could kill game at longer distances than my friend's guns. It also was a very hard hitting cartridge and killed a lot of game with one shot kills.

I've used that rifle for hunting groundhogs, deer and black bear. It is a very versatile cartridge with a good range of bullet weights for most uses.

Most of the rifles I own overlap each other for use. There is also a .243 sitting in the safe, a very good cartridge in its own right. But, for my use I choose the .25-06 far more.

Still want that .25-06? I guarantee it won't disappoint you.

 

[Legionnaire]

Personally, if I can get the performance I want from a short action cartridge, I'll go that route every time. I like the .243. And for a bit more oomph, I like the .243 Ackley.

However, if you like long actions, no reason to not like a .25-06. Might be easy to achieve much the same thing, though, by loading lighter bullets in your .270.

 

[Elkins45]

I bought my very difficult to obtain LH Mauser in 25-06. I wish I had bought it in 270 or 30-06 instead.

Since I own a 257 Weatherby I really don’t have a need for another 25 caliber cartridge.

 

[Skylerbone]

I bought my very difficult to obtain LH Mauser in 25-06. I wish I had bought it in 270 or 30-06 instead.

Since I own a 257 Weatherby I really don’t have a need for another 25 caliber cartridge.

As the son of a lefty (2 lefty’s actually) I have surmised that southpaws cannot ever have too many rifles of the correct orientation for them. If you love the rifle, no sense in ever regretting the purchase (and I bet you don’t).

 

[rabid wombat]

I bought my very difficult to obtain LH Mauser in 25-06. I wish I had bought it in 270 or 30-06 instead.

as you know, just swap the barrel to either 270 or 30.06, and you are good to go....always fun to spend someone else’s money....

 

[Weflyfast]

I have a 257 Roberts and while it won't quite get up to the 25-06 performance it's a pleasure to shoot... accuracy is fantastic and modern bullets make it very versatile....
A new caliber in the safe perks intest and gets us to the range more... I would have one of each if I could! Buy it...shoot it...hunt with it....until the next one makes and itch

 

[Laphroaig]

Sierra 117 gr. Pro Hunter discontinued

Just my luck! I just worked up a nice accurate load with those a couple of years ago. I still have a better part of a box left so they'll have to last me. I haven't shot any game with those yet so the school is still out on their performance.

My recommendation is to use a stoutly constructed bullet, as I've had a couple of instances of bullets "blowing up" upon impact at short range. For that reason I used 120 gr. Partitions for years.

 

[mshootnit]

Just my luck! I just worked up a nice accurate load with those a couple of years ago. I still have a better part of a box left so they'll have to last me. I haven't shot any game with those yet so the school is still out on their performance.

My recommendation is to use a stoutly constructed bullet, as I've had a couple of instances of bullets "blowing up" upon impact at short range. For that reason I used 120 gr. Partitions for years.

Still making the GK but the PH can be found... for awhile.

 

[Slamfire]

I have a 257 Roberts and while it won't quite get up to the 25-06 performance it's a pleasure to shoot... accuracy is fantastic and modern bullets make it very versatile....
A new caliber in the safe perks intest and gets us to the range more... I would have one of each if I could! Buy it...shoot it...hunt with it....until the next one makes and itch

You know, I have a pre 64 M70







and what made it interesting to me, other than its scarcity, is that the barrel is deeply throated. The standard OAL of a 257 Roberts is 2.780 inches. The previous owner removed the short action hindrances, and what do you know, with this rifle I can seat bullets out to 3 inches. And that opened up a lot of things. I could put more powder in the case and I could have pushed bullets even more. I have a Ruger M77 in 257 Roberts with a large magazine, it is short throated, and is inaccurate. I am thinking of having it rebarreled and deep throated. I don't see any need for limiting OAL at 2.780", taking up all that space in the case with bullet, when it can be filled with powder!