Should I stick with my 25-06 or step up to a 270 for a future Mule Deer Hunt?

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murf said:
you already have a 25-06. why not expand your horizons with a win 270 and start saving up for that colorado elk hunt?
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That's the same advice I'd give any close friend. To me, it makes absolutely zero sense to buy a second rifle in the same caliber, especially if you have such success with the rifle you already own.

Either expand your horizons, or spend the money on something else altogether. A gift for the wife or a surprise vacation, splurge on a hunting or fishing trip you've had in mind, invest it or give it to a charity or church, whatever. I wouldn't buy a second .25-06 though.

If you were a professional hunter or something, or a competition shooter, it would make sense to buy a second gun of the same type and in the same caliber, to have as a backup; but it really doesn't sound like that's what this rifle would be for you.

How about a Winchester Model 70 in .270? Go with the classic.
 
That's the same advice I'd give any close friend. To me, it makes absolutely zero sense to buy a second rifle in the same caliber, especially if you have such success with the rifle you already own.

Either expand your horizons, or spend the money on something else altogether. A gift for the wife or a surprise vacation, splurge on a hunting or fishing trip you've had in mind, invest it or give it to a charity or church, whatever. I wouldn't buy a second .25-06 though.
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I agree. You already have a 25-06 and for mule deer, there is no need to upgrade to a 270.
 
My favorite pronghorn antelope/whitetail deer/mule deer caliber thru my favorite hunting rifle!

.25-06 is not a brush buster. Save that job for bigger, slower bullets. But for open shots from zero to 400 yards, the .25-06 is my caliber of choice. Total kills with this rifle/caliber combo is 5 whitetail deer, 4 pronghorn, 3 mule deer. All one shot kills. All but one dropped where they were shot (one muley stumbled 20 yards and dropped).

I took this pronghorn buck on my last hunt at 300 yards using my Cooper Model 54 Excalibur in .25-06 (hand load). He dropped straight down.

1035172959_5ahNp-XL.jpg

My load:

Winchester brass
Remington 9-1/2 primer
100 gr Sierra Pro Hunter SP bullet (#1620)
52 grs of Hodgdon H4831SC powder

It will shoot 3/8" groups all day long at 100 yards. I have several friends who have had excellent success with the Barnes TSX bullet but I never could get it to shoot well in my Excalibur.

1141714094_V8dXT-S.jpg
 
Mulies with a 30-30? No. Surely you're pulling our legs. How did you get close enough to a Mule Deer to kill it with a 30-30? You must have been at like, what, fifty-seven yards, tops?

;)
 
Be careful of the Coopers. My history shows they typically want another family member or two in the gun safe...

Mark
 
I agree with the sentiment that a second rifle should be in a different caliber. I don't believe there is a whole lot of difference between a .270 and 25-06, especially on deer size animals. I know this is slightly out of the range of your question, but If it were me I would consider a either going up to a 30 cal or down to a 20 or 22 cal if I already had a 25-06 and wanted another rifle. If I primarily hunted larger game it would be the 30.

Since that is not part of your question, I suggest going with the .270.
 
Lots of good advice, but your responses clearly indicate you are jones-ing for a new rifle and you are excited about a .270. Get one. :cool::D:D

I have lived in Idaho for 42 years, lots of mule deer hunting, and while there are reply examples to the contrary, a 100 gr. bullet is too light imho to hunt up to a 300 lb animal at 300+ yds.

Get closer and make the shot count.

How about a Winchester Model 70 in .270? Go with the classic.
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................... X2 (I have 4 of them and am a HUGE fan of this caliber) ;)

Another option, your 25-06 is a great flat shooting rifle, but if you want to round out your hunting rifle collection, consider the venerable Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in .30-06? Weighs in at 7 lbs. This expands your possibilities with different cartridge choices from 100 gr to over 200 grs which should cover any future hunts and take any big game animal on North America. Happy Hunting!


http://www.winchesterguns.com/products/catalog/detail.asp?family=001C&mid=535109
 
Several years ago I went on a hunt in the Missouri River Breaks area; I took my favorite .257 Roberts - just a little less "punch" than your 25-06. Shooting Nosler 115gr. partitions, I took 2 shots and came out with an antelope and a muley buck. The muley was +/- 225 yds. and he went down DRT. The antelope was about 175 yds, and same story - DRT.

I also have and love my .270 so I say, "Own both, it's more fun." I load Nosler 150gr. partitions for serious .270 work, but have recently been playing with Nosler Ballistic Tips in 130gr. -Both nice .270 loads.
 
.270 is too close to the .25-06 to really matter much. It should be fine for what you're looking for. If you decide to get a more powerful rifle, you should probably consider something like a 7mm Remington Magnum.

John
 
The .25-06 has never grabbed my imagination like a .270 which I believe to be one of the best balanced cartridges ever in terms of velocity, energy, recoil, reasonable barrel life etc... it's performance in the field and on game for 80 some years or so has been spectacular. This is not only my opinion but also that of Ross Seyfried who has taken and seen taken more game by far than I've probably ever seen period:

http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/ross-seyfried-busting-the-magnum-myth/

One word on rifle weight, while the lightweights are a delight to carry they are often more dificult to shoot well. Too light a rifle doesn't hold as steady, especially off hand as a field shot likely would be. Just a thought....
 
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A lot of good answers, but I didn't see this mentioned. You can't just drop the .25-06 for a .270 with a username like yours. :;)
 
Why not bump up to a .30 -06 six if you all ready have the .25? They use the same shell holder and have the same case length which will save a lithe time at the reloading bench. Now your bullet weight options go from 75 gr all the way thru whatever the .30-06 will shoot. Now you'll be ready for that bull elk hunt as well.
 
I have always had two 25-06 rifles; but I just sold one and I was either going to replace it or step up to the 270. What's wrong with having two same caliber rifles? Like BrainonSigs up there; I bet he has the same caliber in some of those rifles. That's an awesome collection by the way. Guys I only have ONE really nice bolt rifle; a Sako 75 Finnlight. My Dad purchased it for me on his credit card when I was 26 years old(I'm 35 Now) and I paid him off in payments.

Anyway, I think it would be great to have another nice rifle. I wish I could afford a Nosler Custom rifle, or a Remington Custom shop rifle; but they run well over $2000; I have to stay inside $2000. I thought about just getting a Remington 700 Mountain SS; which can be had for $900; the thing is; I don't need to buy a scope; maybe some mounts; but I already have a Bushnell ELite 4200 and a Burris Signature that need a home. I love Remington 700's; but I'm not sure they are the same quality they used to be. I thought I wanted a Winchester model 70 Extreme Weather; but after handling a featherweight at Basspro; I'm not impressed with the action. The Remington 700 Mountain SS is only 6.5 pounds which is perfect. I have a 700 made in 2003 and it shoots sub-half inch. In the end I may go with the 700 Mountain SS because saving a thousand bucks may be the smart thing to do; and I've always been a Remington man.
I sure appreciate all the replies; My decision will be heavily based on Recoil. I know I can shoot a 25-06 accurately; I wish I knew how well I could shoot a 270.

Manny, I read that whole article; It's awesome; It definitely makes me think harder on getting a 270. Thanks for that.

DPrice, funny you should mention about Gentry Custom; I have a gentry custom quiet brake on my 22-250; I only did it because the barrel was threaded by my cousin for a suppressor; then when I got the rifle from my cousin; I wanted to put something on there; and I'm not a big silencer freak; so I went with the muzzle brake. Gentry is awesome. I can see my hits through the scope now.
 
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BrainOnSigs--that's one helluva collection of Coopers. I'm at two with another coming soon. My uncle has about 15 which were, thankfully, spared in the Colorado Springs wild fires.

Back to the original post...most here agree there isn't that much difference in the two calibers. So, if you are used to having two .25-06 and can share reloading components, that may just be the way to go.

By the way, not sure if you've ever held a Cooper before, but the thing that runs through your mind when you pick it us is "wow, that's what a rifle is supposed to feel like."

Mark
 
lol the thing that goes through my mind is, beautiful rifle, it will suck when the stock gets scratched during a hard hunt.

then again, i'm clumsy.
 
The Cooper he's looking for is a composite stock, so out the window with the scratching argument. Mine are both wood--over time, I've realized that in 20 years of hunting big game, I'm really not hard on my rifles. No low crawling, diving around. If I'm in deep brush, it's the .45-70. And if I get a scratch on the Cooper, so be it. It's the gun I want. Better than a safe queen.

Mark
 
Stick with the 25-06 and use some of the money to buy 3 or 4 boxes of ammo to practice with. Shoot from all kinds of positions and shoot all of the ammo.
 
.270 is over-rated in my opinion. .25-06 will do anything that to a mule deer that a .270 can do. And my experience has been that a .270 kicks about as much as a .30-06.

I too am an Idaho guy and I happen to believe that a 100 grain bullet is plenty for mule deer. I would probably go with a heavier bullet though because I belong to the crowd of hunters who believe it is better to shoot all the way through an animal. The velocities you can get from a 100 grain bullet will make you a beast at 400 yards though. I suppose it all comes down to which bullet you can get hits with.
 
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