What long-action caliber for general use?

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mr.trooper

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I have a few questions about the three common long action calibers: 30-06, 270, and 25-06.

Im just looking for a multi-purpose bolt gun. I have never owned any of those calibers before and my questions are:

* which one is cheaper in factory ammo?
* which one is the most common in factory ammo?
* Which one is easier to reload for?
* which one is the most versitile?

Im looking to pick up a Savage 11G in one of those calibers. Is there a quick-detach scope mount for the Savage?
 
* which one is cheaper in factory ammo? 30-06
* which one is the most common in factory ammo? 30-06
* Which one is easier to reload for? same
* which one is the most versitile? 30-06

That was easy
 
All of those calibers are good, but the '06 has a little more punch than the other two and has a wealth of advantages like more ammo choices, more bullets for reloading, being a military caliber, etc.

If choosing one, it would be the '06.

Just my 2 cents.
 
As long as versatile means anything under 500lbs the .270 is more versatile IMO. If you are hunting something over 500lbs you probably have or will have a dedicated rifle for that anyway.
 
woof said:
As long as versatile means anything under 500lbs the .270 is more versatile IMO. If you are hunting something over 500lbs you probably have or will have a dedicated rifle for that anyway.
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What makes you believe 270 with it's amazing factory selection of 2 bullet weights is more versatile than 06?


25-06 is a good varmint and deer gun but too small for elk
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25-06 has waaaayyy too much recoil and is far too much of a bbl burner to be anything other than a mediocre 2 box of ammo a year varmint round.
 
I believe that every woodsmand/hunter should own a 30-06. It has by far been made the most versital cartridge in existance.

The 30-06 is no more simple or difficult to reload for when comparing to other bottleneck cartridges.

The 25-06 won't do half what the .30 will, the .270, while more popular than the .25, will only do half what the 30 will. That's not to say that the .270 isn't qualified to take big game, I'm comparing ultimate balistics with bullet selection available to the .30cal. Where-ever rifle hunting is legal, you're apt to find 30-06 on the store shelves.

In many cases, if all three cartridges are on the same store shelf, the'll all be within a buck or two of each other.


All that said, I own a 30-06. But I recently purchased a .270win for my 14yr old son who's still a little recoil shy. The .270 is still a versital cartridge. More so than the 25-06. But the 25-06 can get a light bullet moving at near 4,000fps. That's kinda tough for the other two. Each of these cartridges has their strong points.


By the way Krochus, Just looking at factory ammo, Remington has five different bullet weights and designs offered for .270win. Three from Winchester. Four different weights in 13 different bullet designs available from Federal.

-Steve
 
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I've shot Identical rifles in 270 and 30-06 and it's my expariance that shooting the bread and butter bullet weights of 130/150grs for the 270 vs 150/165grainers in the 06 that a blindfolded person COULD NOT tell which was which by the recoil.
 
25-06 has waaaayyy too much recoil and is far too much of a bbl burner to be anything other than a mediocre varmint tound
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Depends on your varmints.

Mine is one heck of a long range coyote rifle in the ever-blowing Kansas wind.

Not the best for pasture poodles & prairie dogs, but it is fantastic for coyotes!

If I had to pick just one of the three the OP ask about, it would be a 30-06 though.

rc
 
25-06 has waaaayyy too much recoil and is far too much of a bbl burner to be anything other than a mediocre 2 box of ammo a year varmint round.
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Shoot/reload a lot of 25-06 do ya?
 
what about target shooting or varmint / predator hunting? 30-06 still the best choice then?
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For purely that, no the 25-06 would be better. However if you wanted to shoot elk with the same gun, the 30-06 is better.
 
25-06 has waaaayyy too much recoil and is far too much of a bbl burner to be anything other than a mediocre 2 box of ammo a year varmint round.
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A lot of variables to consider here. For popping multitudes of prarie dogs at 400 yards or so, a 223, 22-250 etc is just the ticket. Start shooting at 600+, maybe some wind to contend with, maybe some coyotes in the mix, the 25-06 wins hands down. Is it a gun you want to shoot 150 rounds a day with at a prarie dog town...no way. Is it far superior to a 22-250 when you need to reach way out under less than ideal conditions...you bet it is.
 
Response to Krochus...

When comparing recoil of identical .270/30-06 rifles you don't mention that you can't get a 220gn bullet for the .270, which makes the .30 kick a lot harder.. Bullet weight equal, the velocities are virtually the same. So, yes, recoil will also be.

Newtons law.

-Steve


So I don't get this thread off topic from the OP's question.. I'm done with this one.
 
* which one is cheaper in factory ammo?
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Answer: Both .270 and .30-06 are typically the same price, and much cheaper than other centerfire calibers, except for .30-30 win and .223 rem.

* which one is the most common in factory ammo?
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.30-06 by a slight edge

* Which one is easier to reload for?
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Six of one; half dozen of the other.

* which one is the most versitile?
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Depends on how you look at it, but I think the .270 Win is more versatile for most folks, because it's better for varmint and mid-sized game as well as large game, and is flatter-shooting with better BCs. But if you're going for very large game like African Plains game or big bears, then the .30-06 becomes more versatile - but they're so close it doesn't matter a great deal. I like the .270 for the less-recoil and better-trajectory reasons. I have yet to see Africa or Alaska. In sheer bullet selection the .30-06 is far more versatile.
 
Here's amother vote for the great .30-06. It's better for the bigger stuff (bears, elk, and so forth), yet is still perfect for little, bitty stuff like the average Texas whitetail.
 
why not look for a 6.5x55. every bit as versatile as the 30.06 and less recoil. all you have to do is look outside of savage. cz and howa both make a swede.
 
I like the Swede, but its not available in any rifle that meets my criterion for this project.

Those criterion are:
* relatively cheap factory ammo
* readily available ammo (big box stores don't carry 6.5x55)
* rubberized stock
* adjustable trigger
* adjustable iron sights
* MOA accuracy
* cheap as possible

None of those will be compromised. At this point, I'm looking at buying a Savage 111F or 111G and replacing the stock with a Houge over-mold. That satisfies all of my criterion for about $600.
 
30-06 why because it's nearly identical to the .308 an that's my hands down favorite plus you can get 30-06 in surplus and is combat proven (3 wars).
 
If you ever plan to hunt animals bigger than deer or hogs, the '06. If not, the .270 for it's speed. Any gunshop worth walking into will have a good selection of both ammo. The .25-06 is good on very long shots at deer and big varmints, but needs expensive bullets to perform closer. Skip it.
 
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