mudtutl

I love my 30-06 for deer and elk, butI'm looking for something with a little less punch and a little more reach for antelope. I like how the 25-06 looks on the charts - fast and relatively flat with plenty of end energy out to 500 yrds - but I don't have any real-life experience with this round and I don't knowanyone who owns a rifle in this caliber who I could ask for a test drive. I'm not really sold on the short mags, but open to the possibility.One buddy suggested just buying 100 grain bullets for the 30-06 instead of a new rifle.Not a bad ideaand I'll try some at the range, but I also like the idea of a new rifle, maybe thenew and improved Ruger M77 MKII Hawkeye. Anyway, anyone care toshare their experience with either the 25-06 round or the light-weight 30-06 bullets? Much appreciated.

James B

100 grain 30 caliber bullets are not for hunting any big game. The are varmit bullets. You need more sectional density in a big game bullet. The 100 grain bullet from a 243 or 25-06 has a high SD and are made for deer size game. The 25-06 is an excellent deer round and has taken a lot of elk as well. For elk, its a little light but with good bullets, its been use with good results for elk and excellent for deer.

Chantecler111

First of all, you don't need a short mag, second, the .25-06 is an excellent caliber for long range medium game hunting.

TUK101

I know that I am starting to sound a bit redundant, but what about the .270? And I ask this hoping that somebody will point out how well it would do out to 500 yards. I know that the 130 gr bullet will get out there and shoots very flat. But I am not certain as to how much energy it would carry with it.

Chantecler111

I believe the .270 has a little over 1,000 ft lbs at 500 yards.

c j

It wasn't 500 yards, but my Ruger 25-06 worked great on goats.

mudtutl

Nice picture, CJ.
I had to read up on sectional density. I can say I learned something new today. Good advice. Thanks.
I don't have anything against the .270, it just seems to be such a nominal step from my .30-06 that the investment in a new rifle is hard to justify. I think the .25-06 hasless dropthan the .270 and a little more energythanthe .243. I'm not counting on always taking those long shots,but it would be nice to have a rifle with that capability and one that didn't cause as much damage to the lopes at any range.

TUK101

And I did some research and found out that the 25.06 is just another necked down 30.06 round like the .270. From what I have read, out of my new book "Cartridges of the World", a 25.06 is very similar to a .270 in performance, but there is a line in there that states that a 25.06 doesnt do anything that a .270 doesnt do better. The book also states that a .243 is usually only around 100 fps slower in any given round. I am doing my best here to pass along information here without haveing to go and get that book lol. Anyways, from what I have gathered, the 25.06 and the .270 are very similar rounds. I dont think that you can go wrong either way. I also read in my Hodgdon reloading manual that a 25.06 is also a descent elk rifle if using the right bullet and good shot placement.

CamoCop

i own a .25-06 and love it. i have shot .270's and agree they are a good rifle but i like my .25-06 better. most people that shoot .270's will refuse to admitt there is anything better. like i said, a .270 is a good round but i like the .25-06 better. the .25-06 and .270 are both excellent deer calibers but the .25-06 IMO is better than the .270 at varmint hunting.

TUK101

I can imagine that the 25.06 is a bit better of a varmint round. I dont claim that one round is better than the other, everybody has thier own favorite round. Although I shoot .270 I dont claim it being my favorite round. As much as I like it, I am still playing around with different calibers trying to find what suits me. So far the .270 is it, but pretty much just because I have not found anything that is better for the style of hunting that I do. The .270 is what I take when I am getting firewood and hunting season is active, and is also what I take when I am hunting the fire roads where a long shot might be needed. But for around the house in the tight woods it is the 30/30 or 44 magnum levergun. As close as the ballistics look on paper I cant imagine that a person could go wrong with either caliber.