Revisiting the 25-06 Remington

[airedale]

Had a 25-06 many years ago, was used as a varmint only proposition at the time, made some wicked long shots with that gun. Traded it off for something I thought I would like better, one of the dumber thing I have done!

Wanted another one to mess around with before I croak so I picked up a Thompson Center 25-06 stainless Barrel 28 inches long for my Pro Hunter Encore Predator which should produce some serious velocity, mounted a Burris Timberline Compact variable, fired up the old Bair press and loaded some cartridges using the Hornady 90 gr GMX bullets over MRP. I also still have some ammo I loaded almost 50 years ago, it will be interesting on how well it performs after all that time.

Al

 

Edited April 4, 2019 by airedale

[bugsNbows]

Gotta love the quarter bores. Nice banger right there. Congrats.

[fasteddie]

I have a NEF 25-06 single shot that I have killed several deer with . I prefer the single shot rifles . Anyway I reload with the Sierra 117 grain GameKing 1630 BT's and have good luck with them .

[DanD]

I still haven't pulled the trigger on buying a 25-06, but it's on my short list to buy next. I've frequently gone back and forth between the 25-06 and 257WBY magnum, and I can't justify the additional cost of the 257WBY.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I have a hole in my Encore line up currently. I jump up from the 22-250 to the 308 win. 25-06 was a consideration and well as the .260Rem AI

[philoshop]

25-06 is a sweet round that's very easy to work with and very easy to work up accurate rounds for. Other than the "great bears", maybe, I'd carry it for anything in North America. I carry a .243 that has never failed to kill a deer, fox, or woodchuck that I've ever pointed it at.

[moog5050]

1 hour ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

I have a hole in my Encore line up currently. I jump up from the 22-250 to the 308 win. 25-06 was a consideration and well as the .260Rem AI

6.5 creed!

[gastrodoc]

I have a Remington Sendero in 25-06.  One of my favorite guns. 

[airedale]

I am very interested in how these Hornady 90 gr GMX bullets perform, as I have them loaded they should be approaching 3400 fps. I never have and still do not care for pure copper bullets especially when fired from a fast stepping cartridge and doing a lot of shooting. They will plate the insides of a  barrel and removing it is a genuine pain in the ass. The GMX gilding metal bullet is harder than copper and is reputed to foul no more than a traditional jacketed bullet. Hornady claims it will shoot as accurate and hold together on game as well as copper and if it meets those claims it would be a very good bullet I think.

Al

Edited April 4, 2019 by airedale

[t_barb]

I have a Savage in 25.06...   I love the round..   Very flat and for most shots I would ever take (200 yards and in) you just hold it on the vitals..   Never had one not tip right over...   I shoot 117 grains bullets, but have always been interested to put some 80 grains bullets thru it for varmint hunting..   It is a pretty good screamer with an 80 grain bullet.

[airedale]

15 minutes ago, t_barb said:

always been interested to put some 80 grains bullets thru it for varmint hunting

My best pure 25-06 varmint load, 50.5 grains of 4064 and a 75 grain Sierra HP,  laser flat trajectory at 3700 fps, shoots in the same hole out of an accurate rifle.

Al

Edited April 4, 2019 by airedale

[Culvercreek hunt club]

1 hour ago, moog5050 said:

6.5 creed!

That's on the shortlist too. 

[bugsNbows]

4 hours ago, fasteddie said:

I have a NEF 25-06 single shot that I have killed several deer with . I prefer the single shot rifles . Anyway I reload with the Sierra 117 grain GameKing 1630 BT's and have good luck with them .

Me too! I have a Ruger 1V in 25-06 and a Dakota 10 in .257 Roberts.

[helmut in the bush]

5 hours ago, moog5050 said:

6.5 creed!

 

[Lawdwaz]

I had one 25-06 for a couple years........never hunted it because it was a nice looking wood stocked Sako and I'd rather carry my kevlar stocked beaters.  Sold it a number of years ago and miss it some but not enough to sweat it.  IIRC it was a Sako Hunter.  Left handed.......kind of heavy too.

No flies on the 25-06 that's for sure.....

[ATbuckhunter]

Looks good! Looking forward to seeing the preformance 

[chrisw]

25 caliber is my go to round. I shoot a 25WSSM which is ballistically identical to the 25-06. I know this sounds cliche but that round puts them down quicker and harder than any other caliber I've used. I can only speculate exactly why but it's a caliber I'll never be without. My 30-06's rarely see the woods anymore because I'm so confident and comfortable with my A Bolt. Knock on wood, I've killed probably 20 deer + with the gun and never missed a single shot or lost a single deer. I wish a few of my 30-06's were 25's.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

[Pygmy]

I love the chambering...I had a Ruger M77 tang safety in 25-06 that was one of the most accurate rifles I ever owned.. The first rounds I loaded for it grouped sub-MOA...

One disadvantage of the 25-06 in a bolt action rifle..You need at least a 24"  barrel to take advantage of the slow burning powders that provide the best performance...A 26" barrel is better...That makes for a less than optimum deer rifle  for all around use...Works fine in a single shot or a  rifle to be used mostly in a blind over a food plot... Shorten a 25-06  to 20 or 22 inches and you end up with a very loud .257 Roberts...

[Rattler]

I was once looking to buy a 25-06 in a Remington 700 BDL with a bull barrel.  It was a beautiful rifle at a fair price.  Long range heavy varminter.

I compared the ballistics to a .270 Win and was surprised to find the .270 outperformed it with factory 100 and 130 loads, using 24" barrels, producing more speed and energy and even flatter trajectory with 130 gr loads, all the way to 500 yards.  I never would have imagined that.  The .270 loads were easier to find and less expensive too.

Somehow I never wound up with either.

[airedale]

I am a dyed in the wool Leupold fan and user but would like to give some credit and a little more input on the Burris Timberline scope which has become a favorite with me. I have been using them exactly in the way the manufacturer advertises. So far they have been performing terrific on a couple of high end  Rimfire rifles as they can be parallax adjusted down to very close ranges normally shot with 22 LR, I have one also mounted on a Ruger Number 1 222 mag, and now on this 25-06 Encore.

The combination of features they possess has them pretty much standing alone, a very small physical size in relation to their high variable  power, extreme eye relief along with a moderate price and a Burris "Forever" warranty. The question now is how will they hold up? Been using them for just a few years so the jury is still out but so far so good.

Al

Edited April 7, 2019 by airedale

[Will_C]

Cut my rifle shooting and reloading teeth on a Ithaca .25-06 30 years ago. Belonged to my father, my brother and I still have it. Can't remember the load, except for using 87 grain Sierra Varminter. Shot less than an inch for a 5 shot group-rookie reloader and a beginning shooter. Sent many woodchucks to the promised land before I had to start buying other rifles.

I don't feel it gets enough respect. I love my .222, .243, .250 Savage, and my deer rifles, but the .25-06 is about a perfect one rifle choice for any one hunting large varmints and deer.

Will

[LET EM GROW]

The 25-06 has been on my list for quite sometime now. I first wanted it as a deer rifle, But after further research, Id love to sling some 75gr vmax of 77smk for coyotes. They would be traveling fast. Im really firm on using my ML or dads 7mm08 for deer, so I really ave no desire for another deer gun currently. For some reason though, Ive been wanting this 25-06 in a single shot, and idk why?!?! Lol.