25-06 thoughts?

[roymunson]

Been looking for a gun to bridge the gap between my 223 bolt gun which is varmints, etc and my 7 mag which is my big guy for anything in north america.

Going to do a Muley/pronghorn combo hunt next fall and wanna use the 7 mag for the muley. But, while I could do the 7 mag for pronghorn, it's overkill, and I'd love to have another rifle.

I'd like a light recoil round that I can enjoy shooting too. I've really taken a shine to the 25-06. Flat shooting, and a good "in the middle" gun between the 223 and 7 mag. Could be used for deer too. We'll see, but i'd be buying it specifically for the goats and then keep it for an out of state rifle deer hunt if/when they happen.

Anyone own one? What platform is it on?

I have a Tikka T3 that I like in another caliber, and I kind of have found the sweet spot in the gun price world for the T3 or the Weatherby Vanguard 2. If anyone has any others they like in that price range, I'd love to hear it.

 

[Telemark]

Tikka T3 is a real winner. A lot of deer hunters here use it, and it's popular for a reason. I have a Weatherby Mark V, and it shoots great, but I don't like the safety. I don't have experience with the Vanguard, but I like the Tikka so much I would probably go with the T3 over the Vanguard.

The drawbacks to the 25-06 will be availability of ammo. If you are a reloader, it's not a problem. If you're not a reloader, you might have difficulty finding ammo you like. The 6.5 Creedmore would be a good pronghorn/deer rifle and seems to be available everywhere with loads of options. I've never shot either one, so I can't speak from experience. But I wenr with 308WIN when I started hunting with rifles, and availability of ammo was one of the main reasons, and it has saved me a lot of time and hassle.

 

[roymunson]

I really like my stainless tikka in 7 mag

I can reload. 25 caliber bullets and powder are fairly commonplace.

It'd be a solid gun to bridge the gap. a 243 would do the same, as would a 308 or a 6.5

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Mine is a Remington model 700 and it shoots great...I sight it in an inch high at 200 with ~117 grain nosler partitions and have killed deer stone dead out to about 350 with it.
Even with a scope that's older than me (and probably needs replaced at some point) it is still a very accurate rifle.
I have wimpy shoulders and the recoil has never bothered me. Good luck!

 

[silver_yummies]

I own one for the last 10 years or so and use it exclusively for whitetail but will be taking it to Wyoming in September for an Antelope hunt. I reload my rounds and a nosler partition 120 grain is my bullet of choice. Drops them in their tracks as most bullets should with proper shot placement.

I highly recommend this caliber but I might be biased! It’s an over looked caliber that’s for sure, sort of a shame really.

 

[j-bird]

I am with Telemark. I think the 25-06 would be great for deer and antelope, but I would be concerned about ammo options and availability (even if you do reload). Heck, I have had a hard time finding deer ammo for my 308 lately. I also strayed away from the 6.5 as I am not sure how long it will remain popular...

I also favor the 308. It has a long proven past, it has wonderful factory ammo options, it's flat enough for hunting game critters out to 200/250 yards without worrying about hold over (out to 200 yards - I just aim and shoot), and that 30 caliber bullet will carry the energy you need to kill nearly everything but the largest game animals in NA. It's also pretty mild to shoot....my teenage daughter loves mine.

 

[MRBB]

draw backs to the 25-06 is shorter barrel life, if you plan too shoot alot!
personally I'd just use the 7 mm for both, maybe a different bullet load, but honestly I wouldnt; call a 7 mm over kill on pronghorn or deer for that matter!
and if talking BIG dangerous game like brown bears or grizzly, I would honestly consider the 7mm a tad LIGHT
yes speed might kill, but larger heavier bullets have something to add a little more confidence when dealing with big animals that can hurt you! !
and NOT bashing the 7mm , its a fine caliber

I am ever fond of the 7mm-08 as well!

and a nice in between of a 7mm and a .223 IMO
same would be a .243 for that matter
and both will be easier to find ammo for in a pinch if needed on a hunt!

 

[Boll Weevil]

25-06 is absolute deer poison. Got 2: a Remington 700 Sendero with a bull barrel for beanfields and 700 stainless SPS for in the timber as it’s super light and maneuverable. I also have Sendero in 7mag so understand that comparison well.

 

[Teeder]

I'm a big 7mm-08 fan. Been using one since my dad brought one home back in the early '80's.
If you handload for the 7mag, you can use the same bullets or get some 120 ballistic tips or ttsx's and smoke some goats with them.

 

[Native Hunter]

I have a 25-06 Remington Sendero with the heavy, stainless fluted barrel. It does fine on deer, but right now it is a spare, backup gun for me. My best handload is a Nosler 115 grain ballistic tip with a full throttle load of IMR 4831. It will shoot 1/2 inch groups at 100 with that combo.

I hunt native grass fields and have lately been using a 300 Mag with 180 grain bullets - which maybe is overkill - but I want a short run and big blood trail in that 9 foot tall grass.

 

[H20fwler]

We use 243 for pronghorns, they are about the size of our yearling fawns here and don’t need a lot of bullet to put them down.
243 is a crazy fast flat shooting round that comes in all kinds of ammo. It is also the perfect long range yote gun.
Put good glass on your rifle for pronghorns although the shots won’t be near as far as you expected.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I tend to geek out on ballistics too much and quarterbores have long been plagued by a lack of high BC bullets and slow factory twist rates. At normal hunting ranges that might not matter. No doubt 25-06 are fast and would work well. 25 cal bullet weights lend themselves to mild recoil. My choice would be a 6 creedmoor because they are designed with high BC in mind and are even more pleasant to shoot than a 25-06 but tikka doesn't make the 6's yet. A 243 is about the same but with slower twist rates and less high bc factory offerings.

 

[roymunson]

I think I'm coming around to a good tried and true 243. Flat shooting and will get the job done as an "in betweener"

I saw a CVA Cascade yesterday and I remember the CVA muzzle loaders of 15 years go. Didn't wanna do it, but everyone I've talked to and the review say it's a darn good gun for hte money.

It'll probably outshoot me.

 

[H20fwler]

I think I'm coming around to a good tried and true 243. Flat shooting and will get the job done as an "in betweener"

I saw a CVA Cascade yesterday and I remember the CVA muzzle loaders of 15 years go. Didn't wanna do it, but everyone I've talked to and the review say it's a darn good gun for hte money.

It'll probably outshoot me.

There are a few really nice 243's out there that are priced very reasonable for as good as they shoot.

I have a Savage Axis with the accutrigger it's all bedded, shoots like a high priced rifle and is very light weight. It is also a rifle that I don't have to baby at all. Ruger also makes a very good one for the price.
I've got a Vortex Viper on top of mine and it has been impressive. It doesn’t take much to knock an antelope over, we shoot 80 grain TTSX.
You didn't mention what state you would be in or I missed it, if you are going to WY it is almost easy to shoot them there and most shots we have had were 200 yards or under. You can also get over the counter tags in some zones.
I use the same set up on yotes in winter and it is almost a sniper rifle at long range, I think the rifle can shoot better than I can.

 

[Telemark]

There are a few really nice 243's out there that are priced very reasonable for as good as they shoot.

I have a Savage Axis with the accutrigger it's all bedded, shoots like a high priced rifle and is very light weight. It is also a rifle that I don't have to baby at all. Ruger also makes a very good one for the price.
I've got a Vortex Viper on top of mine and it has been impressive. It doesn’t take much to knock an antelope over, we shoot 80 grain TTSX.
You didn't mention what state you would be in or I missed it, if you are going to WY it is almost easy to shoot them there and most shots we have had were 200 yards or under. You can also get over the counter tags in some zones.
I use the same set up on yotes in winter and it is almost a sniper rifle at long range, I think the rifle can shoot better than I can.

No kidding! I have an Axis in 308 with a Viper on it, and one in 223 with a Diamondback on it. Insanely good guns for the money. Considering buying a third in 6.5 but I don't need it so I can't really justify the purchase.

 

[roymunson]

Well, Its bought and paid for.

CVA Cascade (Which is a rebranded Bergara) in 243. Soft camo finish and bronze ceracote finish on the barrel.
4x16 vortex diamondback scope
I think they had 80 grain hornady outfitters on the shelf. GMX bullets.

Should be a fun gun.

H20, i'll be in NE wyoming. Close to Carlisle and about 20 minutes from devil's tower from the sounds of it.
Also doing a muley hunt (November rut hunt) in the mountains, but i'll have my 7 mag for that.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Those Cascades seem like an awful lot of rifle for the money, congrats.

 

[Telemark]

Nice gun!

 

[roymunson]

Those Cascades seem like an awful lot of rifle for the money, congrats.

Thanks. I remember the CVA muzzleloaders were what you'd buy if you wanted to go muzzleloader hunting and be frustrated that your gun sucked.

I have this same gun in a 350 legend

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Thanks. I remember the CVA muzzleloaders were what you'd buy if you wanted to go muzzleloader hunting and be frustrated that your gun sucked.

I have this same gun in a 350 legend

The new CVA paramount muzzleloaders seem to be very nice options for smokepoles too. They have some good products out there.