I’d love to be sitting there cracking a beer and sparking up a stogie , listening to stories. There’s nothing worse than lost knowledge. So great that we have this platform to share.
Glad you do. As far as I'm concerned, the cigar is a major annoyance, but then what do I know. And what is this 25- "oh" six junk? Is he trying to be "trendy" or something? But then again that is just my opinion and doesn't count for anything past that. For me though, it sure puts a dampner on what could have otherwise been a good video.
@@fedup3582 the cigar is no more annoying than scrolling down to find a lost amoeba with nothing to say chiming in just to showcase his insecurities? when they should probably 🤐. A wise man once said "It is better to remain silent and let those around u THINK u are stupid, than it is to open your mouth and remove all doubt"
The .26-06 was one of the first rifles I really put a lot of thought into buying. Pouring over reloading books, I came to the conclusion that it would be the perfect all around cartridge. I have had several pass through my hands since then. Each of them sold or traded for something that caught my eye. Thirty years later, I have come back full circle. I picked up a Model 70 classic sporter in .25-06 last year. It’s a keeper. On a side note … I think the 6mm Remington is a much better cartridge, than the .243, for the reloader. It’s a superb cartridge that is sadly on its death bed.
I agree that the 6mm Remington is better for handloaders…having said that, it’s performance is only marginally better than the .243 Winchester, not much better. I’m a .243 fan because it works and it is prolific. If the 6mm Remington had been the one to take off, I’d be a fan of that. I load for too many cartridges to mess with redundant and somewhat rare cartridges like the 6mm Remington. If there were tons of new and used 6mm rifles out there, I’d think differently, but that’s not the case. However, there are tons of rifles, dies, bullet options, etc for the .243, so that gets my nod in the 6mm caliber.
I love my 25-06. I’ve recently been experimenting with some 120 Interlock HP bullets and RL22 through my Savage Axis II. Congratulations on three more healthy years Benny. Here’s to the next three and more!
My 25-06 loves RL22. It is temperature sensitive to the tune of 100+- fps in summer (80's) to winter (10's). It was a dirty powder. Takes me way more patches to clean the bore after using RL22 than H4831sc. Other than that, the guns I have used it in have shown good groups.
When I worked in a gunshop, a few years back, my boss had a real love afair for the 25-06. When the gunshop opened he had 5 or 6 Browning rifles on the shelf in this caliber. When I left 4 years later he still had 4 or 5 of them. It is true that mostly afficionados owned rifles chambered in 25-06.
I have an old 1973 model Remington 700 BDL topped with a 3x9x40 Leupold. The first year I bought it I fired 7 shots and took 7 deer. One was at 663 yards. The gun has taken more deer than any gun I have. If I had to pick one gun to hunt deer with it would be my old 25-06. Hope Ben has many more years to go.
A few years ago a friend sold me a Ruger M77 red pad in .25-06 with a Weaver K6 scope. I love this rifle. I've taken two deer with it so far. I've got the dies but haven't gotten around to loading for it yet.
I have a .25-06 Mossberg Patriot. I bought it for going on a Pronghorn hunt with my Dad about 5 years ago. Honestly a great rifle for the price and a really great caliber for medium game.
Great video on a great cartridge. I started my step son on a 25-06 and he absolutely loves it. If someone asked me what the “perfect” pronghorn cartridge is, I would say it’s a 25-06 shooting 120 grain partitions. Thanks for the great video and it’s good to see Benny.
Mine is an old 700V bull barrel . It replaced a 22/250 just like it, to use for larger game . Used it for a beanfield gun before they ever coined the term. Factory 117gr federal Premium worked well on whitetail. Sir , you look like you are living your best life. Hats off to ya.
It's an absolute honor to watch your content. Please consider selling physical copies of your library in DVD or BluRay form or some other way if possible. I would happily pay for the dozens of hours of expert education you have given us over the years. Also, I'd like to personally thank you for making me a better marksman, and a more educated hunter. Your video on Bullet Placement on Game Animals, and how to take down big game ethically changed the way my entire hunting party approaches hunting. We bag animals every year, fill every tag and do so ethically and with great respect to the animals. So, thank you, and I look forward to each and every video you make. Cheers.
Your analysis is spot on in my experience. My 25-06 is a stainless synthetic Sako Model 75 with a 23” barrel. It’s a half MOA rifle with all of the 100~120 grain bullets I’ve loaded for it using both Winchester & Peterson brass. But as you say, for a hunter East of the Mississippi, it’s too hot a round for deer when fully loaded. We also have an old .250 Savage built by FN on a surplus military Mauser action, and a .250 Savage AI built on a Remington Model Seven action. We’ve found the smaller capacity .250 Savage to be almost ideal for deer where we hunt in the woods of Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi. No less effective in putting a whitetail down, but far less meat damage. Also, a touch milder on recoil, while requiring only 70% of the powder needed to feed the 25-06. That’s a bigger benefit now that powder is rather dear these days. Sadly, brass for both of the 25 calibers can be hard to find, which is rarely the case with a .270. The 25s are also mostly a hand loading proposition. Fortunately, each of our .250 Savage rifles are highly accurate, routinely delivering a cloverleaf at 100 yards off a stable bench rest. After many years dedicated to the 30-06 and .270, it’s hard to justify either for woods hunting after using the quarter bores. Particularly since a shot beyond 100 yards is rare where we hunt, and 200 yards would likely max us out. We’ll hang onto the .25-06 against the possibility of perhaps making a plains game hunt one of these days. There’s always hope! So glad to see Benny doing well, and happy to know you have both recovered nicely from Covid. Kudos to you for the great series provided on the Mini 14. I will take the plunge on the trigger and bedding work you highlighted as soon as Brownells’s gets more Acraglass in stock. Their shelves have been dry for quite a while now. Thank you so much for the terrific content you provide. The history, background, knowledge, context and practical tips you offer have been hugely helpful to so many of us. God bless you! I hope that your upcoming building projects go well.
Back in the mid 90’s I bought a 25-06 in a Ruger #1. It had a 26” barrel and I used Hornady factory ammo of 117gr SP. I shot a spindly 6pt bull elk at close to 400yds. At first light it and several cows were coming off a meadow and heading up into the mountain timber to bed. It stopped right at the edge of the field and I was prone. I shot, hit him, he ran a full circle then can and stood in exactly the same spot and so I shot again and hit him. He plunged about 25yds into the brush and died. I had that rifle for a couple years and sold it to a fireman friend of mine. He used it for years. I also shot a young bull moose at about 160yds and I took several deer with it. I had no complaints. It was mild to shoot and very accurate. I only sold it because I had a face to face encounter with a large 300lb sow black bear and her cubs. She didn’t charge but backed me off a trail in the high foothills here in Alberta and with a single shot Ruger it spooked me enough to move to my bolt action 06.
Used a 25-06 out west on deer and elk when I was a teenager. I'm older now and have gotten into a 270win. Really I prefer the 270win out here because it can also use light bullets or go up to 150gr. Some people really like it the 25's but I don't care much for mine as factory ammo is less available as are bullets most times. Locally I can source 90gr and 130gr 140gr and 150gr for the 270win and it does it just the same. Lots of 270 bullets are on the shelf here and it's just about economy for me.
I picked up a stainless Zastava 25-06 with quite a light barrel. It's a pure delight. You gotta let the barrel cool at the range, but out in the Aussie bush is where it shines. With 87gn Sierra blitzkings, it can do 3 shots in one ragged hole and explodes anything small. Using bigger 117gn also shoot very well, and wild pigs don't seem to like them one bit. I mainly shoot 308, but my 25-06 has a spot in my heart for its flat shooting and ability to reach out.
What a brain! To go on extemporaneously on such a technical briefing with such precision. Gun Blue, you're a genuine pleasure to listen to. May you go on for a long time.
I’ve been using Winchester silver ballistic tips for my 25-06 in 115 gr for years and I’ve never had issue with losing meat from bullet by tearing it up. I love that bullet and never had a deer go more than 15-20 yards before expiring and lot of them fold up where hit. My rem 700 bdl will shoot under 1” with that ammo. I used a hornady SP sst in that gun two years ago when ammo started become an issue, because I found a bunch and wanted to use them so not to waste my silvers. That SST bullet destroyed the backside of a whitetail with perfect shot. I mean it blew 10” hole out backside from 140 yards and the lungs were mush and partially gone. Never had that silver ballistic tip do close to that damage although lungs will be destroyed. Aside from hand load accubonds and partitions that factory load silver ballistic tip is my go to in my 25-06; 270, 280, and 300 wsm. (Side note the 270win, 280 rem and 300 wsm in those silver BT are controlled expansion bullets). Love your content and this was a great post.
I do love the 1/4 bores. I've been shooting the 25-06 for over two decades and recently had a custom 257 Roberts built. The accuracy is second only to my 6br benchrest rifle. I've taken ram and whitetail with my 25-06 with no meat loss. My last whitetail Shot was 33 yards. Shot placement is key. I use the Sierra 120 grain game king with IMR4831. Keep up the great videos and glad to see Benny doing well.
Hunted with the 25-06 for 20 years. Bought it because I needed a rifle for whitetail and varmints and could only afford one. I agree that its not good for high volume varminting because of barrel heating. But, if you are just taking 1 or 2 woodchucks a day or need to dispatch a coyote, the 85 gr Nolser Varmint Ballistic tip bullets are devastating. 117 gr Hornady Interlock has been great for whitetail. The velocity and the lighter bullet jacket turns lungs into pink goo. Just, dont hit a shoulder... If you avoid shoulders, meat destruction is minimal. IMO, the 22-250 is a better varmint cartridge and the 270 Win is a better deer cartridge, but love the 25-06 because of its quirky existence.
Great Video. I reloaded 75gr. 87gr 90gr and 120gr (deer). Have had three 25-06. Rifles. The Remington 87gr FBSP was (and is) the most accurate in my old Savage 110. I still shoot it and on a consistent wind day have shot it out to 800 yd. (Lots of clicks and sight in shots). Tried a lot of different powders and bullets. The best for my rifle is 54 grains of 4350 87 grain sierra FLSP with a bench rest primer. Full resize brass. So the 4350 has for me been the best even though it is harder to weigh. My first 2506 was a Remington 700 BDL which was a gift in 1974 and I did burn out the barrel with 3900 fps. 75gr bullets. You know your guns. Thank you.
Sir I'm happy to have discovered your channel. Your common sense, logical, factual talks are a real breath of fresh air. God Bless and keep you and yours.
This guy is such a gem to the shooting and reloading community. Love his content. Such a great source of knowledge. Please continue for as long as possible. Love Benny too......
My wife bought me mine , an M77 heavy battel 25-06in 1983. I love it here in sunny Alberta -40 either, with wind chill. beautiful though as my wife works 60 clicks away in Edmonton. lol Life is great. Be well.
Very enjoyable to listen and learn from a very wise man It's always been one of my favorite things to do I can remember when I was a kid listening to my grandfather and asking questions about hunting ,carpentry,life and so on there's nothing like it gaining knowledge from wise and knowledgeable people just doesn't get much better than that for me!
I can't believe it's been 4 years already. Glad to hear Benny's doing well. I rebarreled a shotout 8mm Mauser to 25-06 for a deer/groundhog gun and I'm happy with my choice, with the exception of being able to find 25 cal bullets lately. It's still an ongoing project but as far as recoil and accuracy go, it's a very nice gun to shoot. If Brownells made a short chambered .257 Roberts barrel I may have gone that route but it's turning out to be a good rifle either way. Glad you made the video!
During the mid 1970s Ruger purchased M 77 barrels from Douglas Barrels, NC. These “air-gauged” barrels were supremely accurate. I have a 243 M 77 built in 1976. It shoots close to a single hole until it heats up.
Nice visit thanks. Love seeing Benny. I know a few Alberta boys that load 120 grain Nosler Partitions in their 25-06 rifles. I’ve seen their results on game and I’d say that’s the perfect bullet for the least meat destruction. Edited to add that I can’t believe how long I’ve been a viewer. I subbed before Benny was even sick. The years have flown by.
I’ve had good luck with 100 grain ballistic tips over Reloader 22 for whitetail. Scope is a leupold 4 x12 with long range duplex. It turns groundhogs into hamburger. Love a good 25-06!
I had a 25-06 for years! It was a spectacular deer cartridge. Absolutely no complaints. But….. I acquired a 7 mag that I can easily load down to 7-08 velocities which is another spectacular deer cartridge. The 7 gives me more versatility in the same size rifle. Recoil, I use a brake, no recoil.
You’re spot on with most your remarks. One thing I’d disagree with is not being able to load them down. I have a hot little Remington 700 25-06 that shoots 115 partitions at 3222fps through every elk I’ve pointed it at (all cows). It also shoots 117 sierras at 2900fps and does similar damage. All group 3/4” or better. This is in the mountains of Colorado though where it is a struggle to range critters at distance and speed matters. In the eastern woods it probably is a waste of powder down a small hole. A 270 would most likely be the better choice as an all around more mainstream cartridge but for the recoil of a 25-06, no better western cartridge exists.
Dear Sir, thank you for doing what you do. When you are talking its like I imagine the conversations I would have liked to have with my Grandpa. Thank you for your knowledge and your time. God bless
I bought a 25-06 in 72-73 after I got out of the service. Bullets in the heavier weights would fragment at the higher speeds so I stayed with the 100 grain. Even at 100 yards plus it was a head or neck shots only. The bullet doesn't seem to settle down until about 100 yards, that could have been why your friends deer was so shot up. I sold it and got a 257 Rbts it's better from about 50 yards to 300. It will still push a 100 grain bullet about 3000 F.P.S. if you want.
The main reason I enjoy your channel Gun blue is your maybe the last channel that still does long form videos. I personally enjoy just sitting and soaking up all the honest information. I wish more channels would go back to long form videos again.
I could not agree more with 5.7R/T Challenger! I would adore the opportunity to just sit in the shade with a beer and fine cigar and get an education from GunBlue490. I hope this finds you well and cannot wait for the next installment! God Bless sir!
Glad to see Benny still doing well . Don't seem like it's been 4 years. Time Flys. Thank you for your input on the 25.06. One of my favorite deer rifles. .
I'm not sure where you live but you do have a New England type of accent? I was born in Minnesota but spent 70 of my 80 years in California, except for a couple years in West Germany. Anyway, here, you have touched on one of my favorite cartridges. I have owned one Ruger M77 25'06Remington and two 25'06 Ackley's. I hunt northern Nevada, or at least I DID, and for goats and coyotes at 350-400 yards, it does the job. The traditional problem has always been that nobody makes a suitable target quality bullet in that bore diameter but I knew a fellow that would run off some of his super accurate 100 grain Starkes. Great bullet weight for open range coyotes. You are frequently focused on resale value, when buying rifles, and everybody has their reasons but I don't care about that. If I need a new barrel, I buy a premium target grade in whatever contour that strikes me and whatever twist suitable for the bullets I want to use. By the way, I think we agree about flat based bullets, whenever possible. I am NOT a fan of this extreme long range potting of big game animals. These people have no idea how much even a bedded deer can move while the bullet is in flight! My ethical distance is 400 yards. Yes, I will take an occasional shot at one of a pair that is leaving, like if it's straight away. There is a magic in some cartridge designations and 25'06 is one with the magic. So is the 220Swift; pure magic! So is 300Mag. I'm an advocate of a factory 22-250AI cartridge. That case far outperforms the 220Swift. I have owned a couple Swifts, one I rebarreled to 22-250Ackley and the other still does quite well with the 63 grain Sierra semi pointed .224" because the bore ain't what it once was. Where you might be enthralled by the plain vanilla 308Winchester, I am attracted to more "exotic" fare, such as my current daylight coyote gun, a 22-243Middlested with a premium Shilen. It's slower than two of my 22-250Ackley's but both of them have 28" barrels; one is on a Model 700 action and the other is on a Ruger 77 that used to be a 220Swift. What I am saying is, Ackley's have a purpose. you do get increased velocity from extra capacity, and second, the case life is always exceptional, especially when you watch your pressures and flattened primers. It also helps if you have a friend with a Lathe. I might as well bring up something that you discount, (and that is your opinion) on rechambering a "factory" barrel to Ackley Improved. Nobody I know does that? One starts from scratch with a doner 700 action, or a custom benchrest action. As you may know, Ackley cases are good for 15-20 resizings with Wilson neck dies. It's whatever interests you, and badmouthing rifles chambered in obscure chamberings because they have no resale value is not the only reason for, or against. I believe in smart handloading and at this point, economy isn't the only consideration. I smoke Partigas #6 Dominicans. Take care, El Bee
Scary to realise it is 4 years since Benny had his problem, great to see him doing so well. Good to see you enjoying a Stogie, always relish your relaxed and knowledgeable vids. Stay well and keep sharing the knowledge. Ade
I grew up in the 70's and 80's with a 25-06 in my dad's collection, which was built by a local gunsmith using a commercial Mauser action with a 26" Douglas Air Gauge barrel in a walnut stock and topped with an old Redfield 4-12; which was an absolute tack driver. It is in my brother's collection now, but I recently backed into another 25-06 at a local gunshow a few weeks ago. I had a nicely figured walnut stock from Boyd's which was cut for a large ring Mauser action, and I came across a great donor rifle with a barreled surplus Mauser action and a 26" medium profile barrel in 25-06. I topped it with a Leupold Vari-X IIc 4-12 scope, and am about to begin working up some handloads for it. In the meantime, groups with factory ammo are coming in right around 1 MOA; but I"m still tweaking the bedding and floating, and expect it to improve a bit.
I have every caliber you talk about and shoot them regularly... I've shot deer with everything and I mean everything my dad use to handload for me I had every projectile you could imagine... but when I found the load of the 75 gr v-max that shot hole for hole with the 100 gr core-lokt.. I was hooked my dad loaded up 90 grain 30-06 and they were comparable loads.. I've killed just as many deer with my 25-06 as I have with my new passions the 264 win mag and the 444 marlin. And my old bdl in 30-06.. I have a bdl in 25-06 drove all the way to Maryland to buy it buy the gentleman I bought it from said it was his son's gun and he passed away from over dosing on sleeping pills.. and for all of these reasons I can't take it out hunting ever... it sits beautifully in my safe.. when I die I know it will go hunting and I'm proud of that but for now the brass pin will stay in the safe
My old Ruger M77 wore out 270 turning into my 25 Gibbs ,great shooter using IMR 4350 and 85 gr Nos Bal Tips, black bears and caribou, wolves and smaller moose.
The last young man that I got to hunting ended up getting a 25-06 as his first deer rifle. He had used a uncle 243. My 6mm, 223 and 257wb. He wanted something bigger than a 6 and the 257wb was to much. He had good luck with it a fair number of deer and a few hogs and coyotes. Btw we were using them on open hay and bean fields.
I have an older Remington 700 BDL in 25-06 “4 screw butt plate “ and I love it , super accurate and flat shooting 😊 PS Hope your enjoying your new win. 270 👍
In Nevada, 2506 was made for the open terrain…I have pre-Obama Cooper Rifles that are sub 1/2 moa…and a Savage Axis that shoots 3/4 “….flat trajectory, low recoil, reasonable barrel life…hammers a coyote…perfect Nevada caliber.
My stepfather was a Vietnam Marine Sniper and one day he told me his favorite round was the 25-06 so that was my influence. I hunt my 25-06 religiously. I take neck shots up to 250 yds. No meat damage and they drop in their tracks, every time. I use a vortex scope and don't sight it in every season. I seriously doubt it will burn out the barrel in my lifetime. The one time I did sight it in it was stacking groups at 100 yards. Stupid accurate.
I've had several 25-06s over the years, and they are a pleasure to shoot. I shot my first blacktail with one (117G Hornady bullet) and the meat damage was extensive. I've moved on to other cartridges now, but will always be fond of the 25.
The 25-06 has been one of my favorite cartridges for 40 yeas or longer. I’ve killed hundreds of groundhogs, wild hogs and sheep with the 25-06. I’ve owed 20-06 rifles made by Ruger, Remington, Winchester and the last one was a custom rifle made by McWhorter. The McWhorter rifle was guaranteed to shoot sub ½ MOA. The 25-06 isn’t perfect for any one thing but does most everything really well. One thing I noticed is the 25-06 would easily shoot sub MOA with lighter bullets but the heavier bullets would shoot more like 1 ½ MOA. I always blamed that on the standard 1 in 10 twist and never felt 1 in 10 twist was fast enough to fully stabilize the heaviest bullets. When I ordered my custom McWhorter rifle I had it built with a 1 in 9 twist. I did finally find at Berger bullet web site a bullet stabilization program that proved my theory correct. Bloodshot meat has never been a problem and I believe bullet selection has a lot to do with that. When I hunted meat I used 110 grain Barnes TTSX coper bullets. These bullets out of my McWhorter rifle literally shot 1 hole groups going around 3,200 feet per sec at 100 yards and never caused bloodshot meat. But, saying all this my favorite close range woods rifle is a Sako model 85 Bavarian carbine in 8x57 caliber for a number of reasons.
just bought a sako r61l in 25-06 and a sako r61l in 270 win rare varmit barrel both born 69 or 70 very mint cond, haven't got to shoot either one yet great vid brother
I have a 25-06, but I haven't shot it in several years. I use to hunt with it and use 90gr bullets and shoot deer in the upper neck. They all dropped right on the spot. It's not my favorite though. I'd rather use a 7-08 or 6.5CM here in south Texas. Sometimes a 30-30 or 35 Legend. Most of our shots are 100 yards or less. I don't need any of the long action cartridges down here. When I go up north into the Texas panhandle for whitetail or mule deer, I normally use 7rem mag or 6.5-06. Great story about the 25-06 though. Thanks for sharing with us.
Wow!!! Very well said ! I have two Brownings in 25-06, both in BBR model,made from 1978 to 1984, which have taken many coyotes and mule deer up here in Saskatchewan !!! Greetings from good ol Saskatoon Saskatchewan!!! Hows that for a mouthful !!!
🤠 FYI - On 06/07/2022 the SAMMI specks for the 7mm prc were approved! The cartridge is essentially 0.535" wide, 2.28" long, has a neck of 0.2868", 30 degree shoulder, and an operating pressure of 65,000 psi! It will push out a 180 grain bullet at 2,950 ft/s (similar to the 7mm Remington Magnum), but is still 200 ft/s slower than the 300wsm with the same bullet weight! So, at reasonable hunting distances, the higher B.C. bullets of the 7mm prc will not catch up to the 30 caliber bullets of the 300 wsm! So, in the borrowed words of Solomon (how ironic), there is nothing new under the sun! 😎
I bought most of my guns from Riley's sportshop. I found out it was out of business a couple years ago. A very sad time. I have never found a gun shop the equal of Riley's. Thanks again for a great informative video.
Hi GB - And howdy from Saskatchewan. I know quite a few (but not a huge number) of folks that use the 25-06 here. One of my colleagues actual only uses the 25-06 for everything. She has had great results. Myself, I am a 257 Weatherby fan and while it’s still a 25 caliber it certainly adds quite a bit of jam. I use it as my go to deer (WT and Mulies) hunting in the prairie and my last deer was at 330 yards. Long shots are common here. When I go north however, the 30-30, 308 and 45-70 tends to come out. Shots there are short(ish) and with lots of trees around you. Love seeing Bennie looking healthy and happy!
I have a .25-06, in Ruger 77. I agree with you on all counts. Too much for varmints, and even NE whitetail. Not enough for moose. But mine shoots like a champ, so it stays. And just for fun, I will use it a time or two per year for woodchucks and deer. Of note, I’m from PA.
That us NOT good comparison lol.. the 6.5/260 goes up to 140. The 25-06 goes up to 117. .25-06 is much faster and much flatter shooting with lighter rounds with a low BC and low sectional density the 6.5s are high sectional density and high BC with long for caliber bullets but lack the velocity and flat trajectory of the 25-06. both are around the same in terms of recoil. .25-06 is long action 6.5CM is short action. Two very different calibers the only thing they have in common is they're both excellent choices in higher bullet weights for deer a antelope and other medium sized game but the .25-06 is superior for varmints the 6.5CM might be capable of throwing out light 85 grain projectiles but the BC is even worse than the .25-06 due to even shorter bullets and a bigger bore and it doesn't have the same impressive velocities as the .25-06 with the lighter loads.
Always a joy to listen to you and share your knowledge. It's good to see you relax with man's best friend and enjoy a beautiful day, looking forward to more videos!
I really like the 25-06 for deer. 100gn SP bullet puts them whitetails down and yes a really close shot will make a mess of your exit side. I remember a fist sized exit hole on a 35 ish yard shot, but it expired where it stood. I mostly hunt with my 30-30 now. I love that old 25-06 though and can’t see getting rid of mine. Save it for my kids and one day grandkids. Mine tolerates my habit of loading pretty close to start data. It is heavy on powder though. Can’t help but think a 308 length 25 cal would be more economical to shoot for fun.
Very good video. I know we have argued in the past due to old knowledge while good is still old. But you are spot on with this video. The 270 and especially the 3006 have become better performers than they ever were I own 3 of each and many other calibers. I have been hovering on my 3006 more and more due to one thing bullet technology. Old knowledge does not count in the new world such as sectional density. The new craze and it is a good one is bullet construction. An all coper alloy Barnes bullet in 150 grain from an 3006 will shoot through 2 Elk I saw it one time on a hunt, luckily my buddy had 2 tags. sometimes On Antelope and Muley Deer I have seen big things from the 2506 and it is loved out West and is great in this niche.
I had a Ruger Hawkeye 25-06 and found that it had about the same recoil as my .270 and it didn't seem to stop deer as well as my .270. Traded it in on a Marlin 336 in 30-30. BTW Remington is back to producing firearms again. I'm hoping they produce arms like the company use to. Time will tell I guess.
The .25-06 has been used by several people I know personally to take everything from cayotes up to elk with great success. On the flip side, I know several people who curse its existence because it "failed" on hunts for those very same animals. I've never owned, nor fired, a .25-06 so I can't testify to its effectiveness from personal experience. I CAN say that one of my closest friends considers the .25-06 to be THE all-a round rifle cartridge having used his rifle to hunt, with great success, cayotes, hogs, and whitetail and blacktail deer. Only one of the blacktails required a second shot to put him down for good and my friend blamed himself for that one. My friend and his wife recently moved to an area where elk hunting will be available to him and I'm sure he will fill their freezer with his .25-06. By the way, I very strongly suspect that the people I've heard curse the .25-06 never actually took the time to "learn" the cartridge and/or the rifle they were utilizing. I really enjoyed, and learned something (as I usually do) from this video but until I can afford a rifle chambered in .25-06 I'm afraid I'll have to stick with my trusty Savage Model 99E in .308 Winchester. Maybe someday that will change. Take care, keep up the great work you do, and scratch Benny behind the ear for me.
NOTHING beats sitting at the feet of the master and just soaking it all in. I own a pristine Klienenguenther in 25-06, it's not even bedded, has a slim barrel and cloverleafs pretty much any good factory ammo.
Killed a bull moose with one shot, 120 gr. Nosler Partition @ 3000fps mv. Dropped in his tracks at 250+ yards. Very accurate cartridge, loved out here in Wyoming. Pick your shot, use a good bullet and it is plenty for elk. Great for sheep and caribou, as well.
I didn't think I would like this video. Just you sitting around talking. But, the cigar, the beer and your faithful companion made it such a great scene. In addition is your accent. My father is from western Massachusetts. Actually Chicopee Falls. So, it was like old times. I had an uncle, by marriage, who was an avid hunter and shooter. Actually, a very good shot. He had two reloading setups. One at home and one on the farm. He loved the .25-06. He used it for deer, but mostly for varmint hunting. He would take some varmints on the farm, but mostly he would go to the Dakotas. He went with a friend one time. He had loaded up 1,500 rounds of ammunition. He took a bunch of guns (when he died he has about 200). I asked him how long he was going for. His reply: until I run out of ammo.
Had a lot of experience with a 25-06. With standard twist could not find accuracy but with 120 grain bullet. The overbore requires the charge to be cut back to allow the charge time to exit the small diameter neck. A 30-06 will propel a 120 grain bullet at 3300fps as the same case necked down to 25 caliber will only propel to about 2900 fps with a 120 grain. I found that the 85-87 grain bullet at 3500 fps is the best combination of all aspects and will drop a deer even at long range. I don't mind destruction of meat as most important is to make an instant kill.. But barrel and throat erosion is high. I have a target barrel and good scope and light trigger, but accuracy is difficult and very picky on loads
Previous 25-06 owner. I can attest to every point you made. I found it not very practical but great fun at the range when you want to impress your buddy with your marksmanship skills.
I am not taking anything away from the .25-06 being a great round. Is it great? In my view, that depends on the application. In my view, it's too speedy for a Texas deer shy of 200 yards and if I need a varmint round, I'd prefer the .22-250, and finally, if I want a target load, there is a pretty long list of rifles I'd choose. It is a good round for many tasks but really gets out-competed in everything I can think of. But I can certainly see it is so acclaimed by its owners.
Kind sir: Just discovered your channel and this video; you have encyclopedic knowledge and you, sir, are a master storyteller. I own a New England Arms single shot .25-06; it is my bean field rifle for head shot hogs, white tails, similar exotics and pronghorn. It shoots straight, all with one shot kills and doesn’t break the bank. Thanks for the education on the .25-06!!! I am a new subscriber; got lots of catching up to do!!! Be safe and God bless!!! Chuck Knight from Buffalo, Texas. 🤠👨🌾✝️🙏🐩
I have been a man that has been shooting one for a long time and your right thay are a labor of want to if your not hand loading there are better choices
I have a Weatherby First Lite in 25-06. I like the 25-06 caliber, still unsure of the Weatherby. I'm getting to where I only like Tikka's and Winchester Model 70's anymore.
I’m such a proponent of the 257 Roberts because I can handload it to the original intended velocities that are very comparable to the 25-06 and not burn all that extra powder that the 25-06 requires and don’t need a 26” barrel to do it.
Also a big fan of the “Quarter Bores". I reload for, shoot & hunt the 257 Roberts in a Ruger #1 Stainless International. Yes you can turn up the volume on those and get really good performance from the cartridge. But I tend to hang around 2800 fps with a Speer 100 grn Hot Core flat based bullet for deer 🦌. Solid load in a solid cartridge. I bought a 25-06 in a Ruger #1 Varminter. It shoots like Gun Blue says, half inch all day long. Tuned it up with the 115 grn Nosler Ballistic tip hunting bullets and turned the rifle over to my middle son. He’s enjoyed success in the hills of West Virginia with it. Won’t give it back 🤣. So I’ll tend to my knitting with that trusty ole .257 Roberts. It’s a keeper. Side note here and most folks know it … if you’re gonna swing a Ruger #1 in the woods, you have to be a hoss. Ain’t nuthin light about that rifle, but I sure do enjoy them.
I am buying my first new rifle in 20 yrs and have it reduced to a Savage 10/110 or a Weatherby Weathergard in 25.06. The Weatherby is at the top of my budget but it has the 24" barrel as opposed to the Savages 22". Is it worth the cost?
You'd lose perhaps 75 to 100 feet per second with the shorter barrel in that caliber, that's all. That's not meaningful until you get way out to well over 350 yards, and even then, it's only an inch or so of difference. The Weatherby is probably made by Howa, which is an outstanding maker, but Savage builds great rifles, too. Consider also that 24 inches weighs a bit more for carrying. You can't go wrong with either one. I'd get the one you'll want to keep over the years.
Those old Ruger M77 bolt action rifles were/are great rifles. Back in the late 80's my friend ' Randy ' and I were getting ready to go deer hunting and so we went out to Four Corners Rod and Gun Club just outside Salem, Oregon, of which I was a member at the time, to check our ' zeros '. So we are at the range and we are walking our targets down to the 100 yard range and Randy says to me " Do you have a dime on you ? " And I said I dunno.....I'll check.....uh, what do you want a dime for, I asked ?? I cannot recall what he mumbled but I freely handed over my dime to him and what he did with it was he put it up on the 100 yard target stand, and so after stapling our respective targets up on the stand we walked back to the shooting benches. And we proceeded to put a few rounds down range. Well we walked up to check our targets and low and behold Randy had put a round cleanly through the dime......from a hundred yards !!! Well, he did that once more successfully and then on the third attempt he missed the subsequent dime. That is a NO BULL story, as Festus used to say...." If I'm lyin', I'm dyin' ! " The rifle he was shooting was a Ruger M77 chambered in .220 Swift, which he still has to this day. And yes we successfully scored on deer that fall back in the late 1980's. Wonderful memories !!!
I’d love to be sitting there cracking a beer and sparking up a stogie , listening to stories. There’s nothing worse than lost knowledge. So great that we have this platform to share.
^^^^^^This.
I love his cigar chats!
Glad you do. As far as I'm concerned, the cigar is a major annoyance, but then what do I know. And what is this 25- "oh" six junk? Is he trying to be "trendy" or something? But then again that is just my opinion and doesn't count for anything past that. For me though, it sure puts a dampner on what could have otherwise been a good video.
@@fedup3582 the cigar is no more annoying than scrolling down to find a lost amoeba with nothing to say chiming in just to showcase his insecurities? when they should probably 🤐.
A wise man once said "It is better to remain silent and let those around u THINK u are stupid, than it is to open your mouth and remove all doubt"
@@madman-fr3rx too bad you don't follow your own advice.
I love the patience of this man. Also, how he says, "CAHtridge". ❤️
Definitely a Yankee. LOL
Probably the most under rated caliber of all times.
I like the bullets weights in this caliber but need some 125 or maybe 129 gainers to real shine with a 1 and 8 inch twist barrel
New school lookin at all the new school cartridges. 6.5 creed. Omg. Dont forget the 25-06. So overlooked and its so much better...
The .26-06 was one of the first rifles I really put a lot of thought into buying. Pouring over reloading books, I came to the conclusion that it would be the perfect all around cartridge. I have had several pass through my hands since then. Each of them sold or traded for something that caught my eye. Thirty years later, I have come back full circle. I picked up a Model 70 classic sporter in .25-06 last year. It’s a keeper.
On a side note … I think the 6mm Remington is a much better cartridge, than the .243, for the reloader. It’s a superb cartridge that is sadly on its death bed.
I always thought the 6mm remington was better too from a handloaders perspective it needs to be loaded for to make it shine!
I agree that the 6mm Remington is better for handloaders…having said that, it’s performance is only marginally better than the .243 Winchester, not much better. I’m a .243 fan because it works and it is prolific. If the 6mm Remington had been the one to take off, I’d be a fan of that. I load for too many cartridges to mess with redundant and somewhat rare cartridges like the 6mm Remington. If there were tons of new and used 6mm rifles out there, I’d think differently, but that’s not the case. However, there are tons of rifles, dies, bullet options, etc for the .243, so that gets my nod in the 6mm caliber.
chad, as long as the .7mm mauser, ,is around, so shall the .6mm rem ,,,a far better round than .243 win . ( speaking of reloadable brass
What the hell is a .26-06?
Im on the hunt for a 6mm rifle as we speak
I love my 25-06. I’ve recently been experimenting with some 120 Interlock HP bullets and RL22 through my Savage Axis II. Congratulations on three more healthy years Benny. Here’s to the next three and more!
4
My 25-06 loves RL22. It is temperature sensitive to the tune of 100+- fps in summer (80's) to winter (10's). It was a dirty powder. Takes me way more patches to clean the bore after using RL22 than H4831sc. Other than that, the guns I have used it in have shown good groups.
1 went with 110 storm for 24" barrel. I feel 22" is to short for 25-06
When I worked in a gunshop, a few years back, my boss had a real love afair for the 25-06. When the gunshop opened he had 5 or 6 Browning rifles on the shelf in this caliber.
When I left 4 years later he still had 4 or 5 of them. It is true that mostly afficionados owned rifles chambered in 25-06.
I have an old 1973 model Remington 700 BDL topped with a 3x9x40 Leupold. The first year I bought it I fired 7 shots and took 7 deer. One was at 663 yards. The gun has taken more deer than any gun I have. If I had to pick one gun to hunt deer with it would be my old 25-06. Hope Ben has many more years to go.
A few years ago a friend sold me a Ruger M77 red pad in .25-06 with a Weaver K6 scope. I love this rifle. I've taken two deer with it so far. I've got the dies but haven't gotten around to loading for it yet.
I have a .25-06 Mossberg Patriot. I bought it for going on a Pronghorn hunt with my Dad about 5 years ago. Honestly a great rifle for the price and a really great caliber for medium game.
Great video on a great cartridge. I started my step son on a 25-06 and he absolutely loves it. If someone asked me what the “perfect” pronghorn cartridge is, I would say it’s a 25-06 shooting 120 grain partitions. Thanks for the great video and it’s good to see Benny.
I also have a Brittany. Beautiful dogs. Smart and loving animals. Very gentle with children.
Mine is an old 700V bull barrel . It replaced a 22/250 just like it, to use for larger game . Used it for a beanfield gun before they ever coined the term. Factory 117gr federal Premium worked well on whitetail. Sir , you look like you are living your best life. Hats off to ya.
It's an absolute honor to watch your content. Please consider selling physical copies of your library in DVD or BluRay form or some other way if possible. I would happily pay for the dozens of hours of expert education you have given us over the years.
Also, I'd like to personally thank you for making me a better marksman, and a more educated hunter. Your video on Bullet Placement on Game Animals, and how to take down big game ethically changed the way my entire hunting party approaches hunting. We bag animals every year, fill every tag and do so ethically and with great respect to the animals. So, thank you, and I look forward to each and every video you make. Cheers.
Thank you. God bless!
Your analysis is spot on in my experience. My 25-06 is a stainless synthetic Sako Model 75 with a 23” barrel. It’s a half MOA rifle with all of the 100~120 grain bullets I’ve loaded for it using both Winchester & Peterson brass. But as you say, for a hunter East of the Mississippi, it’s too hot a round for deer when fully loaded. We also have an old .250 Savage built by FN on a surplus military Mauser action, and a .250 Savage AI built on a Remington Model Seven action. We’ve found the smaller capacity .250 Savage to be almost ideal for deer where we hunt in the woods of Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi. No less effective in putting a whitetail down, but far less meat damage. Also, a touch milder on recoil, while requiring only 70% of the powder needed to feed the 25-06. That’s a bigger benefit now that powder is rather dear these days. Sadly, brass for both of the 25 calibers can be hard to find, which is rarely the case with a .270. The 25s are also mostly a hand loading proposition. Fortunately, each of our .250 Savage rifles are highly accurate, routinely delivering a cloverleaf at 100 yards off a stable bench rest. After many years dedicated to the 30-06 and .270, it’s hard to justify either for woods hunting after using the quarter bores. Particularly since a shot beyond 100 yards is rare where we hunt, and 200 yards would likely max us out. We’ll hang onto the .25-06 against the possibility of perhaps making a plains game hunt one of these days. There’s always hope! So glad to see Benny doing well, and happy to know you have both recovered nicely from Covid. Kudos to you for the great series provided on the Mini 14. I will take the plunge on the trigger and bedding work you highlighted as soon as Brownells’s gets more Acraglass in stock. Their shelves have been dry for quite a while now. Thank you so much for the terrific content you provide. The history, background, knowledge, context and practical tips you offer have been hugely helpful to so many of us. God bless you! I hope that your upcoming building projects go well.
Here here! My sentiments exactly.
If a .25-06 is heavy in you neck of the woods, maybe a .257 Roberts is in order.
My old Savage Modell 99E in (as marked) .250-3000 has proven to be VERY effective on hogs and deer here in South Carolina.
Seeing you 2 together like this makes my day . I'll listen to you all day . Thank you .
This is fantastic just to sit and listen to. I love it. Thank you for posting .
Back in the mid 90’s I bought a 25-06 in a Ruger #1. It had a 26” barrel and I used Hornady factory ammo of 117gr SP. I shot a spindly 6pt bull elk at close to 400yds. At first light it and several cows were coming off a meadow and heading up into the mountain timber to bed. It stopped right at the edge of the field and I was prone. I shot, hit him, he ran a full circle then can and stood in exactly the same spot and so I shot again and hit him. He plunged about 25yds into the brush and died. I had that rifle for a couple years and sold it to a fireman friend of mine. He used it for years. I also shot a young bull moose at about 160yds and I took several deer with it. I had no complaints. It was mild to shoot and very accurate. I only sold it because I had a face to face encounter with a large 300lb sow black bear and her cubs. She didn’t charge but backed me off a trail in the high foothills here in Alberta and with a single shot Ruger it spooked me enough to move to my bolt action 06.
Used a 25-06 out west on deer and elk when I was a teenager. I'm older now and have gotten into a 270win. Really I prefer the 270win out here because it can also use light bullets or go up to 150gr.
Some people really like it the 25's but I don't care much for mine as factory ammo is less available as are bullets most times. Locally I can source 90gr and 130gr 140gr and 150gr for the 270win and it does it just the same. Lots of 270 bullets are on the shelf here and it's just about economy for me.
I picked up a stainless Zastava 25-06 with quite a light barrel. It's a pure delight. You gotta let the barrel cool at the range, but out in the Aussie bush is where it shines. With 87gn Sierra blitzkings, it can do 3 shots in one ragged hole and explodes anything small. Using bigger 117gn also shoot very well, and wild pigs don't seem to like them one bit.
I mainly shoot 308, but my 25-06 has a spot in my heart for its flat shooting and ability to reach out.
What a brain! To go on extemporaneously on such a technical briefing with such precision. Gun Blue, you're a genuine pleasure to listen to. May you go on for a long time.
I’ve been using Winchester silver ballistic tips for my 25-06 in 115 gr for years and I’ve never had issue with losing meat from bullet by tearing it up. I love that bullet and never had a deer go more than 15-20 yards before expiring and lot of them fold up where hit. My rem 700 bdl will shoot under 1” with that ammo. I used a hornady SP sst in that gun two years ago when ammo started become an issue, because I found a bunch and wanted to use them so not to waste my silvers. That SST bullet destroyed the backside of a whitetail with perfect shot. I mean it blew 10” hole out backside from 140 yards and the lungs were mush and partially gone. Never had that silver ballistic tip do close to that damage although lungs will be destroyed. Aside from hand load accubonds and partitions that factory load silver ballistic tip is my go to in my 25-06; 270, 280, and 300 wsm. (Side note the 270win, 280 rem and 300 wsm in those silver BT are controlled expansion bullets). Love your content and this was a great post.
I appreciate you taking the time to share your wisdom with us
Great listening to such a gentleman. I could listen to him for hours.
I’m so happy to see Benny still around love Benny ❤️🙏🏻
nice to hear from you. Glad you and Benny are both doing well. Great content as always
Glad to see Benny is doing well!
I do love the 1/4 bores. I've been shooting the 25-06 for over two decades and recently had a custom 257 Roberts built. The accuracy is second only to my 6br benchrest rifle. I've taken ram and whitetail with my 25-06 with no meat loss. My last whitetail Shot was 33 yards. Shot placement is key. I use the Sierra 120 grain game king with IMR4831. Keep up the great videos and glad to see Benny doing well.
Hunted with the 25-06 for 20 years. Bought it because I needed a rifle for whitetail and varmints and could only afford one. I agree that its not good for high volume varminting because of barrel heating. But, if you are just taking 1 or 2 woodchucks a day or need to dispatch a coyote, the 85 gr Nolser Varmint Ballistic tip bullets are devastating. 117 gr Hornady Interlock has been great for whitetail. The velocity and the lighter bullet jacket turns lungs into pink goo. Just, dont hit a shoulder... If you avoid shoulders, meat destruction is minimal. IMO, the 22-250 is a better varmint cartridge and the 270 Win is a better deer cartridge, but love the 25-06 because of its quirky existence.
Great Video. I reloaded 75gr. 87gr 90gr and 120gr (deer). Have had three 25-06. Rifles. The Remington 87gr FBSP was (and is) the most accurate in my old Savage 110. I still shoot it and on a consistent wind day have shot it out to 800 yd. (Lots of clicks and sight in shots). Tried a lot of different powders and bullets. The best for my rifle is 54 grains of 4350 87 grain sierra FLSP with a bench rest primer. Full resize brass. So the 4350 has for me been the best even though it is harder to weigh. My first 2506 was a Remington 700 BDL which was a gift in 1974 and I did burn out the barrel with 3900 fps. 75gr bullets. You know your guns. Thank you.
Sir I'm happy to have discovered your channel. Your common sense, logical, factual talks are a real breath of fresh air. God Bless and keep you and yours.
This guy is such a gem to the shooting and reloading community. Love his content. Such a great source of knowledge. Please continue for as long as possible. Love Benny too......
My wife bought me mine , an M77 heavy battel 25-06in 1983. I love it here in sunny Alberta -40 either, with wind chill. beautiful though as my wife works 60 clicks away in Edmonton. lol Life is great. Be well.
On the prairies of western Canada , the .25-06 is a king among greatest of kings !
Very enjoyable to listen and learn from a very wise man It's always been one of my favorite things to do I can remember when I was a kid listening to my grandfather and asking questions about hunting ,carpentry,life and so on there's nothing like it gaining knowledge from wise and knowledgeable people just doesn't get much better than that for me!
Great time having a cold one with you sharing your wisdom! Thank you! Bless you! 😎🍻
I can't believe it's been 4 years already. Glad to hear Benny's doing well.
I rebarreled a shotout 8mm Mauser to 25-06 for a deer/groundhog gun and I'm happy with my choice, with the exception of being able to find 25 cal bullets lately. It's still an ongoing project but as far as recoil and accuracy go, it's a very nice gun to shoot. If Brownells made a short chambered .257 Roberts barrel I may have gone that route but it's turning out to be a good rifle either way. Glad you made the video!
During the mid 1970s Ruger purchased M 77 barrels from Douglas Barrels, NC. These “air-gauged” barrels were supremely accurate. I have a 243 M 77 built in 1976. It shoots close to a single hole until it heats up.
Douglas were made in wva
Nice visit thanks. Love seeing Benny. I know a few Alberta boys that load 120 grain Nosler Partitions in their 25-06 rifles. I’ve seen their results on game and I’d say that’s the perfect bullet for the least meat destruction.
Edited to add that I can’t believe how long I’ve been a viewer. I subbed before Benny was even sick. The years have flown by.
I’ve had good luck with 100 grain ballistic tips over Reloader 22 for whitetail. Scope is a leupold 4 x12 with long range duplex. It turns groundhogs into hamburger. Love a good 25-06!
Same here.
I had a 25-06 for years! It was a spectacular deer cartridge. Absolutely no complaints. But….. I acquired a 7 mag that I can easily load down to 7-08 velocities which is another spectacular deer cartridge. The 7 gives me more versatility in the same size rifle. Recoil, I use a brake, no recoil.
You’re spot on with most your remarks. One thing I’d disagree with is not being able to load them down. I have a hot little Remington 700 25-06 that shoots 115 partitions at 3222fps through every elk I’ve pointed it at (all cows). It also shoots 117 sierras at 2900fps and does similar damage. All group 3/4” or better.
This is in the mountains of Colorado though where it is a struggle to range critters at distance and speed matters. In the eastern woods it probably is a waste of powder down a small hole.
A 270 would most likely be the better choice as an all around more mainstream cartridge but for the recoil of a 25-06, no better western cartridge exists.
Dear Sir, thank you for doing what you do. When you are talking its like I imagine the conversations I would have liked to have with my Grandpa. Thank you for your knowledge and your time. God bless
Have a lovely Remington 700 Classic great rifle & caliber. Love your lectures Sir!
I bought a 25-06 in 72-73 after I got out of the service. Bullets in the heavier weights would fragment at the higher speeds so I stayed with the 100 grain. Even at 100 yards plus it was a head or neck shots only. The bullet doesn't seem to settle down until about 100 yards, that could have been why your friends deer was so shot up. I sold it and got a 257 Rbts it's better from about 50 yards to 300. It will still push a 100 grain bullet about 3000 F.P.S. if you want.
The main reason I enjoy your channel Gun blue is your maybe the last channel that still does long form videos. I personally enjoy just sitting and soaking up all the honest information. I wish more channels would go back to long form videos again.
Always a pleasure when I see a gunblue notification
I could not agree more with 5.7R/T Challenger! I would adore the opportunity to just sit in the shade with a beer and fine cigar and get an education from GunBlue490. I hope this finds you well and cannot wait for the next installment! God Bless sir!
Love this guy
Glad to see Benny still doing well . Don't seem like it's been 4 years. Time Flys. Thank you for your input on the 25.06. One of my favorite deer rifles.
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I'm not sure where you live but you do have a New England type of accent? I was born in Minnesota but spent 70 of my 80 years in California, except for a couple years in West Germany. Anyway, here, you have touched on one of my favorite cartridges. I have owned one Ruger M77 25'06Remington and two 25'06 Ackley's. I hunt northern Nevada, or at least I DID, and for goats and coyotes at 350-400 yards, it does the job. The traditional problem has always been that nobody makes a suitable target quality bullet in that bore diameter but I knew a fellow that would run off some of his super accurate 100 grain Starkes. Great bullet weight for open range coyotes.
You are frequently focused on resale value, when buying rifles, and everybody has their reasons but I don't care about that. If I need a new barrel, I buy a premium target grade in whatever contour that strikes me and whatever twist suitable for the bullets I want to use. By the way, I think we agree about flat based bullets, whenever possible. I am NOT a fan of this extreme long range potting of big game animals. These people have no idea how much even a bedded deer can move while the bullet is in flight! My ethical distance is 400 yards. Yes, I will take an occasional shot at one of a pair that is leaving, like if it's straight away.
There is a magic in some cartridge designations and 25'06 is one with the magic. So is the 220Swift; pure magic! So is 300Mag. I'm an advocate of a factory 22-250AI cartridge. That case far outperforms the 220Swift. I have owned a couple Swifts, one I rebarreled to 22-250Ackley and the other still does quite well with the 63 grain Sierra semi pointed .224" because the bore ain't what it once was. Where you might be enthralled by the plain vanilla 308Winchester, I am attracted to more "exotic" fare, such as my current daylight coyote gun, a 22-243Middlested with a premium Shilen. It's slower than two of my 22-250Ackley's but both of them have 28" barrels; one is on a Model 700 action and the other is on a Ruger 77 that used to be a 220Swift. What I am saying is, Ackley's have a purpose. you do get increased velocity from extra capacity, and second, the case life is always exceptional, especially when you watch your pressures and flattened primers. It also helps if you have a friend with a Lathe.
I might as well bring up something that you discount, (and that is your opinion) on rechambering a "factory" barrel to Ackley Improved. Nobody I know does that? One starts from scratch with a doner 700 action, or a custom benchrest action. As you may know, Ackley cases are good for 15-20 resizings with Wilson neck dies. It's whatever interests you, and badmouthing rifles chambered in obscure chamberings because they have no resale value is not the only reason for, or against. I believe in smart handloading and at this point, economy isn't the only consideration. I smoke Partigas #6 Dominicans.
Take care,
El Bee
My favorite rifle is a Browning M-78 25-06 with an octagon barrel.
Beautiful rifle with an amazing cartridge.
Scary to realise it is 4 years since Benny had his problem, great to see him doing so well.
Good to see you enjoying a Stogie, always relish your relaxed and knowledgeable vids.
Stay well and keep sharing the knowledge. Ade
I grew up in the 70's and 80's with a 25-06 in my dad's collection, which was built by a local gunsmith using a commercial Mauser action with a 26" Douglas Air Gauge barrel in a walnut stock and topped with an old Redfield 4-12; which was an absolute tack driver. It is in my brother's collection now, but I recently backed into another 25-06 at a local gunshow a few weeks ago. I had a nicely figured walnut stock from Boyd's which was cut for a large ring Mauser action, and I came across a great donor rifle with a barreled surplus Mauser action and a 26" medium profile barrel in 25-06. I topped it with a Leupold Vari-X IIc 4-12 scope, and am about to begin working up some handloads for it. In the meantime, groups with factory ammo are coming in right around 1 MOA; but I"m still tweaking the bedding and floating, and expect it to improve a bit.
So glad Benny is doing great!
I have every caliber you talk about and shoot them regularly... I've shot deer with everything and I mean everything my dad use to handload for me I had every projectile you could imagine... but when I found the load of the 75 gr v-max that shot hole for hole with the 100 gr core-lokt.. I was hooked my dad loaded up 90 grain 30-06 and they were comparable loads.. I've killed just as many deer with my 25-06 as I have with my new passions the 264 win mag and the 444 marlin. And my old bdl in 30-06.. I have a bdl in 25-06 drove all the way to Maryland to buy it buy the gentleman I bought it from said it was his son's gun and he passed away from over dosing on sleeping pills.. and for all of these reasons I can't take it out hunting ever... it sits beautifully in my safe.. when I die I know it will go hunting and I'm proud of that but for now the brass pin will stay in the safe
My old Ruger M77 wore out 270 turning into my 25 Gibbs ,great shooter using IMR 4350 and 85 gr Nos Bal Tips, black bears and caribou, wolves and smaller moose.
Excellent chat, as usual.
My dad enjoys using his Mossberg Patriot in .25-06 to zap woodchucks.
The last young man that I got to hunting ended up getting a 25-06 as his first deer rifle.
He had used a uncle 243. My 6mm, 223 and 257wb.
He wanted something bigger than a 6 and the 257wb was to much.
He had good luck with it a fair number of deer and a few hogs and coyotes.
Btw we were using them on open hay and bean fields.
The Saskatchewan drop, love it. Big hello from Regina,sask here. Yup land of big mulies.
I have an older Remington 700 BDL in 25-06 “4 screw butt plate “ and I love it , super accurate and flat shooting 😊
PS Hope your enjoying your new win. 270 👍
I love your stories. Great too see you again!!
In Nevada, 2506 was made for the open terrain…I have pre-Obama Cooper Rifles that are sub 1/2 moa…and a Savage Axis that shoots 3/4 “….flat trajectory, low recoil, reasonable barrel life…hammers a coyote…perfect Nevada caliber.
My stepfather was a Vietnam Marine Sniper and one day he told me his favorite round was the 25-06 so that was my influence. I hunt my 25-06 religiously. I take neck shots up to 250 yds. No meat damage and they drop in their tracks, every time. I use a vortex scope and don't sight it in every season. I seriously doubt it will burn out the barrel in my lifetime. The one time I did sight it in it was stacking groups at 100 yards. Stupid accurate.
I've had several 25-06s over the years, and they are a pleasure to shoot. I shot my first blacktail with one (117G Hornady bullet) and the meat damage was extensive. I've moved on to other cartridges now, but will always be fond of the 25.
The 25-06 has been one of my favorite cartridges for 40 yeas or longer. I’ve killed hundreds of groundhogs, wild hogs and sheep with the 25-06. I’ve owed 20-06 rifles made by Ruger, Remington, Winchester and the last one was a custom rifle made by McWhorter. The McWhorter rifle was guaranteed to shoot sub ½ MOA. The 25-06 isn’t perfect for any one thing but does most everything really well. One thing I noticed is the 25-06 would easily shoot sub MOA with lighter bullets but the heavier bullets would shoot more like 1 ½ MOA. I always blamed that on the standard 1 in 10 twist and never felt 1 in 10 twist was fast enough to fully stabilize the heaviest bullets. When I ordered my custom McWhorter rifle I had it built with a 1 in 9 twist. I did finally find at Berger bullet web site a bullet stabilization program that proved my theory correct. Bloodshot meat has never been a problem and I believe bullet selection has a lot to do with that. When I hunted meat I used 110 grain Barnes TTSX coper bullets. These bullets out of my McWhorter rifle literally shot 1 hole groups going around 3,200 feet per sec at 100 yards and never caused bloodshot meat. But, saying all this my favorite close range woods rifle is a Sako model 85 Bavarian carbine in 8x57 caliber for a number of reasons.
just bought a sako r61l in 25-06 and a sako r61l in 270 win rare varmit barrel both born 69 or 70 very mint cond, haven't got to shoot either one yet great vid brother
I have a 25-06, but I haven't shot it in several years. I use to hunt with it and use 90gr bullets and shoot deer in the upper neck. They all dropped right on the spot. It's not my favorite though. I'd rather use a 7-08 or 6.5CM here in south Texas. Sometimes a 30-30 or 35 Legend. Most of our shots are 100 yards or less. I don't need any of the long action cartridges down here. When I go up north into the Texas panhandle for whitetail or mule deer, I normally use 7rem mag or 6.5-06.
Great story about the 25-06 though. Thanks for sharing with us.
Wow!!! Very well said ! I have two Brownings in 25-06, both in BBR model,made from 1978 to 1984, which have taken many coyotes and mule deer up here in Saskatchewan !!! Greetings from good ol Saskatoon Saskatchewan!!! Hows that for a mouthful !!!
Great to see another video…love the sharing of such knowledge and wisdom. Keep up the great work, God Bless.
🤠 FYI - On 06/07/2022 the SAMMI specks for the 7mm prc were approved! The cartridge is essentially 0.535" wide, 2.28" long, has a neck of 0.2868", 30 degree shoulder, and an operating pressure of 65,000 psi! It will push out a 180 grain bullet at 2,950 ft/s (similar to the 7mm Remington Magnum), but is still 200 ft/s slower than the 300wsm with the same bullet weight! So, at reasonable hunting distances, the higher B.C. bullets of the 7mm prc will not catch up to the 30 caliber bullets of the 300 wsm! So, in the borrowed words of Solomon (how ironic), there is nothing new under the sun! 😎
I bought most of my guns from Riley's sportshop. I found out it was out of business a couple years ago. A very sad time. I have never found a gun shop the equal of Riley's.
Thanks again for a great informative video.
Love my Tikka 25-06, Winchester supreme ammo 117 grain.
Hi GB - And howdy from Saskatchewan. I know quite a few (but not a huge number) of folks that use the 25-06 here. One of my colleagues actual only uses the 25-06 for everything. She has had great results. Myself, I am a 257 Weatherby fan and while it’s still a 25 caliber it certainly adds quite a bit of jam. I use it as my go to deer (WT and Mulies) hunting in the prairie and my last deer was at 330 yards. Long shots are common here. When I go north however, the 30-30, 308 and 45-70 tends to come out. Shots there are short(ish) and with lots of trees around you. Love seeing Bennie looking healthy and happy!
I have a .25-06, in Ruger 77. I agree with you on all counts. Too much for varmints, and even NE whitetail. Not enough for moose. But mine shoots like a champ, so it stays. And just for fun, I will use it a time or two per year for woodchucks and deer. Of note, I’m from PA.
Great vid! I've never had interest in 25-06 but this presentation kept my interest regardless.
I never realized that 25-06 is basically a 6.5CM/260Rem turned up a little hotter. That's a sweet cartridge!
That us NOT good comparison lol.. the 6.5/260 goes up to 140. The 25-06 goes up to 117. .25-06 is much faster and much flatter shooting with lighter rounds with a low BC and low sectional density the 6.5s are high sectional density and high BC with long for caliber bullets but lack the velocity and flat trajectory of the 25-06. both are around the same in terms of recoil. .25-06 is long action 6.5CM is short action. Two very different calibers the only thing they have in common is they're both excellent choices in higher bullet weights for deer a antelope and other medium sized game but the .25-06 is superior for varmints the 6.5CM might be capable of throwing out light 85 grain projectiles but the BC is even worse than the .25-06 due to even shorter bullets and a bigger bore and it doesn't have the same impressive velocities as the .25-06 with the lighter loads.
Always a joy to listen to you and share your knowledge. It's good to see you relax with man's best friend and enjoy a beautiful day, looking forward to more videos!
I really like the 25-06 for deer. 100gn SP bullet puts them whitetails down and yes a really close shot will make a mess of your exit side. I remember a fist sized exit hole on a 35 ish yard shot, but it expired where it stood. I mostly hunt with my 30-30 now. I love that old 25-06 though and can’t see getting rid of mine. Save it for my kids and one day grandkids. Mine tolerates my habit of loading pretty close to start data. It is heavy on powder though. Can’t help but think a 308 length 25 cal would be more economical to shoot for fun.
Very good video. I know we have argued in the past due to old knowledge while good is still old. But you are spot on with this video. The 270 and especially the 3006 have become better performers than they ever were I own 3 of each and many other calibers. I have been hovering on my 3006 more and more due to one thing bullet technology. Old knowledge does not count in the new world such as sectional density. The new craze and it is a good one is bullet construction. An all coper alloy Barnes bullet in 150 grain from an 3006 will shoot through 2 Elk I saw it one time on a hunt, luckily my buddy had 2 tags.
sometimes
On Antelope and Muley Deer I have seen big things from the 2506 and it is loved out West and is great in this niche.
Good to see and hear you. Looks like a great dog. Hope you all do good.
Thanks...90g-120g. All seem to shoot well. Tikka for carry all day hunting, Sako for varmint and benching. Both shoot better than me 😉
Top shelf channel.keep up the great work.thanks again
I had a Ruger Hawkeye 25-06 and found that it had about the same recoil as my .270 and it didn't seem to stop deer as well as my .270. Traded it in on a Marlin 336 in 30-30. BTW Remington is back to producing firearms again. I'm hoping they produce arms like the company use to. Time will tell I guess.
The .25-06 has been used by several people I know personally to take everything from cayotes up to elk with great success. On the flip side, I know several people who curse its existence because it "failed" on hunts for those very same animals. I've never owned, nor fired, a .25-06 so I can't testify to its effectiveness from personal experience. I CAN say that one of my closest friends considers the .25-06 to be THE all-a round rifle cartridge having used his rifle to hunt, with great success, cayotes, hogs, and whitetail and blacktail deer. Only one of the blacktails required a second shot to put him down for good and my friend blamed himself for that one. My friend and his wife recently moved to an area where elk hunting will be available to him and I'm sure he will fill their freezer with his .25-06. By the way, I very strongly suspect that the people I've heard curse the .25-06 never actually took the time to "learn" the cartridge and/or the rifle they were utilizing. I really enjoyed, and learned something (as I usually do) from this video but until I can afford a rifle chambered in .25-06 I'm afraid I'll have to stick with my trusty Savage Model 99E in .308 Winchester. Maybe someday that will change. Take care, keep up the great work you do, and scratch Benny behind the ear for me.
Love the 25-06 4350 and 117 grain bullets. Like your buddy,
NOTHING beats sitting at the feet of the master and just soaking it all in. I own a pristine Klienenguenther in 25-06, it's not even bedded, has a slim barrel and cloverleafs pretty much any good factory ammo.
Killed a bull moose with one shot, 120 gr. Nosler Partition @ 3000fps mv. Dropped in his tracks at 250+ yards. Very accurate cartridge, loved out here in Wyoming. Pick your shot, use a good bullet and it is plenty for elk. Great for sheep and caribou, as well.
isnt it fun to talk friends into spending money--funny thing i have the old ruger 77 in 25-06 tang safety-love it!
Brittany's are my favorite dogs. Wife and I used to have 4. Just great dogs...
I wish I could have that level of class one day
I didn't think I would like this video. Just you sitting around talking. But, the cigar, the beer and your faithful companion made it such a great scene. In addition is your accent. My father is from western Massachusetts. Actually Chicopee Falls. So, it was like old times.
I had an uncle, by marriage, who was an avid hunter and shooter. Actually, a very good shot. He had two reloading setups. One at home and one on the farm. He loved the .25-06. He used it for deer, but mostly for varmint hunting. He would take some varmints on the farm, but mostly he would go to the Dakotas. He went with a friend one time. He had loaded up 1,500 rounds of ammunition. He took a bunch of guns (when he died he has about 200). I asked him how long he was going for. His reply: until I run out of ammo.
Had a lot of experience with a 25-06. With standard twist could not find accuracy but with 120 grain bullet. The overbore requires the charge to be cut back to allow the charge time to exit the small diameter neck.
A 30-06 will propel a 120 grain bullet at 3300fps as the same case necked down to 25 caliber will only propel to about 2900 fps with a 120 grain.
I found that the 85-87 grain bullet at 3500 fps is the best combination of all aspects and will drop a deer even at long range. I don't mind destruction of meat as most important is to make an instant kill.. But barrel and throat erosion is high.
I have a target barrel and good scope and light trigger, but accuracy is difficult and very picky on loads
Previous 25-06 owner. I can attest to every point you made. I found it not very practical but great fun at the range when you want to impress your buddy with your marksmanship skills.
I am not taking anything away from the .25-06 being a great round. Is it great? In my view, that depends on the application. In my view, it's too speedy for a Texas deer shy of 200 yards and if I need a varmint round, I'd prefer the .22-250, and finally, if I want a target load, there is a pretty long list of rifles I'd choose. It is a good round for many tasks but really gets out-competed in everything I can think of. But I can certainly see it is so acclaimed by its owners.
Kind sir: Just discovered your channel and this video; you have encyclopedic knowledge and you, sir, are a master storyteller. I own a New England Arms single shot .25-06; it is my bean field rifle for head shot hogs, white tails, similar exotics and pronghorn. It shoots straight, all with one shot kills and doesn’t break the bank. Thanks for the education on the .25-06!!! I am a new subscriber; got lots of catching up to do!!! Be safe and God bless!!! Chuck Knight from Buffalo, Texas. 🤠👨🌾✝️🙏🐩
Federal premium 110 grains are lights out on whitetail
I absolutely loved my Ruger #1 in 25.06
The only gun I hate myself for selling
I have been a man that has been shooting one for a long time and your right thay are a labor of want to if your not hand loading there are better choices
I have a Weatherby First Lite in 25-06. I like the 25-06 caliber, still unsure of the Weatherby. I'm getting to where I only like Tikka's and Winchester Model 70's anymore.
I’m such a proponent of the 257 Roberts because I can handload it to the original intended velocities that are very comparable to the 25-06 and not burn all that extra powder that the 25-06 requires and don’t need a 26” barrel to do it.
My 25/06 shoots 1/4 5 shot groups consistently with factory loads and it has a 24 inch barrel lol 😂
Also a big fan of the “Quarter Bores". I reload for, shoot & hunt the 257 Roberts in a Ruger #1 Stainless International. Yes you can turn up the volume on those and get really good performance from the cartridge. But I tend to hang around 2800 fps with a Speer 100 grn Hot Core flat based bullet for deer 🦌. Solid load in a solid cartridge. I bought a 25-06 in a Ruger #1 Varminter. It shoots like Gun Blue says, half inch all day long. Tuned it up with the 115 grn Nosler Ballistic tip hunting bullets and turned the rifle over to my middle son. He’s enjoyed success in the hills of West Virginia with it. Won’t give it back 🤣. So I’ll tend to my knitting with that trusty ole .257 Roberts. It’s a keeper. Side note here and most folks know it … if you’re gonna swing a Ruger #1 in the woods, you have to be a hoss. Ain’t nuthin light about that rifle, but I sure do enjoy them.
I am buying my first new rifle in 20 yrs and have it reduced to a Savage 10/110 or a Weatherby Weathergard in 25.06. The Weatherby is at the top of my budget but it has the 24" barrel as opposed to the Savages 22". Is it worth the cost?
You'd lose perhaps 75 to 100 feet per second with the shorter barrel in that caliber, that's all. That's not meaningful until you get way out to well over 350 yards, and even then, it's only an inch or so of difference. The Weatherby is probably made by Howa, which is an outstanding maker, but Savage builds great rifles, too. Consider also that 24 inches weighs a bit more for carrying. You can't go wrong with either one. I'd get the one you'll want to keep over the years.
Those old Ruger M77 bolt action rifles were/are great rifles. Back in the late 80's my friend ' Randy ' and I were getting ready to go deer hunting and so we went out to Four Corners Rod and Gun Club just outside Salem, Oregon, of which I was a member at the time, to check our ' zeros '. So we are at the range and we are walking our targets down to the 100 yard range and Randy says to me " Do you have a dime on you ? " And I said I dunno.....I'll check.....uh, what do you want a dime for, I asked ?? I cannot recall what he mumbled but I freely handed over my dime to him and what he did with it was he put it up on the 100 yard target stand, and so after stapling our respective targets up on the stand we walked back to the shooting benches. And we proceeded to put a few rounds down range. Well we walked up to check our targets and low and behold Randy had put a round cleanly through the dime......from a hundred yards !!! Well, he did that once more successfully and then on the third attempt he missed the subsequent dime. That is a NO BULL story, as Festus used to say...." If I'm lyin', I'm dyin' ! " The rifle he was shooting was a Ruger M77 chambered in .220 Swift, which he still has to this day. And yes we successfully scored on deer that fall back in the late 1980's. Wonderful memories !!!