# 25-06 compared to 30-06???!!!!



## outlaw1 (Dec 26, 2008)

Getting some opinions on the biggest part of the difference?


----------



## BamaFaninMilton (Oct 3, 2007)

I guess it would all depend on what you are using it for. If you are primarily a varmint hunter but hunt deer as well, I would go with the 25-06, that way you could use the lighter grain bullets on coyotes and whatnot, and for deer you could use the heavier grain bullets and not have a problem. If you only hunt deer but are planning on maybe hunting for bear/elk/moose etc., either now or in the future, then go with the 30-06, you can shoot a lot heavier bullet in it.


----------



## outlaw1 (Dec 26, 2008)

So not alot of knock down power?! I've had 30-06 and yeah heavy grain with not having to blood trail anything around here. I mean I do also understand shot placement is key factor!


----------



## outlaw1 (Dec 26, 2008)

But yes your right about mainly jus deer hunting around here maybe al but that's about it


----------



## Flatspro (Oct 3, 2007)

Wirelessly posted

You can get ammo for the 30-.06 from 115 grains to 200+ grains it is the most versatile round bar none!


----------



## outlaw1 (Dec 26, 2008)

What about the 2506 ammo or do you?


----------



## snapperfan (Aug 30, 2009)

I have been using a .25-06 since 1971. 50+ deer, white tail and mule deer, and only 2 ran and that was only about 40 yds. They did not have a heart left but it took them a few seconds to realize it. Two bang/flops on antelope and it murdered a couple of thousand prairie dogs the three years I was in Montana. A few coyotes and foxes too. Jackrabbits I can't count. It has plenty of killing power. Like said above, if you think you may ever go after bear or elk then go with the .30-06. I have .30-06 and .308 but the .25 is my go-to gun.

Just as a teaser, two of the three goats here were the first kills made with it back then.


----------



## Flatspro (Oct 3, 2007)

Wirelessly posted

The .25-06 is a good round don't get me wrong. It is a lighter round available in loads from 90 - 120 or so grains or so. You asked for opinions here's mine if I am going to own 1 do all rifle it's the .30-06 because of its versatility and you can find ammo just about anywhere.


----------



## Grassflatsfisher (Oct 3, 2007)

I grew up hunting with a 25-06 off and on. To me it falls in that .270 category that some people quote...to little for the big stuff and to big for the little stuff. It is an effective deer round but I like a .270 better and a .308 even better just because of bullet weight, penetration, and hole size. To me the 25-06 is nothing more than a supped up .243 which I hate as a deer round.


----------



## Crab Man (Oct 21, 2011)

I've got both and they are both great rounds for deer.


----------



## kaferhaus (Oct 8, 2009)

25-06 with good bullets is perfectly capable of killing Elk. I've only ever shot one but it was at 225yds with a 115Gr Nosler. The 800lb bull took two steps and crumpled to the ground.

Folks have been killing them with 30-30s for over 100yrs....

However the 30-06 is the universal all around cartridge bar none. If I could only have one rifle that would be it.


----------



## SAWMAN (May 24, 2010)

*Imo*

With the good bullets that are available today,the Partitions,A-frames,Triple Shok's,etc,etc,the 25-06 can be used on most north American game. 

Will it do everything that a 30-06 will do ?? I would say no. But will a 30-06 do everything that a 338Win Mag will do. I would also say no.

You have the 30-06 then the necks get smaller and smaller. Should we expect the smaller 30-06's to do everything that their "daddy" can do ?? You take the 30-06 brass and chop it off to the shorter action(308Win)and then do the same thing,down and down goes the neck(caliber). 

To each their own with this gentleman's debate but would like to throw out one simple fact that a well know gun guy came up with a few years back. Every chambering that will be needed to effectively kill any animal on the face of the earth was invented BEFORE 1950. (Some will debate,1930.) 

AND........let us all not forget shot placement. What a crappy hit with a 30-06 will not accomplish,a proper hit with a 25-06 will. --- SAWMAN


----------



## Grassflatsfisher (Oct 3, 2007)

SAWMAN said:


> AND........let us all not forget shot placement. What a crappy hit with a 30-06 will not accomplish,a proper hit with a 25-06 will. --- SAWMAN


Yeah but I will take a crappy hit with a 30-06 over a crappy hit with a 25-06 all day every day.


----------



## kaferhaus (Oct 8, 2009)

Grassflatsfisher said:


> Yeah but I will take a crappy hit with a 30-06 over a crappy hit with a 25-06 all day every day.


And pray tell why would that be? A crappy hit with either is going to leave you with the same result.

The fact is the higher velocity of the 25 round is going to create more soft tissue damage through hydrostatic shock than the the 30-06. Soft tissue = organs...

Crappy hit = a shot that never should have been taken. Either a poor marksman or bad judgement. 

Sadly the vast majority of hunters go to the range right before hunting season and then hit the woods desperate for a "trophy". Most of them can't shoot for crap, know nothing about shot angles and likely wouldn't care if they did..


----------



## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

I've said it before I'll say it again the only thing good about a 30-06 is you can neck it down to take a .25cal pill. Hell even a .264cal pill. .3O cal is overrated.


----------



## kaferhaus (Oct 8, 2009)

Splittine said:


> I've said it before I'll say it again the only thing good about a 30-06 is you can neck it down to take a .25cal pill. Hell even a .264cal pill. .3O cal is overrated.


Now that's funny right there

Actually I love the 30-06 and have several of them....always looking for another one.

However, unless I'm hunting a brown or grizzly bear the 25 will be with me in the woods.

Unlike my friend Curtis, who quote "I LOVE ALL OF THEM!" I like most all of them except magnums. 

No use for them, and everything on the planet was being taken without any problem whatsoever long before the first one ever came into being. The African elephant was nearly wiped out by the 7x57 Mauser and 303 British. Neither of which are powerhouses by anyone's standard.

But they were being shot by "marksmen" who knew what they were doing. Not that I agree at all with the fact that they were SOBs solely killing the elephant for their ivory tusks.


----------



## Baitcaster (Oct 4, 2007)

deleted


----------



## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

My brother and I have hunted with both for a very long time. We gave up the 25.06 a long time ago! Sometimes the bullet would not exit with the 25.06 but always a good exit wound and blood trail with the 30.06. If you miss the "kill zone" with a 30.06, you still have a better than average chance of finding the deer. Personally, within reason, I don't think you can have too much gun for whitetail deer. I'm probably not going to eat the meat that surrounds the bullet hole anyway! I shoot a 7mm with a 150gr. bullet and absolutely love it.


----------



## 69Viking (Oct 30, 2008)

If I can find it I'll post it but there was research done on the different calibers and their take down power for deer and the .25-06 actually came out on top of all the 30 caliber rounds to include the 30-06. They based the testing on how far a deer traveled after being shot before it expired and the .25-06 averaged the least amount of yards traveled after the shot compared to all the others. That article change my son's view of the .25-06 and my view of it too. I'll see if I can find the source of that article, it was a repeatable source I remember that.


----------



## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

69Viking said:


> If I can find it I'll post it but there was research done on the different calibers and their take down power for deer and the .25-06 actually came out on top of all the 30 caliber rounds to include the 30-06. They based the testing on how far a deer traveled after being shot before it expired and the .25-06 averaged the least amount of yards traveled after the shot compared to all the others. That article change my son's view of the .25-06 and my view of it too. I'll see if I can find the source of that article, it was a repeatable source I remember that.


I've shot deer from 10-300 yards with my .257 Roy and 25.06 and only had two take a step. One went 5 yards with a double shoulder shot one went 10 yards with a shot a little back. It's absolutely devastating what that bullet will do traveling 3400 fps out of the Roy. I'd take a 25 over a 30 anyday. The .257 with 110gr Accubond I put up to any bullet made.


----------



## Crab Man (Oct 21, 2011)

69Viking said:


> If I can find it I'll post it but there was research done on the different calibers and their take down power for deer and the .25-06 actually came out on top of all the 30 caliber rounds to include the 30-06. They based the testing on how far a deer traveled after being shot before it expired and the .25-06 averaged the least amount of yards traveled after the shot compared to all the others. That article change my son's view of the .25-06 and my view of it too. I'll see if I can find the source of that article, it was a repeatable source I remember that.


A .30-06 is cooking with an extra 1000 lbs when comparing average loads. I like the quarter bore, but it delivers less energy down range.

Shot placement is a lot more important. If you want them to fall in their tracks go with a high sholder shot. If you shoot behind the shoulder a certain number are gonna run no matter what you are shooting. They won't run to far if their lungs are blowed out though.


----------



## aaronious45 (Dec 15, 2011)

Apples and oranges..I'm a more power kinda guy so 3006, I've taken plenty of deer with a 243 so I wouldn't knock the 25 either


----------



## chasin-tail (Oct 8, 2007)

Splittine said:


> I've said it before I'll say it again the only thing good about a 30-06 is you can neck it down to take a .25cal pill. Hell even a .264cal pill. .3O cal is overrated.


 
Thinking about a new barrel for my pro hunter...25/06 or 30/06???


----------



## kaferhaus (Oct 8, 2009)

chasin-tail said:


> Thinking about a new barrel for my pro hunter...25/06 or 30/06???


Unless you need to kill a Brown, Polar or Grizzly bear real quick, the 25 is plenty of rifle for anything on this continent. IF you're decent marksman.

People forget that the american buffalo was nearly wiped out with the 30-30 shooting lead bullets....

All a "magnum" does is make guys think they can make a shot at a longer range than their skills will allow. The fact is, the vast majority of hunters are lousy shots past 200yds and that's about max range for a 30-30...

NOTHING wrong with a 30-06. Like I said in a earlier post, if I could only have one rifle, that would be it. Ammo is everywhere. No shortage of 25-06, but you usually won't find it in a hardware store or a country general store. 

Nor does it have as wide a variety of factory loaded ammo for it. 30-06 can be found with bullets from 125grs to 220grs.

I don't hunt big bears, nor do I hunt where they live....so, unless I'm hunting yotes I'll have the 25-06 with me. Otherwise it's a .223 or 22-250 most of the time.

Fortunately most of us can afford more than one rifle....


----------

