[pigeonhunter]

Thinking about buying one instead of 30/06. I'll be hunting deer, pigs and possibly some Black Bear.

What do you guys think?

(I also be loading if that makes a difference)

 

[wwb]

All in all, a very versatile caliber... sorta like a .243 on steroids. Good for varmints, good for deer, but marginal for black bear. It has the energy, but just can't throw a heavy enough chunk of lead for a really big bear, with the heavy bone structure they have. Fine for a small to medium bear, though.

If you handload, there's a whole bunch of options open to you.

 

[j870sm]

I personally like the 25/06. I have used this caliber for mule deer, whitetails, antelopes and varmints. It shoots fast and flat but may be a little on the light side for bear. Of course all of this is opinion on my part. I think this particular caliber shines on antelopes.

 

[phideaux_2003]

I've got a Model 70 in 25-06 and it is outstanding. Half minute of angle rifle in the hands of a competent shooter. 3 shots touching at 100 yards. I take deer with it every year. most of the time they run a bit but I've had some drop where they stood. It is all shot placement really.

Anyway that is my opinion.

But like wwb said... A bit marginal for Black Bear.

Nick

 

[Drop-Shot]

I owned a 25/06 a long time ago,I don't remmember why traded the rifle but with a leupold 3X9X40 I took several deer with it as well as foxes and coyotes at long distances but with a 30/06 i figured I could use 110 gr bullets and all the way to 220 gr,so I opted for the 30/06 but if you stay with deer and predators 25/06 is great.I know a guide that used a 25/06 for neck shots,I know my limitations so I stay with 30 calibers.Drop-Shot

 

[Guest]

No question, I love mine. Mine has a 24" barrel and wears Redfield Glass (3-9x Widefield, also love the scope even though it is 30 yrs old). I also have a 30-06 and like it an awful but the 25-06 is my favorite.

My 25-06 was the first firearm I ever owned and harvested a deer with (a Remington 700ADL) and I still have it. Recoil is not bad and my son was able to handle it easily when he was 12 years old (it was the first firearm he ever shot) I have used 100 grain Core-Lokt on mule deer, antelope, and whitetail. General effect when hitting the boiler room was that they went down as if struck by a lightning bolt. Using a 120 grain it should do just as well on the bear and hogs.

 

[8pointduck]

I disagree , even with a 120gr bullet the enrgy would not be enough for a clean kill on a good sized hog

 

[uglydog]

I don't think there are many deer out there the 25/06 would kill but I would be hesitant to use it on black bears much over 200 pounds. A bear is a much thicker and muscular animal than a deer with much denser bone structure. This all conspires to defeat a bullet out of a light gun such as a 25/06. It is not uncommon for the shoulder bones of a medium sized bear (250-300#) to deflect or shatter a .30 caliber bullet if struck solidly. Even if the shot is placed well and the bullet penetrates all the way to the vitals, it may very well not exit which would make tracking the bear extremely difficult. On a small bear the bullet may exit but the hole may be small enough that the fat could shift enough to cover the exit wound and/or the blood flow may not be copious enough to saturate the fur and leave enough on the ground for tracking. Lastly, as a bear has the potential, albeit slight, to cause one harm if wounded I would recommend a larger caliber using a heavier bullet. My absolute minimum for black bears is something in the 30/30 range for an experienced hunter who can stay calm enough to wait for the absolute perfect opportunity. For the rest of us I suggest something like a 270 with 150 gr premium bullets, a 308 with similar 165 gr bullets, or a 30/06 with 180 gr rounds in the common calibers. These will easily handle any bear one is likely to see and are a much better choice if black bears are considered.

 

[CartridgeGuy]

I think the 25-06 is quite impressive, and Ia gree with many of the opinions listed above, however the 30-06 is certainly more versatile in the fact that there are sooooo many factory rounds loaded for it. If you plan on reloading, then the 25-06 is a wonderful choice in my opinion.

 

[Fiah]

Re: re: What do you guys think of the 25/06?

I disagree , even with a 120gr bullet the enrgy would not be enough for a clean kill on a good sized hog

Please tell me your really joking right? This is just truely incorrect and a false statement. How big of a hog are talking about? 10000 lbs? Ive myself have killed many hogs with bullets half that size , dropd and never even kicked. I cant belive i just read what you said....

 

[ZachH]

A 30-06 would be my first choice but the 25-06 would be great also, the 25-06 is one of my favorite cartridges not to small by any means for the game you plan on hunting.

 

[Drop-Shot]

Fiah,welcome to shootingworld.I too used to own a 25/06,I traded most of the guns I cherished and to this day I don't know why.About the hogs,what kind do you hunt?If its ferral hogs I can agree,but back before the alamo Jim Bowie used to run an offload boat from the gulf of mexico at the mississippi mouth,he even offloaded slaves for other folks,not himself as far as I know.He would stop at New Orleans and through the tributarys to Washington,LA.It was a booming business.He took for himself 20 european cross hogs,I don't remmember what the other cross was but they broke away and reproduced and we used to hunt them in Thistlewait,La,a game management area.These things were the meanest hogs I ever seen,I'm a country boy and raised hogs every year to kill and sell,so I know hogs.Red hogs ,white hogs,duroc,berkshire I've killed them all.These thistlewait hogs were good eatin if young,I used to shoot sholts,at about 40-80 lbs,one day I shot a sholt and the mama turned and ran to me,I had my 243 and the bullets would not break the brisket,a buddy shot her 4 times with a 30/30 and I still had to hit the trees and wait.We found her the next day and even at deaths door she still charged,and her 4 inch tusks dug in the ground as she fell.I give them hogs alot of respect after that,many folks had storys about people that could not walk any more from the damage in their lower trunk.A game warden told us not to go with a 243 and a 30/30 but we did anyway.I've killed hundreds with a 22Lr and some with 22 mag,but I used more gun than I needed to make sure,30/06 with 180 gr bullets.I'm glad you had sucess with a 25/06 but I would guess it was ferral hogs.8Point down south has had some cross hogs that wern't all that big but like my wifes folks,mean and you want a mean hog down now,not 50 yards from now.We have discussed this before on this site and all pretty much feel like a bigger gun is nice to have,mabe not necessary but very comforting to have.Thats my 2 cents worth,and keep posting Fiah,I love to talk hunting.Drop-Shot

 

[Fiah]

Re: re: What do you guys think of the 25/06?

( sniped )Thats my 2 cents worth,and keep posting Fiah,I love to talk hunting.Drop-Shot

Thanks for the welcome drop shot. The hogs im refering to ( the ones ive been hunting in texas ) are Ferral hogs , but i can tell ytou they have some russian bore mixed in em because some have longer snouts. Thats an amazing story you told and I know that hogs can turn against you. On our own place we had a guy wound a hog , get attacked and tore him up pretty good ( he was using a .270 ) but it wasnt the guns fault. I just didnt agree with what he said. I myseld am only 18 , and i can easlily ( and have a good time ) shoot hogs all day with a .243 , .223 , .22-250 to name a few , right behind the ear and ive never had one run like that.

 

[Drop-Shot]

Thanks for the response Fiah and I too have killed ferral hogs with my 243 and never had a problem till I hunted these european cross hogs.The head is so rounded at the skull and thick that buckshot and light rifle bullets won't penetrate.If they would be still long enough to get a behind the ear or in the ear shot I may have had success but when these brutes break out in a clearing they are moving on.The only time they are still is when they are eating or drinking or sleeping.They chew on the move but stop briefly to eat.Folks say they get to 450 lbs but the biggest I ever saw was about 300 at the biggest.But skinning them showed why they are so hard to kill.A game warden did the autopsey in the back of a truck on the large female I spoke of in the last post.My 243 's in the chest was stopped by the gristle plate,both flattened bullets were center of chest.The 30/30 bullets went in from the side and 2 were stopped by the massive shoulder and 1 went in and veered off to the left and creased the lungs,that was the killer shot,the other hit and veered right and followed the ribcage and the bullet was still there.The game warden used a hatchet to open the skin,2/12 to 3 1/2 inches of gristle and fat and the gristle plate was super strong and many hacks to open.Folks tell stories about a pack of these hogs attacking dogs and other animals and eating them on the spot.Several cows and calfs were just gone and folks felt like the hogs had done this,there is no documented fact that they ate humans while alive but in the 40's a man burried only a few feet down was dug up and eaten with only his teeth remaining.I'm old and have killed many hogs and have never been badly bitten,I worked weekend nights in a slaughter house and was bitten there,a few stiches and I was good to go.Where I miss the 25/06 is long range antelope hunting.I still use a 243 blr but I know the 25/06 is the cats meow for pronghorn.Good hunting.Drop-Shot

 

[Fiah]

Those hogs sure do sound mean! I wonder how they'd like my .270 Barnes X-Bullets?

Are these hogs your talking about only in this one area?

 

[Drop-Shot]

Fiah that sounds like meat on the table.Drop-Shot