.25-06 or .260...which is the better performer?

An important factor in choosing the 25 is barrel length - nothing less than 24". I agree with the others if you're using factory ammo. The only thing a 260 can do is push those 140gr pencils to 2750 (22" bbl.). With 120s the difference is .007 and 100-150 fps in favor of the 25.
 
Grayson,

Savage offers a ton of bolt actions in .260 as of this year. All have a 1 in 8" twist too! Go to savagearms.com and look in their gun finder.

I have a model 16 in 260 I bought as soon as they came out. Only had it to the range once so far, but it's a keeper.
 
+1 Ryedaddy. I got a WWLH in 260 in October. Only rifle I've ever owned with a 2.5# trigger and the first reloads in .679" OOB! The first 6 rounds in 1.2"! Can't wait to shoot the recommended 140s.
 
FWIW, if you want to spend @ least $1700, Cooper offers their new short-action Model 54 (Classic) repeater in .260 Rem. Should be a sweet combo.
 
I think you're not looking at the big picture. Bullet design/shape, width, and weight in the smallest of changes has the potential to provide big differences in precision on target.

Shane, I think just like you and every one else here I obsess about every picture big, small and otherwise. That is why I'm here.

I've got a Rem 700 -06 that is destined to be re-barreled into a 25-06, .260 or a more likely a 6.5-06. Other possibilities exist for this project like a .270 or even 6.5 Swede.

Shane, please trust me I'll make as many considerations as I'm able while contemplating, ammo, bullets, velocity, SD, BC, bullet choices, dies, brass etc. I'll love every minute of it too.

Even better I might not start this project for months or years, so like an elk hunting trip I'll get to plan, bull@#$% etc. and then do it. Stories will then follow.

Today I'd pick 25-06 but I've got time. I hope:)

Joe D.
 
My frame of reference is my .257 AI.Same bullets,same twist,I have backed off to only 3050 from my 22 in fwt bbl.with a 115 Ballistic tip.For the 20 years I have been shooting it,it puts a grin on my face.Sweet.Will whack deer and antelope fine.I have not used it on elk,I have larger rifles.I believe,if used with care and some restraint,it would work fine on elk.I might go Accubond or partition,and inside 200 yds or so.
Typical .257 bbls are not twisted tighter than 1 in 10,and typical .264 bbls are between 1 in 9 to 1 in 7.
That matters to the bullet mfgrs.You can get better deep penetration or extreme range and match bullets for a 6.5 mm bore.This may not mean quite so much if the .260 is limited by a 2.8 in mag box.Did you say you are converting an 06?I think your mag box and feeding would be easiest with the 30-06 family of cartridges,and,if you are a handloader,the 6.5-06 sure might solve the dilemna
 
cant see what the 260 does that the 25-06 doesnt do better. Flatter shooting harder hitting, easier to find ammo for. A wider selection of ammo is available. Only advantage i can see to a 260 is if a guy wants a compact rifle. Its built on short actions and doesnt need the barrel lenght a 2506 needs to be efficient but truth be told even if a guy built a 20 inch 25-06 im sure it would be still faster then a 260 with the same weight bullet. A better comparison would be the 2506 compared to the 264 mag. In that case the 264 would defineately outperform the 25-06 but not by much if you compared a 120 grain bullet in both.
 
Lloyd Smale said:
cant see what the 260 does that the 25-06 doesnt do better. Flatter shooting harder hitting, easier to find ammo for. A wider selection of ammo is available. Only advantage i can see to a 260 is if a guy wants a compact rifle. Its built on short actions and doesnt need the barrel lenght a 2506 needs to be efficient but truth be told even if a guy built a 20 inch 25-06 im sure it would be still faster then a 260 with the same weight bullet. A better comparison would be the 2506 compared to the 264 mag. In that case the 264 would defineately outperform the 25-06 but not by much if you compared a 120 grain bullet in both.
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Please tell me what does the 25-06 do better? Due to the better BC/SD of the 260 it will perform better then the 25-06 (hit harder, faster and penetrate more) and does it more efficiently (less powder). It (the 25-06 may be a little faster at the muzzle but it sheds speed quicker then the 260. About the only thing the 25-06 has over the 260 is the large range of factory ammo but if you handload the 260 has more target and hunting bullets in more weights (ie: 25-06 bullets range from 75 to 120 grain, 260 bullets range from 75 to 160 grains) and like I said for the same bullet weights the 260 (6.5mm) has much better BC/SD. Also the 260 comes in a short action IMHO that is a bonus over the long action of a 25-06. I could go on for a while but it's all in my last post.
 
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I like the 6.5-06 idea, sort of best of both worlds. Increased velocity and the great SD and BC of the .26 caliber projectiles. Have one and its great. 'Course don't go by me, I like them all, high and medium power rifle cartridges that is. :)
 
I'm dreaming of a Model 70 re-barreled to 6.5/06.... Set up for long-range target use, I already have a Kimber 84M (M70 action) in .260 Rem, so the hunting gun side of the house is taken care of.

FWIW, I have a Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker in .25/06 Rem that I love. It is very accurate. Best factory ammo groups just under 1 MOA. Best handloads get me in the 1/3 MOA club. It's a great hunting gun for a wide array of game.

I also have a Kimber 84M Classic Select Grade in .260 Rem that I love even more. It is about 2lbs lighter and it handles like it's 12 inches shorter (in all actuality it's only about 5" shorter) than the A-Bolt. Best factory loads come in at about 3/4 MOA. I have not handloaded for this rifle yet.

My go-to gun used to be the A-Bolt, it is now the Kimber. It's lighter, handles better, and shoots well. It is the first M70-type action I've had, but it will not be the last.


If all else fails; flip a coin, you just about can't go wrong either way.
 
fullbore i guess my comparison comes from the fact that everyone i know that is using a 260 for the most part uses 120s or 130s. How could a 26 cal bullet have a better sectional density then a .25? If you go up to 140s and especially 160s the 260 wont come close to the real life velcocitys a 2506 will. My #1 2506 will push 120s easily to 3100 fps. I have to doubt if your going to even get close to 3000 with them in a 260 and if you ran most 260 loads over a chrono youd find that 2800 is more realistic. Now if you go to a 140 your going to get better sectional density but your giving up at least another 100 fps and it would take a shot way out of the normal even long range shots on game to make up that 2-300 fps. What the 260 is good at is as a whitetail gun for 250-300 yard shooting at deer in a nice little compact 20 inch gun. If your going to haul around a full sized gun I still stand behind the statement that if far outperforms the 260. I kind of chuckle at guys that think theres something majic about 6.5 bullets. Ive got a 264 and a 7mag and ive shot enough game with both to know that they are indentical in performace at all ranges. Personaly if i wanted to shoot 140s in a light gun id step up to a 708 as it will push them faster then a 260 and you dont have to hunt around all day finding bullets to feed it.
 
Man you guys are getting picky here over MV and BC! You should all sit down take a deep breath and admit to yourselves the .270 Win is the obvious choice! :eek:
 
Taylorforce,

What you said was exactly what I was thinking. The 270 will do what the other two will do, and do it better. I will admit though, that I have a 260 and like it a lot. With a 120 grain bullet at 2900, it is almost as good as a 270. Key word here is 'almost'. And the 25-06, though a great round, is almost as good as the 270 also. But bottom line is that they are all 3 just fine for most anything any of us would want to do. Not really that much difference in the 3, except for personal preferences.
 
Personal preference, as 603 stated, is probably the biggest difference among the two initial calibers & the 270 isn't far out of this discussion either. As an example of personal preference, I just loaded 250 more rounds for my 25-06's. I have a 270 that I haven't even shot yet & don't feel as though I'm missing some life-altering experience by leaving it set. I'll get around to it eventually but for all the rifles I have, my 223 & 25-06 cover everything I want to do.
 
You should all sit down take a deep breath and admit to yourselves the .270 Win is the obvious choice!
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It isn't that a .270 Win isn't a great caliber. It's just that it won't do what I want it to do. My personal need is for a short, light, treestand gun that can still reach out to 300 yds accurately. Putting a .270 through a 18 1/2" barrel would kill the deer as much from muzzle flash as it would from the bullet. Plus, the recoil of a .270 from a 6 1/2lb rifle would be much more unpleasant.

My little .260 fits the bill perfectly for what I do.
 
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