Finally, my first 25-06!

N

NWCP

New member
I've been saying for several years now that I would like to have a quarter bore and the 25-06 has always interested me. I don't really need it, I just wanted it. I shot a friends 25-06 and really like the round. My center fire hunting rifles have been 5.56, 6.8 SPCII, .32 Winchester Special, .308 and .338 Win Mag. I find there isn't too much I can't hunt with the guns I have. I just wanted a 25-06.

So I picked up a Weatherby Vanguard Series 2 and am mounting a Vortex Viper 4-16x50 on it. I'll be using it as my long range coyote rifle, or if money allows I hope to do a guided antelope hunt with it. Above all I intend to let it join my .308's in long range shooting at my gun club. My M1A Super Match may out distance it, but I have a feeling this rifle will prove to be a good long range shooter.

The Vanguard Series 2 is a nice looking synthetic piece with a trigger that's incredible right out of the box. I'm dying to shoot it, but living in the Pacific NW the weather has not been on my side when it comes to shooting. I'll laser bore sight it in the next couple of days and then wait for a break in the weather to finish sighting it in with live rounds. I'll be sure to post a range report when I finally get a chance to shoot it. Anyway it's an early Christmas for me, or at least that's the way it feels. I think the 25-06 will become a great addition to my gun safe. :D
 
Congratulations on your purchase, I'm both happy for you and jealous! I've always wanted a 25-06 myself but have never had the funds available when a deal would present itself. Looking forward to your range reports.
 
You'll like it. I will say one thing about it. It chews up anything it comes in contact with down range when using those bullet weights under 100 grains. As commented your intensions are to use on yotes. If so. Plan on doing some BIG Hole sewing if your into stretching hides. The cartridge is a dandy. Right up there with the 270 Win in accuracy. Congratulation's on your new acquisition NWCP.
 
Congrads. I like the 25/06 also and it is my "big gun caliber". I have 2 of them now and really like it. I don't need more power for what I shoot. The 25/06 is fun to shoot and does not beat me up like say a 7mm Rem Mag does.

I am sure you will love your gun and shoot it a lot. I know I found that once I started shooting the 25/06's, I moved from shooting say 50 rounds at a session to several hundred per trip. It is a lot more fun to shoot then to complain about getting beat up by recoil.
 
Thanks guys. Fortunately SureShot I generally don't go after song dogs for their pelts. If I am looking to save the pelt I can use my 6.8, or 5.56. I usually go after bobcat, or fox for the fur. I'm excited about getting into this round and look forward to hunting with it. For a synthetic stock the Vanguard is a good looking rifle. They have used the Mark V lines as a template and the medium grey with black inserts really works for me. I am really glad they went with a 1 in 10 24" barrel. The fact Weatherby guarantees sub MOA out of the box on all Vanguards is a good thing as well. I have never hand loaded before, but this caliber may get me into the hobby of doing my own loads... if I can find the space to do it.
 
The 25.06 is a really fun gun. I have a Ruger 77V that I bought new way back in the 70's.

I never could get the rifle to shoot well with the 87-90 grain bullets. Tried just about everything.

Then. . .I switched to 117-120 bullets along with IMR 4350 and the gun came alive. It shoots like a dream and the recoil is not so bad.

Hope your rifle works for you. If it doesn't, change bullet weights and keep after it. There is a LOT of potential there.
 
I have used the 25-06 as my deer rifle for 20 years now. It's a food gathering tool like no other IMHO. Mine is an Browing A bolt synthetic hunter with a 3X9 Vari-X scope that has never been moved since install. I reload for it but for hunting use I just buy a box of Federal Premium 100 grain and use them for the season. It's works like a light switch on deer, it just turns them off and they fall down. For punching paper I shoot 100 grain remington bulk bullets and have a couple of powders that work great. My bore shoots 100 grain the best out of all the choices.
 
.25-06 is a great cartridge as others have already stated. I have a Howa in .25-06 which is essentially the same barreled action as your Vanguard. Mine wears a Hogue stock w/ an aluminum bedding block. I get consistent 3/4" groups with my handloads.

I've tried a few different bullets and powders but I've currently settled on 80 gr Barnes TTSX and Hybrid 100V.

My manual lists a max load velocity of 3814 fps(try finding a factory .25-06 load with that velocity) but I'd say I'm in the neighborhood of 3650 with my load and a 22" barrel. I use that load for deer but it would work well for 'yotes too. Deer look like they have been "unplugged" when they are hit with it. I would not hesitate to use it on black bear if the opportunity ever presents itself.

The .25-06 is a reloader's dream and is a whole 'nother gun when compared to factory loads.
 
25-06target.jpg


5 shots, 100 yrds. First shot to the NW was a sighter. Rest are in one group.

2506_200_target4.jpg


50 Shots, 200 yrds, off the bench.
 
Boy oh boy, Ive been workin on a Savage 111 "flat top" that I bought from my daugjter. It loves 85 grain Ballistic Tip Varmint bullets and Ive been working with 115 grn partitions but not quite dialed in...
Man I love mine, wish you well with yours dude.

Yes bad-ss groups Pete..
 
2506s.jpg


The top was with the sendero (front gun) and the bottom was with the #1 (rear gun).

The top load was a 90 grn Seirra BTHP with 52.0 grns of IMR4350, WLRM Primers, Fed brass trimmed to 2.486, COL was 3.020. The Range conditions were moderate breeze from the rear. First round was from a cold barrel, the rest were shot as a group.

The bottom load was a Seirra 100 grn BTHP with 48.0 grns of IMR4350, WLRM primer, Rem brass trimmed to 2.486, The COL was 3.130. Range conditions were good with a light breeze left to right.

I love my Ruger #1, I just wish the barrel was 4" longer to take into account the ballistics better. Once I burn up this barrel (many years from now) I will switch it for a 28" so it can use the extra length. Also I will put target knobs on it instead of internal adjustable. I hate having to take the caps off to adjust the scope point of aim.
 
Nice!

Pete,
Those are nice indeed. And good shooting to boot. Just love the 25-06.
To the OP: If you ever go pronghorn hunting, you'll really appreciate that 25-06.If you ever handload for it, Pete's loads look mighty good.
My own load is: Win cases, 120gr Hornady HP, 50.7gr H-4831sc and Fed 210 primers. OAL is 3.220". That load has knocked antelope FLAT! Distances have averaged about 200+ yards. One in Lassen Co. CA, a few in Wyo. Great round.
 
Back in the early 70s I was a fairly serious woodchuck hunter. I got a nice .22-250, and am still very fond of the cartridge, although that rifle is long gone.:(

However, after seeing one of my friends with a (then new to the market) Rem 700 Varmint in .25-06 blow a woodchuck almost literally in two (only the spine connected the top and bottom) at a later measured 487 yards, I decided that the .25-06 might just have something going for it too!:D

The load was a case full of IMR 4350 and an 87gr hollowpoint. Big bad medicine for little (and even not so little) critters at any range you can see them.:D

Think about it, any cartridge that hangs around for half a century as a wildcat, and is still popular enough that a factory adopts it then has to have something going for it.

This is my current .25-06, picked it up at a gun show a few years back. Quite accurate and a delight to shoot, this gun has a sweet trigger, rather light, measured 38oz pull wt.
 
OP:

We shoot all winter long up here, there may be a few places in the NW that you could not (top of Mount Raineer and such) but for the rest, get out and shoot it and let us know how it does.

Its a caliber that interests me as I am enthralled with the 30-06.
 
RC20,

We don't usually get much snow around the Puget Sound, but the rain and wind play havoc with shooting. Besides that I'm waiting on a Vortex Viper 4-16x50 to arrive so I can mount it up and start the whole scope alignment process. I'll be sure to post a range report and hopefully get in some predator hunting as well. I've been a .308 fan for years and have a few excellent rifles chambered in that round. It is an accurate and hard hitting caliber that IMO is one that no hunter should be without. That being said I've always had a hankering for a 25-06. I've only fired friends rifles in 25-06 a few times, but it impressed me with its accuracy and reasonable recoil. The Vanguard just feels right and I'm hoping that holds true at the range and in the field. As long as the barrel outlives the likes of the 22-250 and a few other varmint/predator rifles I'll be a happy camper. Next it's off to pick up a sound suppressor for my 5.56 predator AR. With the Government taking its sweet time I'll be lucky to have it by next winter. You'll hear about my 25-06 long before that becomes a reality. :rolleyes:
 
The heck with the wind and rain I say, grab a scope from someitng and go!

(grin)

RC20,

We don't usually get much snow around the Puget Sound, but the rain and wind play havoc with shooting. Besides that I'm waiting on a Vortex Viper 4-16x50 to arrive so I can mount it up and start the whole scope alignment process.
Click to expand...

Yea I have been chewing on a rifle just for target shooting. 308 and 25-06 are on the choices currently on the list.
 
I have a Springfield M1A Super Match and a CZ550FS both in .308 of course. They make great target rifles. The CZ is also an excellent field gun. For big game, or dangerous game in North America I have a Browning BAR in .338 WinMag. It will flat lay down some meat. That said I've always had a yearning to own the venerable 25-06 and now I do. I just received my Vortex Viper 4-16x50 for it so I'm in the process of mounting the scope and sighting it in. I feel like a kid in a candy store when I open my gun safes these days. The 25-06 caps off a nice selection of hunting/bench guns that I've carefully selected over the years. I look forward to shooting it very soon now. What I really want to do though is get it in the field and flatten some song dogs with it. :D
 
Finally mounted a Vortex Viper HS LR 4-16x50 on my Vanguard 25-06. Hopefully off to the Range in the next few days to sight her in and start testing factory loads (I don't hand load... yet). I'm going to give Winchester Super X 90 grain expanding point ammo a try along with Remington Core-Lokt 100 grain for a starter. Since I intend to be using my rifle for predator hunting I'm in hopes the 90 grain Winchester ammo works out for me. Photos to follow.
 
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