That's a nice rifle, Meatman
To expand slightly on the excellentr reply written by
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1. One of my former bosses was a great fan of the .25-06 cartridge. He had a Remington 721 for over 20 years, and there's no way to estimate how many rounds he fired through it. He used to work in a wide-open stretch of West Texas desert, and had permission from all the local landowners to varmint hunt their property. He took full advantage of the situation, too.
Years ago, he bought a large container of surplus IMR 4831 powder. I think the drum held something like 50 pounds, but it was certainly over 25. He shot almost all that powder in that one rifle. When he moved east, he couldn't hunt as often, but did go to the range frequently. A few years ago, he regretfully threw out the last pound or so of that surplus 4831 because of the age, and it was starting to break down.
2. I own two Ruger 77 rifles made a few years before yours. Mine are .30'06 and .257 Roberts. I've had each for over 20 years. I've handloaded and shot both
a LOT, working up loads, practicing, and hunting. Many shooters check their deer rifle sights once, go on one or two hunts, and don't fire 20 rounds per year. Their interest is in the hunt rather than in the shooting. My Elder Son and I, though,
like to shoot rifles. We often fire 50 rounds through one centerfire rifle in an afternoon. My .257 has been used by both my sons and at least four others to take their first deer. Each of them had practiced with it beforehand. Some of them have used it on additional hunts.
When I got my .257, factory ammo was very mild, so I usually loaded it well above factory specs. Nowadays, they offer .257 +P ammo similar to my old loads. This is just means that all my shooting has been with healthy loads, and very few reduced for ladies or children. While the .257 is a little milder than your .25-06, it is the same bore size and may be considered a high velocity rifle, though not a magnum. It'll still shoot sub-one inch groups, if the shooter does his (her
) part.
Shoot your Ruger .25 all you want with factory-equivalent loads, take care of it, and it's likely it will still be shooting well for your son, and perhaps for his.
Best regards to you and the lad
Johnny