Owned and shot both the 25-06 and 257 Roberts in rifles built on Mauser actions. I found both cartridges accurate for varmints. 26-06 had considerable muzzle blast even from a 24-inch barrel. I would think a 26-inch barrel is best on a 25-06 to take advantage of all that powder it burns. I would think a 22-inch barrel on a 25-06 is a monster to avoid.

I had more experience with the 257 Roberts on big game. 120-grain Speers with 45-grains of IMR 4350 was my favorite load for deer and elk. I did switch to 7x57 Mauser w/140-grain bullets. Certainly need more bullet weight for the big, hairy stuff.

BTY: My 257 Robert varmint load was 49-grains of IMR 4350 with any good 87-grain bullet. A SCREAMIN’ load. Case life was very short maybe about three loadings @Cartridge.

Later.

Even though I don't own, and have never owned a 25-06; I have always respected it's capabilities.
In northern Canada, it is used as a top notch wolf round by those who hunt that animal seriously. For deer and antelope, it would probably be excellent.
As far as case life goes; whenever the subject of case life is brought up with a cartridge based on the 30-06 or 308, in a rifle with forward locking lugs; I tend to wonder if it's not improper sizing technique.

Hey, Cory, let's not pick on the youngsters too much! I could have gone and spent my money on a fancy-new short-fat that eats expensive ammo and kicks my butt to shoot ... but instead, I got the classics - a .270Win and a .30-06. A .30-30 is next on the list...

DP: On the topic of .25 cartridges, any thoughts on the .25-20? Dad has great-granddad's .25-20 in near-mint condition, and while ammo is pricey ($40/50), it looks like a beauty of a shooter...

Dave..Have you ever had an article on the .264 Winchester Magnum? That was a darn good "flat shooter" that never caught on either. I recall reading that due to the bore size-to-powder charge it caused accelerated throat erosion,and case life suffered, as well. I am bit of a magnum follower since I enjoy reloading and the case capacity of these rounds allows for interesting results.

Thanks Dave--Great Blog,for sure.

Love the .25's...I grew up shooting the .257 Roberts and am all the better for it. No recoil and devastating results on the white tail I hunt in Mississippi. Great round.

To Mark: I would be careful with that screaming load. If you're only getting three shots out of your brass, your pressures are either WAY too high or your dies aren't adjusted right, but something is definitely wrong.

To Mike Deihl: Rifles never wear out, the number of hunters is shrinking, the essential designs of rifles haven't changed for 100 years, and so the gun biz has to do something, and that is, a raging torrent of new cartridges.

Pressures are certainly high with the 49-grain IMR4350 load for 87-grain bullets in 257 Roberts I mentioned, but this is a load listed in Speer's Manual #6 and Hornady’s Manual [1976 edition], and although the primer was flat it wasn’t dangerously flat, nor was the bolt difficult to open. However, after three loadings a ring would start to form on the base. That’s when I would toss the case. As I recall I resized the entire case. That may have had something to do with short case life.

The shortest case life was with .220 Swifts with also about three reloads before I saw the ring forming, but you don’t buy a 220 Swift to be conservative, nor a 25-06 in my opinion. I have this philosophy when I load for varmints.

BTY the most accurate load I found for 220 Swift is Remington’s Premier Varmint Loads disturbuted in 1994*. I can’t beat them. I tried.

Many thanks for your concern and advice!

*Lost the lot number

Mark
Reloading is an art, and like many other arts, I will assume that is is open to interpretation; unless you are hunting!
The animals deserve to have a load that is repeatable, not only maximum.
The second round needs to be able to be chambered, no matter what the temperature is.
It is unacceptable to have a loose primer fall into the magazine; many will disagree with me on this.
Reliability is just as important as accuracy; and more important than velocity!

In my very limited experience, the .25-06 is a superb deer/antelope round. I've been using one ("old" model Ruger M77) since the early 70's and have nothing but good things to say about both the rifle and cartridge. The first year I hunted (w/ a borrowed 7mm Rem. Mag.) the ranch in Southeastern Montana I've returned to for the last 30+ years, I asked the owner/guide what he recommended. He strongly suggested the .25-06 as "the perfect round" for that country. (And also hinted that, since he was tired of chasing wounded deer for Eastern dudes that couldn't handle 7mm Mag. recoil, if I came back with a 7 Mag. I was likely to find it at the bottom of the Tongue River. Good advice.) I bought one and have used it every year since with no regrets. It's massive overkill for coyotes, but close to ideal for big mule deer, whitetail and antelope. It shoots flat, hits hard with my handloads of 53-54 grs. of H-4831 under 120 gr. Nosler Partitions or Rem. Core-Lokts (a little warm but OK in my rifle) and doesn't recoil much. Great rifle for women and inexperienced (young) hunters. Sometimes I wish there were 10-20 gr. heavier bullets available (imagine the S.D.!!) but then the feeling passes and I'm perfectly happy with the 120's. A RFGW from Wyoming, sadly no longer with us, used it on everything up to and including elk and had nothing but good things to say about it. I've played with a baker's dozen different calibers in those 30+ years but have always come back to the .25-06. And speaking of different calibers, anyone out there playing with the 6.5-.284 wildcat?? Had one made up on a Rem. M700 long action and will take it to Montana this year to play with (along w/ my .25-06). Any load recommondations and/or web sites for info would be appreciated. Gotta go. Montana's only 2 months away and I need to load some .25-06 for the trip. Good Hunting to all of you out there. Hope this season is successful and safe.

P.S. to DEP: As soon as you return from the 15-20 or so hunts we all know you'll go on this Fall, please post them to this blog as soon as you return. We're anxious to hear where you went, what you hunted (& w/ what rifle/cartridge) and if you had any luck. Although, animal or not, any time in the field beats the hell out of time at work.

guys yes reloading is an art form as well as an engineering feet ,that most dont try to conquer .but im hearing some scary things here ,i read that some cases were disgarded because they thought they had been shot enough not sure? for shame if you dont keep rock solid stats on everything from lenght change to the obvious wear and tear your just asking for trouble theirs so much more to it than velocity and drop and or performance . safety should be numero uno. dont teach the young bad habbits , records of everything should be kept,primer type case fired once twice ,brand of brass, fire formed ? or off the shelf oh well you know !! lets keep our ears intackt and our limbs attached kapisch. in my book exsessive wear is for the manufacturers to deal with not my blued beutys !!

I grew up in Wyoming, and have been an avid gun nut and reloader since the late '60s. I have owned, shot and reloaded for just about everything that came along. For open plains and mountain hunting, the one catridge that has always been accurate, mild to shoot, easy to load for and accurate in any rifle I used, is the 25-06. I currently own 2, one light weight sporter and one heavy barreled varminter, both Remington 700's. I have killed everything from prarie dogs, coyotes, antelope, deer, elk and moose with this cartridge, and have never had to shoot any of them twice. I shoot and like 416's, 375's, 300 Weatherbys, 7mm Rem mags, and even an old 35 Whelen. The 25-06, with my favorite loading of 4064 topped with the Nosler 120 gr Partition, will do for all. Shoots straight, light to carry, and no recoil. What more do we need?

Roger-
Good Hunting, be safe,and bring back some pics!