25-06 vs. .260 vs. .270

higbean

New member
I have a .270 and I really like it, but after shooting a friends 25-06, I am thinking I would like to have a rifle suited for 75-100 grain bullets that would buck the wind better at long ranges than the .223's I have been using on coyotes. What do you guys think between these three choices? I like the efficiency of the .260, the lighter recoil and the high bc bullets. Would it be a good contender with the 25-06? What do you shooters think?
 
I know you asked about the 260, but if I may have a little leeway here. I shoot a 6.5 x 55 Swede. It is practically a ballistic twin of the 260 so my comments may be relevant.

I have all three. The 260 will never be able to reach the punch of the 25-06 and the 25-06 will not reach the knockdown of the 270. For deer sized game and down I put my 270 away for the 25-06. When I got my Swede the 25-06 was also put away. The little swede/260 defies logic with its ability to cleanly take game up to deer sized. It is an absolute pleasure to shoot and gives all the energy needed to take anything I have pointed it at. Given a choice of the three, I would use the 260 with 120 Ballistic tips bullets.
 
Higbean,

You did not say whether you wanted to use the 25-06 or 260
as a "combination" coyote/deer cartridge.

I aggree with "Ragin" the the 260/6.5X55 is a "sleeper" cartridge, very efficient round and like the 7/08 will take time to catch on.

I don't think there is any pratical difference between the 25-06 with 100 or 120 grains bullets and the 270 with 130 gr bullets. They both will "dump" what ever they are pointed at. I would give the 25-06 a 100 yard edge over the 260....a 400 yard cartridge for sure.

At ranges under 350 yards and bullet weight close to being equal (120gr vs 120gr.) there is no pratical difference between the 260 vs. 25-06 except that bullet selection for the 25-06 is more numerous. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I find the 25-06 even with its 06 size case capasity a
easier cartridge to shoot than a 270..of course lighter bullet weight plays into this. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I used to think the 25-06 was the "Texas" state flower"
but I was wrong. It's another form of "Texas cactus",
its sticks what ever it hits. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

Hog
 
Quote:
The little swede/260 defies logic with its ability to cleanly take game up to deer sized.



Rajun,
Not picking on you here but the .260 is very under-estimated. Many Swedes use the 6.5 for moose. Look at the .264 120 gr Nosler BT sectional density and ballistic coeffic. compared to the .30 cal. 165 gr Hornady SST...They're very similar. If you have a 1/8 twist, you can run 140 grainers out of your .260/6.5 and have excellent results.
 
I shoot 75 gr VMax out of my 25/06 at coyotes and it SMOKES 'um. It does an excellent job at 300-400 yards but not near what I would call "fur freindly". I have owned all of what you asked for at one time or another. Over the years have traded them because they wouldn't do anything my 25/06 didn't already do. No use filling up the safe with a bunch of twins. I am not a fan of a .270 anyway. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
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I went with the 25-06 for no good reason other than my dad always talked about getting one when I was a kid but he never did .When I'm lookin for myself I tend to go to short action cartridges because the area I hunt does not require me to make shots over 200 yards 99.9% of the time . My "go-to" is a 7mm-08 Savage 116FSS in Stainless . I bought my 25-06 for fun . Bought a HOWA 1500 barreled action and a Boyds Thumbhole stock . This gun is a little heavy but nice .A handy gun is my main concern . The yotes around here don't seem to mind if they are hit with a 7mm or .25 bullet .Heck sometimes they get hit with .224 bullets .If you still can't make up your mind get one of each.
 
For longer range deer and coyotes, out to 600 yards, its very hard to beat the 25-06 w/115-120g bullets at 3100fps. I really like the 115g NBT with its .450 BC. I've dumped a few deer and coyotes between 500-600 yards. IT works very very well for this purpose. 25-06 isn't the greatest elk cartridge, but with a good bullet and shot placement it will get the job done to 400 yards or so.

I"ve never owned a 260, but if I did I would shoot a 120-130g bullet. It will knock any deer flat on its butt to 500 yards or so. If you wanna go after elk, you could load a good 140g bullet and be perfectly suitable for elk to 300-400 yards as well.

I owned a 270 for a short time, I loved it. It was a remington 700 BDL and shot lights out with 150g sierra gamekings with Rl-22 or H4831 at 2950fps. It will take deer to 800 yards and elk to 600 w/out hesitation. I wished I never sold the gun, like I said it was shooter with those 150's. It hits a lot harder then the other 2 past 600 yards with the 150g bullet. More suitable to elk then the other 2, great long range deer rifle.

Its a toss up between them all, but if I wanted a dual purpose coyote/deer getter, IMO I dont think theres much better then the 25-06. For coyotes you can use the 85g NBT at 3600 and watch fur fly, or go to 100g NBT at 3350fps for coyotes/deer as well. If you want the longer range capability, the 110-115g AB/NBT at 3100fps will do anything you want to 600 yards. The 25 doesn't kick hard at all, much like a 243 IMO, its very acurate cartrdige, fired my smallest 3 shot group in my life at 100 yards with my Winchester classic in 25-06, it measured .045". I've killed everything from squirrels to black bear and my sister wacked a cow elk at 300-350 yards last year.

I pretty much wanted a medium sized caliber that was fast, flat, and accurate with some punch for deer size game. I didn't want the 270 because you couldn't get anythign lighter then a 130g NBT, there wasn't much to choose from in the .264" department, I dont really care for 6mm much for LR deer unless its set up accordingly, so that pretty much left me with the .257" caliber and the 25-06. That was about 6 years ago. I've already shot 1 barrel out, and I"m on another. I"ll always have a 25-06 around, its a pretty versatile cartridge. If I didnt like the 25 so much, I'd still take a 270 anyday. I've never been a real fan of shortactions, so that kinda leaves the 260 out for me in the end...
 
If it's mostly for coyotes and Pdogs you might consider the 243. It'll go up to 105 grain bullets and literally destroys varmints with the 55 grainers. It's an excellent gun that can be shot all day in the squirrel fields and makes deer pretty dead with the right bullets.

Other than that RagnCagn hit the nail on the head.
 
I was about to suggest the 243 as well, while it is not the deer gun a 270 or 25-06 is it is a bit better IMHO for yotes and Pdog. Any thing larger than the 243 is somwhat overkill on varments the 260 is right in the same group as the 25-06 and 257 Roberts and 270 with the Winchester being more at the top end of that group. But much of that rateing is objective. You will find folks who swear by the 25-06 and others who swear at them. Same as the 260 witch is very under rated BTW, and the 270. Opinion of individuals plays a big role in catridge choices. When you ask for opinions, you get them and they are like elbows every one has a couple.
 
I have a 25-06 an absolutely love it
Blows the sheets rite off a coyote though
For a combo gun it is very hard to beat
I got one in a Ruger #1
 
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