.25-06 Remington

Wildcat cartridges are almost always started by hunters and the .25-06 Remington is no different.

The parent cartridge is a .30-06 Springfield and the 25-06 was necked down to a .257 caliber bullet.

History

The .25-06 had been around since 1912 but was standardized by Remington in 1969.

Charles Newton was the original creator of the .25-06 wildcat round, but it failed to gain traction for nearly 50 years.

Purpose of .25-06 Remington

With light recoil and flat trajectory, the .25-06 was a favorite for hunting medium-sized predators and even larger animals such as deer and antelope.

The primary purpose for the .25-06 Remington is hunting. I don’t see many people shooting it recreationally or for target shooting but it is still a somewhat popular hunting round.

Performance

When it comes to 25-06 Remington ballistics they are fairly impressive considering this cartridge what first developed in 1912.

A 117-grain bullet has a speed of 3,200 feet per second and energy on target is 2,500 foot-pounds.

This is pretty impressive considering this is largely used for smaller game hunting and target shooting.

Guns that Shoot .25-06

If you are looking for a new 25-06 rifle you are probably scratching your head asking who makes the best 25-06 rifle. Good question. While the best is hard to define here are some solid options for you to consider.

Savage 110

Savage Arms makes a number of quality but affordable bolt action rifles. Most of them are chambered in 10+ different calibers and are a number of different stock configurations.

Weatherby Vanguard

Weatherby has been making quality rifles since 1945 and each of their Vanguard series of rifles comes with a 25 06 Remington chamber option.

These rifles are nice because many of the models fall under $1,000 and are usually readily available online or in your local gun store.

Savage Axis

The Savage Axis is one of my favorite budget bolt guns on the market. For the price point, the Accutrigger and action are extremely hard to beat.

I have been shooting a Savage Axis since my late teenage years and I have yet to have an issue with it. Accuracy is on point and you absolutely can’t beat the price.

Browning X-Bolt

The Browning X-Bolt is on the higher end of the price spectrum for this list. While it’s a fantastic firearm that dons some pretty nice features and is extremely aesthetically pleasing, you will pay a premier for the Browning name and Buck logo.

That being said it does live up to the Browning name in terms of reliability and accuracy for a bolt action hunting rifle.

.25-06 Remington Ammo

Price

Pricing for .25-06, like anything these days, has gone up some but thankfully not a ton.

Most .25-06 rounds hover around the $1.20-$2 /per round price point. Making the boxes $23-$40 per 20-round box.

The lower-cost ammo is your standard target/range ammo and the upper pricepoint will be hunting ammo.

Availability

Finding 25-06 Remington ammo in stock can be done. But you may have to do a little digging. A lot of the less mainstream rounds have taken a backseat during the pandemic and are just now making a comeback on store shelves.

Your best bet for ammo will be to check online retailers like Natchez, PSA, Lucky Gunner, and others.

FAQ

Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about 25-06.