25-06 vs 270 vs 30-06

**pietskiet** · 13-10-2008, 01:21

here it comes. Wat do jou guys think?

**Corné** · 13-10-2008, 08:05

I have a personal preference for the 25-06 and the 30-06 and I feel that these two complement one another. The upper level of the 25-06 is basically just below the lower level of the 30-06 with just a bit of a gap inbetween IMO. To me the 30-06 is a bit of a all rounder that can do a bit of everything but not a specialist. The 25-06 duplicates this character pretty much but with a slight tendance to become a specialist in long flat trajectory shots. The 270 is a specialist breed for long distance shots. This is how I see these three. I have only owned a 30-06 at some point and no personal experience with the other two but from what I have read, this is how I understand these three.

**ikor** · 13-10-2008, 08:13

I'll play.

I think the .30-06 is probably the best all around medium caliber ever devised for a rifle. Yes, there are other excellent ones, and the .270 is a great cartridge as well, but not a true all-rounder to my mind. With the exception of large, dangerous game, you can hunt anything in the world with a .30-06 and not be undergunned given proper ammo, reasonable stalking skills and a cool head. I don't hunt any more but if I did and was restricted to a single rifle, the .30-06 would be my choice.

**Count Bla** · 13-10-2008, 09:09

Originally Posted by ikor

I think the .30-06 is probably the best all around medium caliber ever devised for a rifle.

...if I did and was restricted to a single rifle, the .30-06 would be my choice.

+1, old man!

I'm also a huge van of 30-06, probably because that's what I grew up with. My pappie used to hunt with one and shot anything from impala to eland to wildebeest, no problem. He's got a Musgrave 30-06 sitting in a safe, just waiting to come home with me!

That being said, I also love the 270 for smaller game at long distance. Not too much experience with it though.

**Musgrave** · 13-10-2008, 09:35

Originally Posted by Corné

I have a personal preference for the 25-06 and the 30-06 and I feel that these two complement one another. The upper level of the 25-06 is basically just below the lower level of the 30-06 with just a bit of a gap inbetween IMO. To me the 30-06 is a bit of a all rounder that can do a bit of everything but not a specialist. The 25-06 duplicates this character pretty much but with a slight tendance to become a specialist in long flat trajectory shots. The 270 is a specialist breed for long distance shots. This is how I see these three. I have only owned a 30-06 at some point and no personal experience with the other two but from what I have read, this is how I understand these three.

Couldn'y put it better myself! I hunt with a Musgrave Model 80 in .30-06, and have bought a .25-06 (that was advertised on this forum) for exactly the reasons stated above.

In the 30-06 I use handloaded ammo (220gr Rhinos @ 2400fps), and for the 25-06 I'll probably load 115gr/120gr Noslers (@ 3000fps+).

I hunted my first buck (kudu) with a .270, but that calibre...well, it doesn't excite me. If the majority of your hunting takes place over long distance (Karoo, Free State etc.) the .270 would be a good choice.

**Longshot** · 13-10-2008, 10:05

I used a 25-06AI to kill a wounded blue wildebeest at 350m ( rangefinder ). It had been wounded by a badly placed shot from .308, and the bloke who wounded missed twice more. The blue fell like a ton of bricks from a neckshot. This is a wonderfull longrange caliber. My nephew who is the owner of the 25-06 AI recently shot a 68mm group at 500m!!!!

The 30-06 has got to be the most versatile caliber ever created, can you name all the other calibers wich were born from the 30-06? I think the fact that Massad Ayoob said it would be the caliber he chooses if he was only allowed one gun is ennuff said about the 30-06.

The 270 is the one I grew up with hunting, I shot everything from springbok to Kudu with it from the Northern Cape to the Freestate and it has never let me down - the 130 gr bullets are fantastic longrange killers.

If I could only have only one it would be the 30-06 ( wich I have ), if I could take two the 30-06 and the 25-06 would do very nicely. I would change the 25-06 to AI though.

Just my 0.02

**Corné** · 13-10-2008, 11:02

AI - Aickly Improved..... I know the concept but how does the process work regarding your licence? Lets say I have a 30-06 and I want to change it to AI. I can have the work done on the rifle and change it to AI but what about the license? Does this need to be changed or not?

**Longshot** · 13-10-2008, 11:15

I'm not 100% sure, but I think that if the caliber stays the same ( .308 ) there is no relicencing required. You also use the same brass, and the brass is stamped for the caliber of your licence so you dont have to explain about different ammo than the ones on your licence. Will make sure when I visit him this weekend.

**PIET75** · 13-10-2008, 12:30

This is a bit off topic, but a good piece of advice. DON'T put a .308 cartrige in 25-06.

This is what will happen

[img][/img]

**Corné** · 13-10-2008, 12:38

I would say that it is a case of make sure what goes into the chamber, is the correct cartridge. I think that in general it is more applicable to rifles as some rifle cartridges can easily be mistaken with disasterous effects!!!