Deer Barrel Questions...

[MJO]

I am a newbie.  I have an Encore.  I need a deer rifle barrel. 
I have decided tht I am either going to get a 25-06 or a 7mm-08.  Which would you recomend, Why?  How comparable is the performance and the recoil?

Next question...Heavy barrel?  What is the advantage?  I like the look of them, but what is the advantage/disadvantage?

Barrel length.  I hunt from tree stands so I was leaning to a shorter barrel...hopefully 24" no longer than 26". 
I am currently wanting the 7-08 more but leaning to the 25-06 because I can get a heavy barrel in that caliber.

I am asking for your advise, expertise, and reasoning.

Thank you,
Mike

[Grumulkin]

Both the 25-06 and the 7mm/08 are great for deer.  Recoil is about the same in both.  For long range shooting, the 25-06 has the advantage; for up to 200 yards either will do fine.

The advantage of the heavy barrel is potentially improved accuracy.  I've found the accuracy in tapered Encore barrels to be excellent however.  I do prefer the heavy barrels though.

As far as barrel length is concerned, you will probably will have no more than a 50 to 75 fps velocity advantage with a 26 as opposed to a 24 inch barrel.  On the other hand, will 2 inches really make a difference in a tree stand?

Of all the rifle barrels I have, my Encore 25/06 with a heavy barrel is one of my favorites and one of the most accurate.

By the way, you can get a heavy 7mm/08 barrel through Thompson/Center's Custom Shop.

[LHitchcox]

For deer hunting, you wouldn't need the heavy barrel- more weight to lug around. One  benefit of a heavy barrel is that they heat up slower, therefore, more accurate for longer strings. That shouldn't be much a factor deer hunting where one shot usually does the job. Another benefit is that a heavier barrel tends to be easier to shoot accurately. It makes the gun seem muzzle heavy and holds on target better. But for general deer hunting a sporter barrel is all that is needed.

As far as calibers, I shoot both out of bolt guns. There is  an advantage for me to carry a short action  in 7-08, but that is not relevant in a single-shot Encore. A .25-06 shoots lighter bullets far and flat with little recoil. The 7-08 uses heavier bullets with very moderate recoil. The real advantage of the 7-08 is that it is  better suited to larger game.

Leon

[Steve Pennington]

I have been hunting with a 7-08 for a wile.  Made my longest shot on a whitetail last fall, 246 yds.  There are a wider selection of reloading components and factory ammo than with the 25-06.  It can also be used on bigger game than deer, if you select bullet weight and construction wisely.

A standard taper barrel will serve you well.  That said I Don't think you could go wrong with either caliber, but the 7-08 would be my choice.

[jobyjob]

7mm-08 all the way! Much more flexible round with a wider range of bullet weights.

For deer hunting, as opposed to target shooting, a sporter weight barrel is much nicer to handle in the field.

A 22" barrel will give you all the performance you'd ever need out of a 7mm-08, but since there is no action on an Encore adding to the overall length, even a 24" barrel will feel plenty short and handy in a treestand.

[Tn Jim]

Another vote for the 7-08.

[12ptdroptine]

I have read somewhere that the 25-06 wasnt refined and as accurate as some of the other rounds I do not know this first hand ...Just remember reading it somewhere..Would be worth checking out before dropping the $ Maybe a Bergara?

[30-06man]

The 25-06 in the TC barrel has mixed results so I would stay away from it. I would go with the 308 over the 7mm08 because of the ease of find factory ammo and you have a bigger selection of ammo. I would go with the 270 if I were you and all of these rounds will reach out past 300 yards but you wouldn't hardly need to shoot this far. Most deer aren't taken that far out as you may or may not know.

[Lone Star]

In a good barrel with good loads the .25-06 is as accurate as any other game round.  I had not heard of problems with that chambering in the Encore, but if true that criticism would be limited to that firearm only.  Other firearms makers have been able to get great accuracy out of the .25-06.



.

[30-06man]

Yeah they have been getting mixed reviews. One member made sure everyone knew about his problems and TC didn't seem cooperative with him. I have heard good and bad so I would say you are gambling with that one.

[yooper77]

I like the standard 24" tapered blue barrels, I feel the 26" heavy barrels are not balanced for my taste.

From your choices I like the 7mm-08.

The simplest choices would be 308 Winchester or 30-06 Springfield, for ammunition cost and availability.

yooper77

[PTH]

MJO,
     If I had to choose between the calibers you have chosen I would go with the 7-08, but if I were open to any standard caliber
that may be better than either of the 2 depending on whose hands the rifle is in, I would go with a .270. I'm not gonna bore you with ballistic charts, my reason is because I have been shooting a .270 for about 15 years, probably killed somewhere around 125 deer with this caliber and have been very satisfied. I have my old model 70 in .270 and I now have an encore in .270. I've had the encore for 3 years, it has killed about 20 deer ranging from 35 to 250 yds, last season I shot a coyote at 418, he never heard the shot. I say go with .270 Encore, top it with a good scope, do a trigger job on it and never look back.

[fishinhuckle]

Many statements are true but my 25 with a 16.25" barrel is awsome for hunting and especially in tree stands. Would I pick it to punch paper at 400 yds? Nope, It would be my weatherby in 7 mag; but my 25 encore is my go to deer rifle no matter what conditions. Simple, light and fast, thats what the encores are all about. They are awsome general hunting rifles.

Huck