.25-06 Encore barrel stainless 24" or 26"

[Al Tierney]

I am going to get the Encore .25-06 in stainless which is new this year. I need recommendations as to whether to get the regular 24" barrel or the heavy 26" barrel.

I will use it to hunt whitetail deer in woods and fields. Shots 50 to 250 yards. I like accurate rifles but I am not fanatical. I do move around with my Encore, but I am not humping with it all day.

Will there be appreciable accuracy differences in the two barrels, so as to push one over the other?

Thanks
agdexter

[poncaguy]

I would go with the 26" barrel with the 25-06. Being a single shot, overall length isn.t that bad and you would get the most out of the cartridge......

[bknight]

I'd also opt for the 26 inch barrel.  25-06 is overbore (almost magnum) and you'll get a velocity gain over the 26 (not sure how much)

Weight might be a factor, too.  I have a 27 inch VVCG barrel (0.800 muzzle diameter) with the VVCG steel base with a 4.5-14 Burris scope.  

I don't have a total weight on the whole rig, though.  It isn't bad to carry to a stand and back, but I surely wouldn't want to stillhunt with it all day.