223 or 25 06

[countryrebel8174]

well i thought i was going to buy a 223 here real soon but latley ive been thinking about getting a 25 06....i was wondering if i could get you guys to compare these 2 calibers for me . what are your likes and dislikes for each. thanks guys

country rebel

[warf73]

What will this rifle be used for?
That would help with the decision making.

Warf

[7.62X63]

What is the rifle's primary use?
If just short range varmints-223
If long range varmints-25/06
If varmints and nothing larger than deer/antelope-25/06(I know larger things can be handled with 25/06,but there are better suited cartridges)
I personally like both but if I had to choose,the 25/06 would get my vote.
 :-)

[nomosendero]

I love them both!

7.62X63 hit it on the head.

These cartridges are VERY different, you need to tell us what you are going to do with this gun or we are stabbing in the dark.

[Don Fischer]

I love both and have both. Totally different tho. Now if you had asked about the 223 vrs 243 or the 243 vrs the 25-06, think I could give an answer.

[killdeer]

For high volume fun and cheap ammo with critters less than deer size on the menu, clearly the 223. Just about anyone can enjoy shooting it.
  If deer size critters are a possibility, or a longer range rig is desired, then the 25-06.

[Gregory]

I didn't vote in your poll.  I own both and since they don't really overlap in their application I wouln't want to choose between them.  I have owned more rifles in 223 than 25/06, but as of now, only one of each.

[oso45-70]

well i thought i was going to buy a 223 here real soon but latley ive been thinking about getting a 25 06....i was wondering if i could get you guys to compare these 2 calibers for me . what are your likes and dislikes for each. thanks guys

country rebel

Countryrebel8174

In my opinion these two loads are too far apart to choose one over the other, They are both  great calibers but have different use's, one is for light coyote-p-dog general varminting use, The 25-06 is for larger game such as deer, Although it can be used for long range for about any of the smaller game. I am sorry to say this but you are going to have to buy one of each. A man can't have too many guns. I must say though to shoot the 25-06 is going to cost a lot more than the 223Rem. Like some have said before me i did not vote because there is too wide a gap between the two rifles, Good luck makeing your choice ..........Joe...........

[2ndtimer]

Well, since I already have a 270WSM and a 6.5x55, I voted for the .223.  Great cartridge for fun shooting, varmint punching, and up to coyotes.  Cheap, plentiful accurate factory ammo available and easy to reload for.  Hard to assemble cartridges that won't group well, if your rifle is anything other than a Mini 14.  I am sur the 25-06 is also a fine cartridge, but I have never owned or shot one.  I miss my old Savage 110GV in .223.  Probably the most consistently accurate rifle I have owned, and certainly the most deadly on untold ground squirrels, rock chucks, and a big badger.

[countryrebel8174]

the gun would be used for varmints and coyotes...who ever said you cant own enough guns, you hit the nail on the head...i just wished my wife believed the same :wink:

country rebel

[nomosendero]

I use both for Varmits, but I use the 25-06 only for windy conditions & at the longer ranges, if I know that I will be shooting over 350 yards, in other words it takes a more minor role as far as shots fired is concerned. It is NOT a volume round.

The .223 is much better out to 300 yards & under the right conditions with the right bullet you can make do out to 400 yards. If you do volume shooting for PD's or Ground Squirrel's, it is no contest & the 223 is it.
For target practice & just shooting along with the small Varmits, the difference in cost between the 223 & 25-06 is hugeas is the diff. in barrel life. For most Varmit shooting, then the 223 would be the best choice.

You did not ask for this but another way to look at this since you can buy just one rifle is if you shoot volume only occasionally & if your coyotes are big & shot out at 400 or longer, then you could buy a 22-250. The ammo cost, barrel life, etc. would be in between & makes a great allround
Varmiter. I own one of those to, but the 223 remains the workhorse.

[longwalker]

I too have both and see them as different solutions to different problems. Strictly speaking I see the the 223 as a light gun used for varmints and such. I pull it out when the shots will be 300 yards and under. because of inexpensve ammunition I use it mostly Prairie dog shooting.

The 25-06 I pull out when the shots are long and the wind is blowing.  350 yards plus on Prairie dogs and other undesirables. The real plus for the 25-06 is big game. It is a super big game rifle. One can question how big is big, but "deer size" critters pose no problems.

223 inexpensive ammunition

25-06 more expensive ammunition with greater recoil and much louder

longwalker

[flintlock]

Heck...split the difference and buy a .243....   :lol:

[oso45-70]

Heck...split the difference and buy a .243....   :lol:

           

How about a 6MM Rem, I use one and have no complaints with it.

                Rebel   ............Joe........

[Coyote Hunter]

The two really solve different problems so the best course is to decide what is most important to you and choose accordingly.  For what it is worth, I don’t own either but I do have a heavy-barrel .22-250 and a sporter weight .257 Roberts that I load to +P pressures (meaning it doesn’t give up much to the .25-06).

The .223 is a wonderful round – almost no recoil, plentiful and inexpensive ammo, and accurate. It doesn’t use much powder which makes it easier on the barrels when the p-dog action gets heavy.  But in Colorado the .223 is not legal for antelope or larger so its pretty much just a varmint and fun cartridge with a decent range.

The .25-06 is, IMHO, the largest of the true dual-purpose varmint/big game cartridges.  I use my 257 Roberts and 3700fps 75g V-MAX almost exclusively these days for coyotes.  With 120g A-Frame or Trophy Bonded or 115g TSX bullets the .25-06 will reliably take mule deer and many elk have fallen to this cartridge.  Wouldn’t be my first choice for elk but I doubt I’d pass a good opportunity, either.

[countryrebel8174]

well i kinda like recoil, so the 25-06's recoil wouldnt be a problem. i like the advantage of being able to shoot longer distances, however i like the price of the shells for the 223 and the fact that the barrel life is longer. is the 22 250 pretty flat shooting? how expensive are shells? does it burn the barrel up pretty quick? my grandpa has a 220 swift and he burned up the barrel real quick, so im trying to stay away from that. i like to shoot and i like to shoot alot.

country rebel

[Coyote Hunter]

well i kinda like recoil, so the 25-06's recoil wouldnt be a problem. i like the advantage of being able to shoot longer distances, however i like the price of the shells for the 223 and the fact that the barrel life is longer. is the 22 250 pretty flat shooting? how expensive are shells? does it burn the barrel up pretty quick? my grandpa has a 220 swift and he burned up the barrel real quick, so im trying to stay away from that. i like to shoot and i like to shoot alot.

country rebel

country rebel –

With 3700fps 75g V-MAX loads the .257 Roberts runs about 10 foot-pounds recoil.  With a 120g A-Frame at 2947fps it runs about 14 foot-pounds – a bit more than a factory .30-30 load.  Recently I took a coyote at 479 lasered yards with the 75g V-MAX.  A .25-06 will drive it a bit faster and flatter than my .257 Roberts.

The .22-250 is also very flat shooting.  Longest coyote shot was just under 500 yards (490+).  A 40g Nosler BT leaves the barrel at 4050fps with my loads and is very accurate.  These days, though, I’ve settled on 52g Speer and Hornady 52g Match BTHP’s at a ‘modest’ 3578fps.  This is slightly below max and should enhance barrel life.  The .22-250 is significantly more expensive than .223 ammo – you can buy a box of .223 for around $3.  If you don’t handload but like to shoot, the .223 will probably be the better choice.  Get a scope with some kind of range compensating system (like mil-dots) and the .223 will shoot out as far as you want.  Wind drift may be more than with a .25 and heavier bullets but you can learn to adjust for that, too.

“i like to shoot and i like to shoot alot.”  Here’s a good suggestion - make sure you have a .22LR.  My girls and I use mine to shoot clay pigeons at the 200 yard line using the scope’s lower thick-to-thin Duplex transition point to aim with.  Works on p-dogs at that range, too!  Regardless of which centerfire you get, the .22 will give you something to do while the barrel cools.  And nothing is cheaper than .22 ammo.

[Don Fischer]

who ever said you cant own enough guns, you hit the nail on the head...i just wished my wife believed the same  

Anyone that didn't say it, thoyght it.....excetp your wife!

[nomosendero]

Coyote Hunter
Good point about the Mil Dot. I have a Mil Dot scope on my RRA Varmiter AR. This rifle will shoot 5 shot groups under 1/2" with 69, & 77 MK, 75OTM
& 60 gr. V-Max. The V-Max will still kill a Coyote at 400 & is another reason the 22-250 has a more minor role for me.

[countryrebel8174]

(coyote hunter) HereÂ’s a good suggestion - make sure you have a .22LR. My girls and I use mine to shoot clay pigeons at the 200 yard line using the scopeÂ’s lower thick-to-thin Duplex transition point to aim with. Works on p-dogs at that range, too! Regardless of which centerfire you get, the .22 will give you something to do while the barrel cools. And nothing is cheaper than .22 ammo

yea i have a 22lr its a ruger 10/22. i used to shoot it all the time when i was younger but i think i shot it so much im getting a little bored with it. i still shoot ground squirrels with it every now and again.i suppose it would give me something to do while the barrel cools. good suggestion.

country rebel

[huntswithdogs]

Here's a way to JUSTiFY 2 new rifles in your wife's eyes. Go out and price the most expensive rifle in both calibers and show them to her. Then check the prices on 2 of the new Savages. 2 rifles cheaper than 1 high dollar gun! Heck she might fall for it! Be worth trying anyway.....

HWD

[countryrebel8174]

yea i doubt she would fall for it...nice thought though. we went to sportsmens warehouse in bend oregon today and i almost bought the 25 06 (ruger m77 mkII)but she was getting irritated so i figured id save it for another day. she was all about buying a 14 hundred dollar bed though. oh well....ill get it one of these days.

country rebel

[DannoBoone]

This poll reminds me of some of the polls of the past, "If you could have
only one rifle......".  :lol:  Perhaps in your case, yours is the same.... :cry:

The Hornady Reloading manual of the mid-'70's gave accuracy loads for
the 25-06, as well as maximum loads. Using IMR 4895, their accuracy load
for their 75gr HP was 3300fps.....the same turned out to be true for my
rifle. No prairie dog within 300yds was safe on the first shot, and no P-dog
was safe for the second shot out to around 450yds (and many of those
were vaporized even the first shot). By no means is this a barrel-burner
load, but it was VERY accurate. One does not need shoulder-bruising,
barrel burning speeds with this cartridge to be both accurate and lethal.

[smokepolehall]

I had voted 25/06 before i read yer post fer vermin. A 25/06 can be used as a very long or short range fer pests and such. A 223 would be a better choice, but a 243 6mm or 257 Bob are very nice. You can hunt larger game if you wanted to. It really boils down to a personal choice and how many rifles you can afford! :grin:

[handyman06]

i only had a 25/06 for years and it worked great for deer and varmints, trouble was i wanted something with a synthetic stock as it seems i always get rained on while coyote hunting so i got another rifle a stevens 200 in 223 its fantastic low recoil and a pound of powder lasts me twice as long. i picked both, but if you absolutely have to have just one go with the 25/06, more versatile and at least in my area better resale should the need arise.

[kudzu]

Don't do as I say, Do as I did. Got a TC Prohunter. First two barrels, you guessed it, 25-06 & 22-250.

[Don Fischer]

You live in Bend? That makes it easy. Your not going to get much small vermin except sage rats, 22 those. Next will be rock chucks and coyotes and thats not high volume shooting, 25-06. Your not that far from deer and antelope, 25-06. Unless you shoot a lot of rats at long range, you really have no use for a 223 except to have one. And that's not really a bad reason.

[countryrebel8174]

i dont live in bend i live in prineville . but same difference i guess same type of area. i still havent bought a rifle yet i guess i have to wait till the first of the year when i get my bonus.

country reb

[Don Fischer]

Whew!!!!!!!! Prineville, aka Hooterville, is one hell of a lot better than Bend! My son live's in Bend and I hate going there. By the way, we were out by Alfalfa a while back and the place was over run with coyote's.

[countryrebel8174]

i go to bend for 2 reasons....one is costco....and the other is sportsmans warehouse to look at all the pretty guns that wife says i cant buy.....other then that i stay away cause i dont do well with that many people that all think there somebody special. even prineville is getting rediculous as far as traffic, maybe one of these days ill be able to move some place rural again...aka eastern oregon....aka..... home.


country reb