Need new deer rifle. Thinking of doing something a little bit crazy…

Okay, firearms boredom is setting in and I’m thinking about doing something a little bit crazy for a new deer rifle. Here’s the situation, talk me off the ledge.

Shockingly, for a self-admitted rifle guy, I don’t have an over-abundance of deer-suitable rifles. Got a lotta rimfires, a lot of silly-fast varminters, some vintage stuff, etc, but not a lot of deer rifles as I would define them.

We have a lot of guests on the farm and unless they come with a well-worn rifle of their own, I lend them my Tikka .243. Great rifle, simple, shoots like a laser, kills ’em dead.

My father usually hunts with an ancient 760 Remington, but he’s tired of lugging it around and he needs something that can reach out more reliably across the big plot where his tower stand sits. So when guests aren’t using the 243, he uses it.
I hunt with a Contender handgun, but it’s not ideal for places where a longer shot may present itself. I have a Remington 740 auto that I use as a backup, but lugging around a 10-pound autoloader has lost its appeal.

So basically combine the lack of deer-suitable rifles with the fact that I haven’t set up anyting new in ages and Grouse needs a new rifle!

So here’s what I was thinking. I LOVE quarter-bores. Just always have liked the .25s.

The first idea I pitched was a .256 Weatherby Magnum. Awesome, fire-breathing, touch-’em-all, freaky flat Weatherby. Roy’s favorite of all his magnums.

Dad to me: Are you nuts?

Okay, I admit that’s a little crazy for what I really need and it would be very difficult to even find a new one right now. So…

How about a .25-06? King of the pronghorn rifles? Always loved this chambering as well, fast, flat, and basically it was doing everthing the six point fives are doing long before anybody every heard of a six point five blah-blah.

I think a .25-06 would make a dandy deer rifle. What do you guys think?

I have a .25-06 in a Ruger no. 1 and I love it. Killed lots of deer with it and a speed goat. I shoot Accubonds in it.

Stoke that puppy with 100 grain Barnes or 110 Accubonds and go kill a bunch of stuff

You opened my eyes to that cartridge and it just so happens my wife wants her own rifle…she’s getting a 25-06.

It’s a good cartridge for whitetails. What brand of rifle are you considering?

Are you going to roll your own? Tons of good bullets available and .30-06 brass is easy to come by.

Buying ammo seems tough right now, expensive and limited availability more so than other calibers.

Sorry, can’t talk you off the ledge. If you don’t have a .25-06, you need one! Have a Tikka T3 Lite in the .25-06. Have loaded from 75gr HP’s to 120gr BTSP’s and it shoots well. I’ve used it on p-dogs (a little overkill), coyotes, fox, and whitetail. Thinking back to when I bought it close to 20 years ago, I think one of the primary reasons I went with it was because nobody I knew had one. They are a very nice all-around cartridge. Very capable and pretty mild recoil, even in a lighter rifle.

257 Roberts? Nice cartridge and doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

Steve Root wrote:

257 Roberts? Nice cartridge and doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

Aren’t you required to hunt in a tweed jacket if you’re carrying a 257 Rob?

I had a Remington 700 in 25-06 loved that gun. Sold it to my dad when I needed money, when I went to buy it back years later he already resold it.

The 257 Bob is the one to get. The 25-06 is a great cartridge as well. I personally like 7mm bullets, so I’m partial to the 7mm-08 or 7×57. The other quarter bore that I love is my savage 99 in 250-3000, that’s a fun handy rifle.

Brad Dimond wrote:

It’s a good cartridge for whitetails. What brand of rifle are you considering?

Are you going to roll your own? Tons of good bullets available and .30-06 brass is easy to come by.

Well, since I’d like to get the rifle in the off season, basically it’ll be whatever I can get in that chanbering. If I can find one, first choice would be a JP Sauer 100. Would also like a Weatherby Vanguard WeatherGuard, but almost no chance of finding one.

I might just buy an El cheapo Savage Axis just to see how I like .25-06 and to give me something to play with.

I will roll my own ammo. I have buckets full of range pickup brass for the 30-06 so that means I only have to find bullets. Which could be a massive additional pain…

Steve Root wrote:

257 Roberts? Nice cartridge and doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

Agree, nice cartridge. Problem is it could take years to find brass to load it or ammo to shoot it.

waldo9190 wrote:

You opened my eyes to that cartridge and it just so happens my wife wants her own rifle…she’s getting a 25-06.

Long been a fan of quarter bores. Many years ago dad had a 25-06 lent to him by a friend in ND and he loved it. Ironically that friend sold it to a pawn shop without asking my dad if he wanted to buy it. Which he surely would have. So if there was any justice in the world, I’d already have one.

It also works very well for a self defense cartridge against rioters trying to kill you.

Grouse,,,,,I’m at a loss with this post and you…
Of all people you should be touting the attributes of a 50 cal,nay,at least a 403 jeffries!! In magnum of course!!

JK, quarter bores are so underrated!!
I’ve had 3 different 25-06 in 700 bdl, winchester model 70 if I remember right and forgot the other.
Great choice for about anything.

Iowaboy1 wrote:

Grouse,,,,,I’m at a loss with this post and you…
Of all people you should be touting the attributes of a 50 cal,nay,at least a 403 jeffries!! In magnum of course!!

Fun fact, I was offered a shot with a 416 Ruger at the gun club a few years back. I couldn’t pass that up, shells were about $15 a pop and besides when would I get another chance…

Well, let’s just say I didn’t ask for a second shot. Yes I hit the target. Yes, my back teeth are still vibrating from the recoil.

Wait a year. My prediction is that when everyone has a 6.5 mm rifle, the gun companies with make a fast twist 25 caliber. Long skinny 25 cal bullets would be more aerodynamic. I shoot a Cooper 25-06. It’s lights out with 100 gr Barnes. It would be even better with 150 gr Barnes if it could stabilize those long bullets.

25-06 sako kills whatever you point it at. 115 gr nosler partitions
Great deer rifle and wolves too!

My choice would be a 6.5 PRC with a Bergara label on it ? Buddy shoots a 300 Remington Ultra Mag , but way to heavy for me .

375 H&H rocked my world , the worst 338 magnum in a 700 Remington that thing kicked like a mule .Come to think of it my single shot 10 ga with 3.5 inch magnums handloaded was the absolute worst for recoil. Fixed that and retired the 10 after many years .Now my favorite is the Savage 301 in .410 with 9.5 Federal TSS. Very user friendly. Good luck Grouse with what ever you go with .

I’m very happy with my 6.5 prc’s.

I almost bought a 2506 a few years back. Hardly anyone shot or used one back then. Went with a 243 instead just because of ammo cost. I don’t load my own shells. Still wished I would of bought the 06.

MX1825 wrote:

I almost bought a 2506 a few years back. Hardly anyone shot or used one back then. Went with a 243 instead just because of ammo cost. I don’t load my own shells. Still wished I would of bought the 06.

The 06 is a great round, however the 243 is a flat shooting rifle and is so a long ways down range.
The only reason I ever stepped up to a 7mm mag back in the day was because of the then Remington ballistics charts.
The 7 mag had the same ballistics at 500 yards as the 243 did at the muzzle.
Then the 300 ultra mag came out,a Jeffries case necked down to 30 cal.
Sadly I have to admit I can’t shoot that Cannon anymore,my shoulder won’t take it.

If I could come across a 22-250 in Ruger M77 stainless varmint with a laminated stock I might be interested in a trade.

22-250,243,2506,270,3006,all phenomenal rounds and each all shoot well, the difference is how well you shoot.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>iowaboy1 wrote:</div>
Grouse,,,,,I’m at a loss with this post and you…
Of all people you should be touting the attributes of a 50 cal,nay,at least a 403 jeffries!! In magnum of course!!

Fun fact, I was offered a shot with a 416 Ruger at the gun club a few years back. I couldn’t pass that up, shells were about $15 a pop and besides when would I get another chance…

Well, let’s just say I didn’t ask for a second shot. Yes I hit the target. Yes, my back teeth are still vibrating from the recoil.

Ah the 416 Rigby!! What a round!!

Then the H&K 458, and a 600 nitro,a double barrel rifle that makes you believe you are chambering a pair of hotdogs!!
And when you touch it off from a prone position it will help you stand straight up.

At those speeds and lightweight bullet, I would only hunt a quarter bore with a good all copper bullet. I and the wildlife don’t need any more lead. And it seems the responsible near future trend. Just my 2 cents.

MX1825 wrote:

Went with a 243 instead just because of ammo cost. I don’t load my own shells. Still wished I would of bought the 06.

I have a .243 and I’ll tell you there’d be no reason for me to look at the .24-06 to make the deer any deader. My 243 is shooting Nosler’s 90 grain BT bullets at 3000 fps on the nutskies.

It’s just lights out on anything that gets hit with that bullet. As I’ve said before, if you’ve strung together the runs that the last 10 deer shot with it made after being hit, you wouldn’t even have a 100 yards. It just stones them.

So the sensible move would be to just buy another 243, really. Shoot the same load, make everything simple. But nooooooo. I’ve got to complicate everything….

castle-rock-clown wrote:

November 21, 2021 at 7:04 pm#2075504
At those speeds and lightweight bullet, I would only hunt a quarter bore with a good all copper bullet. I and the wildlife don’t need any more lead. And it seems the responsible near future trend. Just my 2 cents.

Yes, at some point I would agree we are all going to be shooting copper. I haven’t been buying large quantities of any hunting bullet (when available) because I think it’s just a matter of time. To be honest, I’m surprised that on state and fed land, it isn’t already required.

I’ve been extremely happy with my 6.5 PRC. Seems like it would do everything the 25-06 would do and more + it’s in a short action.

Better selections of bullets would be a great bonus.

Pat McSharry wrote:

I’ve been extremely happy with my 6.5 PRC. Seems like it would do everything the 25-06 would do and more + it’s in a short action.

Better selections of bullets would be a great bonus.

Also in a totally different tier though, no? Roughly 30% more recoil?

Also see Grouse’s thoughts on 6.5’s

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

basically it was doing everything the six point fives are doing long before anybody every heard of a six point five blah-blah.

Buy something that you can find ammo or components for or stock up when they are available

tswoboda wrote:

Also in a totally different tier though, no? Roughly 30% more recoil?

Not in a different tier at all. Based on the fact that he is considering a .257 Weatherby Magnum he’s obviously okay with a little more recoil.

I guess I just don’t understand why you would go with a .257 over a 6mm or 6.5mm. Bullet selection is so much better for them.

Unless you go with a custom barrel, you’re stuck with a 10 twist barrel that probably won’t stabilize anything over 120 grains so you’re not going to be able to take advantage of higher BC bullets.

The 6.5 PRC is an interesting cartridge. Essentially, I put them in the same camp as the Weatherby, which in full disclosure, I wasn’t really seriously considering for a whole range of boring, practical reasons. But basically, a 6.5 is a solution in search of a problem that I don’t have.

On the varmint grounds, I’ve shot more than enough to know what my practical limits are as far as so-called “long-range” shots on real animals under real field conditions. Basically, the .243 is plenty of range for any shot I’d ever take on a pronghorn to deer size game animal and so to me it follows that the .25-06 would be more than plenty for any (game) shot I’d ever take.

Point taken about 1:10 twist and stabilizing bullets above 110 grain give/take. But that’s also where I’d most likely be taking the “use enough gun” path and reaching for a bigger rifle anyway.

I’ll give the 6.5s some love next year because my neighbor wants a CM in the worst way, so I’ll help him select and set one up.

I do wish that we were in a place where I could pull the proverbial trigger on something–anything!–tomorrow. I’m finding absolutely nothing anywhere for any rifles I’d reasonably consider. And components? Ug. Depressing just thinking about it. I’m OK on primers and powders, but cases and bullets are just a complete mess right now. When’s it gonna be over?

I had a Weatherby accumark in 257wby years ago. For some reason it wasn’t a very good shooter. It was good enough to kill coyotes but not the tact driver I was hoping for. Going from smaller cartridges to that was eye opener for how much powder you go through. If I decide to get another one I think I would go with a Cooper rifle.

How about you and Pat compromise…..6.5-06! Little bit of a barrel burner but a pretty cool cartridge.