# .270 or 25-06



## ficher45

I'm going to be getting my first rifle this summer, probably stainless barrel and action with a laminate stock... but the question is what caliber. I want to be able to reach out to around 300 yards for deer, coyotes and just for fun. .270 seems like its good past 300 but the 25-06 wont damage pelts on yotes. just looking for more opinions.


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## iwantabuggy

With premium bullets and good ammo, at 300 yards you will see no noticeable difference on the shots you mentioned and the game you mentioned. IMO.


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## bandman

You are going to want to have them both sometime in the future so buy one now and save up for the next in the meantime. Go w/ the caliber according to which type of hunting is more important to you (sounds like deer hunting is) and you do more of first.

If deer hunting is higher on the list go w/ the .270 and vice versa. You can shoot deer w/ a 22-250, but if your shots are consistently going to be around 300 yards; you're going to want a .270 at the least for deer.

I wouldn't buy a .22-250 right now unless you are committed to coyote hunting, considered about pelt damage, and are calling them on a consistent basis rather than just shooting the occasional one you see b/c a .270 will work just fine in that case. Also, you get the practice in w/ the rifle you'll be shooting your deer w/.

Putting myself in the position, the .270 is a no-brainer first and foremost.


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## Gohon

bandman, you're not thinking the 22-250 and the 25-06 are one and the same are you?

ficher45, I've never use a 25-06 but I'm not so sure it will be all that fur friendly as compared to the 270. Ballistic wise there doesn't appear to be a whole lot of difference out to 300 yards but IMO the 270 would serve you better for distances past that. I would also think factory ammo for the 270 would be more available on the shelve and if you reload you can always tailor your loads to be fur friendly out of the 270. Between the two you asked about, I think my vote would go to the 270.


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## weasle414

I'd say go for the .270 now and get something else later if you plan on keeping or trying to sell the yote pelts. The 25-06 isn't stocked on as many shelves as the .270 is and it's cheaper(I think, I don't own a 25-06 or a 270 but from what I've heard the 270 is cheap.) I love the 270 for deer. It's a great gun with plenty of knock down power.


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## bandman

Gohon said:


> bandman, you're not thinking the 22-250 and the 25-06 are one and the same are you?


Whoops, my bad. I honestly don't know where I got bringing in the .22-250 cal. in the conversation. I think it's because I've put a great amount of thought into buying one for coyotes lately and got side-tracked. :wink:

On a side note, I got a buddy that shoots a 25-06 for deer and does just excellent with it. His shots are almost always w/in 100-250 yard range. An open-country horn hunter like myself would definitely want something bigger for reassurance though. :wink:


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## clampdaddy

My 25-06 blows up varmints worse than my 270 short mag so I think it will treat yotes about the same way. It's a toss up. I know that the 270 is easier to get ammo for and it's a better choice for game larger than deer, but for some reason I prefer the 25-06. It kicks a little less, shoots a little flatter, and to me it is about the best combination varmint/predator/deer cartridge there is. If you don't plan on shooting deer further than 300yds a 243 wouldn't be a bad choice either.


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## Jiffy

Too close to even compare. Flip a coin, I have a 25-06 and have owned a 270. You won't be able to tell the difference.

IMO bullet selection is more important than caliber when it comes to a "fur friendly" load. Within reason off course, probably don't want to shoot a 300 Mag. at yotes if your thinking about the fur.

Me, the bigger the hole I can put in them the better!


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## People

Either one will work just fine. I personally would go with the 270. If you reload you have more bullet choices with the 270. Both are very close and will give you years a great service as long as you do your part.


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## iwantabuggy

If you are having a tough time choosing between the two you could always compromise and go with the 260 REM. That is a heck of a shooter as well and is right inbetween the other two.


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## clampdaddy

iwantabuggy said:


> If you are having a tough time choosing between the two you could always compromise and go with the 260 REM. That is a heck of a shooter as well and is right inbetween the other two.


Good idea! Why didn't I think of that?


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## Gohon

The June issue of "Handloader" has a article on the 25-06. Might want to pick up a copy as it is pretty interesting.


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## weasle414

clampdaddy said:


> iwantabuggy said:
> 
> 
> 
> If you are having a tough time choosing between the two you could always compromise and go with the 260 REM. That is a heck of a shooter as well and is right inbetween the other two.
> 
> 
> 
> Good idea! Why didn't I think of that?
Click to expand...

 :huh:


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## Csquared

With all due respect to the .270 shooters, whose cartridge choice I would never argue, anyone who thinks he can kill a whitetail farther away with a .270 than a .25/06 probably hasn't hunted with a 25 caliber bullet. Their ability to "kill" just seems disproportionate to their diameter.

It will kill any whitetail, with one shot, as far away as you can hit it....with the right bullet. You can study and memorize balistic charts if you want, but are you going to shoot at a deer as far away as he has to be before any added energy on behalf of the .270 could make the difference between a kill or a wounded deer?

Load 120gr Partitions to 3000fps and no deer is safe.

Awesome sectional density, almost always exceptional accuracy, and NOTICEABLY less recoil than the "standard" deer rounds.

Roy Weatherby used the same bullet at about 3300fps to kill cape buffalo.

I think it will handle any whitetail you may encounter with ease.....at any practical range.

How long after the end of time will we be debating the best deer cartridge?

I'm just glad my choice was based solely on the facts without any prejudice or bias! LOL


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## Plainsman

> It will kill any whitetail, with one shot, as far away as you can hit it....with the right bullet. You can study and memorize balistic charts if you want, but are you going to shoot at a deer as far away as he has to be before any added energy on behalf of the .270 could make the difference between a kill or a wounded deer?


I have been pushing the limits of my 300 magnum, and thought I might need a new 338 Lapua, but maybe I should consider the 25-06.


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## iwantabuggy

Csquared said:


> Load 120gr Partitions to 3000fps and no deer is safe.
> 
> Awesome sectional density, almost always exceptional accuracy, and NOTICEABLY less recoil than the "standard" deer rounds.


The 125 gr partition would give almost identical results from a 260 REM as well and would be an excellent round. I have a 260. The ballistics for this cartridge are excellent. My only regret is that I bought it in a REM Model7 and the barrel is too short to take full advantage of this cartridge. With a 24 inch barrel, this caliber would be an excellent answer for the decision ficher45 is trying to make. For a reloader, the swift scirroccoII in 130 gr leaving the muzzle somewhere in the neighborhood of 2900-3000 fps would be an excellent choice.

In the end, it doesn't really matter as the 25-06, the 260, or the 270 would all be excellent choices. Not that I would want to, but I can find nothing bad to say about any of these cartridges. They are all excellent. :sniper:


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## hagfan72

My two cents worth. If you are going to handload, I'd opt for the 25-06. If you are not, then go with the .270. There are a boatload of options of factory ammo for the .270. Another option, I shoot a 7mm Mag, and I LOVE it!! That thing, if you handload, you can get anything as small as a 100 gr. bullet all the way up to 175 gr. Like I said, just my two cents worth.


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## Scooter

iwantabuggy,

It always matters! What matters is in the eye of the beholder. You sound like a man after my own heart. I am a big fan of the neglected 6.5's. I shoot a custum .264 WM and will be picking up my 6.5-06AI June 4. I love conversations that revolve around flat shooting, deep penatrating, light recoiling deer calibers. For some reason it always ends up being 25-06 or a .270 a common case of neglect or little investagation. I have shot and harvested game with the .260, 6.5x55 and my .264 WM and found them all to be outstanding game getters. I use a broad selection of bullets but found best luck with the 129&140gr SST's, 130gr Swift Scirocco II's and the 130gr Barnes TSX's. Common problems of all 6.5s have been little recoil, high SD's and BC's, inhierent accuracy, and just hard hitting flat shooters. But you will not find proper factory ammo for 6.5's very easily. It is usauly a handloaders project and I love to handload. Now fisher45 I will concede that the .270 is slightly more popular so you will be able to find a broader selection of factory ammo more easily than 25-06. Choose your bullets approprietly or deal with frustration. Both will serve you well in the deer fields as well as in varmint town.


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## iwantabuggy

Scooter said:


> You sound like a man after my own heart. I am a big fan of the neglected 6.5's. I shoot a custum .264 WM and will be picking up my 6.5-06AI June 4.


Actually, I am not necessarily a fan of the 6.5's but rather am a fan of all flat shooting caliblers. I am not a fan of the 30-06 (because it doesn't shoot flat enough to satify me), but love the 270 and 25-06 (which are both based on the 30-06 cartidge). I was just trying to help out with a tough decision. Now as for the 6.5-06, I have often wondered why there are not factory offerings for this. With the reputation of the 25-06 and the 270, it seems only logical that someone would factory produce a 6.5-06. I guess it hasn't happened because the other two are excellent and are relatively close together anyway. I still think it makes sense though. The 260 is as close as I have seen in a factory offering. And I still say it is a heck of a cartridge, but might be better if cased with an 06 case. Your AI should be awesome. I'd love to hear what kind of velocity you get out of it.

This much I can say. If I was torn between the 25-06 and the 270, I'd go 260. Period. If I was interested in more than one gun, then I'd get both. I currently have a 270 and a 260, but I still want a 25-06, even with no need for it. Why not get all 3. Start with a 260, then work up or down.


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## Burly1

If you are talking deer hunting, considering that you will use a premium bullet in both cartridges, just flip a coin. Either cartridge will do fine duty. For varmints, both will blow hell out of a coyote pelt, with very few exceptions. A dedicated varmint rifle in .223 or .22-250 will serve you better. 
I will make a comment on the .260 here. It is a fine deer cartridge, and can be had in some very handy platforms. I own a 7mm-08, which is it's ballistic twin when using similar weight bullets and have a very high opinion of it indeed. If you don't handload, cartridge availability for both can be a problem. Not so with the .270. It's available at almost any c-store in hunting country. The .25-06 is not quite as popular, but still readily available. 
To repeat; flip a coin. Yours is a great gamble, because you can't go wrong! 
Good shooting, Burl


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## bwnelson

First, find the rifle you like. Cartridge really doesn't matter (within reason).

Second, if it comes down to cartridge choice, REALLY consider if you are willing to learn to reload. If you are willing to reload many more doors open for you ... and you WILL shoot better with the rifle specific loads you develop and the practice you get with load development.

Finally, Dad always said the 25-06 is the ultimate Nodak cartridge ... flat shooting, plenty of punch for anything that isn't once in a lifetime (and some of us would argue that an elk or moose with a premium bullet is completely doable) not to mention good medicine for prairie dogging ...

If you're not shooting anything bigger than a deer or pronghorn the cartridges are peas in a pod.

FWIW, I'm partial to bullet combos that shoot to the same point of impact with the cartridge. If you consider a 7mm cartridge (7mm08, 7x57, 280, 284, 7 Remmy Maggy, 7 Saum, 7 WSM, 7 STW ... whatever) the "120 Trinity" of 120 gr Hornady VMax, Nosler Ballistic Tip and Barnes TSX will often shoot to the same point of impact without adjusting your scope and have applications from vermin to big ugly mammals. Within the 257's the 75 gr Vmax and (discontinued but available on their website) 75 gr Barnes X are also purported to do the same. (Working on personal experience there) but I have been able to approximate POI between 100 gr Hornady Interlocks and 100 gr Barnes TSX's in a 25-06.

Said 100 gr TSX has not been used on a deer by myself, but did account for a OSOK pass through on a nice pronghorn at 360 yds for me last fall. Can't imagine a deer walking away from the same shot.


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## clampdaddy

In my 25-06, my 100gr barnes xbt load shoots an inch and a half higher at 100 yds than my 75gr v-max load, so I sight in 2.5 inches high with the deer load and my varmint load is an inch high. Makes for a good all around combo.








It makes a really fun long range varminter! I drilled this one at 486yds.


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## Jiffy

eeeeewwwwwww......iiiiiicccccckkkkk :wink: :lol:


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## iwantabuggy

ficher45 said:


> I'm going to be getting my first rifle this summer, probably stainless barrel and action with a laminate stock... but the question is what caliber. I want to be able to reach out to around 300 yards for deer, coyotes and just for fun. .270 seems like its good past 300 but the 25-06 wont damage pelts on yotes. just looking for more opinions.


Have you made a decision yet?


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## deadkenny

I'll add my vote for the .270 for a number of reasons already listed previously. Do you think you might get into reloading? On the topic of making decisions, anyway you might change your mind about the stainless steel and laminate stock? uke: (joking, although I am an old fashioned blued steel / wood kinda guy)


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## jim knapp

I will guarantee that the people telling you that a 25-06 isnt a long range deer gun havent tried it. They are a brutal gun and will put en elk down quite nicely. You would have more confidence shooting a 25-06 as the recoil is light. I have killed app. 70 deer in my 24 yr. hunting career and my go-to gun was always a 270 until I shot a 25-06


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## Northern Hunter

270. Great caliber


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## bradguck

Either cartridge would do just fine in what the original poster is asking about. Both will easily take deer to 400yards and both are capable of having enough power at 500yards to take deer.

The 25-06 would have slightly less recoil with most loads, which may make for a bit more confidence in shooting.

25-06 ammo is not all that much more expensive, and is available at many places.

.270 ammo I agree maybe is a little better stocked though


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## panhandlelivin

Ficher,

My first centerfire was a 270 and I am quite found of them. However, today I own several rifles and my go to is a 25-06. This 25 is a custom rifle and a real tack driver. It is my first choice mainly because when I break the trigger in this rifle I am confident that I will hit my point of aim. My point is both calibers are great ones. Just build confidence in shooting the rifle you select and I'm sure you will be happy.

With that said, I prefer the 25-06 as it is truly a multi-purpose rifle. It can easily fit the bill for a varmint gun. I shoot Barnes Solids on yotes and bobcats with minimal pelt damage. It is perfect as Western medium game rifle. Bullet technology has allowed it to cross the barrier into larger game such as elk. However, I would argue bullet placement becomes more important..........but then isn't it always.

The down-side to the .257 caliber is that bullet selection sucks. You can easily go down or up a caliber in bullets and have a better selection. These is even greater amplified if you purchased factory ammo. I am anxionsly awaiting to try both the varmint grenade or the Barnes Tipped Triple Shock, but they are not available in .257.


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## farmerj

nice to see after being gone a year, the caliber arguments still exist.

I chose my .243 as it's a popular round and more readily available. I am also partial to that .308 case.

.243 vs .25-06
260 vs ??
7mm-08 vs 270
.308 vs .30-06.

Jeez, take your pick, any of the above calibers will take a deer sized animal out to 500 yards.

If I were to choose the caliber that would be "best all around" cartridge, it would be the .243. But hey, that's just me. I have my .308 and .30-06 as back ups for larger animals if I ever go for something bigger

In the end, it's always gonna be the nut behind the butt plate. what you choose for ammo as well as the practice that you do.

I wouldn't even look at a new rifle unless it's a savage, CZ or the Weatherby Vanguard. A Matte finish with a good laminate stock would be my choice as well. I will go find an old Remington 788 from the 70's or else another M14 and rebarrel it into .243

that and $5 will get you coffee at Starbucks.


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## MagnumManiac

ficher45,
There's only one answer for you,go with the 25-06 first,it KILLS like lightning,has very mild recoil for someone getting they're first rifle,and it will shoot better than you can hold it on long shots.It will be more accurate at all ranges than a 270 because you'll be able to shoot it better.
Once you have mastered the 25-06 you can move up to a 270(or whatever)and be confident you can shoot it well.
*MagnumManiac*

:sniper:


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## varmit b gone

270 all the way. I have one and it is the perfect size. I reload so I can push it to the limit. With a really hot load I wouldn't be afraid to shoot a deer at 600 yards. I have killed numerous deer and antelope with my 270. I would get a 270 and it will last for about anything you want to do. :sniper:


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## MagnumManiac

varmint b gone,
I understand your affinity with the 270,I have 1 also,but my question is this:Why do you guys use HOT LOADS,if you feel your not getting enough velocity,why not get a bigger cartridge that will give you higher velocity and your brass will last past 2 firings.Go to a 270 Weatherby if you want more velocity.
I dont understand why you want to stress your rifle and brass by using HOT LOADS.The other point is that no animal that walks anywhere is ever going to know the difference between 3000fps and 3100fps,and you will never see any difference either.
*MagnumManiac*
:sniper:


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## MagnumManiac

Csquared said:


> With all due respect to the .270 shooters, whose cartridge choice I would never argue, anyone who thinks he can kill a whitetail farther away with a .270 than a .25/06 probably hasn't hunted with a 25 caliber bullet. Their ability to "kill" just seems disproportionate to their diameter.
> 
> It will kill any whitetail, with one shot, as far away as you can hit it....with the right bullet. You can study and memorize balistic charts if you want, but are you going to shoot at a deer as far away as he has to be before any added energy on behalf of the .270 could make the difference between a kill or a wounded deer?
> 
> Load 120gr Partitions to 3000fps and no deer is safe.
> 
> Awesome sectional density, almost always exceptional accuracy, and NOTICEABLY less recoil than the "standard" deer rounds.
> 
> Roy Weatherby used the same bullet at about 3300fps to kill cape buffalo.
> 
> I think it will handle any whitetail you may encounter with ease.....at any practical range.
> 
> How long after the end of time will we be debating the best deer cartridge?
> 
> I'm just glad my choice was based solely on the facts without any prejudice or bias! LOL


I agree 100%.The 25-06 will do anything with a 120gr bullet that a 270 can do with a 130gr bullet,it is just as flat shooting,and KILLS like lightning.
More-so than what ballistc tables would allure to.Even the Nosler 110gr Accubond will give comparable ballistics with the 270 and 130gr bullets.
*MagnumManiac*
:sniper: 
P.S Just figured out how to 'quote' replies!!!!!!!


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## varmit b gone

MagnumManiac said:


> varmint b gone,
> I understand your affinity with the 270,I have 1 also,but my question is this:Why do you guys use HOT LOADS,if you feel your not getting enough velocity,why not get a bigger cartridge that will give you higher velocity and your brass will last past 2 firings.Go to a 270 Weatherby if you want more velocity.
> I dont understand why you want to stress your rifle and brass by using HOT LOADS.The other point is that no animal that walks anywhere is ever going to know the difference between 3000fps and 3100fps,and you will never see any difference either.
> *MagnumManiac*
> :sniper:


Believe me, I don't use hot loads hardly ever. in my 270 I've never loaded one as hot as I could get it. I just was saying that if I was to load one hot I wouldn't be afraid to take something at 600 plus yards.


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## MagnumManiac

varmit b gone said:


> MagnumManiac said:
> 
> 
> 
> varmint b gone,
> I understand your affinity with the 270,I have 1 also,but my question is this:Why do you guys use HOT LOADS,if you feel your not getting enough velocity,why not get a bigger cartridge that will give you higher velocity and your brass will last past 2 firings.Go to a 270 Weatherby if you want more velocity.
> I dont understand why you want to stress your rifle and brass by using HOT LOADS.The other point is that no animal that walks anywhere is ever going to know the difference between 3000fps and 3100fps,and you will never see any difference either.
> *MagnumManiac*
> :sniper:
> 
> 
> 
> Believe me, I don't use hot loads hardly ever. in my 270 I've never loaded one as hot as I could get it. I just was saying that if I was to load one hot I wouldn't be afraid to take something at 600 plus yards.
Click to expand...

I understand what your saying now!
*MagnumManiac*
:sniper:


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## 25-06rem.

both exilant choices, the question is what ammo is more readly availible to you? not much diferance in recoil ethier, both are flat, fast and very acurate cartriges with lots of practice, you realy cant compare the two of them because they are so close on performances in a ocompliced shooter so i think you cant go wrong eathere way you decide.


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## tiffany

ficher45 said:


> I'm going to be getting my first rifle this summer, probably stainless barrel and action with a laminate stock... but the question is what caliber. I want to be able to reach out to around 300 yards for deer, coyotes and just for fun. .270 seems like its good past 300 but the 25-06 wont damage pelts on yotes. just looking for more opinions.


 I had a 25-06 i would never own one again i hit white tail deer 5 times with it before it fell i would go with the 270 its alot better caliber


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## Csquared

Woah, wait a minute.....

With all due respect, if it took five 25 cal. bullets for you to kill one whitetail, your choice of rifle cartridge is definitely not the first thing you should contemplate changing !!! :wink:

I obviously don't know the details....and don't need to, but I would bet a large sum that with all else but head stamp being equal, you would have gotten the same results with the .270. You were either shooting the wrong bullets or simply missing the proper mark.

Like I've said many times before, no whitetail should go far if shot through the chest with a 115-120 grain quality hunting bullet.


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## Savage260

I have never shot a .270 so I can't say any thing for that cartridge, but I have taken 3 deer now with my Savage FP 25-06. All three good sized doe, 2 white tail, and one muley. The three were between 150 and 290 yards. All three required one 117gr Hornady SST each. The muley and one white tale dropped where they stood, and the other white tail jumped and ran about 3 strides and fell. I won't knock the .270, but I will say my 25-06 is a very able rifle.


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## rlzman68

THE 270 MEANS MORE RECOIL AND NOISE 25-06 MUCH LESS RECOIL MY FIRST GUN WAS A 270 AND I STILL HAVE IT


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## Big A

Great problem to have. Personally I would go with the 25-06. I have killed Alberta whitetails to Sitka Blacktails with it. Becoming proficient with it will allow you to take deer size game to whatever your outer limits are. As for varmits theres probably not too many loads that wont make a mess out of em - I would view it as a great pest control cartridge not necessarily fur friendly. A friend of mine has a extremely accurate encore .06 (26 in. heavy) going this route you could add a lighter varmit barrel at a reasonable price down the road. Sorry to write a book- have fun with your decision. A


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## airforcehobit

i think the 270 is a great bet.... you can go as light as 100 gr. up to 150 or 180.... i have a 270 and have shot coyotes with it with deer loads they did not blow up at all and ammo is VERY easy to find and has a wide span of different bullets. it can buck the wind very well.... it is easy to adjust for range and tricky to adjust wind on the fly....

270 all the way!!! :sniper:


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## iwantabuggy

I don't own a 25-06, but my brother does. He has taken a good number of elk with it. If you do your part, it will do the job nicely.


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## fylling35

I have a 270 WSM and I have been really happy with it. I shoot a 130gr bullet at 3200 fps.

But the 25-06 is next on my list to purchase! I haven't ever really heard anything bad about the 25-06 (besides that ONE guy on this forum).


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## varmit b gone

There is only 1 drawback to the 270. The recoil. I don't know what it is a bout that cartridge, buck it has some punch. But it has that much more punch to it on the downrange end of things also. Just put a Hogue overmolded on it and that pretty much takes care of it.


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## iwantabuggy

varmit b gone said:


> There is only 1 drawback to the 270. The recoil. I don't know what it is a bout that cartridge, buck it has some punch. But it has that much more punch to it on the downrange end of things also. Just put a Hogue overmolded on it and that pretty much takes care of it.


I think the recoil on my 270 is quite mild, but I guess I compare it to a 300WM and a 45-70. Compared to a 223 or a 243, they do have quite a bit.


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## Csquared

Compared to a .25/06, they have quite a bit..... :wink:

:beer:


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## hagfan72

tiffany said:


> I had a 25-06 i would never own one again i hit white tail deer 5 times with it before it fell i would go with the 270 its alot better caliber


Yeah, gut shots will do that... :roll: :wink:


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## airforcehobit

i don't like hard kickers ...... but i feel the 270 is very managable.... but mine is a 7 1/2 pounder..... the lighter guns will bite a bit harder but it should not be a problem


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## varmit b gone

iwantabuggy said:


> varmit b gone said:
> 
> 
> 
> There is only 1 drawback to the 270. The recoil. I don't know what it is a bout that cartridge, buck it has some punch. But it has that much more punch to it on the downrange end of things also. Just put a Hogue overmolded on it and that pretty much takes care of it.
> 
> 
> 
> I think the recoil on my 270 is quite mild, but I guess I compare it to a 300WM and a 45-70. Compared to a 223 or a 243, they do have quite a bit.
Click to expand...

It is by no means unbearable, but it is definataley there. Compared to my 300 mag it is quite mild.


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## airforcehobit

another thing about the 270 is that you can find round every where... in lots or flavors from 100gr up to 150gr


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