25-06 Rem for varminting

[mahna]

Hi guys,

Wondering what people think of the 25-06 Rem for varminting and pest control.

I have a .270 already, looking for a lower recoil option for foxes, goats, rabbits etc.

I expect to be shooting 300-400 metres maximum. Plenty of shooting closer too of course.

Thanks.

[Baz460]

Mate, you can't go wrong with the 25/06.

I mainly use mine pigs and dogs out to 350 meters, I use Winchester factory 90 grain hollow points, and my 25 is an inch and a half high at 100, and spot on at 320.

It has no recoil, and to me is a perfect varmint and medium game round. In saying that though, I shot a scrub bull between the eyes at 320 mts and held where the bullet hit, he went down like he had been hit with a 460 Weatherby.

Cheers Baz.

[Grated]

Personally I'd be more inclined to call it a small game cartridge really...

It's a necked down 30-06 after all, and shooting 75gr - 120gr bullets. That's gunna do more than tickle a fox.

Having said that I'm not knocking it. It's just a bit above what I'd call a varmint cartridge is all. You could comfortably get away with a lower recoiling cartridge and still do the job.

[Releb]

You could comfortably get away with a lower recoiling cartridge and still do the job.

.243 Win?

Fast, flat. Good bullet weight range...

Soft recoil too.

[Hucka]

A decent cartridge for goats certainly.

Tonnes more than needed for bunnies and foxes.

[mahna]

Hi Guys,

Part of the reason looking at the .25-06 was that I already have the .270 and the similar brass.

If I can't get supplies for one I can neck up or down the other. That was part of the idea anyway.

Maybe I'm making too big a deal of something I'm not likely to have problems with and limiting myself here for no reason?

[Sender]

The brass is a perk at most I'd say TBH.

Not something I'd base choosing a new rifle on by itself.

Still... Overkill or not, the light pills will be pretty recoil friendly like you're looking for. And it does the job.

Not a bad choice.

[Swarm]

Between heavy pills in your .270 for hunting and light ones in the 25-06 I reckon you'll have a pretty good pair there.

About it being a bit of overkill... Everything's overkill for rabbits except a .22. Not much more needed for foxes. I wouldn't worry about that.

If you want to control pests up to and including goats, the 25-06 will do it. I reckon that's a fine choice.

[Harper]

Between heavy pills in your .270 for hunting and light ones in the 25-06 I reckon you'll have a pretty good pair there.

Yep.

Something like a 85gr load for the 25-06, 150gr load for hunting with the .270.

Everything you'll need.

[RoginaJack]

Sorry, but using a 25/06 on rabbits and foxes is just too silly for words. Complete overkill ! Not to mention the cost, noise etc.

The rabbits and foxes could be handled easily with a .223 and also the odd feral dog. The goats use the 270W.

[mahna]

Not just for rabbits as I said.

For the lower end of the scale including rabbits.

.223 too small for a few things I think, and about cost... Don't have the money to buy a rifle for every animal obviously.

[RoginaJack]

If you get a 25/06 why would you need a .270 as well, except for Sambar or Red deer and for them I'd look at one of the .300 short mags.

Baz490 - A 25/06 zeroed at 320yds, shooting a 90g P.E.P projectile with a BC of 0.259 leaving the muzzle at 3,440 FPS is going to be a little bit higher than 1 1/2" at 100yds, I think it would be around 3" high ? At 200yds it should be around 5" high and about 8" low at 400yds.

Next time you're at the range could you just check as my calculations might be a bit rusty.

[mahna]

I don't need the .270 specifically, just something legal for the bigger ones. Sambar etc. like you said.

If I was starting from scratch I might look at something bigger for the dedicated deer rifle, and keep the smaller 25/06 for the regular shooter.

Not worth the time/expense to swap the .270 to something else though.

Have it already, might as well hang onto it as is.

[farmerstuff]

You wont go wrong with the 25.06. I wont part with mine, have taken lots of foxes at distance with it over the years. IMHO leaves the .243 behind

[1290]

Its not a very effective choice if you add a quarterbore to the 270... really whats the diff? (apart from .02inch,,) and the 25 is probably one of the most under-rated chamberings.

What you need is a 22rimfire for the bunnies and foxies, maybe move in a bit closer than the 3-400m and if money is a concern it becomes a 7c per trigger pull proposition as opposed to a 70 to 150+c ...

Go hard !!

[mahna]

I hear what you're saying 1290.

Like I said part of this was keeping the same brass family. Maybe I'm forcing it with that though and making it harder than it needs to be.

Mmm, I dunno. Still deciding.

[Mick375hh]

25/06 , 270 same shell holer same powder neck the 270 down same brass what more do you need

I use 75 grn VMax in my ruger no 1 perfect on foxes out to 350 m

Who cares how much shells cost when your getting $10 a fox scalp !!!!

[mahna]

Too hard to decide, aaargh

[whert]

Who cares how much shells cost when your getting $10 a fox scalp !!!!

Yeah but there is all that walking to get to the bastards after you shoot 'em

Some of us are lazy

[ployer]

Down to $5 a scalp now isn't it?

For some time now I thought.

[Aster]

Mmm, nope.

$10 per fox and $100 per wild dog according to DEPI webpage at the moment.

Fox and wild dog bounty.

[ployer]

My bad