.25-06 rem vs. .270 win vs. .30-06 Spfld Remington Core-lokt Pork and Water Jugs Test 

I don’t understand the people complaining about the bullet weights not being the same. The whole point is to compare bullets people would most likely be using, in 06, 150 - 180gr, with 150 being the most popular where I live. I personally like 165, because my rifle likes them. Most people I know with a 270 are using 130gr. Sure 150 is available, but not the common choice here. The 25-06 I haven’t seen anyone near me use since the 70s. So, to me, this comparison would be typical of a deer camp. A lot of guys get all butt hurt because a test “ wasn’t fair” because bla bla bla, when , in fact, it’s exactly what you’d expect to see in the field. I certainly don’t see where any were the “ loser” that’s for sure. It’s a deer, not a tank. At real hunting ranges that most get or would take a shot, the old 30-30 still works just fine. It doesn’t matter how you compare or how much you spend, someone is going to whine. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

I grew up in the mountains of West Virginia. When I was 15, I wanted a 30/30 lever action so bad I could taste it. All my buddies had one. My dad took me to get a rifle that year (1985). We looked at a Marlin 336 in 30/30. Had my heart set on it, but my dad said “Let’s look at that Savage 110 30-06.” He ended up buying me that Savage. He told me it was a much better caliber. I took several deer in WV with it. He was wise beyond imagination. Unfortunately, my dad passed away 6 years ago. Some day I will shoot and elk and a moose with that rifle. I only wish he could be here to see it through.

Never feel under gunned with .270. It's always my go to.

Basic ammo in a 30-06 will get most jobs done well !

I love 25-06 for whitetail. Strong, flat shooting, and almost no recoil.

I've short you 30-06 for 35 years and have used 150 gr for everything from deer to moose , If I put my crosshairs on it it dies ! took my last moose @ 475 yards , broke his elbow and threw its heart ! dropped instantly!

Love my 25/06 . It kills nicely, don’t care how it compares to anything else.

I think you picked exactly the right weights for each calibre and I got exactly what information I wanted from your video. Thank you.

.25-06 is the most underrated cartridge of all time. It's fast as hell, accurate, and packs an impressive punch at 120gr. You can even go up to elk as long as you shoot well. That said, the .30-06 is one of the most versatile hunting rifles, and you can't go wrong. In the end, I still end up preferring the 25-06. Main reason is that I hunt for food. A .25-06 is going to do far less damage to valuable meat in a shoulder shot. Plus, even at 120gr, the kick feels like a playful push. I'll keep my rem 700 .25-06 until the day i die.

Here in eastern WVA I’ve been around all three calibers and we certainly bought Remington, due to the availability and affordability. I’ve personally killed buck at 400 yards with the 270 130 grain. And my brother killed a 13 pointer with his 25-06 last season at just over five hundred. All the old timers here us the 30-06 and never heard of issues with any of the three. Nice video .

I've shot 30-06 with the 150 grain core-lokt for 25 years. Alabama / SE USA Whitetail deer mostly. The longest I ever had to track a deer using this combo was about 70 yards. For the game I am pursuing, there is no choice in my opinion for sheer stopping power. With good shot placement, the '06 and the core-lokt put them down quickly and with minimal suffering.

A 25-06 really needs a 24” barrel to shine. It also helps the 270. It wouldn’t hurt the 30-06 either.

I have dropped 5 moose with the .25-06, 1 with .270 and 4 with .30-06 over the last 30 years. (Albeit I have used my .375 Ruger and .300winmag for at least 7 between them) and for wolves and Black Bear I have had best luck with my .25-06 using 115gr Nosler Partitions handloaded over 49gr of IMR 4350. ANYHOW, they ALL DIED. Just find a rifle between .243 win and .375 Ruger that you can afford to shoot/practice with lots , and that the rifle/optics fit you well. A small accurate shot to the vitals is better than a powerful shot in the ass.

I wouldn't want to be a deer and get hit with any of them, that's for sure! Great video Chuck, be blessed brother!

Good video. Dude, The eagle staring down after each shot was classic.

I've been using core lokt 130 gr in 270 and 150 gr 30 06 on whitetails for 38 years. It has always been excellent. Also have taken 2 mule deer with the 30 06 in in 150 gr. Thanks for sharing I enjoyed the video.

Don’t apologize for the bullet weights. You picked exactly the right ones. It is the test I wanted to see. Great video, keep up the good work.

I quit shooting remington ammo ten years ago. I shoot federal through my rifles and winchester in my shotguns. Great video

Geeze i like um all i find enjoyment in finding out everything i can about all the different calibers. We all have our faves.

3 outstanding cartridges. I have all 3 and because of the longer and heavier bullets now available for the 25-06, it is for sure my favorite of this trio. Good video 😊

270 Sako A7 shooter here but I like my Ruger American 30-06 as well. It’s just a little to much kick out of such a lightweight rifle. But I’m practicing. Great video.👍🏼

Thanks for the shoutout! That was pretty poor performance from Remington on that 25-06 and .270 ammo. Maybe it’ll get better when the new owners take over or at least we can hope. I have the T/C Venture in .270. Pretty accurate and smooth running rifles.

They are all fantastic, and its nice to have different choices.

Great video! Thanks for putting on the test.

I hunt with the 30-06 ,my father hunts with a 270 and hunting buddy uses the 25-06 , the main advantage of 30-06 you can use the heavy weight bullets for bigger game , I use a 180 grn in my 30-06 I think personally if you hunt deer you will not notice anything difference between the the three ,just put the right bullet in the right place and it will do the job , if a wanted a predator and deer rifle the 25-06 would be my first choice, as a mountain long range sheep Rifle it would have to be the 270 , deer and bigger game rifle where’s there’s bears about it would have to be the 30-06 ,but I like them all to honest, many thanks chuck 👍

Pick'em. Shoot whatcha got, take a bit of time on the trigger and put'er dead center.

You are one of the few that when comparing calibers you select similar BC and SD which I think is the best comparison. Thank you.

Nice video. Hopefully fortune smiles upon you to let you do a similar series for .30, 8 mm / 325, .338, and 35.

I like .270 but 30-06 takes it in my book. My Garand and 03 springfield are a dream to shoot!

30-06 is by far my favorite of these rounds. It is a great all around round enough energy to do whatever you really need to and a good flat shooting cartridge.

Thanks Chuck. All well proven rounds. Remington seems to have these a butter under potential. All of these should be 100-200 fps. The 30/06 seems more adequate for larger game.

There used to be a video on here where a 16 year old shot a huge grizzly in Alaska with 2 shots of 180grain core lokt 30-06 and it worked exceptionally good!

I'm traveling all the time so for me it 30-06 all the way. No matter where I am I can find 30-06.

Good review, thank you. I cannot deny the effectiveness of the 270 or the 30-06, but the 25-05 was and is still my choice for most hunting. The flat trajectory, low recoil, yet still devastating punch are what sold me. However, I do pull out my 7mm Rem Mag, another flat shooter, for elk, for that added margin. Note that I planned ahead, knowing that I wanted a 7mm Rem Mag for elk, when I purchased my 25-06. I was not looking for one cartridge to do everything. I much later purchased a .223 for little bitty critters. Joe

I own all three of these rifle calibers and live and hunt in AZ. My .25--'06 is my go Coues deer rifle. I flip flop between between .270 and. 30-'06 and a 7 MM Rem. Mag. for elk. The reality is that they are all great if you find the right load that shoots well in your rifle, and rifles are picky. The differences are mostly dancing on the head of a pin.

Where I live we do not have the option of three hundred yard shots due to the density of trees. Your test range appeared to be 100 yards and at that range for me they expand well with good penetration. It was just a suggestion. I have all three calibers with excellent results on all big game in my area. Moose being the biggest.

I always take out my Remington 760 30/06 and I love these rounds

A 25-06 shoots much flatter and the accuracy is spot on I shot mine at 100yds put 4 shots in the bullseye that you could cover with a dime. I has killed more deer and coyotes sense I purchased it in 1976 in Fort Scott, Ks. My Son killed a deer at 300+yds dropped in its tracks half its hart on the ground shooting a 17gr ballistic tip boat tail. Did you know it has been labeled the unbelted magnum?

Was definitely interesting with the velocity of the 2506. I like all 3 and use all 3. 2506 and 270 are pretty tied in what Ive done with them as far as ground checking deer and hogs.

Good test. Matter of just pick one. Gun weight will differ also. A good factor to keep in mind also.

I've been shooting 30-06 since I was about 15 or 16. Just hard to beat.

Awesome video bro. I’d like to see the test, but just with the 30-06 with a few different 180gr. loads.

New to the channel. Great channel. 30-06 old reliable.

30-06 excellent all around caliber.

Every lot of ammunition may perform differently, the .270 is rated at about 3060 FPS in the 130 grain bullet. I have seen other tests where the 130 grain .270 outperformed the 30-06 in penetration. Last hunting season I used my Winchester model 70 XTR Featherweight for the first time using the Remington 130 grain Core Lokt. I shot a buck broadside at 50 yards. Just above the front leg for a perfect heart shot. The buck ran over a 100 yards. I did have a good blood trail to the buck. I noticed no exit hole on the opposite side. I usually have deer drop like lightning when I use my .300 WSM. I might just take a neck shot next time so I don’t have to walk extra.

25.06 for me but depends on what your hunting. The 25.06 120 grain sierra's is what I use. Very simular to core lock. Great round for coyotes and deer. Im sure it would do fine on larger animals.

I’ve used 150 gr. Core lokts 270 rounds in my 270 for deer and hogs for a couple of years now mostly since it’s what my rifle shoots best and it’s what the store has had the most of I love them. I want to get a 3006 one day great vid man keep up the good work I was able to kill a doe at 275 yds with my r700 using 150 gr 270s in Oklahoma 2021 deer season

All of them, I love the -06 family bullets

Never got Remington rifle ammo to shoot a satisfactory group in any rifle

Thanks for this video I've been shooting the 270 130 grain core lock. And now I'm going to switch to Hornady .or federal ammo the powder charge wasn't there should be a lot closer to 3000 fps . Thanks again

I use each caliber for whitetail all work great. Great video.

I like heavy for game bullets. I used 180gr SP in .30-06 for years on whitetail. Works great and my shots were under 200yds. I later switched to 180gr PSP and they work well, too.

The best bullet weight I've found in 30+ years with the 270 is 140 grains. I'm currently using the Accubond bullet, which tends to hold together better and penetrate deeper, while still expanding well. The '06 is really best with 165 to 180 grain bullets.

Had them all, 3006 my first choice 300 yards, 270 second choice, 25 3rd , been loading 40 years, and shooting 50 this is for deer

Great video 👍 If you want the very best out of any one of these cartridges you have to hand load , then you “can” go into the major leagues !

I used to have a remington 280 with a muzzle break. Loudest darn gun i have ever been around. I just got a remington 700 25-06 with a 26 inch bull barrel. I'm going to try an get a elk this year with it.

According to the job at hand, what tool you use. In my area there aren't a lot of dangerous game. For Whitetail and meat on the table 25-06. Doesn't destroy the meat. Good varmint round. 30-06 is a do it all caliber due to loads and bullet weights. In my limited knowledge if one caliber for everything 30-06. For Alaska, for sure out of these three 30-06. Tried and true! Don't fix it if it ain't broke. 30-06 is king here for sure. Nice job! Keep'em coming!

I love the "Mirica" Eagle. I LOVE all three rounds!!!

I love seeing people review the 25-06. For deer use 117 sst. Have never had one take a 2nd step. Same with hogs. Neck shot a 300lb hog as I figured the bullet wouldn’t make it through the shoulder. Cut the hide around the neck and the head popped off. Never got to test it on an Elk, but I do have some annealed 117sst for when I get a shot in on one. Terminal ballistics research says annealing the round makes the tip mushroom instead of fragment

Watching this after cleaning my dads Remington 742 woods master 30-06 with a 22in barrel sighted in with Winchester 150gr sjsp. Out of the calibers presented here I prefer a 25-06 with light ammo for maximum expansion and hydrostatic shock to drop deer on the spot but I don’t own one so I use 6.5cm with hornady 125gr super performance sst, And have yet to shoot a deer that didn’t drop on the spot. Keep up the good vids it give me a decent idea on what dad has his grandpas rifle sighted in with.

For whitetail deer here in Indiana my family and I use 100 grain .243, 130 grain .270, 138 grain .308, and 150 grain .30-06 I can honestly say everyone of them are very affective it really just depends on the shooter and their preference. The key to success is being comfortable with your rifle and making a well placed shot.

I think they’d all kill a deer with a well placed shot! I’m partial to the .270 and have seen it drop deer in their tracks, but I love the bullet weight options of the 30’06! The 165 gr and 180 gr offer so many more game options.

Curious to hear thoughts. The .270 130 gr PSP is rated by Remington with a muzzle velocity of 3060 fps in a 24" barrel. A 22" barrel is pretty standard and the chrono, I imagine, is 10-15 ft from the muzzle. Is 250 fps less than spec appropriate? I had terrible experience with Remington Express ammunition in 130 gr PSP. Those were not marked as managed recoil but were terrifically underpowered.

It seems like if you're hunting at distance, you have two concerns in addition to the usual ones. How will wind affect it? How well will it perform with less than perfect placement? Heavier, fast bullets seem to lessen the worries?

25-06 is a great flat shooting round for my area! But 400 yards is unheard of even for farmers hunting from a combine.

I guess it really depends on what it is that you’re shooting at ,if you’re shooting a deer as a rule of thumb some thing 100 yards or less does the job, and for that you can use a 30-30 , I have the 270 and the 30 -06 and out of all , the 30-06 wins,,, interesting video👍

30`06 150gr Hornady SST, power line shot @ 193 yard from stand, filled a doe tag, dropped on the spot. Have used core-lokt but my rifle wouldn't group, but used .303 British that worked well. Haven't harvested an animal yet as the old Enfield is a back up rifle. I hunt 4 hours from home so I bring extra stuff.

All are great guns I just love the power of the 3006 here in Pennsylvania perfect gun for anything!

The Core Lokt has long had a reputation as one of the best of the price point bullets. Several generations of hunters have been reliably getting their annual deer with those exact 270 and 30-06 loads. For the guy who buys 1 box of ammo every 2 years and wants to stick with the familiar, they are great. I agree that most Rem products seem to have gone downhill after Freedom Group took over, and of course they destroyed the company financially. For my money, i will stay with 30-06, although the 25-06 has long interested me for predators and long range varmints, if i ever get into that. The 270 has never blown my skirt up, but i will admit it is a good cartridge. You can't argue with real-world success. Your test makes sense, despite the naysayers. Each load represents the "standard" or most common bullet weight in the cartridge. So it makes sense to test them. Btw, i always love ut when u insert the still of the eagle. He is looking down as though he is thinking, "What the H are those wingnuts doing down there?". Always makes me chuckle.

The best comparison would use the best bullet in a given caliber, not the same grain for each. That shows the true potential of the calibers.The 25-06 has an over bore issue that really needs longer barrels and slow burn powder. GunBlue490 is one the best sources I've found for hunters seeking information.

Subscribed. Crony and accuracy testing. 👌

How do you like that tikka??? Never shot one but I love the bolt and action ( pretty smooth) .i passed up on it becuase i hated the stock. I ended up gettin a weatherby

Just thinking out loud. Now Ruger owns Marlin, how cool would it be to be able to get a 10/22 with the marlin micro groove barrel.

I'm a 270 guy BUT I wouldn't turn away from any of them. Would like to see a 308 - 7mm08 and 6.5 Creed see how they compare

Good information thanks for sharing

I think you have a very good variety in the calibers you picked.

Wow. That’s very slow compared to other brands of 270. I have a 270 and 25-06. Love them both!

Nice. How do the 220 grain .30-06 perform?

Being that the 270 and the 25.06 are some of the children of the 30.06, I would expect no less than exceptional performance. I've reloaded Hornady's 180 grain SPBT at 2652 FPS, through a Remington 7600. I like it, inch and a half groups at 100 yards, two inch groups at 200. No complaints here.

Depends on what your hunting...I personally have a Thompson Venture in 25.06 that is great on southern Whitetails. I agree with what you said. I would go with the 30.06 with some Federal Fusions

My ex wifes cousin lives in Colorado. Has a 700bdl in 308. Has only 1 box of 180 grn core lokts. 11 empty shell cases. 11 elk heads in his cabin. People keep telling him CLS are no good 😂

25 06 is my go to whitetail rifle.

A great video comparison.

Good info, enjoyed

I live in south Africa,taken all the plains game with my .270 love the round all just a personal choice,also have a .300win so wouldn't bother with the 3006.👍

I like .30-06, killed 17 deer in my life with it,pretty devastating. SST'S AND BALLISTIC TIPS 165 GR

Have been using Core-lokt ammo in the PA woods for decades. Shoots good in all my rifles and is very effective on game. At around twenty bucks a box I think it’s a good value for the money. When one is shooting deer at less than 100 yards, usually much less than 100 yards, how ‘premium’ does the ammunition have to be.

.280 as you mentioned, I think comes close to the 06’ or surpasses it in this comparison, with 150 grain or close as you can get it.

for caribou and smaller they will all kill but i prefer the 270 so that is my biased choice..

I think your choice of calibers, ammo, and bullet weights for this comparison is fine. I have a few suggestions otherwise. In the field, you may have to make a quick follow-up shot and deal with it. However, for testing and demonstration purposes here, it is a bad idea to fire all four shots from one caliber in just fifteen seconds. High-powered rifle barrels heat up pretty damn quick when fired continuously, and that change in temperature can give you all sorts of variation in your chronograph readings. Just adding a few extra seconds between shots would have given more reliable results. Also, I'd say all three bullets performed well and would easily do the job out in the field against medium-sized game. I was quite impressed by the .25-06 in comparison to its big brother which is clearly stronger. As for the .270, its jacket separation obviously happened at the terminus of the bullet travel, or the mushrooming would never have come out like it did. Furthermore, the slight variation in each bullet looks to be more attributable to the shot placement against the pork shoulder and how far it had to penetrate before exiting than due to the bullet's capabilities, as each bullet took a noticeably different path getting through that meat target. When you have one bullet go through the bottom, one go through the middle, and one go through the top, that can affect the results. Still, this was an interesting comparison video.

Yeah, that is why i always use heavy for caliber, slower high sectional density bullets anymore... 165 or 180's in 308 and 30-06 just work everytime without fail on elk, deer and antelope... 150's for the 270 work on everything as well. Excellent video and that is an excellent analog imo... Thanks for the vid.

Good video! I found a pair of 5.75 pound Forbes 24B's, one in in 25-06 and the other a 30-06 and have been using them a lot. They have 24" barrels and I am shooting 120 Speer BTSP's at 3075fps with RL 25 in the 25-06 and 115 grain TSX bullets at 3010 with RL22 for a grizzly defense round. I have gone with 150 A-bonds at 3050 (H-4350)and 180 A-Bonds at 2815 (Stabal 6.5) in the 30-06. The 25-06 has 35% less recoil, keeps 1200 Ft Pounds to 550 yards and has been absolute death on caribou as far away as I can hi them. Past 300 yards the killing power reduces a bit with the 25-06 but penetration goes up with the Speers. Both get into .75 MOA. If it wasn't for the occasional grizzly in the mountains all I'd ever use for caribou and sheep is the 25-06. The 30-06 only edges away when things get big and/or toothy, also the extra 30-06 energy helps past 400 yards but proper bullet placement is very easy with the 25-06. Still looking for a Forbes in 270 or 280 that might really come up the middle.

I use 120 gr. 25-06 Remington core lock for Mule Deer. Takes them down. Just put the bullet where it belongs with most any calibers at reasonable distance.

Of course the 30-06 is the king among the most common standard cartridges. But the 270 outstrips it on targets over 250 yards. The 25-06 is almost forgotten. Anyway, the emperor is the 300 Win Mag. Thanks for such a well done test in all respects.

Great video keep them up!! 👍

Great video .... I like to hunt with my U.S. model 1917 cal. 30-06 or my K-31 Swiss 7.5x55 PS 👍 Great video !

I love the 30-06 Springfield round !!!!!!!!!!!!

Apparently Remington ammunition has gone way down hill. 270 Winchester could not hit 3000 FPS? I don't think the 22-inch Barrel has anything to do with that, possibly a little. My Mossberg Patriot with a 22-inch Barrel is pushing 3108, 3112, 3110, 3105, 3096 that is with Winchester Power Point 130 grain at 1450 a box at Walmart. Not the finest ammunition to be doing my testing with! I guess Remington is over with by now. I watch all your videos as you remind me a lot of myself with the way I test different ammo. I would like to see you do a video and I know it would cost a lot but breaking out some of the premium ammunitions ie hornaday, Federal Premium, Norma Etc thank you for all the work you put into doing these videos.

I have 4 of the most common calibers .308, 270 30.06 & 7mm & they've all performed beautifully but my tried & true which is also the only caliber I use now is the 30.06.

Awsome comparisom. 30-06 is still king when comes to Remington cor-lock. Run same ammo in my 7mm mag in 175gr