Best Flat Shooting Cartridge; 270 or 25-06? 

25-06 hands down. Kills like lightning!

I have both but the 25/06 is my favorite!

From Wyoming, used the 25-06 on everything from prairie dogs to a bull moose. Accurate, and using 120 grain Nosler Partitions, a one shot killer on the moose and elk. It will do anything a 270 will do, with less noise and recoil.

I own both, and if I had to make a one shot kill it would be my 25-06. My best shot on a whitetail was 660 yards with a Remington 700 BDL with my 25-06 shooting a 100 gr Remington CoreLok. Bad to da bone.

I prefer the 30-06 for elk but the 25-06 is the best western mule deer and antelope gun I have ever used

So far as shooting, the 25-06 is my favorite round, however the versatility of the 30-06 sold me on it.

In our current economic times, I would go with the 270 win just based off of availability and cost.

25-06 Kicks like a 243, shoots as flat as a 22-250. kills like a 270!!! I love mine. 100 grain ttsx hits like Thor's hammer!

Love my remington 700 sendero 25-06!

Man, if manufacturers started offering .25-06's with faster twist rates (for Blackjack Ace 131gr) this "antique" cartridge would send shudders throughout the shooting community. You hearing me SAVAGE? You guys have got the best reputation for development, out of the box accuracy, and pricing so the average Joe doesn't have to spend an arm and leg to get a shooter.

270 is great. 25-06 is a cartridge that has been overlooked. Love my savage 110 in 25-06. My favorite rifle

Thanks again for a very informative and entertaining video. It’s obvious that you both are comfortable with each other and Joey seems to be more comfortable in front of the camera. As far as the two cartridges are concerned, I have always been a .270 guy, especially hunting deer on the open prairie in South Dakota. Out here, the 25-06 is kind of a niche cartridge designed to hunt pronghorn antelope at long range. Both are great cartridges, but the .270 reigns supreme in my opinion. Thanks again guys!

I love my Ruger M77 25-06.

wonderful discussion. I could listen to this type of material all day. I'd love to see more caliber comparison videos. Thanks.

In the old school of bigger is better, I have to go with the 270...but as I get older..I also believe in specialty cartridges...and your right, SC has one of the all-time greats in rifle building, Kenny Jarrett, he still guarantees .5 MOA for anything under .30 caliber and .70 for anything over .30 caliber. Loved the history of both cartridges and glad you mentioned Col. Whelen, who is kind of a hero of mine... a great video and Joey is a natural.....BTW Jarrett is one of the few left you can actually get a wood stock still.

Gentleman, I recently discovered your channel and I really enjoyed this edition. You have perfectly summed up what I have often thought about the 25-06. It is just not a very versatile cartridge. I've been shooting a 270 Winchester for almost 50 years and it's never failed me, but if I absolutely could have only one center fire rifle I would certainly consider the 25-06 for my general locale and hunting opportunities. Here in Kansas we can have close shots at Whitetails in the creek bottoms and river valleys or 400 yards+ shots across bean fields or the canyons in the big pastures of the Flint Hills and the Smoky Hills in eastern and central Kansas or the Gypsum Hills of south central Kansas. We have Prong Horns, White Tails, Mule Deer and Elk in western Kansas. There are a few Mule Deer where I live in the central part of the state. We have coyotes and Bob Cats everywhere. If pelt damage or safety is not a concern, the 25-06 is great for predator control and general varmint hunting. The reason I mention safety is that I don't know of any 25 caliber highly frangible bullets like those available for the various 22 caliber rifles. Nosler does list one 25 caliber 85 grain varmint bullet and a 120 grain Partition which with a carefully placed lung shot at a reasonable distance could do the job on elk but it's not something I would want to try. There's just not enough room for error. If you start a 120 grain 25-06 at around 2900 fps and a 150 grain 270 at about the same velocity, at 200 yards down range with roughly equal BC their trajectory is pretty much identical but the 270 will have 300 more ft pounds of remaining energy, so like you, for the bigger stuff I'm going to have to vote for the 270. Fortunately I don't have to limit myself to just one rifle. Besides, what fun would that be?!🤔 Unfortunately, due to age and health my hunting is very limited these days but I have a disease that makes me keep buying new rifles, shotguns and pistols. It's a terrible affliction!😅 I have rifles from .224 caliber to .458. Currently I'm having a 257 Roberts built so that I can walk out the back door on my farm and find out if the BOB is as perfect a deer rifle as Jack O'Connor and others have said that it is. Happy hunting boys and girls! 😄

I inherited a Browning Semi-auto in .25-06. Absolutely love the round, haven’t used it for anything other than coyotes, which it works great for. I own a Savage Model 116 in .270win, which I’ve used for everything. Wonderful all around performer, especially when shooting longer ranges. I gotta vote for the .270win with my history with it. Love y’all’s vids, keep ‘em comin!

25.06 is great gun I have shot big red stags here at home in New Zealand with it dose the job great

I've owned both rifles for a long time. I'm 43 and got my 25-06 for Christmas when I was 15. It has killed every deer and antelope that i have harvested since then. Plus countless coyotes and rock chucks. AND 2 elk! When I can't decide on which rifle to grab, I grab it. Always have, probably always will. I got my 270 when I was 19. I have NOT used it to shoot 1 animal. I ALWAYS grab my 25-06 first. 25-06 is easily my favorite cartridge, followed by the 22-250. I will say this.....I also love a 270. There is a reason it is so popular. It can be argued that it is the most economical, versatile, and ballistically impressive cartridge ever made (excluding their parent 30-06).....until recent history possibly. I personally think a 280 (another child of 30-06) is better than a 270, just because of near identical ballistic performance to the 270, but with better bullet selection. But Remington screwed the marketing pooch on that one....several times, and it never caught on. All that said, I happen to love my 25-06 more! My 270 is a safe queen, and is in pretty much brand new condition. But that is not the fault of the cartridge or the rifle. My vote.... an easy one for 25-06!

25-06! My family started using the wildcat version on mule deer in central Utah back in the 50's. Me and my Dad heard so many stories of my great uncle laying deer out with his 25-06, that is what we both use today. We shoot Ackley Improved versions now with 133 gr bullets going 3050 FPS. Its a whole new level.

Thank you both for this discussion. I have my light 270WIN hunting rifle and it is versatile enough to cover deer and elk without much trouble. The reality for me is that I am not likely to ever hunt elk, although it has been a dream. The 25-06 is a heck of great looking round and I believe that if I had one I'd be killing the same deer with it too. My 270 just has always made a lot of sense overall. Accurate, easy to shoot, effective, manageable, and available everywhere. I really can't say that for the 25-06 as easily but I know that those who have it love the 25-06. God bless.

I have one of each and I love them both ❤🎉

Practically the same round in my estimation. These days I’m often reminded of John Kingsley-Heath’s quote regarding Americans’ fascination with calibers of near identical characteristics, “There is little difference in killing power between a .375 H&H and a 6mm (.243) and absolutely none between a 30-06 and a 7mm Remington Magnum.” And that most certainly holds true of the .270 and 25-06.

Love my Rem 700 in 25-06 bad medicine on whitetail and yotes.

The fact that a .270W loaded with the right bullet can stay neck and neck with a 6.5PRC with nearly 100 years of innovation between them speaks volumes. In fact a 145gn .277 ELDX over 56gns of H4831SC/AR2213SC fired at 2900fps from a 22in barrel can stay above 1800fps for 650m at sea level and deliver over 1100ft/lbs of energy with less recoil then a .308. This in a cartridge with a top 10 availability. In a light accurate package without the need for a muzzle brake, for mountain hunting, I call that ideal. I recently took a Rusa doe at 409m/2200fps with this combination, She ran about 80m and the bullet functioned perfectly. I also have a mate that used to guide in NZ for Red deer, Thar and Chamois he owns one rifle. It’s a .25-06 To each his own, Salam

had both, the 25-06 in my 1986 Ruger M77 heavy barrel is my all time favorite.

25-06 for me

Good video. I enjoyed it.

They're both right for me. I have rifles chambered in each. A 25-06 on a Mauser 98 action that my uncle built for my father to serve as both a varmint and deer gun and the .270 I had built using the Interarms Mark X (Mauser 98) action specifically for deer hunting with the option for some larger game should I need it. I have videos on both rifles on my channel as part of my Mauser action series. I have two more Mausers that I need to add to the series, a 7mm-08 and a 7mm Rem Mag, both of these I built myself as I was learning how to put rifles together. Thanks for the discussion. I'm following along on the 03-A3 as I am trying to refinish a stock myself. It's new to me and I've never done this before.

I like them both.

my first rifle was a 257 roberts. What a great rifle that was shooting 100 great and 87 grain bullets. I found I needed something bigger so on with a 30.06 where the 150 gr bullet was used. As time went on I felt the recoil on the 30.06 was to great so my uncle recommended a 25.06. I found myself back with the 100 grain bullet and how flat it shot with much lower recoil. After Dad died I obtained his 270 and I see why he loved it. The 130 gr bullet performs well however, the recoil is greater than the 25.06. Today I use the 257 at home where I neck shoot culls on shots under 100 yds. I use the 30.06 for hogs and it does well. I use the 270 when I am in a tight blind for the 25.06 is two inches longer. However, for long-range south Texas sendero hunting give me my 25.06. All great-all staying in my collection. Calvin Snyder, Waco Texas

My savage model 1920 in 250-3000 is just an amazing accurate shooting rifle with its factory lyman 54 peepsight. I reload with 87gr normas at around 2900 feet per second.

I think you gentleman described the differences spot on. I have a 25-06 in a Browning A-Bolt that I bought specifically for deer and antelope in Montana and I have never lost an animal with it with only one needing more than one shot. That said, I'd never consider taking it for Elk, a 270 with a 150 is way more effective. You are correct that the 25-06 is a light skinned critter killer and it does it extremely well at distance and it hasn't failed me. Thanks!

Great discussion! Ive owned both the 270 and 2506 and there both great. I only have 2 rifles these days so i use the 2506 in more open areas and my 3030 in deeper cover areas here in TN. They both have worked well but my biggest buck was with 2506 so its my fave lol. Love your videos !

Guys thanks for making this video. I recently inherited my Dad's 25-06. I have had a Remington Model 700 ADL in .270 Winchester that I have owned and shot and hunted with for oh probably 25 years. Dad's story about getting the 25-06, "I walked into the gun store out by where your Mother and I lived. I had $300 in my pocket and thats what they had. It was used. I got the gun and a box of ammo for $300.". It's a Tikka with a synthetic stock with a scope which I have no idea what brand, model it is. I went with him to buy ammo for it for a deer hunt and I told him to stay with factory ammo with a 117-120 grain bullet. He dropped every deer he shot with it.

I think the .270 is better for deer, 25 06 is better for varmints. I also believe that the .280 is best all around but Jack OConner didn't write about it.

I’m interested to get into a 25-06 soon and start loading for it. Most of everything I have is 30 caliber and over pistols and revolvers. The smaller calibers for hunting are a new world

I have two 2506 with a win 120 grain bullet is a great gun for deer also have two in 270 both great deer guns for me that's all I hunt other than hogs both good for them

I have been hunting years with big bores or 338 win mag and decided to move down with recoil to the 270 Win. However both my daughters took there first bucks with a 25-06… both great choices

Got both a 25-06 and a .270 ruger both shoot great fast and flat shooting the 06 is awesome from varmint to deer the .270 is a great deer cartridge there's not been a deer walk away from either one 06 has less recoil and will decapitate a groundhog as well as the .270 it'll make a groundhog disappear, love both.

I have both... 2 of my favorites... the only reason I would pick one over the other is that for elk or bigger, 270 is higher grain, for deer, it's 6 of one, half dozen of the other

270 for me because I live in Maine and with 150g bullets I can take a moose and shoot deer in the woods at close range without staving them up too bad especially if I back it off a little when loading them. If I had a 25 cal I’d want it to be a 257 Roberts purely for nostalgia.

Today I pick the .270 Win But i have been a 25 06 fan in the passed still am. I have a 6mm06 that's deadly on whitetail with 95 grain nosler partion.

I own two Ruger No1s, just love the guns. One is in 25-06 and the other is .270. Never really thought about how similar the rounds are. 25 is nice for the low recoil. I like the .270 for the 150 gr loads. I hunt woodlands so short shots the heavier bullets seem the better choice but it’s wild how quick the 25 puts deer down

I have a 25-06 Smith & Wesson rifle but I do prefer my 270 but they both get the job done

Growing up, I always thought I would one day own a 25/06. Published as the best all-around cartridge for Australian conditions. Now 46 years young I realise my father's 303/25 is all I need to get it done. I hunt with boys who shoot the venerable .270 but am yet to see a 25/06. Just too expensive here.

The first rifle I ever bought was a SMLE Mk III in 303, that led me to reloading and a Remington 700 in 30/06, I had lost all that great bullet performance without penciling deer or destroying meat. A friend of mine suggested a 270 as an all around big game rifle so I traded for a used Winchester 70 in 270. I was very happy with that rifle and 130's but the varmint fields were calling and I ran into a beautiful Ruger M77 in 25/06 with the 24" #2 heavy barrel, needless to say it came home with me. I was shooting woodchucks at ranges I would have never seemed conceivable 2 years before. One day while in the field I spotted a nice 8 point Whitetail in a hedgerow at roughly 130 yards so I let one fly. That round hit just just slightly high and back of the shoulder and dropped that deer DRT, no tracking. The varmint bullet entered and just got past the ribs before before blowing up and taking out both lungs, just purple soup left in there. After 40 years I still have both rifles and the 270 goes when walking and stalking are the expected but that Ruger 25/06 with 117gr Sierra's gets the nod late in the season when it's do or die time and we hit the farm fields to fill the freezers.

I started elk and deer hunting as a teen with a 25-06. Two years ago at 47yrs old I got me a 270win and it's far more versatile as it can use 90gr 100 115gr bullets up to 150gr for elk. There's far more factory ammo available for the 270 and a lot of bullets ready for reloading. It's 270win all day every day. It's best to stay with the highly successful cartridges for simplicity and performance. Today that's easily 6.5 creed, 270win, 308win, and 30-06. If I need to play around with more specialized cartridges I'll use one of my 45-70's or 348win in vintage rifles.

270 may be the king of deer hunting cartridges,and I love mine,but the 25-06 gets a say in how the kingdom gets run...lol. Got kin that have both,seen them use both at deer camps throughout the years..ought six is proficient for sure.

Both are great and will serve any deer hunter well. But I vote for the 25-06. There is just something about a quarter bore, you just have to use one to know what I mean. Flat shooting low recoil and kills deer like lightning what’s not to love.

I couldn't decide, so I have both.

I own both rifles, definitely prefer my 25-06. I live in south ga and that it’s my go to round.

Love my 270 love my 25-06. I feel 270 win is overkill for whitetail. Every one we've taken never took another step.

I have to go with the 270 due to availability and versatility but no doubt the 25-06 is a fantastic deer cartridge, where I hunt in Texas we have small 130lbs deer but 300+lbs hogs and on those hogs if I could only have one rifle I would have to have the go with the larger caliber, not saying that the 25 cal could not do the job just the the 27 caliber does it better. If I could have a dozen different rifles for ever condition the 25-06 would certainly make the list.

My nephew killed a 400” elk in Colorado in the 2021 season. If you put in the right place it will do the job just fine.

25-06 is regionally popular rather than nationzlly.. I estimate having a writer as a fan (O'Connor) helped the 270 immensely. But the 25-06 has a big following in the pacific north west of the US. It's huge in Oregon. While neither are likely to ever sell as often as the 30-06 or 308, they are remarkably common. Anything that can take coyote, pronghorn, deer, and Elk is a great utility caliber

I have a pre 64 270, and a custom weatherby mark v 270 AI, 2 ea 25-284's 2 ea 25-06 AI's 2 ea 25-06's 1 of which in a #1, 2 ea 257 weatherby's a 25-35, 25 WSM, 2 each 25-284's. I think the 25 Calibers kick ass. My 257 Weatherby built on a current model 70 Supergrade with fast twist shoot 133 Bergers just under 3300 FPS is awsome.

I have 4 Pro Hunters(7mm08, 25-06, 22-250 and .223)and none shot to their ability without a trigger spring replacement(now much lighter) and a hinge pin change out.. The 7mm08 was a 3" gun out of the box but will now shoot sub 3/4"... My No1B .270 is extremely bullet/load sensitive...

My first rifle was a .270, used it for 25 years but have moved on to the .25/06.

Tom for me its the 270 for my Uncle it's the 2506. We both have our share of successful hunts.

In my humble 60 years hunting I think the 270 is still king but that 25-06 is not very far behind it just a little harder to get ammo for

Joey, I remembered your .243 high shoulder shot on whitetail and dropped one at 70 yards with a Ruger M77 Mark II short barrel at 70 yards with Norma Whitetail 100 grain. DRT

I really enjoy both Cartridges, 270win for main deer rifle, 25-06rem for Coyotes and backup deer rifle.

When it came time to replace the barrel on my 25-06 I decided on 270win instead. I figured it’d launch a 120gr bullet at similar velocities but also use the heavier bullets with ease. I had my 270 barrel twisted at 9 to easily handle any practical.277 projectiles. I love it but miss the 25-06 greatly(even though I also have a 243 as well now)

Didn't know you guys were in south carolina!! So am I! I love your channel! Keep up the great content!!

I gotta say 270 but the truth is I’ve always wanted and have been looking for a m77 25-06

Both are fantastic cartridges, but the .270 gets my nod. It’s prolific and ultimately offers more utility as far as effectiveness on a wider range of game animals. Still love the .25-06. I’d like to get my hands on a model 700 CDL in that cartridge.

The 2506 is my most favorite round

I have both and they are great in their own way. 25 06 is great for LG varmint, antelope and deer. I would use it on Elk with the right bullet at the right distance, 250 yds and under. 270 will do all that plus step up to Moose with right bullet at the right distance.

Quarter bore ROCKS !!!!!!

The very reason Weatherby exists is because he was really into high velocity. One of his first creations the .257 Weatherby Magnum is one of the flattest shooting rifles I know of. The .300 Weatherby Mag. was called the flattest shooting cartridge for a long time.

25-06 120 gr Remington PSPCL and IMR 4350 works great for me.

My 223 with a 55 grain bullett has exactly the same trajectory as my 270 with a 130 grain.So who ever started using the term flat shooting ?Ok the 270 25-06 with the greater mass at the same velocity will do more damage.Enjoy your vids keep them coming.

I had a 25-06 rem in a rem 700 cdl nice rifle accurate low recoil but just didn’t have the choices in ammo and not available as the 270 win. I have a 270 win in a rem 700 had for over thirty years it’s just more of a big game cartridge than the 25-06.

Both love my rem 700 270 win and my savage 2506 both are devastating on deer. Cant pick one or the other to be better

The choice is easy; 30-06

Here is rifle calibers by sale popularity and 2506 and 270 are neck and neck I believe TX and SD drives a lot of this. Here is ordered list of calibers based on current sales: 22LR 223 Remington 308 Winchester 6.5 Creedmoor 30-06 Springfield 300 Win Mag 6.5 PRC 22-250 Remington 7mm Rem Mag 300 PRC 6.8 Western 7mm-08 300 WSM 270 Winchester 25-06 243 Winchester

For some one who has both I think there both great deer rounds honestly the tie in that range. But the 25-06 is a better round for versatility I run 85 grain for the 25-06 and they are awesome for varmints and cycotes

I chose the 25-06 b/c I'm a Deer Man. Nothing wrong with the 270, it's just I've never owned a 270. A many of friends I know luv their 270. Only 1 friend I know has a couple 25-06's & he is a 2nd generation 25-06 deer hunter. I'm 60 yrs old & bought my 1st 25-06 last yr in the form of a Savage Axis II. Now, I'm entertaining getting a Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic in 25-06.

I believe that for deer it is too close to say one is better than the other is. The difference in bullet choices the 270 wins, in accuracy the 25-06 is often is the easier one to get better accuracy with less trouble. For hunting varmints, both are not good choices for being too powerful and costly to use. That was my reason for choosing a 280 Remington, more bullet weights and types to select from making it as versatile as a 30-06 and easier to get better accuracy. Loaded with most bullets it is provides near 7-mm Remington Magnum performance with less powder being used. 🤣😂🙂

In 25/06 federal fusion 120grn. Are a good choice, good BC's.

I have favoured my Sako A-III in .270 Winchester over all other calibers for Mule & Whitetail deer hunting for the last 30 Years. After recently picking up a Sako A-III in 25-06 Remington I found out very quickly that I had been missing out using such a fantastic deer cartridge as the 25-06. Both rifles are very accurate though the 25-06 shoots slightly smaller groups (1/2” at 100 yds) and both are the same weight. That said, I now honestly doubt if I would want to be without either of these Deer Slayers. I now use the .270 on mule deer hunts and the 25-06 for whitetail. My .243 no longer rides with me on deer hunts, the 25-06 has won me over.

Ruger #1 25-06 bought in 1983

The Creedmoores is killing em both

I live out west and hunt deer I have to go with the 2506 Remington

I have the 25.06 in a Thompson Center Rifle and love it.

I have a 270 ina Marlin, shoots great, haven't killed anything yet,but I also have a 25_06 Rem with a 26 in Shelin air gauge number 4,that I have killed quite a few deer,100 grain Scharroco11 53.1 R L 19 2 same hole 100 yrds

I own both, because I just like to own many rifles. I live in Tucson, AZ and hunt Coues whitetail. For that, my .25-'06 shooting 117 grain Hornady Superformance factory SST bullets is the gold standard (and now looking forward to trying new CX load that is wicked fast). Ample energy at distance for a Coues deer, literally will spin and anchor a standing Coues buck, and less recoil than .270. I love my .270 in a Savage 110 American Classic rifle with 150 grain bullets for humping up northern AZ mountains for elk. .270 is more versatile if you could only have one.

A friend from high school his dad built him a 25-06 ackley improved and his brother got 270 ackley. Him and his brother since they were both each 5 have they have had 5 barrels installed now there 27. There dad made sure they shot at least every weekend

I personally think the 270 is not quite good enough for the Sambar deer we have here in Australia (which are very close to elk size wise) though many have been successfully taken with it. Interestingly, it is the minimum calibre permitted here in Victoria for the Sambar and I think that minimum caliber requirement is there for a good reason. I actually prefer the 338 Win Mag for Sambar but would use a 30-06 quite happily too, and I believe that animals of that size and vitality really need to be hit with a 30 cal at least given their exceptional toughness and ability to absorb a hit. Of course a 25-06 will kill a Sambar if it is put into the right spot, but so will a 243 if it comes to that. However, there must come a point where you have to say this is just not enough gun if you want to knock your deer down emphatically and humanely.

I love my 25-06. Flat shooter. I use it for nearly everything. For larger game for which the 25-06 is a bit too light, I use my 7mm Rem Mag, another flat shooter. Joe

Well, I couldn't make up my mind so I got both. Really, I got the .25.06 in a Stevens 200 and ordered a 24 inch barrel to replace the 22 inch and stuck a Timney trigger on it. Later I found a Mossberg 4X4 in .270 so jumped on that. I like them both.

In these days availability of ammo and components should be a big concern of someone buying a firearm. It always seems the ones that were at one time a military round will be easier to find components and ammo for in the future.

i love my 2506 h&r single shot bull barrel

I have a heavy barrel tactical 25.06 bolt with a large power scope that's always money out to 400 yards with my ballistic tip hand loads. I can almost clean out a flock of crows at 400 yards or one shot drop a white tail deer no problem. It's to heavy to carry very much but a most accurate rifle. I've got a 300 Weatherby if needed. Also carry a stainless Super Blackhawk tricked out with 4 5/8" bbl I've killed deer at 75 yards

Obviously, the 270 Win is more versatile so it gets my vote, but my 7mm 08 will do the same thing at 400 yards just not quite as flat. That didn't stop me from wanting the 270, though. I prefer hand loading the 257 Roberts to get nearly the same performance of the 25 06 with a lot less powder and a much shorter barrel. They're all a ton of fun and I think we should try every one of them if we have the chance!

Roy Weatherby chambered his rifles in the ,257and .270 Weatherby calibers in the mid 1940's, way before the .270 Winchester or 25-06 were popular factory rifles.

Growing up in the 60's and early 70's when I became mature enough to hunt I had 1 name for the 270, "track em down". I seen more deer that either was never recovered or was found 100's or yards away from where the deer was shot. I hated that caliber. I would of gladly to of hunted with a sling shot had it of been legal. Funny that I own one now and love it. Why the love affair now? Technology!!! Better bullets. This is just my opinion but I am now recovering every game animal I'm now squeezing the trigger on. Not saying everyone else wasn't having good results. A few of my friends and relatives wasn't. Perfect shot placement on 95% I could be wrong but that's just my 2 cents. Be blessed 🙌

I like the 25-06. But if I want range the 257wb.

25-06