Ethan Givan Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Im looking to buy a new deer hunting rifle and I have narrowed it down between two calibers but I dont know which one to go with. Im looking at a .25-06, or .308. I have never shot either one of these but I have seen deer shot with both. Most of my shots are 250 yards or less. Which one has the most recoil, more accuracy, and more knock down power on whitetails? Which one do you think would be the best overall choice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Either or will work fine for whitetails and not have a lot of recoil, think the difference in recoil in the two would be pretty minimal. Think if it were me, I would likely opt for the .308 of those two choices though as there are a bit more options available in factory ammo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramie Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 William hit that on the nose. Personal choice, I would go with the .25-06. However, dont turn your nose up at the .308. That is a great cal too. If it were me I would go Rifle shopping and buy the best deal I came upon within those two. I do however thing the .308 has noticable difference in recoil. Either cal will outshoot most shooters abilities. Both will be deadly well over 250 yards. The .308 will have a bigger ammo selection and finding rounds in a pinch will typically be easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OJR Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 I think you would be happier with the 308! It can be used for a lot more things than just deer! The 25-06 is also good for deer, but it does shoot light bullets. If you want to go after something bigger, than the 308 will shine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramie Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Great point Orlan! If you only plan on hunting smaller game the .25-06 is still my choice. However, the .308 is also a great Elk and black bear round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Here is an interesting table you can look at that might be helpful http://www.accuratereloading.com/recoil.html. Like I said, I do not think there is enough difference in recoil in the .308 and 25-06 for it to be a factor. A few gun manufacturers used to chamber their youth guns in .308 too if that tells you anything. Some probably still do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Shooting commonly used bullet weights (120 gr. 25-06 and 150 gr. .308) and Winchester SuperX ammo, the recoil in like-weight (8 lb.) rifles is identical at 18 ft lbs/ 12 fps. The 25-06 is a tad flatter shooting, dropping 7.4" at 300 yards on a 200 yard zero as compared to the .308's 9.8" of drop at 300 yards with the same 200 yard zero. What does that actually mean in real life?? Squat. The 2 1/2" difference is a statistical non-issue. If you are planning (and capeable) to shoot 400 or 500 yards, then the 25-06 will give a definite advantage. Few folks, however, have neither the need nor the ability to shoot at game animals that far. My suggestion to you is to go with the .308. Like OJR said..........it'll serve you much better across a broader range of situations than the 25-06 could ever dream of. The 25-06 is a very good deer round. The .308 is a great deer round. But if you want to move into black bears, elk, moose or other larger things, the .308 is the hands-down winner there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJL Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 416 Rigby. It'll knock down any deer you'll ever come across.....................wait .........That wasn't an option.... 308........ and don't look back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntinguide Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 308 prob just for the wide range of ammo and uses, you can load it heavy or load it light, medium to long range capabilities depending on the rifle. Love them both and shoot them both but 308 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnf Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 I've got a 25-06 and love it. It's light on recoil and very accurate. Knowing what I do now about ammo availability I would probably have gotten a 308 or 270 instead. Pretty much any Wal-Mart you walk in will have 308 and 270, but I've been in a few that didn't have 25-06. I'm reloading now, so that's not much of an issue any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerhunter44 Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 I agree,the .308 has more of a variety of bullet weights, and has an accuracy reputation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowana Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 You picked two great rounds to debate over. I love them both. I actually had the chamber reamed on my 25-06 and made it an Ackley Improved (what a barn burner). Thats a hint for you hand loaders (watch for an up and coming thread on Ackley Improved-40 degree shoulder cartridges). I own a couple of 308's and a 25-06. I really can't tell any difference in recoil unless I shoot hot 180 gr loads in the 308. If you ever plan on using the rifle to elk hunt, then I'd opt for the 308. Really, even with todays premium bullets a black bear is no match for the 25-06. If you plan on hunting coyotes, the 25-06 is a wonderful choice. If I had no other big game rifle and was to hunt only whitetail then I'd opt for the 308. Like everyone has pointed out, you can buy premium ammo anywhere. You can also buy good bulk generic ammo from Cabela's or Cheaper than dirt for practice as well. Let us know what you settle on and happy shopping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSU_Seminole Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Im looking to buy a new deer hunting rifle and I have narrowed it down between two calibers but I dont know which one to go with. Im looking at a .25-06, or .308. I have never shot either one of these but I have seen deer shot with both. Most of my shots are 250 yards or less. Which one has the most recoil, more accuracy, and more knock down power on whitetails? Which one do you think would be the best overall choice? Their is alot of good advice here. Since you'll just be hunting whitetails with it I assume, & I don't know your body type I'll say it like this. Pick the gun you can shoot the best without flinching. Both of these rounds will kill a deer dead in his tracks. The trick is which calibur's recoil can you handle best? If you aren't good with handling the recoil of a .30 calibur gun go with the 25.06 which virtually has no recoil. Nothing is wrong with the calibur. Some guys are just blessed with the ability to be able to stand recoil from magnum 30s and standard 30 cals to shoot over & over to become great shooters in the field. If you can handle the recoil of a 30/30 or 30.06, go with the 308 because like some of the guys have mentioned, the 308 is common & comes in many bullet weights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldksnarc Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Own both. Love both. While 25-06 is flatter shooting, 308 will take almost anything you want to shoot. Prairie dogs (a little over kill), coyotes up to deer, elk, black bear. Plus, 308 is cheaper to shoot and has more bullet options. Personal favorite is 168 gr BTHP. Better question is - which gun? If you're into paying premium for premium rifles the options are limitless. If you're into a good rifle for fewer dollars - Stevens Model 200. I own Remington, Winchester, Ruger and Savage. Like them all. Stevens is a Savage knock-off. But, you're talking $280-$320 as opposed to $400+ for the premiums. I just bought my first Stevens in a 22-250 and, after break-in period, had .4 MOA at 100 yards with two in same hole. A lengthy forum but well worth the read. http://forums.handloads.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9809&PN=1 I'll be hard-pressed to buy anything other than Stevens from now on. Break-in period: fire one round then clean with at least 10 brush strokes strokes for the first 20 rounds. Then every 3-5 rounds after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lead Poison Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 I'd get the 308 Win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aksheephuntress Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 ...The .270 is really worth considering....for what you are looking to hunt-and, ammo availability... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasDeerHunter Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 My choice would be the .308. More versatile, large ammo selection, and I like the faster cycle of a short action cartridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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