My kid says she's ready for something bigger than the .22LR single-shot Marlin.

I'm thinking ahead about getting a Remington 700 / .25-06.
I've got other Remington 700's so she'll be able to move up in caliber eventually and the accessories for that rifle are already in my inventory.

Is the .25-06 as versatile as I'm thinking it is?

What are you thinking of using it for?

It works for varmints and deer sized animals. You may find some light recoiling loads with bullets such as 75 Vmax that will be great for plinking and vermin shooting. Or you could go with 100 NBTs and be set-up for deer, vermin, and target shooting.

If you are a handloader, I think it is a much better cartridge for a kid to grow with vs carts like the 243....

Good Luck

Reloader

I'm thinking of the happy smile on my daughter's face when she gets her first big-game centerfire rifle.

Knowing that she can use it for many different types of game will be a real plus.

the 25-06 is obsolete, get her a 25 WSSM

Was the round I started out with as my first big game rifle. Again if you reload it's one fine caliber. It seems i've always had one at one time or another. The 100 grain bullet seems at home in this cartridge. It will also do for black bears.

Here is my current model.

Nice looking rifle.
I'll start showing her pictures to see what she likes.
What scope/mounts do you have on that? It looks like a Leupold 4.5-14x50 or something. Can't see the mounting hardware well enough to tell.

quote:

Originally posted by ScudRunner:
the 25-06 is obsolete, get her a 25 WSSM

The .25-06 will still be going strong long after that stubby little piece of crap is gone!!

I think you're right on track for your daughter, although I'd start with some mild reloads with a 75 or 85 grain bullet. While many folks think the recoil of the 25-06 is minor... it still gets after you little with full house loads. I don't think she'll ever need to "graduate" to a larger rifle, unless Elk or something like that is on the menu in the future. *DDP

Well my wife is only 5'4" and on the light framed side. I started her on the 22-250 then moved to 243. Since Elk was one of her main interest then to 7x57. She now uses it for everything. She is just as happy with some hot 115HP for varmints as pulling out the 22-250.

There is nothing at all wrong with the 25-06. In 25 I prefer the 257R but again I'm "old" fashion. If I was thinking one rifle for varmint to elk and didn't like the 7x57 I would look at the 260 or 7x08 both would handle Elk if you watch your range.

You're thinking along the right lines, but the .25-06 is more serious than fun. It's a big boomer of a cartridge and not the easiest on barrels. FUN is the .250-3000 which will do anything the .25-06 will, but with about 50 yards less range.

A fun package for the junior shooter is the CZ 527 in 7.62x39. Most teen girls would be a lot more comfortable with it than a Rem. 700 and it's enough cartridge for up to whitetail and out to 150 yards. I'm full grown and on the large side, but my little CZ gets shot a lot more than my .25-06s.

you haven't said how old your daughter is. the 25/06 is a wonderful cartridge. it can be a handfull if you stoke it up. the 250/3000 suggestion is the way to go; however, no factory is currently chambering it. one option is to buy a short action Savage 10 or Stevens200 and order a finish chambered barrel from douglas or pac-nor. if you order the platform rifle in 308 she will be set for life.

I always found that the 25-06 had more 'bark' than 'bite' in the recoil dept.

They are mild. Blast would fool you, as it 'seems' it would come back more like a 270, but they always seemed to me more like a 243.

I would be a 260 would be near identical in recoil, both with 120's.

Muzzle blast is noticeable. Why not a 7x57 Mauser or a 257 Roberts? Much easier to shoot.
peter.

I just bought my first 25-06 last December…fantastic caliber. Had a .243 win for some years and I must say that I prefer the 25-06. Mild recoil and very accurate !

Of course, Daddy will want to shoot The Princess's rifle now and then...!

She's now 11. Big girl for her age, though. Been shooting with Daddy since she was 4.
The first written word she recognized was 'Remington'.

When she gets older she'll have my other 700's to fall back on:
700 POLICE / .308
700 BDL / 7mm Rem.Mag.
700 BDL / .375 Ultra Mag
...plus the autoloaders:
7400 Carbine / .30-06
Browning BAR / 7mm Rem.Mag.

We've looked at the 2007 Remington catalog and she likes the Model Seven CDL, a short action.
That would be in 260 Rem. or 7mm-08 Rem.
The only thing about this choice is that I have extra stocks and other parts for a 700...

The new 750 Woodsmaster also caught her eye, and in .30-06 it would use the same magazines as my 7400. Not to mention the other accessories.
Lighter bullets might make this gas-operated gun a pretty good choice.

She's not really into getting another 'youth' rifle.

Well, that's the story behind the .25-06.
It sure will be fun getting her out to the range next time.
She'll be trying out the AR15's and maybe the AR10!

Sure the 25-06 is fun!!! How much fun do you and your child want to have?!!! It's a very good all around cartridge with the ability to reach out there and touch them, play at the range and impress people with good reloads, bang flop a deer, groundhog, what ever. It's even a wildcat history lesson!!!

I love mine.

If she likes the Model 7 I would get her one in 308.
If you do not want her to start shooting reloads then she can shoot either Remingtons 125gr or Federal's 170gr low recoil loads. I have killed pigs with both of them and they work great. Very plesant to shoot.

When she moves up to full power loads then she can shoot most NA game with out problem.

Also if she wants to shoot a lot, surplus military ball is pretty cheap.

I think a Model 7 would be perfect for her.

My wife used one quite a bit before she got her drilling, and the Mod 7 is one of my favorite rifles.

The 308 is my favorite but I have shot 223, 243, 6MMRem, 7-08 and had a 350 Rem Mag for a while. All were very accurate.
How accurate... Do not bet your computer screen that I cannot hit it at 600 yards... in low wind of course.

quote:

Originally posted by ScudRunner:
the 25-06 is obsolete, get her a 25 WSSM

I always wanted a classic Mauser in .257 Roberts. My gunsmith, Mark Penrod, convinces me to go 25-06. Says he has a tricked out reamer. An FN Mauser and $6000 later, and I've never had so much fun. A 75 grain V-Max at 3800 shooting under an inch at 200 yards will absolutely flatten varmints. Pronghorn and Whitetail? Forget about it.
You could spend a fraction of what I did and still be in rifle heaven.
Yes, the 25-06 is fun.

A 25-06 will only scare off most 11-year old girls. The recoil is too strong.

Been there, done take. Start off with a big 22 and build up to a 243. If she can handle a 243, than move up.

Recoil on the 75 grainers is slight. I really like the 25-06. I don't know that it is fun. I think the .243 is fun. I think a 30 carbine is fun. I think that the 25-06 is one of the scariest cartridges out there for game east of the mississippi. That 120 grain Hornady won't quit.

Just what is your game and range expected? At age 11, I doubt you plan for long shots for a few years......

A 243 with light, yes, let's say 85gr BTHP to reduce recoil or if you handload, likewise a 260 with 100gr bullets, if deer, her shot placement is key, and less blast will help, keep barrel length standard, like 22", i.e. any standard sporter and shorten stock if needed, Rem made a 243 youth with 20" and short stock, Ruger's youth compact has a very short bbl in my mind, and there is model 7 youth.

Winchester 70 243 youth compact is sweet, if you can find one, and Howa makes a 243 youth, lot of gun for the money. 243's are considered marginal by some, but with shot placement, they will be deadly, and accuracy is essential with any cartridge as we know.

Get any of the 'overly light or short in barrel' and the blast and recoil will be more noticable.

A handy rifle might do the trick, if you had say a heavy barrel with short stock (and if you have to shorten one put a good recoil pad-it will cushion even more over a solid rubber or plastic buttpad), it would recoil less and in 243 be fine, give her proper hearing protection and if you can swing it get a proper trigger job. I would suggest a scope of modest power, a simple 4 or maybe 6x is fine, OR a variable turned down. Too much scope will makes some 'hurry the shot' having too much confidence and pull a shot, esp. if not on a solid rest in the field.


Whatever she uses, one shot, or the first shot, is all that is going to matter as we all know.

Guys, who thinks a 25,06 has to much kick for any one over 6.
get a box of factory 100 grain bullets and it is a cream puff, and still a good dear round.
I have 2 Roberts and I like the round a ton.
I would recomend you look at the ruger 77 RL if you can find one in the Roberts, a better 1st dear rifle I can't imajine, I own 20 some odd rifles and a coupe I have paid nearly 3 times as much for, but my little robbie is the one I would pick 1st for nearly any deer hunt.
Light fast handeling and deadly to 300 yards and more.
But the 25,06 is a great choice also , I can't see shooting it as a problem, but carying it might be another matter.
Also consider splitting the difference with the new ruger hawkeye , 22 inch Roberts...tj3006

quote:

Originally posted by BusMaster007:
Of course, Daddy will want to shoot The Princess's rifle now and then...!

She's now 11. Big girl for her age, though.

I am assuming you want to lay the foundations of good shooting and not just get your daughter to bag a deer...

Based on experience of getting a (then) 9year old son to shoot better than I can now he's 10 I would say that the 25-06 is way way way too much gun for an 11 year old no matter how big....

My son started off with 22rf (great) and then graduated to a 5.6x50r (stretched 223 with rim) and 30gr bullets under 4gr of unique. After a while we increased that to 6gr for 2,400fps which bagged him a tiny deer. Now he's shooting 50gr Vmax under 15gr of SR4759 for 2,600fps which as you can see works

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5421043/m/916103746

He can shoot at 1" under field conditions resting off a pack at 100yards.

He shot one full house 55gr load and flinched on dry firing after that so we discontinued it

To get your daughter to shoot really well will mean slower lighter bullets. This means that shots on game have to be rigorously policed by yourself and that your daughter understands that placement must be perfect. This means taking a deer will be a longer drawn out affair but years later she will thank you for it!

I see a lot of answers from adults (as is mine) but I wonder how recent there experience is teaching kids to shoot. I freely admit I'm obsessive about flinching but if you see the faintest screwing up of the face as the shot is about to be taken then that is too much gun to learn to shoot really accurately.

My 9 year old, soon to be 10, who is the size of 12 yr old boys, loves shooting 22, but is 'intimidated' when thinking of the centerfires, even 6 or 7br's, it is the 'fear of the unknown' jumping up to something that has a much greater blast, and as my son calls it 'push', so funny always asking me if a particular gun has much 'push'......yes it may be better to 'work up' the ladder so to speak to gain confidence and comfort so if you reload, and can start with reduced loads, explaining to a young shooter the methodology, it may work fine, but as much as I know too well that a 25-06 has little more kick than a 243 with 100gr bullets, the blast is even more, far more than a 22, and it can 'frighten' a young shooter.......which is why I believe a quieter softer shooting round is more in line, and graduating to either higher performing loads, if using reduced loads in a ctg, or jumping to a larger ctg when ready.

Dad started me off on 410, then 20 gauge, then 12 in shotguns, worked for me.

If I had jumped too soon to the heavy loads in 12, it would not have helped my shooting at all, only made it worse. I think rifle shooting can be the same.

My daughter was 12 when she started using my 25-06 for deer. She shot it just fine. Naturally, I used some starting loads for the 117 Hornady for her, and she had no trouble with it at all. Full house varmint loads with the 75 gr Vmax have soft enough recoil that we can shoot them without any worries.

This is in a Ruger with a 24" barrel, so it's got a bit of weight and helps keep the blast away from the shooter. We hunt from stands, so she doesn't have to carry it through the hills all day and has a branch to rest it on for a shot. In this way, I could get her to use a heavier rifle to tame recoil and not have to really suffer for it. She has shot the 7.62x39 in the past also, and done very well with it also, but that was a borrowed rifle. She thought the 25-06 kicked less than the 308, 30-30, etc that she test fired.

The 25-06 has everything going for it IMHO. If you are going for a light, short, youth model, I would look for a milder cartridge. In a full-sized, 24" bbl rifle, there is none better. Mine's an 11 on the fun scale...

My 8.5lb 24inch 25-06 IMHO had the same recoil as my sons 243 youth at 7lbs with 100 grainers. The blast with the 20 inch barrel on the 243 is pretty substantial. In fact after I zeroed his 243, I wished I would have just given him my 25-06 and been done. If you handload start low and work up. The 25-06 is an awesome round.

If I had it to do over again, I would have went with a full size 260 or 7-08. I would have picked up a take off stock on Ebay for next to nothing and cut it down.

Start her off with a .243, then take her up to a .260 or .270.

My first centerfire rifle was a rem 700 BDL chambered in 25-06. I was 12 at the time and thought the recoil was mild with factory loadings with 100 gr. bullets. I still have that gun, but now I reload for it. My 120 gr. full power loads do have a little recoil, on par with 270 130 gr factory rounds IMO. Get her a 25-06 and go with factory ammo. I think you will both be pleased.

I love this place!
Any question is bound to get many different and excellent answers.

I'm looking to get her a rifle she'll keep for life.
I figured this round would be versatile and relatively easy to find most anywhere.
Reloading is not in the picture at this time, so factory ammunition will be used.
The longer bbl. should attenuate some of the noise and add to the weight of the gun so she'll not need to worry about too much 'push'.

She said she wants a BIGGER GUN, both in size and power, so I'm shying away from the smaller models.
( same reason a S&W Airlight stings with +P and the blued steel version doesn't )

Getting her ONE gun now instead of 2-4 in succession is more practical.
I like the idea of a take-off stock cut down to size for her.
She'll be 12 and have grown some more by the time I get this for her anyway.

You've all been very kind and candid with your answers.
Thank you.

I think the 2506 is a great round and a great choice for your daughter. In response to the 250-3000 fans : you can download the 2506(h4895 60% rule, check out their website). Can a 250 savage push a 120gr bullet 3000 fps?

I bought a new winchester model 70 25-06 sporter last fall right after the factory closed. It's the best looking rifle I own. Once I get the thing sighted in again since I recently put a better scope on it, I plan to shoot prairie dogs and other critters with it as far as I can see. Now it's my go to fun rifle over a savage 110 243 and a remington 270 mountain rifle.

Yes, the .25-06 is as versatile as you think it is. Nothing better than a 25 caliber. Excellent choice.

I've recently started shooting a 25 WSSM heavy barrel and think it is terrific as well.

The 25-06 is a great round and sure to be fun. My favorite is the 7mm08 and would steer you that way. I have for hunting and one for bench shooting. They are light in recoil and have plenty of power and shoot well from 100 gr to 160 gr.

quote:

Is the .25-06 as versatile as I'm thinking it is?

Absolutely....it'll handle things from prairie dogs to Caribou and that's a lot of territory!

Like someone once said:

A 25/06 is 12/13 of a .270.

I have used one a lot. Enough that the first 6 inches of the bore are rough. I think it is sort of loud for a young person and really needs a 24 in long barrel. Much more effective than the .243 though. A bit much for varmints smaller than coyotes. Believe it or not the 100 grain Sierra works well from 80 yards out to about 300.

Why not get her something far less intimidating to a youngster, like a .223? Then when deer season rolls around, let her use one of your others?