Basically I'm putting one together on a commercial mauser. right now the bbl is 24". Can I get by with 22" or keep it at 24?

Thanks

Keep it at 24 inches. Twenty-six is even better. Anything shorter than 24 and your not going to use this cartridge to it's full potential.

SBB

What is 35-50FPS worth to you? I would never carry a 26" on a 25-06 but it could possibly give you another 35-50 over the 24"

From experience there is a good chance you can gain what you lost from the 22" by using a little faster powder. Reduce the blast as well.

For me it would be a 24" rifle.

Thanks guys, I'll give her a whirl at 24"

I agree with the other guys, keep it at 24 inches.

I have been around some 22 inch 25-06 rifles and the muzzle blast is pretty bad.

In so far as going longer, forget it. I chronographed some 26 inch 25-06 rifles for some guys and dissapointed them greatly. Stock 24 inch Ruger and Remingtons were beating the socks of their custom McGowan 26 inch barrels.

Depends on the main use(s) for the rifle, however, 24" is a reasonable compromise for a bolt action. Note that with something like the Ruger #1, you could go with a 26" barrel and the overall length would still be less than for a 24" barrel bolt action.

I will agree with deadkenny. 24" on a bolt gun, but I really like the 26" on my No.1B. It looks right, balances well, and shoots good.

I'd keep it at 24 inches. But, 26 inches would be best for that chambering.

Don

I am ,
sort of a .257 bore nut. I have a 25,06 with a 26 inch tube, its a big heavy tack driver.
If I was going any shorter than 24, I would get a .257 Roberts. ( my favorite deer round) The Roberts , is easier on barrels and a very acutrate round.
I am building a .257 roberts AI , with a 24 inch tube.
I have a 20 inch Roberts that will give only about 150 FPS less than my long tube 25,06.
...tj3006

Or, a .250 Savage with a 22" barrel would be pretty sweet. of course it comes back the main purpose / use for the rile.

FWIW, I like 24" - 26": 24" for general hunting and 26" for open country. Lou

I have a Mannlicher with only a 20" barrel and it shoots beautifully.

Have never chronoed it though.

My 25-06 has a 26" tube. It is a Ruger 1B so it is still compact. Accurate to

Thanks. I'm gonna keep it at 24". My primary use will be as a sheep/caribou and maybe a black bear gun, but since my niece is getting to that age and shes real interested in hunting (with her dad) back in MI, I'm sure I'll give it to her (gotta do what you can to get kids into hunting).

NUTE, DON"T chrono that 20", results may or may not disappoint you, but as long as you hit right with it, neither YOU nor the game you hit need to care!!!

That said, I would choose a 24 on a bolt, and as above....I too owned a 26" 1B and that gun is right with 26 in that caliber, IMHO.

The bark is MUCH louder than the bite. I sighted a 700 BDL 24" this past season for a friend and it was loud, not like a magnum, but a good blast....yet the recoil was more like a 243. Seemed strange....VERY accurate and with factory ammo.

I currently own NO 25 rifles, but the 25-06 IS a nice round. Simple, effective, accurate, light recoil. For a deer and varmint round it may offer one more flexibility than a say 270 or larger, and it is flat shooting.

I'd feel better with more bullet after elk, but it has killed it's share with good placement.

my brother has a marlin mr7 in 25-06, it has the 22" barrel and the muzzle blast is huge, its just a big flame thrower! though who would complain about that when you can get most bullets to shoot under half inch @ 100yards? its a real shooter. 115gr ballistic tips doing 2780fps with 47gr of 2209. seems to work well enough.

Have 25-06 barrels ranging from 22 to 30 inches in length. Get extra velocity from each additional inch of barrel.

For easy carrying, go with 26 inch. For bench shooting, varmints, or shooting from a blind, longer is better.

The difference in velocity between a 24" and a 22" won't make a whole lot of difference to a chuck. IMHO Go with what barrel length YOU want.

I recommend you keep the barrel at 24". The 25-06 has a high expansion ratio (case powder:gas)and the longer barrel will give you better ballistics and less muzzle blast.