What is the best all around 25 out there...
25/06
257 roberts and imp
257 weatherby
257 stw
25 wssm

25-06 gets my vote

quote:

Originally posted by 30378:
25-06 gets my vote

For as much as I like the .257 Roberts, I must agree that the .25-06 is king of the quarter bores! A great dual purpose cartridge!

The 257 Roberts wins as the most efficient. But for speed, cost, availability of ammo & rifles ....you have to give it to the 25-06.

25-06, best of the 257 wby and the roberts.

I like the 257 Ackley Imp the best. Efficent fast and can shoot std. Roberts.

It's gotta be the Bee. 25s don't make good prairie doggers so you are left with wistle pigs, deer, antelope, coyotes, and the like. Not real high volume, but stuff you want something that shoots flat and the bee hits hard enough to make it a fair elk rifle for those willing to use good bullets and take only quality shots too.

25-06!! Brass is easily aquired. Recoil isn't as stiff as the 257 Weatherby or the STW. Barrel life over the STW. Light bullets for small stuff, decent quality 117's and 120's for big stuff. Not real finicky to load for, likes IMR 4350, H4831sc and Reloader 19 and can even tolerate Varget with the light bullets. Not exactly the rifle to go to a dog town with but a fine choice for any deer sized game. A good long range eastern groundhog round that will give some acrobatics as well! The 257 Roberts would be my second choice of a 25 caliber. The reduced recoil of that chambering would make it a bit more user friendly for youngsters or ladies and the report isn't as obnoxious as the 25-06 and in general easy to load for also. Just a bit more range with the 25-06 over the Roberts. I still say if Remington had introduced a 25 SAUM or Winchester a 25 WSM they'd have made a hit but I've also said that about either of those cases being made into a 6.5!! Just my thoughts. I still contend that if I could only have one rifle(GOD forbid!) it would be a 25-06 of some sort. It would handle everything I hunt on a normal basis from groundhogs to deer. GHD

First off, don't leave out the .250 Savage even though it lacks the speed of any of the other quarterbores listed. It has much to recommend it as a cartridge that is a lot of fun to shoot and will handle a great many of the hunts that one would want to use a 25 caliber rifle on.

Even though the 25-06 shoots faster and flatter than the Roberts, for the small difference in performance I like the Roberts better. The efficiency of the Roberts round means that for the speed you do get, you have to put up with less recoil and muzzle blast. To me this is the attraction of the 25 caliber in the first place.

For chasing speed goats or long range shooting one of the faster calibers may be the trick setup but for anything I am likely to want to do, the .257 Roberts more than fills the bill!

Dang, I thought this thread was going to list the best 25 rounds out there, not the best .25 rounds out there. That woulda started a real scrap, now it's only gonna tick off 2/3rd's of the 1/4 bore guy's instead of everyone on the site. Bummer .
I do disagree that the .25-06 doesn't make a good long range p-dogger if ya have some self control. Mine was a plug ugly 112BVSS Savage (stock looked like it was made out of a laminated 4X4), it was pre-accutrigger so I installed a Canjar single set. Had a 6X20 Leupold on it and I lapped that rough Savage bore carefully to help the cleaning aspect. It shot solidly sub half inch with molied 100 grain Sierra BTSP's and IMR 4831 in formed IMI .30-06 cases that snugged up the sloppy factory neck a bit. Chrono'd 3,400ish FPS.
Take along a number of rifles so as not to cook the throat out of it and it was real impressive for 8 to 10 shoots before ya grabbed a new rifle to let it cool.
Way to heavy to carry but I did pop a few antelope with it and a rock chuck at a distance that sounds like I'm making things up.
All that said I'd still take a .257AI as my personal pick for an "all around" (that means dual purpose to me) .25.
Truthfully, 1/4 bores are to neat a caliber to only have one pick.

Got a 25/06 take Savage heavy barrel.
haven't mounted it yet, as I am tore between wanting to rechamber it to a 257 Roberts, and then realizing that I can just load the 25/06 to 257 Roberts standards.. a more practical route.

however I am hung up on the old 257 Roberts nostalgia....

25-06

There is something about seeing that ".257 Roberts" stamped on the barrel!
I happen to be a Roberts fan. Mine has been working great on Antelope, Coyotes and Deer using 117 Sierra's at 2825 fps. I carried it for Elk this year but didn't have an opportunity to put it to use.
With a good "Bob" a 25/06 seems useless. (like why get a 300 Wby if you have a 300 Win?)
Honestly there isn't anything that a 25/06 will do better that will make me want to get one as long as I have my .257 Roberts.
There is a use for all of them but my favorite is the "Bob".

Luv em all, but the 25 wssm is the best. Perfect case design, MOA, at home on a 2000 rd dog-town day, on the target range, in an AR15 platform tactical event, and on big game. WOW!

P.O. Ackley said the .257 Bob AI was the perfect all around rifle. The 25 wssm is the "Bob" ballistically in an action size shorter. The little wssm action is addicting

i'm a roberts fan as well. the improved version will all but run right with the .25-06, but for the sake of the question, if "best" includes availability to the non-reloader, to be fair, you have to consider putting the 25-06 at the top of the list. i know at one time i saw them at wally world for 10 or 12 bucks a box just after deer season! the savage 110 or the rem. adl must be be chambered for it.
if "best" is directed towards only those here on the board or reloaders in general, then for the sake of less powder, recoil and flash, i'll give the roberts improved the top spot. what it gives up in velocity to the '06 isn't worth considering and i just plain prefer anything built on the 57mm. mauser case over the '06 case.

If best means being able to go buy a factory rifle and ammo to handle everything from varmint to deer+. Then I've have to vote 25-06. Simply becasue the BobAI is not a factory round and the factory Bob's are simply not loaded to high enough pressure. Plus the walmart in no place USA will have 25-06 but no bob ammo.

If you wanted something to do it with best efficiency they I'd vote Bob.

I have shot them all extensively and own the .25 WSSM and .257 Wby. The original question was best all around. The .257 Wby is at the top, the rest follow somewhere below, pick your poison. Good shooting.

Let's not forget the 257 Ackley Improved.

IMHO these types of polls become the Ford/Chevy and Vanilla/Chocolate debates. The original choice list leaves out at least two of the most versitile 25's; 250/3000 Ackley,which P O Ackley said was his "most efficient" and the 25 Souper. Now, to the poll. Of those listed I line up behind the 25/06 group. Using the same 100gr bullet and a good dose of IMR4831 I have taken deer out past 200yds(bang/flop) and prairie dogs at 400+yds if the wind behaves.
GOOD LUCK and GOOD SHOOTING!!!

The .257 Ruger Mod.77 light varmint was purchased in 1972 and is still in the family making small groups.It has effectively taken rock chuck, prarie dogs, coyote and mule deer and never gave a problem.Range never seamed to be a problem.
A custom Mauser 25-06 custom was almost as productive but at least on two occasions, where the distance was short, factory loaded 120 grain bullets failed to do the job. A buck with a 34" spread took 6 hrs. to find and he was still kicking. It was almost a text book perfectly placed shot. The bullet just came apart just under the hide.
I never used a 25 on elk nor would I,or make long shots that could not be handled with a .257 Roberts. Not only would this ballot be cast for the Roberts but I might even lean toward the 250-3000. Hey! One of our well known members here and his Grand Pa have been doing it for years with a 25-35. roger

257AI!

What's the best .25 cal cartridge? All of them!!! . I have a 25 WSSM that has seen a lot of use. It's my dual purpose rifle. It does doouble duty as a walk-around varmint rifle and a deer rifle. I use it more than any other rifle that I have. But if I had to pick one other .25 cal round, I guess it would the 25/06.

The best is what I've got, a .257 Roberts !

I have a well toasted 25-06.

25-06, My favorite chambering!

quote:

Originally posted by groundhog devastation:
25-06!! Brass is easily aquired. Recoil isn't as stiff as the 257 Weatherby or the STW. Barrel life over the STW. Light bullets for small stuff, decent quality 117's and 120's for big stuff. Not real finicky to load for, likes IMR 4350, H4831sc and Reloader 19 and can even tolerate Varget with the light bullets. Not exactly the rifle to go to a dog town with but a fine choice for any deer sized game. A good long range eastern groundhog round that will give some acrobatics as well! The 257 Roberts would be my second choice of a 25 caliber. The reduced recoil of that chambering would make it a bit more user friendly for youngsters or ladies and the report isn't as obnoxious as the 25-06 and in general easy to load for also. Just a bit more range with the 25-06 over the Roberts. I still say if Remington had introduced a 25 SAUM or Winchester a 25 WSM they'd have made a hit but I've also said that about either of those cases being made into a 6.5!! Just my thoughts. I still contend that if I could only have one rifle(GOD forbid!) it would be a 25-06 of some sort. It would handle everything I hunt on a normal basis from groundhogs to deer. GHD

Yea, what he said.

Go with a short action and build a 25-284. Have 25-06 velocity and the supposed advantages of a short, fat case. I've had two, both rechambered Rem 700 Classics in 250 Savage. Added over 400fps THAT! fast.

Rich

I like the 25-06,Bee and Bob, but I believe the 25-06 provides the best balance of performance and practicality.

Have any body tried a 25/6.5x47 Lapua with a 1 in 10 twist 25" barrel in a customized Rem action?
I did.
G.

I've got a .25-06 built it for long range coyote and pronghorns. Really like the cartridge and I need to play with that rifle some more. 26" SS Lilja barrel 1:10 twist, Zastava action with set triggers, and Leupold VXII 4-12x40 AO.

I'm talking as well with z1r about building a .250-3000 on a Turk 93 action I have. I'm leaning more towards a 16.5-18 barrel kind of like the laminate stocked Ruger Compact. I've got a 1:14 twist MRC barrel for this project as well. Should make for one nice medium range fast handling rifle.

After I build that rifle I should have everthing I need in a quarter bore.

My opinion for best, most efficient .25 is the .257 Roberts IMP. Mine, with a 24" McGowen bl. made 3,484fps with 100gr. Noslers, 3,775fps with 75gr. HP's and 3,219fps with 120gr. Hornadys.

Removing the extractor on my 98Mauser, firing, then pulling the bolt back, the cases would fall from the chamber. I never expanded a primer pocket and 100 cases lasted me for 2,000 rounds before selling the rifle with the brass. I annealed the necks every 5 shots. I stopped increasing the powder charge due to not needing any more speed, not because of pressure signs - there were none & I was concerned about loading any hotter. Never any stickiness of the bolt, never an expanded primer pocket. RP
brass used exclusively.

Neck sized only. No need to touch the shoulder, ever.

If you're not a reloader, the 25-06 offers the best/largest selection of factory ammo.

If you're a reloader; the 257 Robert, 257AI, 25 WSSM, and 25-284 all offer a nice balance of efficiency and velocity for varmints and medium game. I have a lot of .257" bore rifles and find myself shooting the 257 Roberts, 25 WSSM, and 25-284 the most. If limited to a single all-purpose .257" bore rifle, I'd probably go with a 24" Remington 700 in 25-284, but I don't think that there is much PRACTICAL performance difference between the 4 cartridges that I list, so pick 'em!

Jeff

I have lots of .257 bore experence as far as loading goes, and I like the Roberts best.
I think it depends on what type of rifle you want and what type of hunting you will be doing.
If you want a 20 to 22 inch barrel, the Roberts makes way more sence.
Quarter bores are not realy elk rounds. They will do in a pinch but practicly speaking the .257s are best for caribu and deer sized game on down.
For those animals, the Roberts is just as deadly as the .25,06 as far as I want to shoot.
and the .257 weatherby is much better than either the roberts or the 25,06 when the range gets way out there to the range very few of us really should be shooting.
Also. I get 3140 from a 6Lb rifle with a 20 inch barrel in one of my Roberts.
When I had my custom 25,06 built I went with a 26 inch.
I only gaines 250 FPS. The 6 inches of barrel had to be about half of that.
I like the Roberts well enough that I sold my 25,06.
...tj3006

My 2 cents--

Have built and purchased many .25 cal rifles.

The .25 Roberts/.257 Ackley Improved has long been my favorite round.
Most I built on either a small ring 98 or 96,and a few on custom actions.

I am also a fan of the 25Krag/Ackley Improved on single shots actions.

Have owned Weatherbys and -06's and in longer actioned and barreled rifles they are fine as long-range/beanfield guns;

just not as light/handy as the short actioned/barreled rigs I prefer and that have taken everything hoofed (N Am.)up through elk.

The WSSM is a fine little cartridge, just not sure how longevity of production and resale aspect will go.

All good argumints for the favorite 25. I definitly need to go back to the shooting bench with the chronograph!! 3219 with the 120's from a 25-06 is something I need to witness, and this is from "GHD, pastor at the church of GHD and the 25-06"!GHD.........by the way, P.O. Ackley himself said that his best "improvement" of anything was on the 257 Roberts case. He must have really improved that one!

quote:

.by the way, P.O. Ackley himself said that his best "improvement" of anything was on the 257 Roberts case.

Of course.....it was seriously under loaded by the factories. Don't take much to beat that!

Properly handloaded, the standard .257 Roberts isn't far in arrears to the .25-06

quote:

Originally posted by br6ppc1:
What's the best .25 cal cartridge? All of them!!! . I have a 25 WSSM that has seen a lot of use. It's my dual purpose rifle. It does doouble duty as a walk-around varmint rifle and a deer rifle. I use it more than any other rifle that I have. But if I had to pick one other .25 cal round, I guess it would the 25/06.

If I could only have one it would be the 25-06. I have a Medallion A-Bolt in 25wssm that is very addicting. Kills deer dam well. Shoots little bugger groups. Super light and easy to carry.

I change my mind -- keepin both!

IMO the 25-06 is the best all around 25 cal. I like the 257 Wby. but the cost of the brass/ammo makes the 25-06 'best all around" imo.

All around shooting? I suppose the 25-06. Here in coastal Oregon for these little Blacktails my 5.11 250 Sav AI is all I need. Even scared a few elk to death with it.
Aloha, Mark