270 Winchester, 6.5-06, or 25-06 Fast Twist Deer Rifle

[284ackley]

Sooooo stuck on this, I have a stock, a trigger, and a 06 length action, looking to install a fast twist 26" barrel for long range shooting and deer. I have a custom 300 for elk works, and a 35 Whelen for a timber rifle, looking at 3 long range options, no I do not want a 6.5 CM or PRC ! not interested, but have an associate with a long range 270 win with the new 170 grain berger. Handloads are mid 2900 fps (very impressive!) and he also has a 25-06 fast twist shooting the new 133 grain Bergers at 3000 fps. The ballistics are quite amazing with these slippery bullets, brass is available and standard, even the 6.5-06 is easy enough to work with.......stuck on cartridge selection. Thoughts? and hoping for gents who have these rifles.

6.5-06ackley is an awesome round. I have all you mentioned and also in Ackley livery. For what you want, id go Ackley in whatever you choose. I love the 25-06ai, but you'll want heavier bullets and the 6.5-06ai is just fun to shoot. No recoil, inherently accurate.

 

[JAYgs8163]

LOL, Funny how people don't read the OP's post and follow up comments. He's only interested in the 3 choices mentioned and repeatedly states it and says "move on".

 

[Howard Van Horn]

Go with the 25-06 Ackley Improved. The velocity increase is small, at most 100 FPS, but the real benefit is the added case life. https://www.handloadermagazine.com/25-06-ackley-improved

 

[fmuguira]

Since you already have a 30 I d go the 25 or 6.5 since the 270 sits closer to 30 cal.

Now choosing between the 25 and 6.5 is 'tricky' ….got friends with 3-4 25-06 AI s and shooting 131 Blackjack and 133/135 Berger's in 8 twist Liljas. Those are great performers! .007 larger bore of 6.5 is nothing BUT the 6.5 does offer way more bullet choices. No wrong decision here.

Good luck on your choice!

 

[TBuckus]

I rechambered a 270 to 6.5-06 and haven't looked back.
shoots 140 Bergers at 3170

My philosophy was that there were more LR bullet options for the 6.5 vs 270 at the time of my build. Looks like the 270 is getting more attention now, but I probably would do it again.

So you probably know what vote is between your 3 options.

 

[Orange Dust]

I would do 130's in a 25-06AI

 

[VinceMule]

The Mind is like a Parachute, it has to be open to work properly.

More often than not, Bullet choice matters more than headstamps.

In today's world with supply issues, and possible war looming, it may be prudent to choose a caliber with common bullets attainable that kill very well with as high bc as possible. The keyword is attainable. Dies are not very common and can be hard to get in some of the AI versions. I know, I am looking for some 260 AI dies at this time, and they are non-existant!

 

[Netz]

Sooooo stuck on this, I have a stock, a trigger, and a 06 length action, looking to install a fast twist 26" barrel for long range shooting and deer. I have a custom 300 for elk works, and a 35 Whelen for a timber rifle, looking at 3 long range options, no I do not want a 6.5 CM or PRC ! not interested, but have an associate with a long range 270 win with the new 170 grain berger. Handloads are mid 2900 fps (very impressive!) and he also has a 25-06 fast twist shooting the new 133 grain Bergers at 3000 fps. The ballistics are quite amazing with these slippery bullets, brass is available and standard, even the 6.5-06 is easy enough to work with.......stuck on cartridge selection. Thoughts? and hoping for gents who have these rifles.

I am a long time .270 hunter for deer and elk. My handloads are 58.5 grains of H4831sc and 130 grain Berger Classic Hunter bullets moving at 3,142 fps. My longest one-shot kill was 546 yards. I remain uncertain if this caliber is a truly long-range cartridge and would encourage shooters to focus on the bullet's terminal velocity and energy. I also practice a lot and use a Gunwerks ballistic range finder.

 

[cavin_and]

Decisions decisions!!!

You can beat this thing to death logically, none of them are the wrong choice.

What does your gut (or at the risk of being too sentimental, your heart) tell you? This will be a personal preference thing, not a quest to find the one right answer. I have a .270, stock factory option. I honestly don't play with it much anymore. A nice thing about a fast twist .270 tho is that you got bullets up to the 170 Berger/175 matrix/180 woodleigh and down the 85 and 95 grain Barnes bullets meant for 6.8 spc. The .25 and 6.5 offerings cannot compete with that broad a range of weights.

That being said if it were me I'd lean to the .25 cal. You already have a big 30 which helps make that decision, there's nothing the heavy 6.5 and .270 bullets do that a big .30
Doesn't do better in my opinion and there's an intangible "cool factor" for the quarter bores, at least to me.

What he said. I have both and love them both equally, but if I already had a 300 and a 35 and had to choose, I would make a larger leap down to the 25-06.

 

[Buano]

You have identified 3 good options, but only one of them gets you far enough from what you already have to make it "interesting" — the .25-06. Your other choices largely overlap your .30 cal.

 

[Agueybana]

280 Remington....didnt mention that in the title. Please let it go, not interested, no interest, dont care, no 7mm no 280 no 280 AI so just to recap because we want to stay on track - fast twist 25-06, 6.5-06, 270 Winchester....no 7mm no 8mm no 6mm

Go with the 25-06 with that fast twist it will reach and touch.

 

[tomsd]

Sooooo stuck on this, I have a stock, a trigger, and a 06 length action, looking to install a fast twist 26" barrel for long range shooting and deer. I have a custom 300 for elk works, and a 35 Whelen for a timber rifle, looking at 3 long range options, no I do not want a 6.5 CM or PRC ! not interested, but have an associate with a long range 270 win with the new 170 grain berger. Handloads are mid 2900 fps (very impressive!) and he also has a 25-06 fast twist shooting the new 133 grain Bergers at 3000 fps. The ballistics are quite amazing with these slippery bullets, brass is available and standard, even the 6.5-06 is easy enough to work with.......stuck on cartridge selection. Thoughts? and hoping for gents who have these rifles

 

[mtneer12]

I have a 6.5-06, had it for less than a year and am enjoying it so far. I've been shooting 130/140 grain stuff out of it with very good results. Killed a few deer with it using nosler bullets but I've been waiting to get my hands on some Sierra Gamekings. Speeds on the bullets I'm not too sure about. I've repeated the three shot groups that are like the picture below a few times.

 

[Yotehitman]

Just my 2cents but I know your set on these cartridges and with everything the way it is in the world today my vote would be the 270 the reason is 6.5 bullets have been hard to find because of the popularity of the creedmoor and PRC, not that they are bad just hard to find. I think quarter bores are great but I don't think bullet selection is as good as the 27 caliber. The brass even if not the best quality has been available through every shortage in the past. The manufacturers are jumping on board the 27 cal craze now and in a pinch 130-140 trainers have been available. This might vary in your area but that just my opinion. Good luck with your pick.