.25-06 or .270

[schmoe147]

Looking at purchasing a new deer rifle. I believe I have it narrowed down to these 2. Any advice on picking one over the other. This gun would be used strictly for deer. Thanks

[workin4bait]

I have a .25-06 and love it,but finding ammo is not always the easiest. I would go with the .270 just for that fact.

workin'

[Gordie]

I would flip a coin as both are great choices

[WalleyeChaser]

I would make my choice based on ammo availability as well. If you pick the 25-06 just make sure you buy a few boxes of ammo when you do find it.

[Ufatz]

Might be well to emphasize WHERE you are going to be deer hunting. The two cartridges you are considering are generally conceded to be for more "open range" type shooting, not what most of us think of when deer hunting in MN. Either one will competently kill deer of course.

And your friends are correct: you might have a heck of a time getting ammo for the .25 cal whereas the 270 stuff is fairly common.

If you have your mind locked on these two I'd go with the .270 just for that reason. But I would really go back and rethink just WHERE I will be hunting and the normal yardage of my shots.

You might want to go .30 cal and something a little slower, and in a short (overall) rifle.

But you will do what you want to do. Guys are like that! Ha Ha Ha!

[fishuhalik]

25-06. Better ballistics, lower recoil, great caliber. Ammo is always available. I can't remember the last time I went somewhere and didn't see 25-06 there. IMHO federal fusions in 25-06 are the best deer killing round on the market.

If you were planning on using it as an elk gun at some point I'd go with the .270, but as a deer only gun the 25-06 is awesome

[schmoe147]

Yes this is strictly deer gun. I already own a .300 Win mag

[Ufatz]

Not sure I agree that 25.06 is readily available but perhaps I am shopping in the wrong places.

That .300 mag is certainly PLENTY of deer gun. Ha Ha Ha. Lugged one around a few times in serious brown bear country. Did not need if for a bear and it blew those poor little deer right off their feet!!

Still say there are other options. But I would not want to be in Goodrich ND or Two Dot MT or Hawley MN and looking for the 25.06!

So there!! LOL

[HNTNBUX]

Unless you live in the middle of no where and never go to town these arguments about finding ammunition just don't make sense. I shoot a 7mm Rem Mag and buy 3-5 boxes at a time depending on how many they have available. I plan ahead and every few years I need to go buy some more when I get down to a box left. Then those are used for fouling rounds after a good cleaning.

I would go with the one you want and never let ammunition availability influence my decision. I buy premium ammunition so it doesn't matter much it is all expensive regardless of caliber.

[Ufatz]

Awwwww....that makes too much sense. You are right. But I'll bet you can't find 25.06 at Nunapitchuk!

[walleye365]

25-06 it would be for me iv had one for 13 years and love it you wont be disappionted and as far as ammo gos iv never had a problem finding any.

[eyeguy 54]

270 with a 130 grain bullet for me. but both will do the job.

[cribbageboy]

Same as eyeguy for me!!!

[Ufatz]

Actually, a great MN deer round would be the old reliable 45-70. And even more fun if you could shoot it in a trap-door Springfield! But now there are several modern rifles chambered for it, including a nifty new Henry octogon barreled lever gun.

I know its slightly off the question, but a great deer gun nevertheless. Especially in Minnesota brush country.

Me? I've lost count of the number of deer and caribou downed with my trusty 6.5 Mannlicher. Real OLD cartridge and gun. Quaint even. Ha Ha Ha!

[Whoaru99]

Yes this is strictly deer gun. I already own a .300 Win mag

Why not just shoot the 300 mag managed recoil loads for deer?

I'm looking at a one (big game) gun type of approach down that path. Full house loads for bigger critters or long distance, managed recoil loads for deer.

Fwiw, my current rifle is a. 270.

[nofishfisherman]

Ammo availability is really only an issue if you lack the internet and a mailing address. If you can't make it to town just fire up the interwebs and find the ammo you're looking for there. Best of all you can buy all you need while sitting on your couch in your underwear.

[leech~~]

Is it that easy to get ammo through the mail anymore? It sure seems like there are a lot more Reg's on just ordering it up??

[nofishfisherman]

I guess the last time I bought some online was 2 years ago. It was a piece of cake back then. Don't recall off hand what site I used but it was just some outdoors/hunting site. It was just like buying anything else off the internet from what I can remember.

I had it at my door in a couple days and with free shipping it was cheaper than buying it at any of the big box stores.

[Whoaru99]

At least for MN residents ordering ammo online is still cake. However, unless you find a deal on shipping or order quite a lot you're probably not going to save much on the bottom line due to shipping charges.

For example, I can find .22LR online fairly easy these days but I'm not paying ~$20 to ship just one brick or $5-6 to ship just one or two boxes of 50, on top of the cost of the ammo.

[Gordie]

Ammo availability is really only an issue if you lack the internet and a mailing address. If you can't make it to town just fire up the interwebs and find the ammo you're looking for there. Best of all you can buy all you need while sitting on your couch in your underwear.

Another way to purchase ammo is an old fashion way, but still available to do threw a stores catalog, but most don't know that this works yet.

Its only as hard to get as you make it.

[fr0sty]

I think ammo availability is a legitimate concern. Not so much when planning ahead, but more in the case of some snafu where you forget to bring it or some other odd ball situation.

In the off chance that happens, I am more likely able to get .270 or 30-06 ammo from a small town hardware store than a less common caliber.

[yakfisher]

I just made this decision the other day. After doing some research I decided the .270 was a more versatile round, plus I have a .223 and access to a .243. Good luck.

[Comit 2]

I used a .270 for years, 10 deer or so. I used 130gr boat tails. On a side shot right behind the shoulder it would cavitate the size of a grapefruit (size of a deers heart) at 100yd. Made a complete mess of the far shoulder. Never found a heart, vaperized?

I now shoot a 25wssm. (= to a 25-06). I shoot 120grainers at around 2900fps in my 22 barrel. A whole lot less mess.

Blaa blaa blaa. The main thing to remember is the gun will decide what ammo you will use not you! Case in point my 25wssm will put 3 120 grs in .75in at 100yds and 115grs the best I can do is 1.5in at 100yds.

The only interesting gun is an accurate gun.

[LMITOUT]

I used a .270 for years, 10 deer or so. I used 130gr boat tails. On a side shot right behind the shoulder it would cavitate the size of a grapefruit (size of a deers heart) at 100yd. Made a complete mess of the far shoulder. Never found a heart, vaperized?

Do you have any more specifics on the ammo? Brand/bullet type?

[Whoaru99]

Plain old Remington Core-Lokt 130s have never disappointed on deer through my .270.