25's

[Torque]

I have a 7.5T 25-06. I am currently considering selling it and building a 25CM, 25PRC or 25-7PRC due to the abundance of quality brass and components available that simply aren't in 25-06.

Does anyone have any experience with these three? I assume the 25 PRC would be closest to the 25-06 in velocity with 130class bullets.

 

[Compressedload]

Necking down quality brass to .25 not an option? Sako 25-06 brass seems pretty good to me (but lot of some years ago). Kirby Allen recommended WW 25-06 brass for use in the 6.5 -06 so always assumed it was okay but also was some years ago. We also used to get Norma 25-06 brass here. Norma not my first choice but works pretty well.

Want a new rifle or cartridge then go for it, but brass in 25-06 would not hold me back.

 

[Mountainrancher]

Supposedly hornady is going to saami the 25 creed soon if that makes any difference for you. Personally for me it does so I’m holding of on a build until that hopefully happens

 

[Bluefish]

25 6.5 prc is an easy button. Case volume is almost identical to the 25-06. Just need a magnum bolt face and a 6.5 prc bushing die.

 

[DMeaders]

If you're building, why not a .257 Weatherby Magnum? Kicks like a .270 and max point blank is out past 325 with varmint bullets and right near 300 with my deer bullets. Brass availability isn't terrible and if you just neck size and get a belted mag collet die, brass life isn't bad at all.

 

[JJ1179]

If you're building, why not a .257 Weatherby Magnum? Kicks like a .270 and max point blank is out past 325 with varmint bullets and right near 300 with my deer bullets. Brass availability isn't terrible and if you just neck size and get a belted mag collet die, brass life isn't bad at all.

What barrel twist are you running on your .257?

 

[hereinaz]

25 SST is what I run. Amazing

 

[DMeaders]

I just have the 1:10 it had from the factory - I like running the light 85 gr nosler BT Varmint bullets so may stick with 1:10 in the future but if you got it in 1:8 or 1:7 twist, you'd be set to run the 133 and 135 grain Bergers along with Hammers if you're interested with those.

 

[SloppyJ]

Paging @WKR

Im borrowing his reamer for a 25 setup off of a 6.8 western. He's got some great numbers out of a 20" and I'm testing an 18". Hoping for a little over 3100 with 133s or 134s.

Welcome to the quarter bore obsession.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

I’ve got a 20” 25cm. Alpha brass. 134 eldm at 2690fps. If I was just hunting, I’d look at 25 prc, sst, or whatever flavor of the short action magnum. I wouldn’t want anymore recoil for range work.

 

[JJ1179]

I just have the 1:10 it had from the factory - I like running the light 85 gr nosler BT Varmint bullets so may stick with 1:10 in the future but if you got it in 1:8 or 1:7 twist, you'd be set to run the 133 and 135 grain Bergers along with Hammers if you're interested with those.

Are there any concerns or issues with shooting the heavier 133’s or 135’s rather than the lighter grains with a .257 Weatherby?

 

[tater]

Necking down quality brass to .25 not an option? Sako 25-06 brass seems pretty good to me (but lot of some years ago). Kirby Allen recommended WW 25-06 brass for use in the 6.5 -06 so always assumed it was okay but also was some years ago. We also used to get Norma 25-06 brass here. Norma not my first choice but works pretty well.

Want a new rifle or cartridge then go for it, but brass in 25-06 would not hold me back.

I am a big fan of the 25-06, and one of the reasons (besides the performance) is the "easy button" brass options whether its Nosler head-stamped 25 or necked down Lapua 30-06.

There is a really big difference in old WW brass versus new. The old stuff (which i have stashed like a demented packrat) is great (especially when annealed between firings) but the new stuff is pretty inconsistent.
I had one batch of 100 new in 2023 that i ended up scrapping almost 20 pieces out straight away.

Having said that, if i was in the market for a new "built from scratch" 25cal i would lean 257 Marksman/25Western.

 

[sierracharlie338]

I run a 25cm with 135s at 2750 with just a break in load. Very happy with it so far and it hammers Texas deer.

 

[B23]

25-06, 25-284, 25-6.5 PRC are all going to be really close to one another with the exception of the 25-6.5 PRC needing a mag bolt face but it'll run in a short action.

25-7PRC and the 257 Wby have about the exact same case capacity.

 

[DMeaders]

Are there any concerns or issues with shooting the heavier 133’s or 135’s rather than the lighter grains with a .257 Weatherby?

The factory ones have a pretty long freebore but you can look for a “blackjack” reamer for .257 and that changes the throat area to fit the longer bullets better. Any concerns I’d have are mitigated by you wanting to do a custom build. Can’t shoot the heavies with a 1:10 and velocity on the light bullets with the 1:7 puts them over 350k rpm which is risky for jacketed bullets. I think I’ve heard 250k is the limit for lead core. But sounds like you’re looking for a long range specific build so no concerns from me.

 

[Bater]

270 Peterson if you want to keep the 06