Looking at a new antelope rifle...

I can't speak to howa but I have a tikka t3 25-06 and is my go to gun. Had great success with Antelope and deer from out to 320 yards. My gun really likes the cheeper 117 Honady interlocks, always great results. I love that gun.
 
ImBillT said:
It’s a shame that there aren’t better .25cal bullets, and/or that the 6.5-06 isn’t more available. The 25-06 is a great cartridge.
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There are many great 25 cal bullets out there. For me, Barnes has performed flawlessly for decades.

To the OP, get a 25.06 and be done. Classic caliber that the whole family can shoot. I have 2 and believe they are a great starter rifle as they can kill anything up to elk if needed.
 
BrentD said:
If you went with a single shot, you would not have to concern yourself with issues like magazine length. A pronghorn/deer rifle seems like a great place to have singleshot. Perhaps I am a bit biased about that... :)
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I hear good things about single shot 25/06's on deer and pronghorn...even shooting the old style nosler solid base 120's and IMR4831.

patsant3.JPG


pats3buck.JPG


pats2deer.JPG
 
375H&H said:
There are many great 25 cal bullets out there. For me, Barnes has performed flawlessly for decades.

To the OP, get a 25.06 and be done. Classic caliber that the whole family can shoot. I have 2 and believe they are a great starter rifle as they can kill anything up to elk if needed.
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I’m not advocating against the 25-06, especially since he seems to already have one and reload for it. It’s a great cartridge and very well suited to his purpose. That said, there are fewer bullet options for the .25 cal than most other calibers, and of the available bullets a very high percentage of them are either old designs or complete afterthoughts. That doesn’t mean they won’t do the job. They definitely will! Some “old” designs are still with us because they’re great! Still, it’s a shame that the .25 cal doesn’t have the same variety and availability of bullets that the 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, and .30 cal do. It doesn’t, and that’s a fact. My statement was based on liking the 25-06, not on recommending against it. You go up .007” in diameter and suddenly there are bullets galore, yet factory ammo is almost as scarce as a factory rifle chambered for the 6.5-06.
 
Maybe there aren’t a lot of bullets available, but put a 100 grain Barnes in it or similar weight Hammer and there isn’t a hooved animal in the lower 48 it won’t kill.
 
115 Noslers and 117 Sierras have flattened everything I’ve shot with them. No need to look any further IMO.
 
ImBillT said:
I’m not advocating against the 25-06, especially since he seems to already have one and reload for it. It’s a great cartridge and very well suited to his purpose. That said, there are fewer bullet options for the .25 cal than most other calibers, and of the available bullets a very high percentage of them are either old designs or complete afterthoughts. That doesn’t mean they won’t do the job. They definitely will! Some “old” designs are still with us because they’re great! Still, it’s a shame that the .25 cal doesn’t have the same variety and availability of bullets that the 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, and .30 cal do. It doesn’t, and that’s a fact. My statement was based on liking the 25-06, not on recommending against it. You go up .007” in diameter and suddenly there are bullets galore, yet factory ammo is almost as scarce as a factory rifle chambered for the 6.5-06.
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In a way it seems that the .25-06 has lost some popularity. Even brass isn't as readily available is it is for even what I'd call oddball calibers/rounds. I believe that there are 125 grain bullets available in .25 cal.

This will be getting new stock soon.
105154


105155
Also have a couple 6.5-06s.
 
antelopedundee said:
In a way it seems that the .25-06 has lost some popularity. Even brass isn't as readily available is it is for even what I'd call oddball calibers/rounds. I believe that there are 125 grain bullets available in .25 cal.

This will be getting new stock soon.
View attachment 105154


View attachment 105155
Also have a couple 6.5-06s.
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It definitely has, and I would guess that the popularity of the 6.5’s hasn’t helped it at all. If one doesn’t want to swim upstream, is a reloaded, and has neither, I would lean toward the 6.5-06. If one already reloads for the 25-06 or needs factory ammo, I would go to the 25-06. They are almost identical cartridges other than projectile availability, and both are quite under rated in my opinion. One might even go as far as to say that they both do everything the .243 attempted to do. Maybe that’s going a little toooo far.
 
I am experienced with both the Howa and the 25-06. Just not together. However, that 25-06 drops deer and antelope like the hammer of Thor. My preference however is to have a 24" barrel, which I don't think you'll find in the Howa. But you can get that in the Weatherby Vanguard, which is very similar. The 25-06 can be a bit loud in a shorter barrel but not so bad in a 24".
 
Well.....after searching all over northern Michigan for a Howa 25/06 , I struck out. Legacy said 4-6 months most likely so Krista has a new 243. I found a 280 ai that really really wants to spend some time with me too.
 
Kotimaki said:
Well.....after searching all over northern Michigan for a Howa 25/06 , I struck out. Legacy said 4-6 months most likely so Krista has a new 243. I found a 280 ai that really really wants to spend some time with me too.
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Congrats to her!! Hopefully many memories are made with it!
 
Years ago when telling my gunsmith father-in-law that I hunted everything with my 7mm Rem mag, he not only explained the error of my ways ... he also gave me his Interarms rebuilt 25-06, which is a real shooter and cherished to this day.

You won't regret hunting antelope with a 25-06.
 
Kotimaki said:
Well.....after searching all over northern Michigan for a Howa 25/06 , I struck out. Legacy said 4-6 months most likely so Krista has a new 243. I found a 280 ai that really really wants to spend some time with me too.
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Get the 280AI. It will not let you down.
 
My Uncle had a gun built by P.O. Ackley in about 1955 in 25-06 Ackley improved with a semi bull barrel. It is a true work of art to shoot.
 
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