.25-06 Remington
Encyclopedia
The .25-06 Remington had been a wildcat cartridge
for half a century before being standardized by Remington
in 1969. It is based on the .30-06 Springfield
cartridge necked-down (case opening made narrower) to .257 inch caliber with no other changes. Nominal bullet diameter is 0.257 in (6.53 mm) and bullet weights range from 75 to 120 grain
s (4.9 to 7.8 g).
necked down the .30-06 Springfield
cartridge in 1912 to accept the 117-grain .25-35 Winchester
bullet. Newton's early modification encouraged commercial release of a shortened case (from 63 to 49mm) as the .250-3000 Savage
in 1915. Frankford Arsenal
developed an experimental .25-06 during World War I
; and distribution of surplus United States
military equipment through the Civilian Marksmanship Program
following the war encouraged independent gunsmiths to experiment with the cartridge. A. O. Niedner of Dowagiac, Michigan
introduced rifles for the .25 Niedner in 1920. Niedner Arms Corporation retained the 17° 30′ .30-06 shoulder chambering .25 caliber barrels rifled with one twist in 12 inches (304.8 mm). Similar cartridges were identified as the .25 Hi-Power, .25 Whelen (analogous to .35 Whelen
), or .25-100-3000 (to indicate the ability to achieve 3000 feet per second with a 100 grain bullet rather than the 87 grain bullet used in the .250-3000 Savage). Greater case capacity offered minimal velocity improvement over the .250-3000 Savage case with contemporary smokeless powder
s. Availability of DuPont
's Improved Military Rifle (IMR)
powders encouraged commercial release of the .257 Roberts
using the 57mm-long Mauser
case in 1934. Release of IMR 4350 in 1940 and availability of surplus 4831 powder salvaged from Oerlikon 20mm cannon cartridges after World War II
greatly improved performance of the full-length .25-06 case.
and .25-35 Winchester
cartridges and are too lightly constructed for the high velocities of the .25-06.
The cartridge has mild recoil
, somewhat below the .270 Winchester
but more than the .243 Winchester
and .257 Roberts
. Shooters who are recoil sensitive will find the recoil from the 25-06 bearable, but not pleasant enough to shoot all day long. This cartridge is not quite as powerful as the .257 Weatherby Magnum
, usually running 200–300 ft/s (61–91.4 m/s). slower with a given bullet weight in factory ammunition. Handloading can narrow the gap to 150 ft/s (45.7 m/s); The Weatherby ammunition uses proprietary propellants and data, and cannot be safely enhanced with handloads; it can be argued that the difference in terminal effects are not enough to warrant the extra cost of a Weatherby rifle or the proprietary Weatherby ammunition.
SAAMI
pressure limit for the .25-06 is 63,000 PSI
.
.25-caliber bullets typically have high ballistic coefficients without being heavy. This characteristic, when combined with the large case capacity of its parent .30-06 case, allows relatively high muzzle velocities without heavy recoil. The combination of high ballistic coefficients with high muzzle velocities give the .25-06 a very flat trajectory as well as retaining kinetic energy down-range.
The .25-06 is generally considered to be a good round for medium-sized game such as deer
and antelope
because of its combination of substantial kinetic energy and moderate recoil. The addition of a flat trajectory makes it particularly popular in plains states where the open fields can require longer-range shots on game, as this flatness tends to minimize range-estimation errors by the hunter. However bullet types and weights are loaded that allow the .25-06 to be used for taking game ranging from small animals like prairie dog
s and coyote
s to heavier elk
. These bullets range from lightly constructed 75-grain bullets with muzzle velocities in the 3,700 ft/s (1,130 m/s) range to heavily made 120-grain bullets with muzzle velocities in the 3,000 ft/s (915 m/s) range.
Most manufacturers of bolt action or single-shot
rifles offer the .25-06 as a standard chambering and factory loaded ammunition is available from Remington
, Winchester
, Federal Cartridge
and most other major manufacturers.
Wildcat cartridge
A wildcat cartridge, or wildcat, is a custom cartridge for which ammunition and firearms are not mass produced. These cartridges are often created in order to optimize a certain performance characteristic of an existing commercial cartridge.Developing and using wildcat cartridges does not...
for half a century before being standardized by Remington
Remington Arms
Remington Arms Company, Inc. was founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington in Ilion, New York, as E. Remington and Sons. It is the oldest company in the United States which still makes its original product, and is the oldest continuously operating manufacturer in North America. It is the only U.S....
in 1969. It is based on the .30-06 Springfield
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
cartridge necked-down (case opening made narrower) to .257 inch caliber with no other changes. Nominal bullet diameter is 0.257 in (6.53 mm) and bullet weights range from 75 to 120 grain
Grain (measure)
A grain is a unit of measurement of mass that is nominally based upon the mass of a single seed of a cereal. From the Bronze Age into the Renaissance the average masses of wheat and barley grains were part of the legal definition of units of mass. However, there is no evidence of any country ever...
s (4.9 to 7.8 g).
History
Charles NewtonCharles Newton (inventor)
-History:A lawyer and firearm enthusiast, Charles Newton's experiments with cartridge design led to the creation of the .22 Savage Hi-Power rifle cartridge which was adopted by the Savage Arms Corporation as a commercial firearm cartridge. This success was soon followed by the design of the...
necked down the .30-06 Springfield
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
cartridge in 1912 to accept the 117-grain .25-35 Winchester
.25-35 Winchester
The .25-35 Winchester, or WCF was introduced in 1895 by Winchester for the Winchester Model 1894 lever action rifle...
bullet. Newton's early modification encouraged commercial release of a shortened case (from 63 to 49mm) as the .250-3000 Savage
.250-3000 Savage
The .250-3000 Savage is a rifle cartridge created by Charles Newton in 1915 and is also known as the .250 Savage. The name comes from its original manufacturer, Savage Arms and the fact that the original load achieved a 3000 ft/s velocity with an 87 grain bullet.-Background:Charles Newton...
in 1915. Frankford Arsenal
Frankford Arsenal
The Frankford Arsenal was a United States Army ammunition plant located adjacent to the Bridesburg neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, north of the original course of Frankford Creek.-History:...
developed an experimental .25-06 during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
; and distribution of surplus United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military equipment through the Civilian Marksmanship Program
Civilian Marksmanship Program
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a U.S. government-chartered program that promotes firearms safety training and rifle practice for all qualified U.S. citizens with special emphasis on youth. Any U.S. citizen who is not legally prohibited from owning a firearm may purchase a military surplus...
following the war encouraged independent gunsmiths to experiment with the cartridge. A. O. Niedner of Dowagiac, Michigan
Dowagiac, Michigan
Dowagiac is a city in Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,147 at the 2000 census. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area....
introduced rifles for the .25 Niedner in 1920. Niedner Arms Corporation retained the 17° 30′ .30-06 shoulder chambering .25 caliber barrels rifled with one twist in 12 inches (304.8 mm). Similar cartridges were identified as the .25 Hi-Power, .25 Whelen (analogous to .35 Whelen
.35 Whelen
The .35 Whelen is a powerful medium-bore rifle cartridge that does not require a magnum action or a magnum bolt-face. The parent of this cartridge is the .30-06 Springfield, which is necked-up to accept a bullet diameter of...
), or .25-100-3000 (to indicate the ability to achieve 3000 feet per second with a 100 grain bullet rather than the 87 grain bullet used in the .250-3000 Savage). Greater case capacity offered minimal velocity improvement over the .250-3000 Savage case with contemporary smokeless powder
Smokeless powder
Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced...
s. Availability of DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
's Improved Military Rifle (IMR)
Improved Military Rifle (IMR)
Improved Military Rifle describes a series of tubular nitrocellulose smokeless powders evolved from World War I through World War II for loading military and commercial ammunition and sold to private citizens for reloading rifle ammunition for hunting and target shooting...
powders encouraged commercial release of the .257 Roberts
.257 Roberts
The .257 Roberts a medium powered .25 caliber cartridge known affectionately as the Bob. It has been described as the best compromise between the low recoil and flat trajectory of smaller calibers such as the .22 and 6mm, and the strong energy but not the strong recoil of larger popular hunting...
using the 57mm-long Mauser
Mauser
Mauser was a German arms manufacturer of a line of bolt-action rifles and pistols from the 1870s to 1995. Mauser designs were built for the German armed forces...
case in 1934. Release of IMR 4350 in 1940 and availability of surplus 4831 powder salvaged from Oerlikon 20mm cannon cartridges after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
greatly improved performance of the full-length .25-06 case.
Performance
The cartridge is capable of propelling a 117 grain (7.6 g) bullet at up to 3200 feet per second (980 m/s) and energy levels up to 2500 ft.lbf. Bullets lighter than 75 grains are available in .257" caliber, but were designed for the smaller .25-20 Winchester.25-20 Winchester
-External links:* * *...
and .25-35 Winchester
.25-35 Winchester
The .25-35 Winchester, or WCF was introduced in 1895 by Winchester for the Winchester Model 1894 lever action rifle...
cartridges and are too lightly constructed for the high velocities of the .25-06.
The cartridge has mild recoil
Recoil
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
, somewhat below the .270 Winchester
.270 Winchester
The .270 Winchester was developed by Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1923 and unveiled in 1925 as a chambering for their bolt-action Model 54. The cartridge is based upon the .30-06 Springfield...
but more than the .243 Winchester
.243 Winchester
The .243 Winchester is a popular sporting rifle cartridge. Initially designed as a varmint round, it is now more frequently used on medium to large game such as whitetail deer, mule deer, pronghorn, wild hogs, and even black bear and caribou...
and .257 Roberts
.257 Roberts
The .257 Roberts a medium powered .25 caliber cartridge known affectionately as the Bob. It has been described as the best compromise between the low recoil and flat trajectory of smaller calibers such as the .22 and 6mm, and the strong energy but not the strong recoil of larger popular hunting...
. Shooters who are recoil sensitive will find the recoil from the 25-06 bearable, but not pleasant enough to shoot all day long. This cartridge is not quite as powerful as the .257 Weatherby Magnum
.257 Weatherby Magnum
The .257 Weatherby Magnum is a .25 Caliber belted bottlenecked cartridge. It is one of the original standard length magnums developed by shortening the .375 H&H Magnum case to approx....
, usually running 200–300 ft/s (61–91.4 m/s). slower with a given bullet weight in factory ammunition. Handloading can narrow the gap to 150 ft/s (45.7 m/s); The Weatherby ammunition uses proprietary propellants and data, and cannot be safely enhanced with handloads; it can be argued that the difference in terminal effects are not enough to warrant the extra cost of a Weatherby rifle or the proprietary Weatherby ammunition.
SAAMI
Saami
Saami or SAAMI can stand for:*Sami people*Sami languages*Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute...
pressure limit for the .25-06 is 63,000 PSI
Pounds per square inch
The pound per square inch or, more accurately, pound-force per square inch is a unit of pressure or of stress based on avoirdupois units...
.
Uses
The .25-06 is generally considered to be a good round for medium-sized game such as deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
and antelope
Antelope
Antelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelopes comprise a miscellaneous group within the family Bovidae, encompassing those old-world species that are neither cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, nor goats...
because of its combination of substantial kinetic energy and moderate recoil. The addition of a flat trajectory makes it particularly popular in plains states where the open fields can require longer-range shots on game, as this flatness tends to minimize range-estimation errors by the hunter. However bullet types and weights are loaded that allow the .25-06 to be used for taking game ranging from small animals like prairie dog
Prairie dog
Prairie dogs are burrowing rodents native to the grasslands of North America. There are five different species of prairie dogs: black-tailed, white-tailed, Gunnison's, Utah and Mexican prairie dogs. They are a type of ground squirrel, found in the United States, Canada and Mexico...
s and coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s to heavier elk
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
. These bullets range from lightly constructed 75-grain bullets with muzzle velocities in the 3,700 ft/s (1,130 m/s) range to heavily made 120-grain bullets with muzzle velocities in the 3,000 ft/s (915 m/s) range.
Most manufacturers of bolt action or single-shot
Single-shot
Single-shot firearms are firearms that hold only a single round of ammunition, and must be reloaded after each shot. The history of firearms began with single-shot designs, and many centuries passed before multi-shot designs became commonplace...
rifles offer the .25-06 as a standard chambering and factory loaded ammunition is available from Remington
Remington Arms
Remington Arms Company, Inc. was founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington in Ilion, New York, as E. Remington and Sons. It is the oldest company in the United States which still makes its original product, and is the oldest continuously operating manufacturer in North America. It is the only U.S....
, Winchester
Winchester Repeating Arms Company
The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was a prominent American maker of repeating firearms, located in New Haven, Connecticut. The Winchester brand is today used under license by two subsidiaries of the Herstal Group, Fabrique Nationale of Belgium and the Browning Arms Company of Morgan, Utah.-...
, Federal Cartridge
Federal Cartridge
Federal Cartridge is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alliant Techsystems, located in Edina, Minnesota. With a work force of nearly 1,000 in Anoka, Minnesota, Federal manufactures a complete line of shotshell, centerfire, and rimfire ammunition and components....
and most other major manufacturers.
See also
- List of rifle cartridges
- 6 mm caliber6 mm caliberThis article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet caliber between and .*Length refers to the cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge.All measurements are in mm .-Pistol cartridges:-.24in :...
- Delta L problemDelta L problemThe delta L problem is a condition that occurs regarding certain firearms chambers and their practical incompatibility with ammunition made for the corresponding chambering....
- sectional densitySectional densitySectional density is the ratio of an object's mass to its cross-sectional area. It conveys how well an object's mass is distributed to overcome resistance. For illustration, a needle can penetrate a target medium with less force than a coin of the same mass...
- .30-06 descendants.30-06 Springfield Wildcat CartridgesWildcat cartridges are firearms cartridges whose dimensions have been modified. Usually these modifications are with an eye toward improved performance, either measurable or not. This article deals with wildcat cartridges which result from a simple necking down or up of the original .30-06...