25.06

dchristian

Does a 25.06 need more than a 22" barrel to be fully effetive

Alan Rushing

Not as an "expert", but as my own personal opinion, all things being equal, longer is best.

The 25-06 has been criticised as having more than ample powder capacity. Along with that, goes the question of whether the barrel length is sufficient to allow a complete burn of the powder before the bullet exits the muzzle. So the barrel length is important to both cartridges, (but even more critical with the Imp. probably, because the capacity is even greater).

I have a .25-06 Imp. with a barrel way too short. Even so, I like a lot and it has earned my respect; so I would take it rather than not have it. If it were a 26" barrel it would be better and I'd prefer and like better. If it were 28-30" I'd love it, never let go and never look back! ( I've had it on a "wait and see" contingentcy for about thirty years now ... I'm thinking more and more of keeping it ...that's be an easier decision with a longer barrel. ) It is quite accurate as it is, but when shooting in low-light conditions could readily be mistaken for a flame-thrower.

With all things being equal, if there were two otherwise identical rifles firing either of these cartridges, I would opt for the longer, every time. One would better maximize the potential of the cartridge with a longer barrel. For myself, in hunting applications/situations I have never found the barrel length to crimp my style. I tend not to hunt in the tall and ultra dense cover.

(( I learned as a kid that if going through thick woods or brush to orient/point the muzzle of the barrel up towards the sky, rather than use it like a plowblade! So, I go thru that thick stuff only if need be, to get to where I'm going, but do not actually hunt it. If I liked that sort of hunting I'd probably use a hard hitting, very short barreled pistol ... a short carbine is too long for the thick tangle ... if that stuff is someone elses forte, they can comment on their choices. I'd not ruin the potential of any good chambering by hacking off for the tangle trip. ))

It's probably going to boil down to what your particular situation is and how you want to use the rifle. Do you already have this rifle? How do you anticipate using it, and where?

((Oh! Another thought ... if you've not done it yet, please do a "search" of the 25-06 at the top of the page. You will probably find a lot of additional info on the .25-06 in particular and barrel lengths in general, as well!))

IMHOs, Alan

264fan

If it is a hunting rifle 22 inches is a good length, anything longer creates problems with handling.

Ambrose

I have a .25/06 with a 22" barrel and a couple with 24" barrels. I was surprised to note that there is very little difference in velocity readings over my chronogrphs between them. As a matter of fact, with some loads, the 22" is a little faster than the 24's. Of course, it is not unusual for even identical rifles to vary considerably in velocity due to things other than barrel length. But I would agree with Alan Rushing that a longer barrel would be more apt to bring out the good features of a .25/06. I think it's a good cartridge and I believe you'll like it whatever barrel length you decide on.

beantownshootah

quote:Originally posted by dchristian
Does a 25.06 need more than a 22" barrel to be fully effetive


"Need" and "Fully effective" are pretty subjective things.

I'd say that the deer at the other end probably will be just as dead from a hit with a 22 inch barrel as one with a 24 inch, and probably 90% of the time (or maybe more) you're not going to notice any practical difference.

While its true that you may get more velocity out of a 2" longer barrel (depending on the exact load), you're not likely to get all that much more (maybe another 150 fps from a round that's already doing 3000+ fps at the muzzle). Is a 100 grain bullet doing "only" 2800 fps not good enough for what you need to you?

Short barrels have advantages of better portability, handling, and (slightly) lower weight. Also, all else being equal, shorter barrels are stiffer for their given length and therefore *may* be more accurate.

Whether these advantages of a short barrel outweigh the disadvantages of lower velocity is going to be mostly dependent on what exactly you're trying to do.

I'd say a longer barrel is a good idea if you're trying to stretch out effective range as far as possible, or if you're trying to hunt the biggest game possible (eg elk, etc).

If you're going to be carrying the gun around a lot, especially through brush, and if you don't think you're going to need to take the really long shots, then the shorter barrel may be better.

If, in contrast, you know you're just going to be plopping yourself down in one spot, and you're trying to hunt at really long ranges (eg varmints), then maybe the longer the barrel, the better.