Many people always ask what is a good hunting cartridge? Well for many they say the good old 30.06 which has been popular for decades. It is a very powerful round and is also versatile. Many don't know it has a little brother called the 25.06. It is basically a necked down version of the 30.06. It is quite similar but if you compare the two the 25.06 diameter and circumference is smaller than that of its older brother the 30.06. Which means it will have less recoil since it is necked down. It is strikingly similar when compared next to each other. (The cartridge that is)

The 25.06 is quite powerful but also not "to powerful". What I mean is that it is great for varmints out to distance but also powerful enough for deer. The are a few options in grain that are available for the 25.06. The most common is 100 grain in my experience, however you can get 90, 115,117, and 120. The 90 grain is great for varmints and the 120 grain is good for deer.

So how does the 25.06 compare to other rifle cartridges such as .223,.243, and .270? Well the 223 is really not the greatest cartridge for deer because its not weak but not exactly powerful either. I mean this round is more made for the M16 in the military. It is okay for deer if you hit them in the right spot but don't have quite as much power. The 25.06 basically follows in between the .243 and .270. You may not be able to go higher than 120 grain but you really don't need more than that for deer its just about right.

The 25.06 100 grain has about a muzzle velocity of 3,230 FPS and the kinetic energy is 2,316. What I mean by kinetic energy is that the number of pounds of energy. 2,316 is enough for deer and varmint if you opt to use it for that.

If you choose to use 120 grain which is what I use and recommend for deer but 100 is fine. It has a muzzle velocity of 2,940 FPS and kinetic energy(lbs) 2,303. The 120 grain has more momentum and slightly more power which it will offer.

In my experience I have taken 4 deer using this. One, which dropped, and a few other that did not run far. It also did not destroy the deer like a heavier round would. You can find 120 grain Remington core lokt ammunition fairly easy but will most likely see 100 grain more.

   The term flat shooting gun is "technically" not possible because no bullet goes shoots flat forever it simply means that the trajectory is flat longer before dropping down. The 25.06 does exactly just this it shoots straight a very long time without much drop. This is great because if you sight in your gun at 100 yard 1 inch high it will not drop significantly at 200 yards. This may depend on grain but for the most part it will be zeroed in at 150 and on at 200.

  This is also a good thing because if you are in the woods and if there are any obstructions in the way since it is a flat shooting gun the trajectory is not affected much and you have less chance of missing. Some guns do not shoot flat and a lot of times the cross hairs may be on the deer and the person squeezes the trigger only to find out they missed. Well technically they may have been on but when the bullet was in the air it hit an obstruction which made it go off course. So the term flat shooting gun is sort of an exaggerated term but the 25.06 is a fascinating flat shooter that may prevent misses in the woods.

Another great reason the 25.06 is a great deer hunting cartridge is because it has considerably less recoil than the 30.06. Since its diameter measures .257 this makes it possible. The wonderful thing is that it is still suitable for deer. So if you yourself does not like the kick of a 30.06 and it is your deer hunting rifle then the 25.06 fixes this problem. It is still up to par with deer with even with reduced recoil. Perhaps you have a child that wants to take up deer hunting and he needs a rifle. The 25.06 is perfect in power and performance. Not to say 25.06 has no recoil, but its since its less than a 30.06 it makes it better for children that can still tackle the deer.

PROS:

-Accurate and reliable

-Flat shooting Gun

-Powerful enough for deer but not to powerful

-Also good for varmints

CONS;

-Ammunition is not as widely available

-Can not go higher than 120 grain

   When it comes down to looking for a a great deer hunting cartridge that is great for deer the 25.06 is one great competitor. It may not have as many options as the 30.06 but is still up to par for deer and varmints. Let it guide you to future harvests in the field for an experience that will be remembered as the "little brother" of the 30.06. I hope you value the rifle that may be not be as widely known but is still one that will bring your hunting ventures success. You have its accuracy, reliability,low recoil tolerance, and its flat shooting. This is one rifle cartridge that will get the job done. This is why I call it "A Great Deer Hunting Cartridge".