The .25-06 Remington doesn't make much noise in the current cartridge arms race. There's no marketing machine behind it, no new magnum designation, no social media hype. What there is: a 90-year-old wildcat turned factory round that shoots a 100-grain bullet faster than a .308 Winchester with less recoil, prints sub-MOA groups from a quality rifle, and reaches out to 400 yards with authority. For open-country deer and pronghorn in eastern Oregon, it's hard to find a better tool.

Remington standardized the .25-06 in 1969, but handloaders had been running it on the .30-06 case necked down to .257 caliber for decades before that. The case capacity is generous — similar to the .30-06 — and with the right combination of slow-burning powder and quality .257-caliber projectile, handloaders can extract every bit of performance from this efficient cartridge.

Components: Brass

Factory .25-06 brass is available from Remington, Winchester, Federal, Nosler, and Hornady. Remington and Winchester brass are the most common and perfectly adequate. For premium work, Nosler brass offers more consistent wall thickness and has already been annealed. Brass from .30-06 cases can be necked down in a pinch, but starting with factory .25-06 brass is cleaner and eliminates extra sizing steps.

Full-length resize after each firing until cases show signs of stiffness at the bolt, then switch to neck-sizing only for bolt guns. The .25-06 headspaces on the shoulder, so minimal body working prolongs brass life significantly. Expect 6–8 reloads from Remington brass with proper care, more from Nosler.

Components: Primers

The .25-06 uses Large Rifle primers. Standard LR primers work well across the board. CCI 200 and Federal 210 are both excellent choices. Switch to magnum primers (Federal 215, CCI 250) only if you're loading maximum charges of very slow-burning powder like IMR 7828 or Retumbo — the slower powders benefit from the hotter ignition, particularly in cold weather. For H4350 and similar mid-range burners, standard primers are preferred and give more consistent pressure curves.

Components: Bullets

The .257 bore has a deep bench of quality hunting bullets. Here's what works in the field:

  • Nosler Partition 100 gr: The go-to deer and pronghorn bullet. Controlled expansion with reliable penetration at 25-06 velocities. Accurate and proven over decades of western hunting.
  • Hornady SST 117 gr: Excellent for elk country where a heavier, bonded-style bullet is desirable. Slightly more drop than the 100-grain loads but outstanding terminal performance.
  • Berger VLD Hunting 115 gr: The long-range option. Very high BC for the caliber, flat trajectory, and excellent wind resistance past 300 yards. Best suited to shots on deer and pronghorn where velocity at impact is moderate.
  • Sierra GameKing 100 gr SPBT: One of the most accurate .257 bullets available. Superb for hunting inside 300 yards and exceptional for load development. Low cost makes it ideal for working up a load.
  • Nosler AccuBond 110 gr: Bonded construction for deep penetration, high BC, excellent long-range option for hunters wanting a single load for deer through elk.

Powder Selection

The .25-06 is a relatively slow-burning cartridge by necessity — the long case and small bore need a powder that develops pressure gradually. The sweet spot is powders in the H4350 to IMR 7828 burn rate range.

  • Hodgdon H4350: The workhorse. Excellent velocity with 100–117 grain bullets, good temperature stability, and consistent accuracy. This is where most .25-06 loads start and finish.
  • IMR 4831: Classic .25-06 powder. Similar burn rate to H4350, slightly less temperature stable, but very accurate and widely available.
  • Alliant Reloder 22: Excellent for heavier bullets in the 115–120 grain range. Pushes velocity higher than H4350 with these projectiles and handles well in cold conditions.
  • Hodgdon H4831SC: Short-cut granules meter more consistently than standard H4831. A reliable choice for all bullet weights in the .25-06.
  • IMR 7828: Maximum velocity potential, especially with 100-grain bullets. Requires magnum primers at max charges and shows more pressure sensitivity — work up carefully.

Load Data (Always Work Up From Start Charges)

Note: This data is for reference only. Always consult a current reloading manual and begin at minimum charges, working up in 0.5-grain increments while watching for pressure signs.

  • 100 gr Nosler Partition + H4350: Start 52.0 gr / Max ~55.0 gr — expect 3,050–3,130 fps from a 24-inch barrel
  • 117 gr Hornady SST + Reloder 22: Start 50.0 gr / Max ~53.5 gr — expect 2,900–2,980 fps
  • 115 gr Berger VLD + H4831SC: Start 52.0 gr / Max ~55.5 gr — expect 2,970–3,050 fps
  • 100 gr Sierra GameKing + IMR 4831: Start 51.0 gr / Max ~54.5 gr — expect 3,020–3,100 fps

Performance in the Field

A 100-grain load zeroed at 200 yards drops roughly 7 inches at 300 yards and around 21 inches at 400 yards depending on exact velocity. Wind drift at 400 yards in a 10 mph crosswind runs about 8 inches with a 100-grain bullet — significantly less than a .243 and comparable to a .308 at the same distance.

For pronghorn hunts on eastern Oregon's open flats, the .25-06 covers everything from close-range shots to ethical 350-yard opportunities without drama. For mule deer in the Blue Mountains or Steens foothills, it's more than enough. Recoil is mild enough that most shooters can call their shots without flinching — which matters more than any ballistic advantage when the moment of truth arrives.

Handloading the .25-06 adds maybe $0.30–0.50 per round over commercial ammunition costs, but the accuracy improvement and the satisfaction of taking an animal on a load you built yourself make it worth every minute at the bench.