.25-06 Remington

The .25-06 Remington spent fifty years as a wildcat before Remington finally made it official in 1969 — and the handloaders who’d been shooting it the whole time were absolutely vindicated. Based on the .30-06 Springfield case necked down to .25 caliber, it produces one of the flattest factory trajectories on the commercial market. Hunters who discovered it never forgot it.

A.O. Niedner developed the .25-06 as a wildcat around 1920. It circulated in handloading communities for nearly half a century before Remington standardized it in 1969. That’s not a typo — fifty years. The wildcat’s popularity made the commercial case undeniable. Today it carries the DNA of decades of handloader experimentation, and that heritage shows.

Deer hunting across open terrain is the primary application. Pronghorn antelope hunters love the flat trajectory at distance. Lighter loads work well on varmints and predators. Many hunters consider it the ideal single rifle for a mixed season of varmints and deer-sized game.

The 75-grain varmint bullet leaves the muzzle at approximately 3,700 fps. The 85- to 90-grain predator loads run 3,400-3,500 fps. The versatile 100-grain covers dual-purpose duties at around 3,200 fps. Hunting bullets at 115-120 grains travel 2,900-3,100 fps. One of the flattest-shooting factory cartridges available, period.

Remington, Federal, Winchester, Hornady, and Nosler all produce .25-06 factory ammunition. Hornady’s Superformance loads are a popular choice for maximum velocity. Federal’s Premium line with Nosler Partition suits hunters who want proven terminal performance. For handloaders, the large case capacity leaves room to experiment.

The flat trajectory. The versatility. The moderate recoil. And the bragging rights that come with shooting a cartridge that was good enough to be a wildcat legend for half a century. The handloaders knew. Remington just took a while to catch up.

Arms East stocks .25-06 Remington ammunition and rifles because our customers know exactly what this cartridge is worth. If the .25-06 is new to you, come in and let’s talk. We’ll give you an honest assessment, not a sales pitch. This cartridge has a fifty-year head start on proving itself. We’re just happy to help you get in on it.