# I Need A New Rifle



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

OK, I know the difference between the need and the want of a new rifle but I personally believe that I actually need a new one. 

I am looking at the Weatherby Vangard Series 2 in either 25-06 or 6.5mm Creed. The .25-06 is close to getting the nod since I have more than enough .30-06 cases that will never be reloaded to convert down the the .25 caliber. However the 6.5 intrigues me with its ballistics. 

The rifle will not be used just for targets since I am planning a hunt in South Africa and most of the animals that I will take are within the power of either round. I'll be taking my .340 for the bigger animals. 

So for those that may have shot both rounds or played around with both which would you go with.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Both are cool. Get the 25-06.------SS


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

Is the purpose of this thread to make us jealous? I am going to tell you straight up that it flat out pisses me off that you would get on here and tell everyone that you got the green light to buy a rifle that sits right below a 30-06 in the Cartridge line up and that you would dare mention considering getting it in Weatherby Vanguard Series 2. This to me is like coming on the forum and openly telling people where you plan to hunt and it happens to be the exact spot that I was planning on having to myself on the opener. 

Whatever you do don't top that rifle with a Zeiss Conquest Scope. 

Call me OsageOrange (I want to apologize in advance to any Hi-point owners I would apologize to Osage but he has mentioned he has no feelings in another thread) but I would recommend buying a semi-auto Hi-Point assault rifle chambered in 9mm. Nothing compares to shooting a pistol round out of a rifle. You also can't beat the 9mm handgun trajectory coming out of a rifle with a magazine capacity of 30 rounds that won't even stack evenly. You won't be feeling the blow back with every round because after shot 2 or 3 you have to manually remove the casing with a flat head screw driver. As far as accessories go I would also recommend one of those fancy holographic lazer pointer thingers so that it looks really tactical as well. Even though your rounds will be scattered like snake shot fired from .357 pistol with a .5" inch barrel you gotta admit you will look cool in South Africa hunting things in a bullet proof vest and terminator sunglasses. 

Or you could just push the "NEED NAIL" a little deeper in my side and tell me that you made the purchase... I was thinking .280 myself but 25-06 is close enough...


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Nambaster, I actually called a shop today and found out that they have a Vangard in .25-06 sitting on the shelf and he even quoted me a price $50.00 lower than what I have seen on the net. So guess where I am headed in the morning? 

I was even considering a Browning BAR but semiautomatic rifles are not allowed into South Africa even as a hunting rifle. 

For the scope I was not thinking of the Zeiss Conquest but a Leupold VX-3 3.5x10x40 instead.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I think the 25-06 is a good choice. Never shot a 6.5 Creedmore though.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

Now you are just making me sick. All I can say is that those Japanese people really know what they are doing when it comes to small detail and precision. I just barely had to bribe my wife to let me out for 8 days on the elk hunt so I have to hide my burning desire for a .280 Remington for a bit but it is not going to be long until that beast manifests itself with so much strength that I will not be able to hold him back.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

25-06 pushing a barnes bullet is hard to beat!


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Go with the 25-06! Blistering speed and fun fun fun to shoot.



goosefreak said:


> 25-06 pushing a barnes bullet is hard to beat!


25-06 pushing a Accubond will. Sorry, I personally had a Xbullet not open, will never touch them again.

-DallanC


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

If you shoot the Barnes, use 100's and stoke them hot.....like 3350 hot. Other than that, use the Accubond and kill everything you point that laser beam at.-----SS


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## chukarflusher (Jan 20, 2014)

I have a weatherby vanguard series two in 257 mag I love the gun you won't go wrong


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

You know, they do that Vanguard in .257 WBY too... just thought I'd throw that out there.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I have thought about the .257 Weatherby and it would fit right in with my .340 and .270 Weatherby but I have so much 06 brass that the .25-06 is hard to pass up on. 

Besides that I thought about rebarreling my old Savage 06 to the .25 caliber but that rifle has seen a lot of use since was manufactured in 1935 and it was my first rifle that my uncle gave to me when I was 5 years old. It killed my first deer and elk not to mention how many jack rabbits and pot guts it dispatched while I was growing up. It has a lot of sentimental value to me to go changing it around.

I'm going to see the man at the store in the AM and just perhaps I'll need to make some more room in the safe for a new member.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

Having an extra round in the magazine is one of the advantages of the 25-06 over the 257 Weatherby as well. 340 Weatherby, 270 Weatherby? Critter you have one amazing gun cabinet. That's all I have to say on that matter.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I think you should get .257 Weatherby personally.....


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## scoutm (Jul 29, 2014)

Have a 25-06 and love it. Have a .264 WM and love it too. When comparing BCs of bullets in .257 and .264(6.5) the .264 has the edge in all comparable bullet weights so I would go with the 6.5 Creed.

Now since you sound like you reload, I would go with something really sexy...find a shot out rifle and re-barrel it in a 6.5-06 :-|O|-::-|O|-:


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Just say'n :mrgreen:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=448846114#PIC

-DallanC


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

yup, those Accubonds are sweet too! good thing I shoot both!!


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## HuntinFoolUtah (Jan 11, 2013)

DallanC said:


> Just say'n :mrgreen:
> 
> http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=448846114#PIC
> 
> -DallanC


This is the rifle I hunt with primarily. No matter what ammo I shoot, it will consistently shoot 1" groups or less. With my hand loads i shoot 1/2" groups all day long. 2 deer and an elk have fell to it in the last 2 years all with one shot.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

DallanC said:


> Just say'n :mrgreen:
> 
> http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=448846114#PIC
> 
> -DallanC


If they still made the #1 in .25-06 I would be headed that way but they don't. However they do make the #1 International in .257 Roberts if you like the International style of stock.

Just as a FYI my .270 Weatherby Mag in on a #1.


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

25-06 is a pretty stellar round. The 100 TTSX shot well for me- I also have had good luck with the 115 Berger.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Critter said:


> I have thought about the .257 Weatherby and it would fit right in with my .340 and .270 Weatherby but I have so much 06 brass that the .25-06 is hard to pass up on.
> 
> Besides that I thought about rebarreling my old Savage 06 to the .25 caliber but that rifle has seen a lot of use since was manufactured in 1935 and it was my first rifle that my uncle gave to me when I was 5 years old. It killed my first deer and elk not to mention how many jack rabbits and pot guts it dispatched while I was growing up. It has a lot of sentimental value to me to go changing it around.
> 
> I'm going to see the man at the store in the AM and just perhaps I'll need to make some more room in the safe for a new member.


Don't do it!!! Don't even think about it!!!...by the way, what is a Savage 06??


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

BPturkeys said:


> Don't do it!!! Don't even think about it!!!...by the way, what is a Savage 06??


It is actually a Savage Super Sporter in .30-06


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

I love the 6.5 caliber and ballistically speaking, the .25 cal just cant hold a candle to it. Load a 120gr E-tip or Ballistic tip in a 6.5x284 with a BC of .497 on the E and .458 on the BT and its a laser. Especially when ya push out around 3200fps which is not tough to do. If your going to rebarrel that old Savage, go 6.5-06 which is even better (slightly) than the 6.5x284 with less throat erosion.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I am now the proud owner of a Weatherby Vangard Series 2 in .25-06.

I just need to pull a scope off of another rifle and get it mounted. 

Now to find some powder, and bullets that it likes.


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

IMR 4831 worked great for me - I know it's a tough one to find, but I think it's a good one to try out.


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## scoutm (Jul 29, 2014)

110grn Nosler Accubond
115grn Nosler BT

H4831 - not as fast as IMR but my rifle likes it best so that's what I shoot.

Have fun with it it's a great cartridge!!


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## Transfixer (Jul 7, 2009)

55gr RL 22 under a 110gr Accubond 3230 fps. Best load I have come up with.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

Critter said:


> I am now the proud owner of a Weatherby Vangard Series 2 in .25-06.
> 
> I just need to pull a scope off of another rifle and get it mounted.
> 
> Now to find some powder, and bullets that it likes.


never happened... until I see pictures


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Nambaster said:


> never happened... until I see pictures


OK, OK, I was going to wait until I had a scope mounted and ready to go. I did have to purchase the reloading dies but got the scope rings and mounts along with a box of Hornady 117gr Interlocks thrown in.


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