The 25-06 Remington is a .25-caliber, bottlenecked centerfire rifle cartridge, made by necking the .30-06 Springfield case down to take .25-caliber bullets, that existed as a wildcat for decades before Remington Arms standardized it commercially in 1969 and that is loaded today mainly for deer- and antelope-sized game and for varmints such as coyotes and prairie dogs.
This guide sets out the velocity, energy and bullet drop that Hornady, Nosler, Federal and Remington publish for their own 25-06 Remington loads, one row per item number, and then sets the cartridge against the 243 Winchester using SAAMI’s reference data. Where a maker does not publish a figure, the table says so.
25-06 Remington ballistics chart
The muzzle table gives each load’s published velocity and energy, its ballistic coefficient where the maker states one, and the maker’s own label for the game the load is meant for. Two things vary from row to row and matter when you compare them. The first is the test barrel: Hornady states 24 inches, Nosler states 24 inches with a 1-in-10 twist, and Federal and Remington state none. The second is the ballistic coefficient: Hornady gives G1 values, Nosler publishes none, and Federal and Remington give a value without saying which drag model it belongs to, so those values should not be lined up against Hornady’s.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load | Item no. | Bullet weight | Bullet | Muzzle velocity | Muzzle energy | Ballistic coefficient | Maker’s application | Test barrel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady CX® | 814464 | 90 gr | CX® | 3,350 fps | 2,243 ft-lb | .273 G1 | Medium Game 50-300 lbs | 24″ |
| Nosler Partition | 60005 | 100 gr | Partition | 3,300 fps | 2,417 ft-lb | not published, drag model not stated | Deer Sized Game | 24″ (twist 1-10″) |
| Hornady ELD-X® | 8143 | 110 gr | ELD-X® | 3,140 fps | 2,408 ft-lb | .465 G1 | Medium Game 50-300 lbs | 24″ |
| Nosler Ballistic Tip Hunting | 40071 | 115 gr | Ballistic Tip Hunting | 3,000 fps | 2,298 ft-lb | not published, drag model not stated | Deer Sized Game | 24″ (twist 1-10″) |
| Federal Jacketed Soft Point | 2506BS | 117 gr | Jacketed Soft Point | 3,030 fps | 2,385 ft-lb | .361 not stated on page | Big Game | not published |
| Hornady SST® | 81453 | 117 gr | SST® | 3,110 fps | 2,513 ft-lb | .390 G1 | Medium Game 50-300 lbs | 24″ |
| Federal Fusion Soft Point | F2506FS1 | 120 gr | Fusion Soft Point | 2,980 fps | 2,366 ft-lb | .468 not stated on page | Big Game | not published |
| Remington Pointed Soft Point Core Lokt | 21515 | 120 gr | Pointed Soft Point Core Lokt | 2,990 fps | 2,382 ft-lb | .362 not stated on page | Big Game | not published |
Velocity and energy downrange
This table shows the velocity and retained energy each maker publishes at range, which is where the bullets separate. Hornady, Federal and Remington publish out to 500 yd. Nosler publishes out to 800 yd, so the Hornady, Federal and Remington cells at 600, 700 and 800 yd read Not published, and nothing has been extended to fill them.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (test barrel) | Muzzle | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd | 600 yd | 700 yd | 800 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady 90 gr (24″) | 3,350 fps / 2,243 ft-lb | 2,980 fps / 1,774 ft-lb | 2,640 fps / 1,393 ft-lb | 2,324 fps / 1,080 ft-lb | 2,031 fps / 824 ft-lb | 1,761 fps / 619 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nosler 100 gr (24″ (twist 1-10″)) | 3,300 fps / 2,417 ft-lb | 3,031 fps / 2,039 ft-lb | 2,778 fps / 1,713 ft-lb | 2,538 fps / 1,431 ft-lb | 2,312 fps / 1,186 ft-lb | 2,096 fps / 975 ft-lb | 1,893 fps / 795 ft-lb | 1,703 fps / 644 ft-lb | 1,529 fps / 519 ft-lb |
| Hornady 110 gr (24″) | 3,140 fps / 2,408 ft-lb | 2,929 fps / 2,095 ft-lb | 2,728 fps / 1,817 ft-lb | 2,536 fps / 1,570 ft-lb | 2,351 fps / 1,350 ft-lb | 2,175 fps / 1,155 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nosler 115 gr (24″ (twist 1-10″)) | 3,000 fps / 2,298 ft-lb | 2,787 fps / 1,983 ft-lb | 2,584 fps / 1,705 ft-lb | 2,390 fps / 1,458 ft-lb | 2,204 fps / 1,240 ft-lb | 2,026 fps / 1,048 ft-lb | 1,858 fps / 881 ft-lb | 1,699 fps / 737 ft-lb | 1,551 fps / 614 ft-lb |
| Federal 117 gr (not published) | 3,030 fps / 2,385 ft-lb | 2,767 fps / 1,989 ft-lb | 2,519 fps / 1,648 ft-lb | 2,283 fps / 1,354 ft-lb | 2,061 fps / 1,104 ft-lb | 1,851 fps / 890 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 117 gr (24″) | 3,110 fps / 2,513 ft-lb | 2,862 fps / 2,127 ft-lb | 2,627 fps / 1,793 ft-lb | 2,405 fps / 1,502 ft-lb | 2,193 fps / 1,249 ft-lb | 1,992 fps / 1,031 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 120 gr (not published) | 2,980 fps / 2,366 ft-lb | 2,778 fps / 2,056 ft-lb | 2,585 fps / 1,780 ft-lb | 2,399 fps / 1,534 ft-lb | 2,222 fps / 1,315 ft-lb | 2,052 fps / 1,122 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Remington 120 gr (not published) | 2,990 fps / 2,382 ft-lb | 2,730 fps / 1,985 ft-lb | 2,484 fps / 1,644 ft-lb | 2,252 fps / 1,351 ft-lb | 2,032 fps / 1,100 ft-lb | 1,824 fps / 887 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Bullet drop, with the zero range stated
Drop changes with the zero, so read the zero in each row before you read the number. Hornady publishes from a 200 yd zero, which is why its rows read 0 at 200 yd and sit above the line of sight at 100 yd. Nosler, Federal and Remington publish from a 100 yd zero, so their rows read 0 at 100 yd. A Hornady drop and a Nosler, Federal or Remington drop at the same range are not comparable. Federal and Remington publish drop out to 300 yd only, so their 400 and 500 yd cells read Not published. Nosler’s pages also carry a 200 yd zero table; the one below is its 100 yd zero table.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (zero) | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd | 600 yd | 700 yd | 800 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady 90 gr (200 yd zero) | +1.2 in | 0 in | −6.2 in | −19 in | −40.2 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nosler 100 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −2.3 in | −9.1 in | −21.3 in | −40.1 in | −66.7 in | −103.2 in | −151.6 in |
| Hornady 110 gr (200 yd zero) | +1.3 in | 0 in | −6 in | −17.3 in | −35 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nosler 115 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −3 in | −11.2 in | −25.5 in | −47 in | −76.9 in | −117 in | −169.1 in |
| Federal 117 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −3.1 in | −11.6 in | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 117 gr (200 yd zero) | +1.4 in | 0 in | −6.4 in | −18.9 in | −38.6 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 120 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −3 in | −11.2 in | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Remington 120 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −3.2 in | −12 in | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
What the numbers mean for a shot
Same maker, same barrel: bullet shape shows up downrange. The three Hornady loads are published from the same 24 inch barrel and the same 200 yd zero, with G1 ballistic coefficients, so they can be set against each other directly. The 90 grain CX is the fastest load on this page at 3,350 fps, but its G1 BC is .273 and it sheds speed quickly, reaching 500 yd at 1,761 fps and 619 ft-lb. The 110 grain ELD-X leaves slower at 3,140 fps, has a G1 BC of .465, and still holds 2,175 fps and 1,155 ft-lb at 500 yd. By 100 yd the ELD-X already carries more energy, 2,095 ft-lb against 1,774 ft-lb, and by 200 yd it is ahead on velocity too, 2,728 fps against 2,640 fps. The 117 grain SST, at .390, lands between them at 1,992 fps and 1,031 ft-lb at 500 yd.
Nosler: the heavier bullet catches up. Nosler’s two loads show the same pattern without a published ballistic coefficient to explain it. Both are measured from a 24 inch barrel with a 1-in-10 twist, on a 100 yd zero. The 100 grain Partition leaves at 3,300 fps and the 115 grain Ballistic Tip at 3,000 fps, and the Partition starts ahead on energy, 2,417 ft-lb against 2,298 ft-lb. By 300 yd the Ballistic Tip has moved ahead, 1,458 ft-lb against 1,431 ft-lb, and at 800 yd, the last range Nosler publishes, it is faster as well, 1,551 fps against 1,529 fps, with 614 ft-lb against 519 ft-lb. Drop follows muzzle velocity, though: at 800 yd the Partition is 151.6 inches low and the Ballistic Tip 169.1 inches low.
Setting one maker against another. Take more care here. Hornady’s drop is from a 200 yd zero and the others’ from a 100 yd zero, and Federal and Remington publish no test barrel, so each of their figures is the maker’s own claim for a barrel the reader cannot see. Two 117 grain loads show the problem: the Hornady SST leaves at 3,110 fps from 24 inches and the Federal Power-Shok at 3,030 fps from an unstated barrel, and the tables cannot say whether the gap is the powder, the bullet or the barrel. The two 120 grain loads, the Federal Fusion at 2,980 fps and the Remington Core-Lokt at 2,990 fps, come with no barrel from either maker, so this page does not rank them.
The makers’ game labels are categories, not distances. Hornady labels its three loads Medium Game 50-300 lbs, Nosler labels both of its loads Deer Sized Game, and Federal and Remington label theirs Big Game. None of the tables gives an effective range, and this page does not invent one.
Twist rate, chamber and pressure
SAAMI sets the maximum average pressure for the 25-06 Remington at 63,000 psi, and tests it in a 24.000 in barrel with a twist of 1 turn in 10.00 in and a groove diameter of .257 in. The pressure figure is the limit a factory load is built to stay under in that test barrel. It is not a target, and it is not a rating for any particular rifle.
Nosler states the same 24 inch barrel and 1-in-10 twist for its two loads, which matches SAAMI’s. Hornady states 24 inches and no twist, and Federal and Remington state neither. A maker’s velocity is a measurement from one barrel, so a rifle with a shorter barrel or a different twist should be expected to behave differently. Check your rifle’s twist rate before you buy a bullet weight you have not shot before.
Chamber marking matters most: fire only ammunition marked 25-06 Remington in a rifle chambered for it. The 25-06 was made by necking the .30-06 Springfield case down, so the two are related cartridges, and a related case is not an interchangeable one.
Why there is no Winchester row
We stock Winchester 25-06 Remington loads, and none appears in the tables above. Winchester’s own product pages for those items state that no ballistics data is available at this time, and this page prints only what a maker publishes for the item, so a Winchester row would have to come from somewhere other than Winchester. The Winchester loads include the lightest 25-06 load we stock, which is why the lightest charted load is 90 grains and not 85.
25-06 vs 243 Winchester: the comparison on one test barrel
Two makers’ catalogue tables cannot be laid side by side, and the tables above show why. Hornady publishes drop from a 200 yd zero and Nosler, Federal and Remington from a 100 yd zero; Hornady and Nosler state a 24 inch test barrel and Federal and Remington state none. A velocity or drop figure from one row is not a fair reading against another row.
SAAMI is the shared basis. Its Z299.4 standard fixes one test barrel for each cartridge and lists reference loads with their velocities, so the 25-06 Remington and the 243 Winchester can be set against each other on the same footing: both are tested in a 24.000 in barrel with a twist of 1 turn in 10.00 in. The last three rows below are the lightest reference load each lists, the one bullet weight both list, and the heaviest each lists.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 25-06 Remington | 243 Winchester |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Z299.4 | Z299.4 |
| Maximum average pressure | 63,000 psi | 60,000 psi |
| Standard test barrel length | 24.000 in | 24.000 in |
| Test barrel twist rate | 1 turn in 10.00 in | 1 turn in 10.00 in |
| Test barrel groove diameter | .257 in | .243 in |
| Lightest reference load | 85 gr — 3,510 fps / 2,325 ft-lb | 55 gr — 3,880 fps / 1,838 ft-lb |
| The weight both are listed at | 90 gr — 3,420 fps / 2,337 ft-lb | 90 gr — 3,110 fps / 1,933 ft-lb |
| Heaviest reference load | 120 gr — 2,975 fps / 2,358 ft-lb | 100 gr — 2,850–3,080 fps / 1,803–2,106 ft-lb |
The 25-06 Remington has the higher pressure limit of the two, 63,000 psi against 60,000 psi for the 243 Winchester, and the larger groove diameter, .257 in against .243 in. The test barrel is the same for both, 24.000 in with a twist of 1 turn in 10.00 in, so none of the differences in the velocity rows comes from the barrel. SAAMI publishes velocity, not energy; the energy figures are computed from the velocity and the bullet weight.
The 90 grain row is the fair one, because it is the one weight both cartridges list. There SAAMI’s 25-06 reference load is 3,420 fps and 2,337 ft-lb, and the 243’s is 3,110 fps and 1,933 ft-lb, so at that weight the 25-06 is the faster of the two and carries more energy. The outer rows are not like for like. The 25-06’s lightest reference load is 85 grains at 3,510 fps and 2,325 ft-lb, against 55 grains at 3,880 fps and 1,838 ft-lb for the 243, and its heaviest is 120 grains at 2,975 fps and 2,358 ft-lb, against 100 grains at 2,850–3,080 fps and 1,803–2,106 ft-lb. Those rows show the bullets SAAMI chose for each cartridge, not a verdict on the cartridges.
What the table does not settle is how each bullet flies. SAAMI publishes velocity and pressure and no ballistic coefficient, so it cannot say which cartridge keeps its speed better at 300 or 500 yd. That depends on the bullet, and the makers’ tables above are where a specific bullet’s figures are.
We stock the other side of this comparison too: 243 ammo.
25-06 Remington ballistics questions
How much will a 25-06 drop at 300 yards?
It depends on the load and on the zero, and the tables give both. From a 200 yd zero, Hornady publishes 6.2 inches low at 300 yd for the 90 grain CX, 6 inches for the 110 grain ELD-X and 6.4 inches for the 117 grain SST. From a 100 yd zero, Nosler publishes 9.1 inches for the 100 grain Partition and 11.2 inches for the 115 grain Ballistic Tip, Federal publishes 11.6 inches for the 117 grain Power-Shok and 11.2 inches for the 120 grain Fusion, and Remington publishes 12 inches for the 120 grain Core-Lokt. Those figures cannot be swapped between the two zeros, so use the row for the load and zero you actually shoot.
Is a 25-06 better than a 6.5 Creedmoor?
This page cannot answer that. None of the loads charted here is a 6.5 Creedmoor, and the only SAAMI comparison printed is against the 243 Winchester, so there is no 6.5 Creedmoor figure to set beside the 25-06 numbers. SAAMI does not decide better either: it publishes velocity and pressure and no ballistic coefficient, and how two cartridges compare downrange depends on the specific bullets. A fair answer needs both cartridges’ loads on the same zero and, ideally, the same test barrel.
What is a 25-06 comparable to?
The comparison this page can support is with the 243 Winchester, because SAAMI tests both in the same 24.000 in barrel with a twist of 1 turn in 10.00 in. At the one bullet weight SAAMI lists for both, 90 grains, the 25-06 reference load is 3,420 fps and 2,337 ft-lb and the 243’s is 3,110 fps and 1,933 ft-lb. The 25-06 also runs at the higher maximum average pressure, 63,000 psi against 60,000 psi. The 25-06 case itself is the .30-06 Springfield case necked down to .25 caliber.
How far can a 25-06 shoot accurately?
The makers do not publish an accuracy range, because accuracy depends on the rifle, the ammunition and the shooter. What they publish is how far their own tables run. Hornady’s tables stop at 500 yd, and Federal and Remington publish velocity and energy to 500 yd and drop only to 300 yd. Nosler publishes to 800 yd, where its 100 grain Partition is at 1,529 fps and 519 ft-lb and its 115 grain Ballistic Tip at 1,551 fps and 614 ft-lb. No maker here publishes a figure beyond 800 yd, so this page has nothing to say about a 25-06 past that.
How fast is a 25-06 bullet at the muzzle?
It depends on the load and on the maker’s test barrel. From a 24 inch barrel, Hornady publishes 3,350 fps for the 90 grain CX, 3,140 fps for the 110 grain ELD-X and 3,110 fps for the 117 grain SST, and Nosler publishes 3,300 fps for the 100 grain Partition and 3,000 fps for the 115 grain Ballistic Tip. Federal and Remington do not state a barrel: Federal publishes 3,030 fps for its 117 grain Power-Shok and 2,980 fps for its 120 grain Fusion, and Remington 2,990 fps for its 120 grain Core-Lokt.
Can a 25-06 take down an elk?
None of the loads charted here is labelled for elk by its maker. Hornady labels its CX, ELD-X and SST loads Medium Game 50-300 lbs, Nosler labels its Partition and Ballistic Tip loads Deer Sized Game, and Federal and Remington label their Power-Shok, Fusion and Core-Lokt loads Big Game. The tables show what each load still carries at 500 yd, the lowest being the Hornady 90 grain CX at 619 ft-lb and the highest the Hornady 110 grain ELD-X at 1,155 ft-lb, but the labels are the makers’ own categories and this page has no figure that says how much energy an elk needs. Elk regulations and bullet requirements vary by state, so check yours before you choose a load.
Where to buy these loads
Every load in the tables above is stocked at Hilltop Armory. Browse the full 25-06 ammo range, which carries makers beyond the ones charted here — the tables are limited to loads whose manufacturer publishes figures that could be verified, not to everything on the shelf.
