Best Scope For 25-06: Which One Is More Versatile?

The 25 06 Remington is considered the most balanced “quarter bores” among many. It’s an ammo, that’s quite popular for medium-sized game hunting!

While the ammo is not the most powerful cartridge in the world, it’s still quite versatile and packs a ton of power in a small housing. That’s why, often people pair the wrong optic with this one.

How About, I show you the perfect pairing with this one at different budget points and help you find the best scope for 25 06? Sounds great, right? Let’s start then.

Why Do I Need A New Optic For 25-06?

We know that the 25-06 is a great ammunition for hunting and it does pack a good amount of recoil. That’s why, poorly made scopes won’t be able to handle the recoil of this ammo that well.

To prevent the weapon and the ammo from damaging your optic, you will need to invest in a good optic that will last you a long time and not drop in performance either!

Before we begin finding the best optic for 25-06, let’s take a look at what we need to know before we purchase one!

Build Quality

One of the most crucial aspects of an optic is the build quality and durability of the optic. If the structure of the optic is not durable, to begin with, it will not last you a long time. Especially paired with something like the 25-06, you are asking for trouble.

So, make sure that you take a scope that is durable material and is rated to be shockproof. Make sure the optic is also water, fog, and anti-rust coated.

Weight

The next thing to keep in mind is the weight. Unlike real life, where you can try to shed some weight by exercising, you cannot do the same with your optic.

So, you will need to buy an optic that is relatively light to begin with.

Why is that? That’s a very good question. The answer to this is also quite simple, to be honest. If we put a heavy optic on our gun, the balance of the gun will be ruined and it will tilt towards the back a lot. That will create a deviation in shooting and the recoil will feel “wonky/wobbly”. That will make us miss more shots than we like.

Lens Quality

The next thing you want to keep in mind is the lens quality. How durable the lens is and how clear they are. We can think of the lenses as our second pair of eyes. They work as a magnifier on our behalf and provide a clear vision of the target far from us.

That’s why, choosing an optic with crystal clear vision and no chromatic aberration or reticle smearing should always have top priority!

Magnification

As you are aware already the 25-06 is great for medium-sized game hunting, it’s obvious that you want an optic that will satisfy that need of. And I urge you to do so!

Once you get a taste of good quality long-range optics, you will not be able to return to a red dot or fixed 1-3x magnification optic! Then again, this is a subjective decision that will vary from hunter to hunter.

Now that we are done with the appetizers, let’s move on to the main course and find out the best scopes for 25-06 Remington!

Best Scope For 25-06 [Editors Guide]

Here are some of the best optics the market has to offer for the 25-06. I know there are quite a few optics out there that can handle the 25-06 easily, but not all of them fit into my criteria for choosing the best. Without further ado, let’s get started!

1. Vortex Optics Viper PST 5-25×50 Gen II FFP Riflescope

The first optic I want to recommend to you guys is from Vortex. Considering specifications alone, this is one of the best medium-range optics in the market. When it comes to making optics that don’t cost a ton of money but still feature excellent performance, you call Vortex.

The Viper PST Gen II is part of the Viper lineup of optics that Vortex makes. They are not cheap, but they are not too expensive either.

Depending on the range you usually practice on, you might want to go for the 5-25×50 first focal plane model over the 2-10×32 model. The difference among various models is the magnification and the reticle. Besides these two, both of them share the same structural integrity. That includes a fully multi-coated pair of lenses in a housing made out of durable and lightweight aluminum.

The inside of the optic is also purged with chemicals to make it immune to any sort of moisture. The purging won’t make sense if the water goes through the lenses inside the scope. To prevent an accident like that from happening, Vortex includes O-Ring Gaskets to make the optic waterproof! Not only the optic is fogproof, but it’s also water, and shockproof!

While the Optic is great and can easily call it the best scope for 25-06, it’s not without flaws. The main nitpicking of this optic would be the lack of mounting gear. It doesn’t come with any sort of scope rings whatsoever. You will need to purchase a pair of 30mm mounting rings for it. For that, you can refer to Vortex as they sell a ton of 30mm mounting rings.

I recommend the Vortex Pro Series 30mm Scope Rings. They are made out of durable aluminum and they are rated to work with bolt-action rifles as well!

2. Leupold VX-3i 4.5-14x50mm Side Focus Riflescope

The next optic I want to recommend to you guys is from Leupold. Another brilliant manufacturer that also works at different price-point. The VX-3i is part of Leupold’s VX family of optics. This family mostly includes scopes that punch beyond their price point. The VX-3i at hand is no exception. This optic packs a humongous 14x magnification on a relatively small frame.

The housing of the scope is made out of extremely durable and lightweight aluminum. The inside of the housing is purged with nitrogen to make it immune to moisture. While purging doesn’t make it waterproof, Leupold made sure VX-3i is waterproof. To ensure that, they included O-ring gaskets. Thanks to them, the optic is completely waterproof.

The lenses on this optic are crystal clear. They are fully multi-coated and they gather tons of light. Enough light to make this a viable option during dusk. If you are a hunter who mostly hunts during low-light conditions, this can be one of the best optics for you!

The optic also includes Luepold’s Twilight Light Management System. It’s an in-house creation of Leupold that improves the low-light performance of their optic. The way the twilight light management system works is quite nice. It is capable of working with a small amount of light and still delivers excellent performance!

Unfortunately, the optic doesn’t include any mounting rings. You will need to buy mounting rings separately. You can cheap out and get a basic model, but I would recommend you get the Leupold Mark 4 Scope Rings.

3. Trijicon TR22 AccuPoint 2.5-10x56mm Riflescope

I’m sure you have heard of Trijicon ACOG scopes before. ACOG is used by the military and security services all over the world. Unlike the ACOG, this one is not a fixed magnification optic. You can magnify from 2.5x to up to 10x! That’s a lot of magnification if you ask me!

The housing of this scope is made out of extremely durable aircraft-grade aluminum. The inside of the housing is chemically purged to make it immune to moisture. Overall, the durability of this housing is extremely good for hunting. 25-06 won’t be able to hurt this scope with the recoil. The lenses on this optic are fully multi-coated as well.

They are extremely bright and vivid in low light as well. While the optic features only 10x magnification, it’s still capable of doing long-range plinking. You can also use this for medium-range hunting games. But I wouldn’t recommend this optic for super long-range hunting. You might lack some vision at that range.

The reticle on this optic can be illuminated without any batteries. That makes it a great option for energy-conscious shooters! Due to its reliability and longevity, the scope slowly making a name for itself among hunters and shooters as a go-to option. After all, Trijicon is known for its craftsmanship and after-sales service!

4. Swarovski Riflescope Z3 4-12×50 Plex Rifle Scope

It will be hard to find any birder, shooter, or hunter who hasn’t heard of Swarovski Optik. They are a brand that is reliable for their service and quality craftsmanship. From binoculars to optics, Swarovski got every sort of adventurer covered. Their Z3 lineup of optics is easily one of the best 25-06 scopes on the market. Featuring adjustable magnification up to 12x, you can see why long-range shooters love this.

Z3 is made out of incredibly durable and lightweight aluminum. The housing is water, fog and shockproof at the same time. As you can see in the name, the objective lens is a big boy. It’s sized at 50mm. This fully multi-coated lens is capable of gathering a lot of light. Whether it’s the dawn or the dusk, this one is capable of showing you a good vision at any time. Just, not at night. Yeah, not a good idea to use this at night!

The turrets are known as “ballistic turrets”. They can be easily adjusted and fitted for different distances. They are quite tactile and you won’t find yourself missing the adjustments while shooting. If your preference is “stalk hunting”, then this is a great option. The slim profile of this is not visible to your prey and you can take your sweet time before nailing the shot.

One thing to keep in mind, you will not find any mounting gears included on this optic. You will need to purchase a pair of mounting rings with this. Keep in mind, unlike the optics mentioned above, this one doesn’t have a 30mm tube. The diameter of this tube is 1″. So, I will recommend you purchase the Vortex Pro Series 1″ mounting ring for Z3.

5. Simmons 8-Point 3-9x50mm Rifle Scope

The last optic that I want to recommend to you guys is from Simmons. No, this company has nothing to do with J.K Simmons. And this company will not call you a menace to society either! Jokes aside, Simmons 8-Point is a budget optic with a medium to long-range shooting capacity. The Optic features a Truplex reticle. This reticle is also known for being “beginner-friendly”.

The housing of this optic is made out of incredibly durable aluminum. The aluminum is lightweight and durable as well. After seeing the price, I’m sure you would think this optic is made out of plastic or similar other material. Thankfully, Simmons proved you and me wrong. The lenses are also coated with different materials to make them anti-reflective and extremely bright. The inside of the housing is also purged to make it fogproof.

Even though the turrets aren’t fancy like Vortex Viper, they are quite tactile, and most importantly, they don’t lose the reading after you set them. That also means, the optic is shockproof and can handle 25-06. The image clarity of this optic is unbelievably good for the money! Overall, it’s easily the best budget-friendly scope for 25-06.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions related to 25-06. I hope they come in handy and answer your questions regarding scopes for 25-06.

How Far Can You Shoot With A 25-06?

The effective range of 25-06 is around 600 yards.

What Is The Best Grain Bullet For A 25 06?

The ideal bullet weight range should be within 85 to 120 grains. Keep in mind, that this range is effective for competitive shooters. As for hunting, this range is viable for varmints and similar-sized animals.

Who Makes 25-06?

Remington.

Closing Thoughts

A hunter or a shooter needs to have the best scope for their tasks. Whether you are just starting or migrating from a different media, a scope is the base of your experience. A good gun is not hard to come by and bullets like 25-06 will also keep coming. To make sure you are ready for whatever is heading your way, you will need to purchase a good scope.

I hope my humble effort to help you find the best scope for 25-06 wasn’t in vain. With that said, that’s all for now and I thank you for reading till the end. I will see you on the next one. Take care and have fun till then! See ya!