thanks CC, you like that .257 just fine?
I like my 25-06 a little better. I owned it since 1970 and shot a ton of deer and antelope with it. The ballistics with my own handloads are really close to the .257 Wby. Both are great rifles and you couldn't go wrong with either one. It took me quite awhile before I worked up a load that was better than the factory stuff in the Wby.
The thumbhole stock on the .220 has a story behind it. It started out on a custom 03 Springfield that I built in the 60's when thumbhole stocks were all the rage. I built up a .25 Neider which was what the 25-06 was called before it became a factory load. It has a beautiful full figured AAA walnut stock that I spent several months building. I only took it hunting a couple of times as I realized that thumbholes are terrible (IMHO) for hunting as you usually work the safety with your thumb. It was really clumsy. After I bought my Ruger M77 in 25-06 a few years later, it became a "safe queen". About 12 years ago I re-barreled it to the .220 Ackley Improved Swift. It is a great varmint gun and looks good too.
