Maybe back the bullets away from the lands and let them blast through the leade on their way down the tube. I’ve personally never shot anything under 100gr in my 25-06, and my AI barrel is set up for the new long range offerings with a 1:7tw. All of my rounds have a decent jump and I’ve never needed to tune them. Seems they like to blow right through the jam. Both are well below MOA at 400yds from a very low budget Savage build.
A bit late responding. Thanks for the reply. Seeing as this is a necro thread on light bullets in 25-06, it's already been somewhat derailed, & there's not much happening here today...
The rifle seems to prefer no jump every time it's been tested so far. I've tried different OALs with what seemed to be promising loads with many suitable powders from the 4350s to 7828 & about everything in between. Most of the better powder results defied much fine tuning. Early on I swapped scopes, tightened screws to spec, fixed the binding mag box, installed an Ernie's trigger spring. Later testing swapped primers, tried premium '06 brass reformed (snug unturned & skim turned necks) & on & on. The results section in my loading notes is thicker than for rifles I've had 40 years.
FWIW, most loads ES & SD are reasonably low (under 30 & 20 respectively) & often single digits. Tried during break-in, factory 120 PSPCLs looked like a shotgun pattern... less than hunting accuracy much past 100 yds. & hardly the long range in the model designation. I've even checked the loose screw behind the trigger, letting someone else shoot it.
The barrel has plenty of stock clearance. The stock has an integral aluminum block, but was going to try bedding the recoil lug & back end of the barrel. There is light grey bedding material there already from the factory. It will still always shoot the 100 Sierra FBs (now discontinued) over H4831SC & the Speer 87 HPs (unavailable anywhere these days) over RL19 into an inch or less @100 yds. So... maybe bedding is yet another exercise in futility? Maybe this one needs a pressure point up front in the barrel channel? Plastic shims here & there are an inexpensive experiment for over the winter whilst burning up the remaining 100gr Sierras.
After first trying the 85/87 gr. weights, then the 100gr., moving upward in weight, RL22 & 23 are promising with 115 Ball.Tips, but not consistently. After the initial powder tests, my dwindling 23 is earmarked for other rifles that do shoot well, but will try a seating depth test series with the 115s & 22 someday soon...
After working with the rifle extensively, it's one of the most frustrating pieces I've owned. Like I said the rifle is awfully picky & I dont love it enough to spend much more time & $$ on it, let alone getting a gunsmith involved. Wearing an RR prefix, it sure isn't an early '90s Remington when they still had functioning QC.
When/if gun shows or gun shop inventory ever get back to normal around here I'll likely pass it along/trade it for a new project. Maybe someone else will have better luck or lesser expectations. Until then it's a non-priority project if I get a sudden urge or run out of other things to do.
