25-06 load info help

[Brent Pugh]

My wife just bought me a Remington CDL 25-06 50th year anniversary addition rifle for Christmas, I have always wanted a 25-06, I have several 30-06 and 243 rifles that I hunt with. I reload for both using IMR 4350 powder and CCI large rifle primers, the bullets I use for the 243 is Hornady 100 gr BTSP with 41 gr. powder, for the 30-06 I use Sierra 165 BTHP with 56 gr powder. Can you all recommend a good 25-06 load for hunting? I was thinking of getting some Nosler Partition 120 gr Spitzer bullets, would this be a good bullet choice and can I continue to use the IMR 4350 powder also for the
25-06 loads.
Brent

 

[wyomike]

My wife just bought me a Remington CDL 25-06 50th year anniversary addition rifle for Christmas, I have always wanted a 25-06, I have several 30-06 and 243 rifles that I hunt with. I reload for both using IMR 4350 powder and CCI large rifle primers, the bullets I use for the 243 is Hornady 100 gr BTSP with 44 gr. powder, for the 30-06 I use Sierra 165 BTHP with 56 gr powder. Can you all recommend a good 25-06 load for hunting? I was thinking of getting some Nosler Partition 120 gr Spitzer bullets, would this be a good bullet choice and can I continue to use the IMR 4350 powder also for the
25-06 loads.
Brent

Brent,
I think the 25-06 is a superb caliber for most game in the lower 48, NOT all, but great for deer, antelope, etc. I've never hunted sheep or goats, but don't see why it wouldn't work. My son shot his first elk with my 25-06 when he was 15. Load was 120 Sierra H.P. and 52 H-4831. He now owns that 25-06 and has many rifles of his own now, but still uses that old Ruger (1975) 25-06.
He and I have killed many deer and antelope with that rifle. I see no reason why 4350 wouldn't work, it's just that I've used H-4831 since I first started reloading back in the early 60,s.

 

[Lone Hunter]

I have a 25/06 and use H4831SC. I have good velocities and very good accuracy out of all the bullets I have tried except Sierra 90 gr HP. It shoots all other Sierra bullets fine though. 4350 will work in 25/06 but the H4831sc shot better in my rifle and several other friends rifles. Used a CCI LR Primer and not a Mag Primer.

 

[kcjim]

I use Reloader 22 and 115 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips. The 115 gr Ballistic Tips are a very good bullet. A stronger jacket than the Ballistic Tips of several years ago. I use them on whitetail deer and antelope. I tried several different powders and had the best luck with Reloader 22.

 

[STOMP442]

I have loaded for several and the nice thing about the .25-06 is that it isn't very picky. I have found great results with 115gr Bergers using H4350, H4831sc and H1000. All depends what your particular barrel likes.

 

[2506]

I have used the 25-06 for a long time as a deer rifle. I have tried many different weight and make bullets and this is my recommendation. Get some Sierra 117 gr. and I like the Pro Hunter flat base best because that is what my current rifle likes best. I am shooting 49 grs IMR 4350, Rem. case, CCI 250 mag primer and the 117 Sierra PH set to jump 20 thousands to lands. Out of my 26" barrel I average 3000 fps and bug hole accuracy. Sub 1/2 MOA on a windless day waaaaaay out there. Shoot a deer in the center of the front shoulder and they drop in their tracks 100% of the time and if you shoot them behind the front shoulder they drop in their tracks 80% of the time and if they do move it is not far. Most proficient in their tracks caliber I have ever used and I have shot deer with about 90% of the calibers from 22lr up through 45-70 doing crop damage control for 15 years and this year is my 50th year deer hunting. The mentioned powder load above is the suggested accuracy load from the #4 Sierra manual. You can up the powder some but this is what shoots for me. I sight my rifle to hit 3" high at 100 yards and I can hold in the center of a deer shoulder out to 350 yards and not worry about a miss. At 350 yards it is between 3 1/2 to 4" below point of aim.

 

[areaone]

Imr 4350 and a 115 or 120 bullet
Great antelope caliber. Try 110 Nosler Accubond.

 

[mills braswell]

If you can get your hands on some Barnes 80 gr. ttsx, you might like the velocity, trajectory, and performance.

 

[Bill Norris]

Recently tried some 120 gr Speer bullets in my factory Rem LRP 25-06 for the first time and was surprised at the accuracy of the load. 50 gr. of IMR-4831 and a 210M primer in Hornady brass yielded a great group at 100 yds.
(Please work up your loads- all rifles differ)

The tiny dots on this target are spaced @ 1/4 inch

 

[th82457]

The 120's may not group as well as the 100, 110 & 115 Noslers. I have had good accuracy with the 110 Hornady ELD-X as well. IMR & H4350 work well, in my experience H4831SC works best. In my opinion 25-06 may be the best deer/antelope cartridge ever. Congrats & Good Luck !

 

[HTSmith]

I have used the 25-06 for a long time as a deer rifle. I have tried many different weight and make bullets and this is my recommendation. Get some Sierra 117 gr. and I like the Pro Hunter flat base best because that is what my current rifle likes best. I am shooting 49 grs IMR 4350, Rem. case, CCI 250 mag primer and the 117 Sierra PH set to jump 20 thousands to lands. Out of my 26" barrel I average 3000 fps and bug hole accuracy. Sub 1/2 MOA on a windless day waaaaaay out there. Shoot a deer in the center of the front shoulder and they drop in their tracks 100% of the time and if you shoot them behind the front shoulder they drop in their tracks 80% of the time and if they do move it is not far. Most proficient in their tracks caliber I have ever used and I have shot deer with about 90% of the calibers from 22lr up through 45-70 doing crop damage control for 15 years and this year is my 50th year deer hunting. The mentioned powder load above is the suggested accuracy load from the #4 Sierra manual. You can up the powder some but this is what shoots for me. I sight my rifle to hit 3" high at 100 yards and I can hold in the center of a deer shoulder out to 350 yards and not worry about a miss. At 350 yards it is between 3 1/2 to 4" below point of aim.

Well for starters I would listen to this person. In my experience the 120 Partition is a lil too tough for deer. They'll die but they can run quite a ways. I had my best results with IMR 7828 but it sounds like 4350 should work fine.

 

[South Paw Sammy]

49 grains H4350 and Nosler 110 accubonds runs good in mine.

 

[Guybo]

The 25.06 is no doubt my favorite caliber especially for deer and i've been shooting one for over 30yrs. Great choice of caliber and rifle but i may be a little bias because my 25.06 is also a Rem 700 CDL .

There's lots of good hunting bullets out there for the 25.06 and the IMR4350 also works well in that caliber as do others. My favorite bullet is the Speer 120gr Hot-Cor but unfortunately Speer no longer makes that bullet. The already mentioned Sierra 117gr Pro Hunter is another good one but like Speer Sierra also discontinued that one as well. I've seen some of both around for sale on forums but there's plenty of other choices that will be as equally effective on game.

I've used lots of different powders over the years but i settled in on RL25 and RL22, they have produced the most accurate loads and have been very consistent for me especially with bullets from 117-120grs. The RL25 tends to produce a little more velocity but RL22 is just as accurate. I've read and heard of temp sensitivity with both these powders but honestly i have never personally experienced it myself and i have been using both for years.

As for the Partition that you mentioned i don't think you can ever go wrong with that bullet if your gun likes it and will shoot it accurately, it's a good one! Mike

 

[David Milisock]

My wife just bought me a Remington CDL 25-06 50th year anniversary addition rifle for Christmas, I have always wanted a 25-06, I have several 30-06 and 243 rifles that I hunt with. I reload for both using IMR 4350 powder and CCI large rifle primers, the bullets I use for the 243 is Hornady 100 gr BTSP with 44 gr. powder, for the 30-06 I use Sierra 165 BTHP with 56 gr powder. Can you all recommend a good 25-06 load for hunting? I was thinking of getting some Nosler Partition 120 gr Spitzer bullets, would this be a good bullet choice and can I continue to use the IMR 4350 powder also for the
25-06 loads.
Brent

What a great wife! You're getting advice here that's very good. I would add that the 25 06 is mildly over bore and my advice would be that if your favorite load is more than warm getting well toward maximum or maximum watch your rate of fire. Controlled rates of fire will make that bore last a very long time. More of an issue at the range or varminting.

 

[2506]

Dang I did not know Sierra discontinued the 117 Pro Hunter but I just looked on their web site and sure enough it is not listed. They still are making the Game King. I sure am glad that I probably have a life time supply of the Pro Hunter because my rifle just does not like any boat tail bullet as well as the flat base. I hate it when you find something that works great and the makers either "new and improve it" and screw it up or they discontinue it. Sierra has discontinued a number of bullets that I had previously had working. The 6mm Single Shot Pistol bullet, 6.5mm 85 gr HP are a couple.

As to powders for the 25-06 there are a few good ones and H4831 is one of the best in my experience but in my current rifle it likes the stated IMR 4350 load best. Velocity actually runs just about the same as the standard load of 52 grs H4831 with the 117 Pro Hunter but I get better accuracy with the 4350. As a side note I get the same accuracy and velocity within just a few fps with Accurate 4350 with the same load. They are so close that you can't tell any difference between them in point of impact at 300 yards.

 

[86alaskan]

Don't have my old loads on hand, but my deer killing round for my 25-06 was a 100gr Barnes TTSX over h4831SC. when worked up, it was a very accurate load and killed like a lightning bolt. the recoil was noticeably less than my fast 117-120gr loads and the bullet behaved better at the higher speeds than a lead core. Most of my hunting is in the woods so impact velocities were near point blank, so the copper really helped keep me from eating pieces of lead.

 

[Murray Brook]

Recently tried some 120 gr Speer bullets in my factory Rem LRP 25-06 for the first time and was surprised at the accuracy of the load. 50 gr. of IMR-4831 and a 210M primer in Hornady brass yielded a great group at 100 yds.
(Please work up your loads- all rifles differ)

The tiny dots on this target are spaced @ 1/4 inch

Same load that I've used in a few 25/06's I've had over the years only used the 117 gr Sierra. Great accuracy and vel was appx 3000 ft/sec. Also IMR 4831 is an easy powder to source.

 

[randyc]

Great caliber, have shot one since 1981. Currently shooting 52 gr. IMR4350 behind 100 gr. Speer flat base soft points. Found this load when I bought 2500 bullets at an auction in 1984. Two years ago had to buy more bullets and stayed with the Speer bullets and not regretted this at all. Same rifle through all this and still original barrel that will shoot .3 groups anytime.

 

[fourpower]

My wife just bought me a Remington CDL 25-06 50th year anniversary addition rifle for Christmas, I have always wanted a 25-06, I have several 30-06 and 243 rifles that I hunt with. I reload for both using IMR 4350 powder and CCI large rifle primers, the bullets I use for the 243 is Hornady 100 gr BTSP with 41 gr. powder, for the 30-06 I use Sierra 165 BTHP with 56 gr powder. Can you all recommend a good 25-06 load for hunting? I was thinking of getting some Nosler Partition 120 gr Spitzer bullets, would this be a good bullet choice and can I continue to use the IMR 4350 powder also for the
25-06 loads.
Brent

I have been loading for 25-06 since 1960 and was lucky enough to get the first stainless remington sendero in Oregon over 30 years ago. I started loading bergers 115gr a few years and it is now my goto load. 115 berger 58grs h-1000 3115fps. I bore coated the bbl and replaced the trigger and froze the bbl. The gun shoots a 9in plate @900yds and hits it most of the time if i do my job. The bbl has way over 3000 thousand down the tube and still shoots better than man behind the gun.

 

[Nomosendero]

The .25-06: Deadly on Deer (buckmasters.com)
I thought I would throw in that article, a really good one.
I have used several bullets, like 25-06 said the 117 Sierra is deadly. My experience with the 120 Nosler Partition is different than stated above, we took a dozen or so Antelope and Deer with that bullet, longest shot was 347 yds on an Antelope, we recovered no bullets & had good expansion each time. With a Part. many times the exit will be small because the back part only exits but look at the internal damage.
My son uses the 115 Bal. Tip, like stated above they are tougher than they used to be.
My 26" Sendero (25-06AI now) prefers the slower powders , RL25 does great, will be trying RL26 next.
Great round!