25-06 loads

[MrK.]

I picked up a Shilen stainless select/match barrel in 25-06 last year and had it screwed onto a trued Remmy 700 action. I have not messed with it too much but worked up some loads with IMR4350 and Sierra 100gr GKs. Best I could get out of that combo was about 1 1/4" at 100yds. Oddly enough this same load shoots 1 1/4" at 200yds and just a tad under 2" at 300yds. What gives?

 

[Preacher]

Change from IMR to H-4350, and try the 100 grain Ballistic tips in your rifle.
As far as the groups out to 300 yards, sometimes a rifle will shoot better out a ways, and I never could figure out why unless your shooting a long heavy bullet, and it takes it a while to,wake up).....

 

[7C15]

I've used 54gr of IMR4350 Sierra 90gr.hpbt for years .5'' group @100yd. Factory 700V Rem. I got the load from an old handloaders digest 25 yrs ago.

 

[M700]

Interesting. Apparently it's shooting well at 300 yards. Perhaps it's a scope/parallax problem at 100 yards?

That 100 grain Sierra has proven quite accurate for me in a couple of different .25-06 rifles.

Regards, Guy

 

[sewwhat89]

I am using AA2700 with my .25-06 with great results. My loads are of for my rifle and need to be worked up.

85 NBT/87 gr Speer 54.0 gr AA 2700
100 gr NBT 53.0 gr AA2700
115 gr NBT 51.0 gr IMR 4831 - I tried H100 and RL 22, but IMR 4831 was the best.

I could post several other loads that I have shot with good results and the bullets if you or anyone else cares to know along with pics of groups if warranted.

 

[MrK.]

Thanks for the responses. Sewwhat please give more info about your load workup. I got the gun right before season last year and did not have time to really work up any loads. I had a keg of IMR4350 and ran by the store and picked up a box of Sierra bullets and some Win Brass. I loaded them just off of the lands and increased powder in .5gr increments until I saw pressure signs,52.5 gr). I backed of and loaded three of each in .5 grain increments and headed off to the range. The best group that day was with 51 grains. Deer season was upon me so I loaded the rest up and thats where I am today. I was thinking about ditching the Sierra bullet for the next go round. We took several deer with the gun out to about 275yds but the bullet seemed to break-up more than I liked. The other day I loaded some up with some Speer Hot Cors and same wt of powder. I have had good luck with Hot Cors in my .243.

 

[M700]

I was concerned about bullet break-up too - we have some big mulies around here, and black bear are commonly found during deer season as well - so for my .25-06 I worked up a fast, accurate load with the 100 gr Barnes TSX.

Starting w/new Win brass, I prepped the brass, primed w/Federal 210 match primers, and started working up with H4350. Barnes recommended H4350, and I decided to give it a try since it's worked well for me in the past in other cartridges. Interestingly Barnes doesn't list specific recommended powder charges for their TSX bullets, but instead said to start w/Barnes X data and start working up.

I worked up to some pretty high powder charges - with no pressure signs. Best accuracy though was at a comfortable 53 grains of H4350 @ 3340 fps. Accuracy was sub MOA out to 300 yards, the farthest I tested it. Only shot one deer, and the bullet exited, so I can't say what the recovered pill looked like. I understand that's common for Barnes bullets since they have no lead core, there's not much to come apart.

When I commented about my good results from this load to Barnes, they noted that the same .25-06 bullet had been used succesfully on elk... Not sure I'm willing to push it to that level, but it made me feel pretty good about carrying it for both deer and black bear. The rifle is a Rem 700 CDL, 24" factory sporter barrel. No bedding, no tuning up at all, all factory. The Sierra has proven a bit more accurate, but like you mention, it does break up pretty easily. I don't think that's all bad given chest shots on deer though.

Regards, Guy

 

[AckleymanII]

two years ago, I went to Texas on a hog hunt on one of those million dollar deer ranches. I was the cook and the hog skinner for the ramrod. I met 4 of the club members that deer hunted there and they all shot the same caliber and load! Custom 25/06's made by a guy there in Texas. The gunsmith had provided them with a load and over the years, they had shot untold number of deer at 400-600 yards. They culled 30+ does and many skab bucks every year. They all shot NON-trued 700 long actions in McMillen hunter stocks with Shelin #5 contour barrels 12" twist barrels that were 26" long. Their loads were as follows:

Win brass only
Fed 215 primer
63.0g of R#25
100g Sierra Flat base
Velocity on my Ohler 35P= 3650 with less than 10 fps SD!
Grouped .385
Scope Burris 6-24 Signature
no pressure on this load at all, I did neck size the cases and
fire them again!

Win Brass only
Fed 215
58.0g of R25
117g Sierra Flat base
Velocity 3365 fps
Grouped .400-.450
Absolute Max load for this rifle with the brass needing full
length sizing after every firing.

Several things were inportant to note on the rifle that I was working with. First, the gun did not kick bad at all! The 100g Ballistic tip, 100g Hornady Flat base would not stabalize in the 12 twist at all, neither would the 117g Sierra BT. As soon as I tried the 100g Sierra flat base, the groups were almost like a benchrest rifle being very consistant with the 100g Sierra flat base in particular.

If I were trying this in a 10" twist rifle, I think that it would be smart to back off 5g below the loads that I have listed and work up to them.