.25 Cal Hunting Bullet Experience

[MrK.]

I had a Shilen barreled 25-06 built about 25 years ago. I picked up the barrel lightly used from a friend. I tried the 100 grain Speer spitzers and the 100 grain Sierra Game Kings. Killed deer and hogs with both but ultimately I settled on the 110 Accubonds over RL22. I used it as the go-to rifle for hunting white tails as well as hog extermination on the large TX ranch where I hunt. Between my son and myself we have killed untold hundreds of animals with that rifle-bullet combination. Sadly it's accuracy started falling off about the time the 110 Accubonds stopped being available. I tried the new 110 ELDX bullets from Hornady but they never really seemed to group as well. I took it out a few times this past season but didn't kill anything. If those Accubonds came back that gun would be my #1 girl again.

 

[Comandante]

I had a Shilen barreled 25-06 built about 25 years ago. I picked up the barrel lightly used from a friend. I tried the 100 grain Speer spitzers and the 100 grain Sierra Game Kings. Killed deer and hogs with both but ultimately I settled on the 110 Accubonds over RL22. I used it as the go-to rifle for hunting white tails as well as hog extermination on the large TX ranch where I hunt. Between my son and myself we have killed untold hundreds of animals with that rifle-bullet combination. Sadly it's accuracy started falling off about the time the 110 Accubonds stopped being available. I tried the new 110 ELDX bullets from Hornady but they never really seemed to group as well. I took it out a few times this past season but didn't kill anything. If those Accubonds came back that gun would be my #1 girl again.

Thanks for the info. I have a partial 50 ct box of 110 Accubonds but never did any load work up with them. I have some H 4831 which is close to the RL 22 burn rate. Sounds like I should give them a try.

 

[std7mag]

I haven't tried any of the lighter bullets for deer.
Coyotes is a different story!!

So far i've taken deer with 250 Savage, 257 Roberts, 257 Roberts AI, 25-06.

Used 100gr Ballistic Tips in the 250 Savage. Ranges were fairly close, about 50 yards.
No exit wound.

My 257 Roberts i used the 115gr Ballistic Tip. Much better performance over the 250 Savage. Deer piled up after 10 yards.
My daughter took a decent 6pt with the Roberts using the 115gr Berger VLD.
"He kinda puffed up, went straight legged & fell over."
Distance about 70 yards. No exit. Massive internal damage!!

25-06 with 120gr Sierra HPBT GameKing made short work of 3 does. Distances 70-250ish yards.
Exit holes on all 3.

 

[JLT]

Another vote for the 100 gr. BT and 120 gr. BT Speers. They've demonstrated absolutely reliable terminal performance and more than adequate precision. I've been using them primarily on deer out of a .25-'06 for over thirty years and I have never felt the need to change. They're also comparatively inexpensive, a nice bonus.

 

[nakneker]

90 grain gameking is a lethal bullet for deer and elk, there’s better choices for a quartering away shot imo, but it’s still a great choice. My wife used a 25-06 for her big game hunts for years and her rifle liked Barnes 115 grain TSX, she took a lot of game with that rifle, including elk and never lost an animal. If it’s just deer sized game your after the 90 grain game king is a solid choice, anything bigger and I’d recommend 115-120 grain Barnes TSX or Nosler Partition, both are lethal.

One note on the Barnes, in my experience, rifles either really like that bullet or they puke them into scatter gun sized groups.

 

[ncageneral]

Another vote for the 100 gr. BT and 120 gr. BT Speers. They've demonstrated absolutely reliable terminal performance and more than adequate precision. I've been using them primarily on deer out of a .25-'06 for over thirty years and I have never felt the need to change. They're also comparatively inexpensive, a nice bonus.

I've been using Speer 120 gr boat tails since the early 80's in my 25-06 and 257 Roberts, shot alot of deer in those years, from nearly point blank to 400 yards. They rarely stay in a deer, create a massive wound channel, and are plenty accurate. Sub MOA, and the price is right. I like to use heavier bullets as well. The hole that has no bottom bleeds better in my opinion.

 

[NYhunter444]

87 hot core does the job...
Love'em I a 25 WSSM.

I use them in the 250 Savage and yes, they do a bang up job turning the vitals into pulp.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Back a few years ago when reloading supplies disappeared I bought a Ruger "#1 International in .257.. Roberts. Only bullets I could find in several counties was one box of 117 gr Sierra Soft points, not very sexy. Hunted with it 2 years, killed two bucks shot at by other hunters and pushed by me. Bang, bang.....dead and dead. I have had great results with Sierra , Speer and Hornady cup/core bullets for 65 years of hunting at this point. No reason to change.

 

[WV Hitman]

I have a .250 Sav. AI XP-100 handgun. Killed deer at 400 yds. with a 110 AB, other deer out to 300 yds. with 100 Nos. PT, 100 gr. BT, 100 gr. X, 85 gr. BT. The long shot dropped. The others never ran more than 20 yds. All good bullets. I favor the PT. I did kill a groundhog at 502 with the 85BT, but I wouldn't shoot a deer that with in it in lesser .25s.