25-06 LOAD

[Dlallder]

I am having a heck of a time developing an accurate load using the 115 & 120 Partition. I have tried about everything I can think of to no avail. I have a load using the 115 Ballistic tip and 51 gr of RL-22 that makes one hole in the wife's Tikka but the partitions make a hole here and another hole there. I need some help. I am not a newbie to reloading been reloading since I was 35-40 yo and will turn 76 come Sunday. Have never had so much frustration in developing a new load. Have tried IMR4350, RL17, RL19, RL22. Do the partitions need , want, speed? I have tried a little over max in load books but to no avail. Thanks for any information you are willing to give. Daniel

 

[clearwater]

Those are the powders I use for 25-06. My dad's load for the gun was R22 and 120 partitions a little over book. They put 3 under a nickel. BT's do shoot smaller than that, probably under a dime.

One thing that helped in that rifle was to clean all the copper out. Used a foam that is safe to be left in overnight after I had done the standard brushing and patching out with other abrasives and solvents. Tightened up groups 1/3".

I also use a comparator from Sinclair to get the bullets of different construction to seat out from the lands the same distance.

Do you weight sort the bullets and brass?

I have had partitions that were varying lengths when measured using the comparator. They were different batches from over many years.

 

[Dlallder]

CLEARWATER, Do you know what the load is? What is the COAL? Some of the data show a COAL of 3.250, others show 3.080. I don't think copper is a problem but will give it a extra good cleaning before the next trip to the range. Thanks for the information. Got out of town company coming tomorrow or I would be at the range. Daniel

 

[AFG270]

First of all Happy Birthday, I hope you have a great one.

When I get home this weekend I'll check my notes and let you know next week, but if I remember right I used a max load of RL26 with 115gr Partitions at around 3150 fps out of a 24" barrel. I also had a similar problem as you, Ballistic Tips shot great but the PT were all over the place. I think the problem was a combination of varying neck tension and as clearwater said, weighing all the bullets and brass, then sorting.

 

[ElmerThud]

I never had any success with 115gn or 120gn bullets from my 22" barrel, including Nosler or any other manufacturers bullets.
110gn Accubonds, a very different story. They work perfectly & I shoot a fair few Scottish red stags & hinds through the seasons.
These bullets do like a 'Jump' to the lands & I understand Partitions also require a good jump. However as mentioned, I never had success with them.
Good luck anyway, I hope you find a solution

 

[clearwater]

The data from my Dad's load was 115 Partition with 55 grains RX22.

current data I have shows 52 as max.

Also the gun has a very long throat, it was made as a wildcat before Remington took it on, and the bullet seats way out past normal, which probably allowed for the higher charge weight of powder.

I use the BT's and Hornady SST's now.

 

[JD338]

Take a look at Retumbo
. There are several fellas here that have has good success with it getting great speed and accuracy.

JD338

 

[6mm Remington]

49.0 grs. of IMR4350 and 120 gr. Patitions shot well in my 700 MTN rifle with the 22" barrel and chronographed at 3000 fps. Guy uses H4350 a lot and that might be worth a try.

The 110 gr. AccuBond would be worth a try also. They sure perform well and shoot in a couple of rifles I load Accubonds in.

 

[ShadeTree]

My 2 cents which maybe is all it's worth.

You already stated the rifle shoots bug holes with the 115 BT's so you know it's not the rifle. You've tried a lot of things already to make it work. If it doesn't come together very quickly with using some of the suggestions above, my advice would be to move on from those bullets. Sometimes it's easier to quit trying to swim upstream. I've been there with rifles that shoot very well, but wont shoot something else I'd like to use.

It's not impossible to find a magic powder combo, but most times if a rifle is not shooting a bullet well with say 4350 at 60,000 psi, it's not going to be much different with similar burn rates at those pressures. 4831, RL 22, etc, etc, etc.

Fine tuning to find that just right sweet spot, yes. Going from junk to great, highly unlikely.

 

[Dlallder]

My 2 cents which maybe is all it's worth.

You already stated the rifle shoots bug holes with the 115 BT's so you know it's not the rifle. You've tried a lot of things already to make it work. If it doesn't come together very quickly with using some of the suggestions above, my advice would be to move on from those bullets. Sometimes it's easier to quit trying to swim upstream. I've been there with rifles that shoot very well, but wont shoot something else I'd like to use.

It's not impossible to find a magic powder combo, but most times if a rifle is not shooting a bullet well with say 4350 at 60,000 psi, it's not going to be much different with similar burn rates at those pressures. 4831, RL 22, etc, etc, etc.

Fine tuning to find that just right sweet spot, yes. Going from junk to great, highly unlikely.

ShadeTree, You must have read my mind. I have one more attempt with the partitions and if that doesn't produce, I will be thru with Nosler partitions. I have a reason for wanting to shoot the partitions but there are other manufactures that should do the job I want done. Thanks Daniel

 

[ShadeTree]

My 2 cents which maybe is all it's worth.

You already stated the rifle shoots bug holes with the 115 BT's so you know it's not the rifle. You've tried a lot of things already to make it work. If it doesn't come together very quickly with using some of the suggestions above, my advice would be to move on from those bullets. Sometimes it's easier to quit trying to swim upstream. I've been there with rifles that shoot very well, but wont shoot something else I'd like to use.

It's not impossible to find a magic powder combo, but most times if a rifle is not shooting a bullet well with say 4350 at 60,000 psi, it's not going to be much different with similar burn rates at those pressures. 4831, RL 22, etc, etc, etc.

Fine tuning to find that just right sweet spot, yes. Going from junk to great, highly unlikely.

ShadeTree, You must have read my mind. I have one more attempt with the partitions and if that doesn't produce, I will be thru with Nosler partitions. I have a reason for wanting to shoot the partitions but there are other manufactures that should do the job I want done. Thanks Daniel

Just to clarify Daniel, I'm not saying anything against the partitions, just that from the outside looking in it seems likely that your rifle just doesn't like them.

I have a 788 carbine in 7mm-08 that I picked up some time back. 788's are known to shoot. Sure enough when testing a known good load I used before in 7-08's with 139 hornady's it put 5 under 3/4" first time out. And remained a shooter in subsequent tests.

Same rifle I could not and cannot get to shoot 130 gr Speer's I have here. I quit fighting it on those bullets and gave up.

Maybe the shape of the ogive and the the leade angle are not agreeing, maybe it just doesn't like the shorter stubbier bullet, don't know. If I would've started out with that bullet I'd of thought something was wrong with the rifle.

 

[AFG270]

I would agree with ShadeTree probably best to go with a different bullet, if it likes 115g Ballistic Tips they are a great bullet, I'd go with those.

I looked at my notes and I tried Retumbo, Magpro and then RL26. RL26 giving the lowest SD and best accuracy, but I also started weighing my brass and bullets then sorting by weight. I believe that made the difference as there was a big variation in the weights of both.

 

[JD338]

Another option would be trying the 115 gr PT.

JD338