25-06 loads

[quentin9595]

What are your all around favorite 25-06 load for mice to moose thanks

 

[Divernhunter]

Do not use my 25-06 for anything bigger than pronghorns/deer but my load is a Ken Waters load of 56gr IMR4831 a mag primer and a 100gr bullet(PAR or BT). It is fast and super accurate in my rifle.

 

[corbin9191]

do you know the approximate FPS of the bullet?

 

[blacktailhunter]

58.0gr RL-25 and a 120gr Partition gets 3120fps in a 24" M77.
55.5gr IMR 7828ssc 115grn NBT or NPT gets almost 3200fps in the same gun. The Ballistic tip load is the most accurate, but the 120gr Partition load would be the better choice for shooting mice to moose.

 

[FOTIS]

rl 22/25 with 100 gr bt or 110 AB. Never used it for bigger than deer.

 

[R Flowers]

My all time favorite load for my 25-06 utilizes a Remington case, a WLR primer, 54 grains of IMR 4831, and the Nosler 100 grain Partition. I have shot some great groups with this load and the velocity is 3400 fps. I have shot a bunch of coyotes, antelope, deer, and wild hogs with this load. It works great.

Having said that I have had pretty much the same success with the 115 grain Nosler Ballistic tip loaded over a Fed 215M primer and 54.5 grains of IMR 7828 powder. This load is also accurate and runs about 3150 fps. It drops wild hogs better than I ever thought a Ballistic Tip could.

However, due to the dumb ass laws in California I have been shooting the 100 grain Barnes TSX as of late. With the same 54 grains of IMR 4831 that I use with the Nosler, the Barnes gives a little over 3300 fps and 3/4 inch groups. Last weekend I shot the largest wild hog I have ever taken.
I shot it with the 100 grain TSX and it worked great. I am guessing, but I think that hog weighed around 350 pounds!

I could barely move that hog, I had to drag it 3 or 4 feet at a time. When I finally got it to the dirt road and my dad brought the pickup we found we could not load the damned thing! We simply could not get it into the truck.
We had to drive the pickup into a depression to get the tailgate low enough to load that hog.

The 25-06 hammers game all out of proportion to its size.

 

[Guy Miner]

Agree. Stout charge of slowish burning powder and a good 100 - 120 grain bullet. Hard to go wrong... Easy on the shooter, deadly on game.

 

[Colin]

R Flowers, I live right around the corner from you (Clovis, Ca.). Where abouts did you take that big hog? Private land I suppose and if it's public, I wont blame you for not saying....Just the general area....

 

[Divernhunter]

My load of 56gr IMR4381 and a mag primer with the 100gr bullet clocks at 3440FPS over my chronograph at 20 feet. This is shot out of a Ruger M77 tang safety rifle and is super accurate.

 

[quentin9595]

ok thank you all for the help and information

 

[41mag]

I have worked up loads for several 25's with that weight bullet. I have had the best results with the 115's using RL-22.

The following data is for informational purposes in this particular topic, and should be worked up slowly from the starting load data for this particular powder.

The load I use the most is 56.5grs with Winchester cases, and Win-WLR primers. The load give me 3150fps from the 24" barrel on my BDL, and shoots consistently .5" or less at 100yds and most times out at 200yds.

I have my seating die set using the 100gr BT at an OAL of 3.250" base to tip, and do not check it for the 115's. They simply shoot awesome at this depth.

I also loaded up some of the 110gr AB's with this same load and they shoot to the same tiny groups as well. Either one is a hard hitting deer or antelope load, and going with the Partitions, does good on bigger critters as well.

Good luck with your loads.
_________________
Later,
41mag

 

[1Shot]

I have hunted white tail deer with a 25-06 for around 17 years. My hunting buddy has used one for around 30 years and we have come to the conclusion that the 117 gr Sierra is really hard to beat for killing deer. For really big deer we have both used the Speer 120 Grand Slam and it does a great job but it is too tough a bullet for our liking on the average size deer.

We have found that individual rifles like different powders. Most like 52 grs. H-4831 others like 49 grs IMR or AA 4350 with the 117 to 120 gr bullets.

My Rem. 700 with 26" #6 Shilen barrel likes 49 grs IMR or AA 4350 the best. Either powder shoots the same for me. I get 3000 fps average with Rem. cases, CCI 250 primer, 117 Sierra Pro Hunter. I have killed well over 200 deer with this rifle and load out to around 500 yards and can count on one hand the ones that have taken a single step after being hit. Those that have managed not to be killed in their tracks have never gone over 5 jumps until they pile up.

My buddy and I controlled a big farm in East NC for many years where we were to take 100 deer a year, and we did. We have killed deer with about everything from a 22LR up through the 45-70. We both mainly use a 25-06 loaded with the 117 Sierra for serious deer hunting. It just plain kills them in their tracks.

 

[Guybo]

I've had excellent results with both accuracy and on game performance using the 110gr AccuBond and RL22 in my Rem Classic 25.06. Before the AccuBond i used the Speer 120gr Spitzer with IMR4831 and also had good success with that but i just like the AccuBond better..

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I've used the 25-06 for the last 10 years mainly on coyotes and muleys,whitetails, and few black bears out to 600 yards. I am on my 4th one now. It is a rem700 w/24" free floated shilen light varmint bbl, w/6-18x leupold w/target knobs, trigger down to 2#. My bullet of choice was the 115g NBT pushed along by a stiff charge of rl-22 which was good for 3200fps and 1/2" at 100, and could bust milk jugs at 600 easily.

I have a lot of data with bullets from 75-125g with most of the known powders over the years with the 4 different rifles. None were every picky and all were easy to find accurate loads for.

As of late, I have been working with Retumbo and so far am very impressed. Its giving me 100-150fps over other powders without any loss in accuracy. 3500fps with 100g nbt's, and 3275fps with 115g vld's from a 24" bbl isn't to bad from a 25-06. Both loads will shoot 3 shot, 2" at 400 yards from a bench rest.

I'll do a bit of looking and post some of the better loads I"ve got with 100-125g bullets.

 

[buckfever]

I'v had good luck 58 gr and 120 pts or 58.5 gr with the 115 gr bts and IMR 4350 works really good with 100 110 115 and the 120s but not as fast as Retumbo but very accurate.

 

[corbin9191]

I've used the 25-06 for the last 10 years mainly on coyotes and muleys,whitetails, and few black bears out to 600 yards. I am on my 4th one now. It is a rem700 w/24" free floated shilen light varmint bbl, w/6-18x leupold w/target knobs, trigger down to 2#. My bullet of choice was the 115g NBT pushed along by a stiff charge of rl-22 which was good for 3200fps and 1/2" at 100, and could bust milk jugs at 600 easily.

I have a lot of data with bullets from 75-125g with most of the known powders over the years with the 4 different rifles. None were every picky and all were easy to find accurate loads for.

As of late, I have been working with Retumbo and so far am very impressed. Its giving me 100-150fps over other powders without any loss in accuracy. 3500fps with 100g nbt's, and 3275fps with 115g vld's from a 24" bbl isn't to bad from a 25-06. Both loads will shoot 3 shot, 2" at 400 yards from a bench rest.

I'll do a bit of looking and post some of the better loads I"ve got with 100-125g bullets.

If you dont mind me asking, what was your load using the Retumbo and the 115 grain bullet and for the 100 grain bullet and the Retumbo? Thanks

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

60.5g w/100's, 58.5g w/115's. Win cases, WLR primers, seated right at the lands.

I would back off by these at least 2 maybe 3g and work up to them in your rifle as they are warm in mine.

 

[corbin9191]

60.5g w/100's, 58.5g w/115's. Win cases, WLR primers, seated right at the lands.

I would back off by these at least 2 maybe 3g and work up to them in your rifle as they are warm in mine.

How much should I lower the load for a 117 grain bullet?

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I would start around 55.5 or 56 w/117g bullet. 2g of difference really isn't even noticable.

 

[corbin9191]

I would start around 55.5 or 56 w/117g bullet. 2g of difference really isn't even noticable.

Well I just tested out some loads and the max is 60 grains of retumbo and the 117 grain bullet