best 25-06 bullet for deer

[hornsurgeon]

new to the forum. have been loading my own for years now. i am in the process of building a custom mauser in 25-06 and am looking for suggestions for bullets. this will be a deer rifle, 100-120 grain bullets with h4831sc. barrel is 1 in 10 twist. the bullets i have been considering are hornady 100sp, 117sst, 115 Partition, 100 sierra sp. does anyone here have any experience with a quarterbore rifle? my main concern is the bullet expansion at close range as i take shots from 20-350 yards. after talking to hornady, the 117 sst and 100 sp are out. too fragile. they suggested the 117btsp.

 

[GRT338]

Sorry to hear that you have already determined the 100gr. Hornady is out for you. I have been hunting whitetails/mulies since 1955. In the early 60's I built my first 25-06.....shot various bullets until I rreally got serious about shooting deer at the family farm here in Texas. I started working up loads using the Hornady 100gr Spirepoint and killin' deer. From 20 feet to 400+ yards. I shot H4831/Win cases and mag primers and that 100gr. Hornady. It stil is (IMHO) the killingest bullet ever in the 25-06. I never recovered one from a whitetail...shot through 'em...but dropped them like a sack of potatoes! Mule deer, I found one....it came apart, but the buck dropped on the spot. The load shot ragged holes at 100 yards. I can't expound enough on how much I still like Hornady... If you care to correspond further...just drop me a line....GRT338

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Hornady dont know what there talking about. if they dont recomend there sst, the btsp wont do any better, trust me. I have quite a bit of experience with the 25-06. I've shot out 1 barrel already, 3000 rounds worth, and I'm now on my 2nd. My bullet of choice is/was the 115g ballistic tip at 3100-3200fps. I've dropped deer out to 600 yards, black bears at 440-450, and many coyotes between 400-500. The 115g BT has given me complete penetration on every deer I've shot with it, and for the record, I am a shoulder shooter, so those 115's are tougher then most think. I admit, I've only shot 1 or 2 deer inside 200 yards, but the 115g NBT still held up just fine giving complete passthroughs, and 90% of the time, the deer dropped in there tracks. The 115g BT shoots great for me, 4" groups at 500 yards are the norm, it has a decent BC for the longer shots (.450) Good luck with whatever bullet you choose to hunt with.

 

[R Flowers]

Like Remingtonman, I am on my second barrel on my 25-06. I shoot it a lot. In fact, the gunsmith that built it is always whining that I am going to shoot this barrel out as well. So what, they sell new barrels.

I guess I just cannot make up my mind about the best deer bullets for the 25-06. I am torn between the 100 grain Partition and the 115 Ballistic Tip. I have shot deer, antelope, and wild hogs with both as well as a pile of coyotes. They both have performed perfectly for me.

I agree with Hornady that the SST bullets are too fragile, and I have seen a 100 grain Hornady Spire Point blow to pieces on a mule deer shot at close range.

A friend shoots the 100 grain Sierra flat base and has pretty good luck with them, but boy, they really ruin a lot of meat.

For whatever reason, I found the 115 BT will drop wild hogs more impressively than the 115 Partition. It just seems to slam them to the ground, but then so does the 100 Partition.

I have no problem getting 3400 fps with the 100 grain Partition while using either IMR 4831 or H 4350. A max load of IMR 7828 runs the 115 BT out at about 3150 fps.

RF

 

[7mmfan]

Pop has had great results with the 117 Hornady BTs and I've had great luck with the Nosler 100 grain BTs.

 

[FOTIS]

First of all welcome to the forum. Hope you stick around


I have used the 117 Hornady BT out of many 25-06's. I have killed mule deer and antelope from 50 yards (mule deer ) to well over 300 yards with no problems whatsoever. I have never ever recovered one of them and some of those shots were difficult--and that is putting it lightly!!! Just ask 7mm fan. He was with me on most hunts. This is one very very tough bullet in my experience. Additionally, the 100 gr Hornady Spirepoint has given me great results also.

I just got a Savage Tactical and I will be playing with the 100 gr Partition, 100 gr Ballistic tip and 110 gr AccuBond this time. Whichever one she digests better will be her feast forever.

 

[JD338]

I shoot a 257 Roberts, which lags behind the 25-06 by 100 yds.

I have had success with both the 100 gr and 115 gr BT's the 115 gr BT was used by my buddy to kill Caribou.
I think you should consider the 110 gr AB, it will shoot flat at long range and hold together up close.

JD338

 

[41mag]

My choice until recently was the 115gr Partition.I have tried the 100's in various makes including Noslers, and they just didn't work out for I was looking for. I have shot the 117's of various makes as well as 120's and 125's, but always came back to the 115gr PT's.

They would group consistantly around 1/2" at 200yds year in and out, with the load I shot, and managed to keep up 3150fps with hardly any variance. I knew that when I took aim that what ever the intended target it was going to stop and that was that. I have taken whitetail coyotes, and feral hogs out to 400yds with it and had no problems. The best thing I liked was the fact that no matter the range, I got repeatable results, generally a bang/flop.

The 115's just seemed to be the best combination for velocity and weight I could get at the time.

Now, Nosler has the 110gr AB out and when I gave my 25 to my daughter for an Christmas present, that is what I had loaded for it. I simply dropped the PT's and inserted the AB's, still getting the 3200+ fps and the groups seemed to have shrunk some, to around 3/8" for 3 shots.

I don't know how consistant that will be as she has it now and I have moved on to other critters to skin. I am sure that she will continue to use it as she has in the past to take her deer and other critters just as efficiently.

 

[hornsurgeon]

thanks for the replys. after talking to several poeple that hent with the 25-06, i think i will try the 110 AccuBond and the 115 Partition.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I would use the one that shoots best in your rifle. It will probly be the 110g AB, but if its the 115g PT, go for it!! You wont be dissappointed with either bullet.

 

[Dale]

I have used the 115 gr. Partition to take a few mule deer and over a dozen antelope. Two friends used it to take cow elk with one-shot kills. I shot a couple of antelope with the 100 gr. Partition, but I like the 115 better. The load always shoots under 1" at 100 yards, and often under .5". For some reason I could never get the 120 gr. to shoot. My favorite load is 54.5 gr. IMR-7828, Fed. 215 primer, and Rem. brass. The rifle is a Rem. 700 Classic. This load has worked well in several .25-06 owned by friends.

For a varmint load I use the 87 g. Rem. HP, 56.0 gr. H-4831, and the Fed. 210 primer. It will really put a rockchuck in the air.

Both these loads are about maximum, so work up to them.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Dale- Have you cronoe'd those 115g loads with 7828?? I"m guessing your pushing 3200fps. In my first 25-06, I went all the way up to 57g IMR-7828 with 115g BT's. Most probly wont believe this, but my velocity was 3400fps. That load is definately HOT, and I dont recomend it at all. That was back in my younger days when I cared more about velocity then accuracy.

 

[FOTIS]

Dale- Have you cronoe'd those 115g loads with 7828?? I"m guessing your pushing 3200fps. .

Ditto. My guess is 3100-3150 pending on rifle of course.

 

[Dale]

My velocities with 54.5 gr. of IMR-7828 and the 115 gr. Nosler run about 3,050 to 3,100. I have found a variation of 50-75 fps with different lots of 7828. That is plenty of velocity for antelope at 400 yds., which is about my limit.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Thanks Dale.