New Member with a .25-06 Question

[Ridley75]

I've been browsing the site for a while and finally signed up...hi everyone.

So a little background and my question in regards reloading the 100 grn e-tip for the .25-06. I loaded up a series tests with RL19 from 50 to 53 grains (0.5 grain increments) at 0.05 off the lands. Velocity was great and ranged from just under 2980 fps to 3220 (measured with a Caldwell chronograph, and they were pretty darn consistent, IIRC my SD ranged between 12-27 for the various charge weights. The downside is my groups all measured right around 1.75 inches at 100 yards. Powder charge made no difference. I know we, the gun and I, are capable of sub 0.5 inch groups as that is normal for another all copper load I have developed for this rifle. I would like to work more with the e-tips and have two questions. 1) would increasing the distance from the lands (test increments of 0.01 inches) tighten up my groups, and 2) is it still ill advised to NOT go beyond Noslers 100 grain projectile mid-load for the e-tips (I saw no pressure signs at 53 grains).

Respectfully
Justin

 

[SJB358]

Justin, I would absolutely try moving them further from the rifling and see what happens. Also, I would look for the groups to tighten up and then push a little higher in charge weights if you'd like to in order to get closer to book speeds. The 100 grain ETips are pretty accurate in my 25-06. I'm using R26 but 19 should work out just fine as well.

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

I've had great groups with IMR 4350. My load was 50grs IMR 4350, with 100gr Sierra GameKing Spitzer bullets. I would get on average .5 to .75 inch 5 shot groups. The velocity was 3350fps. That was out of an old Ruger M77 with a 24" bbl. It had a tight chamber for being a factory rifle.


HawkeyeSATX a.k.a. Bryce

 

[DrMike]

Justin,

Welcome aboard. As SBJ358 has suggested, try allowing a pretty good jump to the lands with any monolithic bullet. In a variety of cartridges, I've found accuracy to be best around 0.100 inches off the lands with monolithic bullets; this is especially true for E-Tips. The recommendation provided by Nosler is a recommendation based on their tests. After you have the accuracy established, as suggested, you can increase in reasonable increments, always watching for pressure signs to achieve the velocity you are seeking. Truthfully, I have never found it necessary to get the last 100 fps if the accuracy was present. Again, welcome aboard.

 

[SJB358]

And yes, welcome aboard.

Looking forward to seeing your results.

 

[Ridley75]

Thanks for everyone's replies.

Dr. Mike, I am in line with your thinking in regards to velocity vs accuracy, heck the .25-06 is plenty fast to begin with. I'll be happy to report back with my results; however, California's archery deer season starts this coming weekend and then in early September I'm off to chase elk in Idaho for 10 days with my bow. I'll squeeze the next e-tip test in somewhere. If you all are hunting somewhere in that timeframe, good luck to you.

Respectfully,
Justin

 

[DrMike]

Wishing you every success in your hunts, Justin.

 

[preacher]

Welcome sir! I've never tried Etips, but have been shooting Barnes X to TTSX since early 90's. I too find that .100 off the lands is almost always the sweet spot! Good luck to you Pard...."pick a spot" on those critters!

 

[AFG270]

Welcome Justin and good luck on your hunts. Let us know how the e-tips workout.

 

[Ridley75]

Welcome sir! I've never tried Etips, but have been shooting Barnes X to TTSX since early 90's. I too find that .100 off the lands is almost always the sweet spot! Good luck to you Pard...."pick a spot" on those critters!

The other all copper load I mentioned in my first post is the Barnes 100 grain TTSX. 52 grains of RL-19 at 0.050 inches off the lands has been very very good to me. In fact I was shocked that I found this combo so quickly. I was just testing different powder charges with Barnes' recommended seatting depth and boom there it was, a sub half inch group. This combo was stumbled upon with my 30th 31st and 32nd rounds put through this rifle. It's my "go to" load. Talk about a blind squirrel finding a nut. Hopefully one of my TTSX or e-tip (assuming I get it sorted soon enough) loads will find their way to a California black tail in October.

I really enjoy reloading and am currently doing it for 3 pistol calibers (9mm, 10mm, and the .45acp) and two rifles, a .223 and this .25-06. I am first and foremost an archer (tournament and hunting) but I love shooting my firearms too.

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

I forgot my load, as listed above, was .050 off the lands as well. No pressure signs, and I was happy with the results. I didn't have to go full throttle to get velocity and accuracy I wanted.

HawkeyeSATX a.k.a. Bryce

 

[joelkdouglas]

Justin, welcome to the forum.

My 25-06 likes 52.5 H4350 with 100 grain bullets. And I would definitely seat the E-Tips further away from the lands than 0.01 inches.

v/r
Joel

 

[Ridley75]

Justin, welcome to the forum.

My 25-06 likes 52.5 H4350 with 100 grain bullets. And I would definitely seat the E-Tips further away from the lands than 0.01 inches.

v/r
Joel

I started at 0.05 from the lands and was thinking about adjusting in 0.01 inch increments. Sorry if that wasn't very clear.

 

[joelkdouglas]

Justin, welcome to the forum.

My 25-06 likes 52.5 H4350 with 100 grain bullets. And I would definitely seat the E-Tips further away from the lands than 0.01 inches.

v/r
Joel

I started at 0.05 from the lands and was thinking about adjusting in 0.01 inch increments. Sorry if that wasn't very clear.

I probably didn't read it right!

I would start 0.05 off (as you mentioned you are) and only seat deeper. I wouldn't go towards the lands.

And 0.01 would probably work. I'm not an expert at seating depth, Dr Mike certainly can teach us a thing or three about it.

For an AB I've noticed my limited rifles seem to like somewhere between 0.05 and 0.1 off. I mostly try 0.075 off first.

For PTs I use 0.03 off and I don't normally move them much from there.

For competition bullets I jam them into/seat them at the lands.

Let us know what works for you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ridley75]

Joel, I wish I could use accubonds or partitions, but being in CA lead will be completely banned for big game hunting statewide starting in 2019. Figured I would just use mono bullets from the get go and now worry about it when the time finally comes.

 

[ElmerThud]

Another welcome to the forum from the UK.
I absolutely love my .25-06, but never used E tips.
My other Nosler bullets, particularly the 110 gn AccuBond shoots extremely well set .045" from the lans. So, I'd guess the other guys are all bang on with their suggestions starting @'.100" & working forward from there.
Most certainly worth testing from that point.

My 100gn bullets work best with 53gns IMR4350, but every rifle barrel as you know is different.
Good luck & hopefully success.
Cheers ET

 

[preacher]

I too love handloading...it has been a great therapeutic hobby for a busy Pastor, let me tell you, ha! I used the 100 TSX in my last 257 Weatherby, on Texas exotics. It was a lightning bolt from the Blue! You can kill anything you want with it in that 25-06! As I mentioned, I really do not have any experience with the Etip...but I doubt it would do anything less. If I lived where you do...I'd simply have to work on a big Tusker Boar! Have a great time Young Man!

 

[joelkdouglas]

Joel, I wish I could use accubonds or partitions, but being in CA lead will be completely banned for big game hunting statewide starting in 2019. Figured I would just use mono bullets from the get go and now worry about it when the time finally comes.

I've read a lot of reports that the 100 TTSX is a good bullet. I'm sure the E-Tip is also a good bullet, it just doesn't have the following of the TTSX yet.

At least in California you have Yosemite, Jocko's Steakhouse in Nipomo, some pretty good wine if that's your thing, Union Jack beer from Firestone Brewery in Buellton (more my thing), beautiful Pacific views and trail runs...a lot to like about CA.

And some rather odd politics, but you can't win them all!

 

[SJB358]

I shot my 25-06 tonight. Tried a couple different seating depths and this stood out. I will reshoot it later to see what it does over a few different sessions but it seems pretty decent.



I'll work on the one out but I'm not sure if it wasn't me, but the ETips will shoot, just takes a little mussing around.

 

[Ridley75]

At least in California you have Yosemite, Jocko's Steakhouse in Nipomo, some pretty good wine if that's your thing, Union Jack beer from Firestone Brewery in Buellton (more my thing), beautiful Pacific views and trail runs...a lot to like about CA.

And some rather odd politics, but you can't win them all!

Joel, I hate to disappoint you but I loathe living in California. I grew up in north central New Mexico, went to School in Wisconsin and lived in Colorado for a short while (my mom and little sister now live in Colorado. I have been to nearly all 50 states. Living with 40 million people is my biggest complaint. Everywhere you go there are people, self centered, rude, people. Pollution, 6 months of Seattle weather and six months of Phoenix weather. Really the weather here sucks unless you live in San Diego. The cost of living is awful. I live under an hour from Lake Tahoe and a lot of skiing but it takes 3 hours to make the drive to go skiing because I-80 looks like L.A. Traffic. As a wildlife biologist (I'm a consultant not a state employee), this place has done a horrific job with management of its wildlife...it's scary. As a resident it's going to cost me north of $100 to hunt deer, ducks and fish this year. "Rather odd politics" is an understatement this place is the loony bin for politics. My wife grew up here and she is the only reason I am here, she is perfect so I can put up with the crap. I live in California, I'm not from California. Sorry for the rant but it's a view I'm not afraid to share.