New to us Rem 700 SPS in 25 Whelen

[35 Whelen]

Wanted another model 70 but the extra $250 just was not making sense........
Any good load data for looooong range coyotes appreaciated! Scoping it with a Muller 4x16x50 with
German #4 reticle. Trying for coyotes 400 yds plus this season over bait?
e

 

[Guy Miner]

Popped this one at 420 yards:



.25-06, Rem 700 CDL, 6x Leupold, 115 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip @ 3120 fps via Retumbo. Not as much damage to the coyote as I'd anticipated. Good, accurate load that I usually employ on mule deer.

Also this one was only about 160 yards:


That one was with the 115 gr Berger VLD, and there was massive damage to the off-side. Again, used Retumbo for powder.

Have also found that RL-22 provides excellent accuracy & velocity as well, though I mostly use Retumbo with 115 gr bullets.

Regards, Guy

 

[35 Whelen]

Thanks for that Guy, nice work and pretty gun, the Bergers sound like the story! Never tryed that powder yet
maybe put some on Santas list! 420 yds has been above my pay grade in the past; hoping to change all that with
the 25 Whelen!!!!!! :lol:

 

[Guy Miner]

Tell ya - with a 300 yard zero - nailing that coyote at 420 yards wasn't all that difficult. Was sure nice to have a good rangefinder though.

I think you're going to like your ".25 Whelen." :mrgreen: It's what I've done most of my hunting with the past 10 years or so.

And my 6x scope was "enough" but more power wouldn't hurt for coyotes way out there.

Guy

 

[35 Whelen]

Guy,
Just reading an article last nite that claimed for the first
30 years after old Townsend, did the 26/06 neck down, that wildcatters
All over the country called it the "25 Whelen ". Interesting stuff. I have not owned a Rem 700 since 1972 ! When I bought a ADL 30/06 at Value House for $119 brand new in box, only kept it two years and sold it to my next door neighbor in 74 when I got the bright idea I needed a 7mm Rem Mag, the neighbor still has the ADL and has shot dozens of deer with it............... I migrated back to a plain
Old 270 by the early 1980s and have never looked back, it worked great in Alaska and in New Zealand and i still use it here in Maine, has never let me down. So we will see how the 700 shoots and I don't really need controlled feed in a gun that will spend most of the time in the lead sled ,upstairs waiting for a songdog to show up out on the lake. I am sure it will work fine
95% of my shots are in the middle of the nite with a green ND 3 Lazer ontop of the scope. Biggest ones only come on stormy dark nites..... shooting at 300 yds at night under a light , is a whole different story....

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Earle -

I have two .25-06 caliber rifles these days. One is an old Remington 700 ADL with 24" tube and the other a Charles Daly Mauser with a 22" tube. Most of my experience has been with the 100-120 grain bullets on deer and coyotes. The 100 grain bullets can easily get 3200-3300 fps out of a 24" barrel. I personally feel like they may be the best choice all-around for this caliber. I have been loading 75 grain V-max bullets at 3400-3500 fps with no sweat for coyotes. But let me tell you...when they connect, don't plan on saving any pelts. I personally feel this is a better 'chuck bullet than coyote. I've got 4x12 variables on both guns right now though as Guy mentioned above, you don't NEED something that big to hit 'em way out there.

The 85 grain Ballistic Tip may be exactly what you want for a coyote specific load. It wil hold together much better than the v-max bullets and sacrifice little in velocity. I've never had any issue with a lack of penetration or expansion out to 400 yards with the Remington 120 grain Core-lokt factory loads either but they won't shoot as flat as Guy's 115 grain BT handloads.

The only bullets I had issue with were the old style Barnes XBT in 90 and 100 grain. They seemed to zip thru with minimal if any expansion. The good thing about a round like this is most .257 caliber bullets are designed to perform at .25-06 velocities so most anything will hold up.

Good luck Earle, you will find this is one of your new favorite rounds going forward!

Dale

 

[SJB358]

Earle the 85 BT or 100 BT may be just what your looking for. Both can be pushed fast and should stop coyotes right now. 4350 or similar or the W760 you mentioned might be more than enough to get them moving.

 

[JD338]

Earle,

Congratulations on the 25 Whelen. Great round for sure. I have the lil' brother, 257 Bob and decided to standardize on the 115 gr BT for everything. You might want to consider the 115 gr BT as well, BC is .453 and you should be able to hit 3200 fps pretty easily making it a flat shooting hard hitting coyote/deer round.

JD338

 

[35 Whelen]

Thanks to everyone for the help, I was over on reloading site, snd saw some unreal velocitys with 100gr bullets
Over 63 grs of RL 25 I think was the powder, they claimed 3600 fps with a 26" barrel, which sounded more like a 257 Weatherbee to my ears?? As Guy suggests around 115 gr turning up in the 32/3300 fps wound have to be all one could ever need in a flat shooting coyote gun..........
Thank you all
E

 

[preacher]

My last 300 RUM was a factory SPS SS. I had it pillar bedded, some trigger work and semi- firelapped the bore. It shot like crazy! I didn't think the stock was all that flimsy, I just figured it would flex pretty good in the RUM, ha. Down in Texas, most all the 25-06 guys I saw used the 87gr Hornady and 100gr anything on deer/hogs, etc. I always used 115-117 in my 25-06s here in Utah. I liked the 257W better for my uses, but a properly loaded 25-06 ( 24" barrel minimum, 26" better of course) will be so close to the 257 BEE its crazy! ha. It makes it hard to justify the expense of a 257W if one already owns a 25 Whelen Good luck to you Pard.

 

[FOTIS]

100 gr BT at 3400 via RL22 or RL 23

 

[6mm Remington]

Guy sure has some great coyote photo's! I really like the 25 Springfield myself as well! :shock: It's a great cartridge! I don't have a specific coyote only load and just use the 120 gr. Partitions that it hunts everything with. One nice thing about the Partition is it as easy on the pelts as about anything.

David

 

[35 Whelen]

Thanks again guys, so even down in the 3400fps as Fotis
Suggests this thing is still right at the heels of a 257 Bee!
Anyway should be interesting and certainly fun finding
Out how it shoots as I know some 700s are tack drivers.

My standard Coyote gun has been a Ruger 77 ultralight .,243 with 20" barrel and it is nothing to get excited about
In the accuracy dept, or velocity either one :factory
CoreLokts struggle to get 2900, hot handloads barely 3100 fps, 2" groups and larger factory, 1.5" with the choicest handloads, so just a hunting gun nothing fancy about it, would be sweet to have a 1/2" grouper and see 3400 out the end of a 24" barrel, at 500fps over what I am used to with same bullet weight, the 25 Whelen would need a name like "Ma Bell"...... Anyone with pet handload for a 700 pm me please! Thanks to everyone!

 

[Rigbymauser]

Popped this one at 420 yards:

Give the coyotes a chance...don´t shoot them under 1000 yards :mrgreen: .

Nize shootin´...

J.

 

[wildgene]

...well, if the plan is to kill 'em, the 90gr. Sierra BlitzKing (BC 0.0393) w/ 53.5grs. of IMR-4350 @ 3500fps. is pretty hard to beat...

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Earle -

My "go-to" load with the 100 grain BT is 53 grains of H4350 for that old Remington 700 ADL of mine. For 120's 48-49 grains of 4350 does very well.

55 grains of H4350 with the 75 grain V-max garners 3500 fps and is a laser beam.

As the others have mentioned though, some of the newer powders (RL-22, Retumbo etc.) will get you even more speed especially with the 100 grain and heavier weight bullets.

Good luck -

Dale

 

[SJB358]

Earle what are you thinking for bullets? Could easily run you some data to get you started. Thinking 85 grain BTs would work them over well!

 

[gerry]

Can't help you on this but nice to see you posting again Earle.

 

[35 Whelen]

Scotty,
I bought two boxes of 100 gr Pro Hunters and 4 boxes of 117 gr SSTs , have a can of 4831 SC and think I will buy a can of RL 25 tomorrow??? Bring me some data
I just made it with standard rings with the 50mm Obj! And I mean just ! A sheet of paper will just go under it! LoL
Wild gene thanks for that load, sounds great (Update) Genes load has turned out to be the answer! Thanks again :grin:

 

[JD338]

Earle,

Just a point of interest pertaining to POI.
My 257 Roberts shoots 85 gr BT, 100 gr BT, 100 gr PT, 110 gr AB, 115 gr BT and 115 gr PT with in an inch of each other at 100 yds. If I recall, the 25-06 will do the same.

JD338