Reloading Help 25-06

[FOTIS]

Yes RL 25 is a great powder. SC is great...same stuff as the regular stuff chemically but physically smaller kernels.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

H4831 and 117g SBTs shot very well from a bone stock Model 70. Few other loads in here with same rifle to give you some more ideas...

 

[Ralt71]

The weather wasn't my friend. I was fighting the rain trying to get these rounds out. I'll break it up into two post.

This is my JD Special - .050 off the lands. 100 yard shots

I cleaned the gun prior to shooting these 10 rounds. My first shot was a fouling and temp shot that hit dead in the bull. I gave 2 minutes between each shot until 3 shots. Then I let it rest 10 minutes.

My Sd and ES on this load were better than what I was getting with H1000, and the group was better. My FPS was higher than any of my loads with H1000 as well, although that won't be a huge factor for my FIL because he shoots inside 200 yards in most cases. Going center to center this group measured 1.432. The lower shot was my first, the two next to each other were shots 2 and 3.

 

[Ralt71]

These next two are loads I already had together prior to JD's advice. I set the COAL on these to close to the factory rounds, which was 3.145 and a CBTO of 2.655.

The 117's were great numbers on paper, but a typical group of what I had seen with H1000. just over 2" (2.133) Best SD and ES I've gotten out of this gun though

The 100's were decent shots on paper (1.201), but the worse SD and ES numbers I've gotten out of a load for this gun haha. I had an extra foul shot which was the same spec as these rounds, so I sent it. I did not give the barrel 10 minutes to cool after the 3 shot group and the last shot's POI was low. This group was sub MOA until I sent #4 and it dropped off about an inch low from where I was aiming.

So, I've always made my own target and did a OCW test to find a node in the powder were it calms down. Once I find that node I load typically on the hotter side of it and start playing with seating depth to dial my group in. With these, I loaded from advice.. first time ever. What is the process for dialing in from here?

Here is the Speer 100g HPBT



Here is the Sierra 117g Gameking

 

[clearwater]

Well I looked at my handloading spreadsheet that I have been adding to for 35 years.
All my 25-06 loads from 100 gr to 117 gr did remarkably well with IMR 7828....Including my latest load.
Other powders that worked easily and very well are

RL 22
RL 25
H4831SC
RL 26

These are my go to powders.

Hornady 117's, either sst or round nose and max charge of Imr7828 are also very good shooters.

 

[JD338]

The weather wasn't my friend. I was fighting the rain trying to get these rounds out. I'll break it up into two post.

This is my JD Special - .050 off the lands. 100 yard shots

I cleaned the gun prior to shooting these 10 rounds. My first shot was a fouling and temp shot that hit dead in the bull. I gave 2 minutes between each shot until 3 shots. Then I let it rest 10 minutes.

My Sd and ES on this load were better than what I was getting with H1000, and the group was better. My FPS was higher than any of my loads with H1000 as well, although that won't be a huge factor for my FIL because he shoots inside 200 yards in most cases. Going center to center this group measured 1.432. The lower shot was my first, the two next to each other were shots 2 and 3.

View attachment 26567View attachment 26568View attachment 26570

Maybe try .060" off the lands.
Don't clean the barrel. I think your almost there.

JD338

 

[RL338]

What charge weight did you do the 117's at with IMR4350?

49grs for the Fusions and 51grs for the GK.

 

[Ralt71]

Maybe try .060" off the lands.
Don't clean the barrel. I think your almost there.

JD338

Here is everything the same but .060 off. I'm going to try bumping the powder to some of the levels these guys mentioned in this thread. Once I see those results, I may put a fork in this thing and call it good. This time my 3rd shot was the one out of the pack. Maybe it was me.. hard to say. That's the best group I have got out of this gun though.

 

[JD338]

If it were me, I'd use the same charge weight and try .065" and .070" off the lands. You should be about where you want to be.
Nice shooting.

JD338

 

[Ralt71]

If it were me, I'd use the same charge weight and try .065" and .070" off the lands. You should be about where you want to be.
Nice shooting.

JD338

Maybe I'll try the seating depth first and keep backing it up. No reason to stray away now haha.
It's so weird to me, because I was taught to be close to the lands and have loaded that way for so long. I've never loaded a bullet this far off, ever haha. It's working though. This is also the first Weatherby I have loaded or shot (I use to boycott them because you had to buy their overpriced ammo). I was told Weatherby like the freebore, I'm seeing that now. Makes me want to test some of my loads that are done, further off and see what happens. I've stopped at 30 off almost every time (my 300wsm is .33 off)

 

[sako2]

Guns are like wemon you never know how they will react.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Definite improvement. Just on a whim, try loading 4 rounds when shooting for a group. You questioned yourself if the shot pulled was you or the load. With 4 shots you get another chance if you pull one. Just a thought.

 

[Ralt71]

Definite improvement. Just on a whim, try loading 4 rounds when shooting for a group. You questioned yourself if the shot pulled was you or the load. With 4 shots you get another chance if you pull one. Just a thought.

That's a good point. I haven't done that because this gun gets hot pretty fast. Even with a two minute cool down between shots, after three I have to let it sit for 10 minutes or more. If the sun is out, I take it to the shade even. You're right though, larger sample size gets better results. My typical is to do three shot groups, dial in, then i load 9 rounds of what I consider my final and shoot them all at the same target.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

That's a good point. I haven't done that because this gun gets hot pretty fast. Even with a two minute cool down between shots, after three I have to let it sit for 10 minutes or more. If the sun is out, I take it to the shade even. You're right though, larger sample size gets better results. My typical is to do three shot groups, dial in, then i load 9 rounds of what I consider my final and shoot them all at the same target.

Understand about the barrel heating up. This time of year, I spend more time cooling the barrel than shooting it seems.

 

[Ralt71]

I just got back from Ohio. I have some daylight. I'm thinking about throwing some .065 and .070 loads together. Shoot and see

 

[Ralt71]

Yesterday was a bad day.. The groups were terrible, even went back to what shot good with poor results. I'm starting to think this Japanese Weatherby has an atomic curse on it.. pun intended!

Left top was 65 off, right bottom was 70 off. I decided to go back to 60 off and that was the left bottom. Then i was pi$$ed so I loaded up some 50 off and shot center... rough one at the range last night. I went to bed mad at it haha.

 

[Vince]

Just for grins and giggles try a lightweight bullet.

 

[Ralt71]

Just for grins and giggles try a lightweight bullet.

I have 100g Speer that he wants a load for next. Do you suggest going lighter than this? I'm cleaning the gun and going to put more rounds down range later on.

 

[RL338]

Would this be a series 1 or 2 Vanguard? Any idea of how many rounds down the barrel.

 

[Ralt71]

Would this be a series 1 or 2 Vanguard? Any idea of how many rounds down the barrel.

How can I tell what series it is? I have never been a fan of Weatherby until recently. In the past I always hated that their guns fit their calibers and they were the only ones selling the ammo which was very over priced haha.

It belongs to my father in law he bought it new a few years back. I would guess it had around 200 down it prior to me getting it and I'm very close to the 100 rounds down it mark now.....