25.06 loads please...........

Cut+Squirt

Well-Known Member
Hi guys,

{After having just paid a fortune for a box of 100 grain B/Tips}

I am on the verge of starting to reload for my Tikka T3 Hunter in 25.06
The barrel is 22'' with a 1-10 twist rate.

Initially I am looking to reload a 115 grain bullet for the red hinds throughout the winter....

I am lead to believe that the 25.06 prefers a slower burning powder, however due to the barrel only being 22'' would it be worth considering a medium burn rate powder.

I was hoping to reach velocities of over 3000fps to keep things quite flat but also hoping to better my factory shot groups.


Any advice on powder / bullet heads..............infact any bloody advice at all would be well received.

Regards,

CADEX
 
Any advice on powder / bullet heads..............infact any bloody advice at all would be well received.

Advice:-

Don't do it

:DNow powders in the H4350, H4831 range seem to work well. I have been using relaoder 19 but have found in my rifle that I need to use magnum primers with it or I get delayed ignition. The same tub of powder and the same box of primers works just fine witht eh 140 grain bullets in the 270 so :doh:.

Now I would say see what your local shop has in stock .25cal bullet wise as I have found the pickings can be meagre. I am currently playing with some Sierra 100 grainers .

I really feel that the bullet choice of what you can actually get your hands on will influence the powder choice. With a 22" barrel i would be sticking to the mid range burning powders like the 4350's rather than the slower 4831 to maximise the potential out of the shorter barrel. Let us know what powders you cna get easily and which bullets and hopefully we can narrow it down for you.
 
Cadex

I loaded for mine using H4831SC. Granted it had a 26'' barrel. I think it was Callum Ferguson at the time said to me that they realise their fuller potential by using 24''+. Like Brithunter says, I also used magnum primers.

As for bullet choice, I played about a bit but eventually settled on the 100grn Hornady flat base soft points. They will easily pass the 3000fps mark but from memory it will take a pretty hot round to push the 115's past this point and you may struggle with a 22'' barrel to see it. I'm prepared to be corrected on here with that last comment though...

I shot a lot of Sika with them and they always performed well. Certainly easily cope with hinds. In fact at the time absolutely everything was shot with them, from foxes to red.
 
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All advice well received lads, and some good pointers............I shall start calling around my local shops tmro and see what they have to offer with regards to bullets and powders.

Regards,

CADEX
 
I am now using IMR4831 with Fed Gold Match Primer for 120gr Nosler Partition and so far this season i have been trying Hornady 117gr Round Nose. As they say "SPEED" (fps) is not every thing
 
No problem. I'll look up what I have tried so far although I'll say now I have not used the 25-06 on game as yet as I have not been convinced of my rifles consistancy. It has a 24" barrel by the way and the bore seems fairly tight as it shows pressure signs early and the collimeter spud is very snug in the bore..

I have never been able to get anywhere near the upper middle loads let alone near max loads.
 
It makes me grimace a bit when I see that a cartridge with a case of magnum dimensions is stuck with a shorter barrel - WHY ? !

In order to get the full effect of a magnum powder which is still burning and accellerating the bullet up the barrel, you need the longest barrel possible for optimum use of the gasses produced. 24 or 26" if possible.

I see that according to the Hodgdens manual you can achieve - with the 100 grain bullet, (In this case, Nosler Partition), over 3000 feet per second with Varget or H4895. So either of these faster burning speed powders might suit your shorter barrel quite well as they should be less affected by barrel length - much of their burning being done in the chamber.

The same table gives H1000 at 3212 fps, but this magnum powder will probably not produce the velocities in your shorter barrel.

It seems to me that a potentially vigorous cartridge has been seriously handicapped by giving the rifle a short barrel, but I expect that you'll work around it OK.

I agree that speed is not everything, but I see no sense in making a rifle to use a potentially fast cartridge then providing a barrel which negates it - you might as well obtain a gentle-shooting .257 Roberts and get basically the same speeds with the same powder charge and bullet.
 
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I've used 100 grain Nostler BT's for ages and taken hundreds of deer with them and been generally very pleased.
That was, until I tried using a slightly heavier bullet head!
I now use 115 grain and the difference is astounding! Ballistically, they don't seem any different, and my point of zero is negligible. However, I'm finding that I get someting like 75% less meat damage!:eek: Admittedly, I've also noticed that some seem to run a little further, but they still go down pretty quickly. I now use either Nostler BT's or combined technology 115 BT's which are alledgedly identical except for price and colour!
My Howa liked 50 grains of either Vectan 7000 or Reloader 19.
My Sako hated Vectan but loves 50 grains of IMR 4831. It also has a 22" barrel, and I use Federal Gold large match primers.
I've never chrono'd it but it is still bloody quick and flat!
I'm no expert at reloading, but this is the advice I was given by someone who is!
Start by Loading the lowest recommended start weight and load 3 rounds of them. Then increase by 1 grain and load 3 more. Repeat this towards the max recommended load. Try each batch on the range, checking for signs of over-pressure with each increase of powder weight. You should find that your group 'tightens' towards one load weight. If not, try the same process with another powder!

You might then like to try 1/2 a grain either side of this to tighten it further. Once you have worked out the best powder weight, you can try adjusting the bullet seating depth which should tighten the group even further once you find the harmonic 'sweet spot'. This is normally somewhere between zero and 40 thou" from the lands but maybe more!
Magazine length may restrict this process also!
Once you find something that works, stick with it!
This process also helps to build your own confidence with your setup which I believe is essential and more than half the battle.
There is nothing worse than the feeling of pulling the trigger if you have no faith in your equipment!;)
Reloading is soooooo much more than just saving money!:cool:
MS:)
 
Some great advice lads............it only brings to the fore front that I have even less of a clue when it comes to reloading than I thought I had.
 
Good morning - and with the liver and bile-ducts cleared :-

Don't get downhearted whatever you do. Monkeyspanker has obviously done a lot with his 25-06 and has put a lot of different loads through it - he's also got a 22" barrel.

Reading up manuals is one aspect of reloading - and a safety first procedure to act as a starter, but you can see that despite all that is written - practical application out in the field can show things in a different light and a lot depends upon bullet behaviour once it reaches the target.
Velocity and flat shooting attributes are very useful, but I look at the name of this directory and smile a bit sadly at some of the things I read. It's a STALKING directory, and stalking is the name of the game. Getting up in there to your intended quarry and getting to know more about it's movements and ways - and making more sure of a humane shot which every living creature deserves.
The ability for many modern firearms to deliver distance shots is a useful tool and a perk of modern manufacturing which, like a powerful engine, can be used to get you out of trouble but not be used as a substitute for stalking skills.

Enjoy your rifle. I'm sure that in a short time it will be bringing home the meat - OH ! and if anyone has a belief that he/she knows it all, then they have just stopped learning and that's sad. YOU have all the fun of this new interest ahead of you.

My 25-06 had a long barrel and was exhibited on a website by the fellow to whom I sold it as a beautifully grouping rifle - and a beautiful rifle as well. MY problem at that time was that I also had a 6.5 X 57mm. which used an almost identical bullet - visually - if both 120 grain bullets of the same brand but different calibres were held side-by-side.
You can see the inherent danger in that for a reloader, so I decided that as the 6.5 would cater for a more extended bullet range, The 25 cal. was moved on.
 
26” barrel
10 thou off lands
53gn N160
Cci primer
100gn soft point (speer)
3340 fps

OK Gary that was safe in your rifle................................................... can you say with certainty it will be safe in MY rifle?


Hmmmm somehow I don't think you can so exactly what was the point of posting what may proove to be a dangerous load in another barrel? :doh:
 
It is obviously very important to start at the lower end and work a load up yourself as someone elses 'hot' load may be dangerous in your rifle!:eek:
I suspect Gary was merely stating the combination he uses, and NOT suggesting that you try the exact same in yours?!;)
Most 25.06 users find that either H4831 or IMR 4831 work best, and that advice, as well as a load of other 25.06 info is echoed here:
http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/2506.html

Faster burning powders will use less and leave your case with a gap which is potentially VERY dangerous!
MS:)
 
It makes me grimace a bit when I see that a cartridge with a case of magnum dimensions is stuck with a shorter barrel - WHY ? !

In order to get the full effect of a magnum powder which is still burning and accellerating the bullet up the barrel, you need the longest barrel possible for optimum use of the gasses produced. 24 or 26" if possible.

I see that according to the Hodgdens manual you can achieve - with the 100 grain bullet, (In this case, Nosler Partition), over 3000 feet per second with Varget or H4895. So either of these faster burning speed powders might suit your shorter barrel quite well as they should be less affected by barrel length - much of their burning being done in the chamber.

The same table gives H1000 at 3212 fps, but this magnum powder will probably not produce the velocities in your shorter barrel.



It seems to me that a potentially vigorous cartridge has been seriously handicapped by giving the rifle a short barrel, but I expect that you'll work around it OK.

I agree that speed is not everything, but I see no sense in making a rifle to use a potentially fast cartridge then providing a barrel which negates it - you might as well obtain a gentle-shooting .257 Roberts and get basically the same speeds with the same powder charge and bullet.

i am getting 3090 fps with 100gn sierra and 2950 with 117gn sierra using 57 gn and 56 gn respectively H1000 through a tikka t3 lite 23" , both loads cloverleaf at 100yds and are almost the same point of impact ,both of these are very sweet shooting loads. ALTHOUGH THESE ARE AT THE LOWER END OF THE RANGE PLEASE WORK UP TO THIS WITH CAUTION !!!

ATB GLYN
 
OK Gary that was safe in your rifle................................................... can you say with certainty it will be safe in MY rifle?


Hmmmm somehow I don't think you can so exactly what was the point of posting what may proove to be a dangerous load in another barrel? :doh:

britty old boy - my ammo aint coming anywhere near your rifle - i use it to hunt deer not deckchairs. the point of the post was to demonstrate what bullet powder combo and barrel length will achieve. the last person wrote about this load "53g Vit 160 under 100g Speer Hotcore - "lightning bolt" on any UK deer." which is a pretty fair description, although i have only shot 1 deer with it myself at the moment, i have a keeper mate with a fallow problem which needs sorting, and i think i'm the man for the job.
 
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Hi i have a tikka 695 in 2506 with 21"-22" barrel had it for years & shot loads with it & diffrent loads. I put some of my loads up on another 2506 topic asking for loads & as stated by offroad garry 53g N160 cci primer & 100g speer hot-cor or spbt or any other 100g bullet with this load is .3 MOA groups in my rifle I have fed 210 match primers which i back off 1g can be slightly better. I have had great results with RE22/H4831sc & N160 & for the 75g v-max 48g of Varget & match primer out my rifle dose 3376fps.
 
It makes me grimace a bit when I see that a cartridge with a case of magnum dimensions is stuck with a shorter barrel - WHY ? !

In order to get the full effect of a magnum powder which is still burning and accellerating the bullet up the barrel, you need the longest barrel possible for optimum use of the gasses produced. 24 or 26" if possible.



It seems to me that a potentially vigorous cartridge has been seriously handicapped by giving the rifle a short barrel, but I expect that you'll work around it OK.

I agree that speed is not everything, but I see no sense in making a rifle to use a potentially fast cartridge then providing a barrel which negates it - you might as well obtain a gentle-shooting .257 Roberts and get basically the same speeds with the same powder charge and bullet.

This point is so true. I have not been dragged into the current fashion of using short barrels on my rifles. When using a .270 or .25-06 which prefer the slower burning powders, they need this extra couple of inches (don't we all) to allow the majority of the powder to burn.

I appreciate that the consensus of opinion on lost velocity is somewhere between 30 and 60 feet per second per inch (depending on where you look and at what mv the bullet started at) but a 20'' barrel in my book does not lend itself to a .25-06

I have done it years ago and I cannot be bothered in doing so just now but I would bet money that if researched other calibres would provide better ballistics than the .25-06 if the user insisted on going towards short barrels. As said already, to realise the best from this round 24''+
 
I have done it years ago and I cannot be bothered in doing so just now but I would bet money that if researched other calibres would provide better ballistics than the .25-06 if the user insisted on going towards short barrels. As said already, to realise the best from this round 24''+

.257 Roberts, for instance.
 
I never had my barrel shortened, it came 20" threaded by Mr Sako!!!!!!!!!! my question is if the barrel length was or is so detrimental to the .25-06 " Why do they come factory made to this Length????????? As yet Deer or Fox wise i have yet to find ANY bad effect by having a 20" barrel, killing both to the same range as my previous rifle which had a 24" barrel.
 
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