25-06 Powder choice

jonty h

Well-Known Member
Having run out of Varget and now rapidly running out of loaded rounds i have secured the last box of 117gn Sierra BTSP that reloading solutions had in stock as none of the local RFDs have much to offer,
The choice of powder is limited to one of the following
R19
Hodgdon 4895
Vit 160
Ramshot Big game
Ramshot tac

What would the 25-06 reloaders out there go for ?
 
None of the above, my choice would be Hodgdon H4350 or H4831sc but as you have to make os what you have listed i would say Vit 160

Ian.
 
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4350 or 4831 is best for my hunting / reloading pal in his .25-06.
4895 is too fast, does not fill the case, but is good for a mild .257R type load of 2,700 fps with 40.0 grains.

A slow powder like IMR 7828, RL-22 will work best with the 117 and 120-gr.
With RL-19 or N160, start around 49.0 gr to be safe. Somewhere around 51.5 should be 2,900+ fps with great accuracy.
 
In the 25-06's I've loaded for over the years IMR4350 and IMR4831 have been decent or better in them all . I have however had decent or better results with RL19 and RL22 in the last few years . Sorry to say I've not tried any of the Vihtavourri powders in anything but lever actions and the 222/223 . Perhapd some N-140 , N-150 and N-160 need to find their way onto my shelf !
 
Right there seems to be some confusion, I have copied the list of available powders from my RFD, any powder that isn't on this list isn't available to me,
so from the powders on this list what would be my best choice using a 117gn bullet ?



POWDER ACCURATE POWDER 2520


POWDER ACCURATE POWDER 4350


POWDER ACCURATE POWDER 5744


POWDER ALLIANT RED DOT


POWDER ALLIANT REL 17


POWDER ALLIANT REL 19



POWDER ALLIANT REL10X


POWDER ALLIANT UNIQUE


POWDER HODGDON BL-C2


POWDER HODGDON H322


POWDER HODGDON H335


POWDER HODGDON H380


POWDER HODGDON H414


POWDER HODGDON H4198


POWDER HODGDON H4895


POWDER HODGDON Pyrodex P Pyrodex P


POWDER HODGDON Pyrodex RS Pyrodex RS


POWDER RAMSHOT BIG GAME NOW IN STOCK


POWDER RAMSHOT HUNTER COMING SOON


POWDER RAMSHOT TAC NOW IN STOCK


POWDER RAM-SHOT X-TERMINATOR NOW IN STOCK


POWDER VIHTAVUORI N110 RIFLE POWDER 1KG


POWDER VIHTAVUORI N130 RIFLE POWDER


POWDER VIHTAVUORI N133 RIFLE POWDER 1KG


POWDER VIHTAVUORI N135 RIFLE POWDER 1KG


POWDER VIHTAVUORI N140 RIFLE POWDER 1KG


POWDER VIHTAVUORI N150 RIFLE POWDER


POWDER VIHTAVUORI N160 RIFLE POWDER 1KG
 
Hi Jonty,
I would definitely try N160. I use Re22 and H4831 when loading for others but they are not on your list.
Andy.
 
Ramshot Hunter is like Norma 204, right between IMR-4350 and IMR-4831 / H-4931sc, so if you can get that in 1-lb instead of 1 kg for the N160, it seems worth a try. It is a lot of powder for a small bore, so a hotter primer like the Winchester LR might be necessary to light it up.

I shoot a .257 Roberts with a 24-inch barrel, for which 4831 or RL-22 will hum a 117 or 120-gr bullet about 2,900 fps. Like most .25s, it shoots 100-gr and lighter very well. Some .250 Savages you cannot get to shoot a 100-gr, but will love 87 or 90 grains.

I don't know what kind of rifle you have, strength, barrel length, or rate of twist.
Remember that your rifle may not like 120-gr bullets, or 117. It may like 100-gr or the 110-gr Accubond a lot better.

Long time writer on the .25-06
35 Years of Loading the .25-'06 Rem. - American Rifleman
 
Jonty,

If you want to try 4350, I have about 12lbs of it here, plus same of 4831.

I think Tony's out of N160 at the moment as I bought the last Kg he had. Ramshot Hunter is worth a look though when it's in stock - it rocks in the .270 with 110gn VMax and 130gn SPs, so should work equally well in the .25-06 with a 117gn pill.

A.
 
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Well, 45gns of R19 under a 117gn game king and a COL of 3.17" seems to have done the trick
 
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