25-06 Loads needed with 115gr Berger Hunting VLD

[johnnyk]

Aldon,
The .25-06 Sendero that I owned liked the 115gn VLD ahead of RL22 and a 9.5M primer. I settled on 51.0gn. Velocity averaged 3044fps and groups ran in the .3's. Accuracy was the same at 50.0gn but velocity was only 2951fps. I did not push these bullets at all. JohnnyK.

[Aldon]

Thanks Johnnyk!

Aldon

[lever-hed]

One thing about the .25-06 is that it likes slower powders, loaded full. RE-22 works real nice, but also try Retumbo or RE-25. Depending on your seating depth and whether you FL size or neck size your brass you should be able to fill the case. I was loading 120-gr Speers with 57.0-gr Retumbo and WLR primer, 2.705”oal-ogv.
3045fps , 22” barrel. Seating depths will vary by rifle obviously, but the VLD’s (I heard) like to be loaded touching the lands or close-to. Always be aware your headspace, chamber length, and length to lands as pressures can spike when seated long. Be safe, good luck.!

[Bulseyetom]

Whatever powder you decide on ( I used H4350 and Re 25), make sure you load at several oal's as suggested by Berger. I found in both my 270 Weatherby and the 25-06 that there was a magic length where the groups decreased significantly. I hunted with the 130 VLD in my Weatherby Magunum this fall and gave up on vld's forever after losing a deer that fell at the shot but got away with no blood trail. It might have been a poor shot but I will never know. I did kill 2 deer on the trip but made sure that I had a perfect setup on both. I never shot any game with the 25 caliber bullets and have shot them up at the range and went back to my Accubonds for game. Tom