25-06 + ???? = Good Antelope round

[metau]

I got about 20 pages or so back and didn't find exactly what I was looking for so here I am posting this: what load should I try? I am figuring that the 115gr NBT would be a solid choice. But what other options are out there? What about either the 100gr or 120 gr wildcat bullets? Good choice for 'lopes? Or the 110gr Accubond? Or 117gr Game Kings? 115gr Berger? Or am I thinking too heavy for lopes and need to go down to the 100gr range?

Rifle is a 1:10" factory Rem 7oo cdl with the original 24" barrel. So far, I have only managed to work up a varmint load with 4831sc and 85gr BT's. I don't have my log book in front of me so the charge escapes me at this time, but I have managed to get under 3/4 MOA. With this being a factory gun, should I be expecting about the same or worse when I jump up to a heavier bullet? Also, should I stick with the 4831? If not, what other powder(s) should I look at? I have been using WW brass and 210 primers, but will likely pick up some br-2's for this load. Thanks in advance your time and suggestions.

Jerry

 

[rotorhead]

I use the 100grain Sierra's in my 25-06AI and they kill them where they stand I use both the smk's and game king boat tails. My next choice iis the 110 noslers.

Rh

 

[Fiftydriver]

It all depends on the range you want to be able to reach to. If your shooting out to 500 yards or less, I would say go with either a 100 gr Ballistic Tip or 100 gr Wildcat ULD Flat base. Both will easily reach out to 500 yards with plenty of snort for any pronghorn. They can also be driven very fast so time of flight is very short to these ranges.

If you want to shoot farther ranges, I would look at the 115 gr Ballistic tip or the 125 gr Wildcat ULD RBBT and see if it will shoot in your rifle. It should in a 1-10 twist. The Wildcat will offer the highest BC that you can likely stabilize in your 1-10 barrel.

With factory rifles in 25-06, I have found MANY will not shoot any bullet heavier then 100 grains with fine accuracy. I have a factory ruger that shoots the 100 gr Ballistic Tip into honest 3/8" groups but anything heavier then this will go into 1.5" groups at best. THis is pretty extreme but it is not uncommon to see the heavier bullets open up groups with a factory 1-10.

For what the round is designed for, the 100 gr BT and 100 gr Wildcat out to 500 yards are pretty potent on deer size game so all is not lost if you can not shoot the heavier bullets.

Down the road you may want to look into getting a 1-8 twist and shooting some of the 142 gr ULD RBBT in 25 cal from Wildcat. They offer slightly higher BC values then the 142 gr 6.5mm bullets offer and can be driven to basically the same velocity as well in this case capacity.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Guest]

Hi,

Here in SE Wyoming, most people use H-4831sc for powder because it's one of the Extremes. So far this month (june)it has snowed one day, three days ago it was 60*, and today it will be 90*.
For bullets, for range maggots (goats), most around here use 100 or 115 NBT's. This year, I also will be trying the 110 accubond.

HTH.
C'ya, John.

 

[DAVIDY97]

I love the 100 gr Nosler BT. Shoots tiny groups out of my 700 adl. I use imr4350. The ony draw back is meat damage if you pop em in the shoulder. All of my white tails were boom-flops. One of my friends shoots a 25-06 sendero with the same round and has several pig kills over 300 yds. We have been using the load for 3 seasons and the killing preformance has been great.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I would look at the 100-115g NBT's...

The 100g NBT will do out to 500 yards like Fifty mentioned quite well and easily..They can be driven to 3300-3400fps and they still got some thump out to 500 for lope/deer.

The 115g NBT will do to 600-700 yards at most. They can be driven from 3050-3200fps.

I personally love the 115g NBT at 3200fps. I've killed a slew of animals from coyotes, deer, lope, black bear, of ranges to 600 yards and most things when hit in the shoulder have went straight down!!

I haven't personally experienced what Fifty says about the 25-06 not shooting the 115-120g bullets as well as the lighter ones. I"ve had (2) 25's and they each shot just as well with heavier bullets as lighter bullets..

If you want something a little cheaper then NBT's, the sieera 117g SBT is also another fine bullet..I"ve taken coyotes, deer, lope, and black bear with this bullet as well with no problems. It doesn't quite have the BC of the 115g nosler, but its still accurate and gets the job done..Its actually my most accurate load and will do 1/4" at 100 yards w/H4831..

I also tried the 125g wildcat and it was a very accurate bullet at LR. The worst groups it gave me at 300 yards was 3" during load development. It has a pretty high BC, higher then the 115g NBT anyways, and hits A LOT harder at 500+ yards. I happened to shoot my best buck, a 145" whitetail at 440 yards. Shot placement was not the best, so cant really say how the 125g wildcat did, but it killed the buck. I wished I would have hit him a little more square to get a little better idea of how the bullet actually performed..I also shot 2 yotes with the bullet during deer season, 1 at 150 yards or so, the other right at 600. They both didn't know what hit them...

I've tried tons of powders in the 25-06, everything from IMR-4895 and 4064 w/the lighter bullets, to h4831, RL-22 and H1000 for the heavier bullets. I"ve always stuck with RL-22 or h4831 for heavies, and IMR-4350 for middle weights, and RL-19 or IMR-4831 for 75-85 bullets..

IN all honesty, I wouldn't hesitate to use the 85g NBT load you already have. Chances are your not going to get a close shot so velocity should be down by around 150 yards or so. ANtelope aren't tough to penetrate either, and the 85g NBT at 3600fps is still quite potent to 500 yards...

I"ve used Fed 210's and CCI BR-2's for 99% of my loads. Either will work, but with the price of CCI BR's, I'm just switching over to Fed 210's...

Your rem 25-06 should easily be capapble of .75" at 100 yards with its preferred load, more closer to .5". My 25's with there good loads will do .5" and my rifles are factory w/ 1 in 10" twist as well..

Good luck to ya!!

 

[screech]

Normally I use varmit bullets for big game. I know some will hate me for that but they have all worked for me well except for the 85gr.bt out of a 25-06. I use an 87gr. vmax out of a 243 and have killed deer and black bear with them but I have also used the 250-06 with the 85gr.bt on deer once. It was a doe about 80yrds and I put the 85gr.bt on its nose and squeezed the trigger. It grabbed her and flung her around to the ground where she jumped back up and started running up the hill. Know that I had hit her and not nowing what else to do I put another one in a texas heart shot as she was running away and that put her down. I then went and finished her off. it blew the crap out of her nose but didnt get far enough.

 

[jwp475]

[ QUOTE ]
I then went and finished her off. it blew the crap out of her nose but didnt get far enough.

[/ QUOTE ]

And that is the main problem with Varmint bullets which are lighter for caliber than big game bullets as well as not as stoughtly constructed....

 

[metau]

Thanks for the replys all. It sounds like I was kinda thinking along the right lines, which is good to hear. I will pick up a box of the 115gr BT's first and see how those do, then try the 100gr BT's. Will likely finish out a box of 210 before trying the br-2's. Thanks again for your time and I'll let you all know how she turns out.

 

[screech]

yeah, but i have also seen a 55gr. bt out of a 243 go through the neck of a deer and then through his chest where it totally destroyed everything. I mean no heart no lungs, nothing. I dont use them for long range but for a normall deer up to 250-300yrds I have been very successfull except for the one. 1 out of 8-10 isnt bad.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

screech-

I have seen varmint bullets 55g in both 224" and .243" used with sucess on smaller bucks out to 300-400 yards, out of 22-250's, 220 swifts, and .243's. They give dramatic kills and 9 out of 10 times, they all dropped DRT. My sister uses her moms .243 which is loaded with 55g NBT's at 4100fps. They have done the job for her whenever she needed to get a deer!! I've never seen exits on these deer with these light varmint bullets, but the little bullets get into the chest and desintegrate everything, so the deer goes down pretty quick...

 

[jwp475]

That is my point they are fantatic when they work and when they don't they are teriable in my experience the heavier hunting type bullets wont give the Spectauler effect of the super fast light varmint bullets,but will be more consistent in thier performance.........

 

[Reloader]

Antelope are very easy to kill. Just use which ever bullet shoots best in your 06 and place it through the ribs.

Then all you have to worry about is who you are going to give the disgusting meat away too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif and whos going to mount your trophy.

Good Luck

Reloader

 

[dirtysteve]

100 NBT and 53grs H4350 gives me 3300 out of remmy 700 bdl .5 groups at 250yds