Hey Mike,
I have loaded the 100gr bullets for the 25-06 from a number of manufacturers. I tried several powder combo's and got good results from Imr-4831, H-4831, H4350, RL-19, AA-3100 and AA4350. However in my particular rifle, the best overall performance was using the Nosler BT with Imr-4831 at 52.5grs. Cases were trimmed to 2.484, and primers were Win-WLR. This gave me a consistant velocity of 3350fps and grouped around 1/2" at 200yds. This load shot consistantly through the year and when the variance of cold hit about the only thing I noticed was the velocity dropped off about 100fps.
I worked the load up in 100 degree temps. It was slow going but it definately let ya know when you had enough powder. The seating depth played a huge role with this particular load. I had it seated out on the lands, and got it to shoot around 1", but after backing it down to 3.250" I lost the pressure variance and got even better groups to boot.
This is a fairly warm load in my rifle and I suggest you back down and work up.
The above mentioned load, after hitting the seating depth, has been used with the Nosler PT, and the Barnes X as well. These three bullets are all seated using the same seater setting which puts them all about the same distance off the lands. They will all shoot about the same size group respectively, but to a slightly different POI. However the best thing about them is that all of them combined still group under 2" at 200yds making it easy to swap them out depending on what I was going after.
My main stay load for this rifle has been the 115gr PT for close to 18 years. I use 56.5grs of RL-22 and a Win-WLR primer for 3150 fps. The seating depth for this rifle has been controlled by the seater which was set up to load the 100gr BT to 3.250". I didn't change it when I started loading these, as I was trying to work up a load quick for hunting season. I had seen the load mentioned in one of the manuals and just went with it, in hopes of hitting that velocity. Well it worked out and I not only hit the velicoty, but hit the accuracy I was looking for as well. I have not changed anything on it since, and have taken everything from skunks at 280 yds to yotes and whitetails out just over 400yds.
As with the 100gr loads, I had to try the Barnes just to see if I could get the same results. Well I did only slightly better. With this rifle it will hold the PT, the Barnes X, and the newer 115gr BT all combined under the 1.5" at 200.
These groups were steadfast up until about a month ago, when I got it out to check things for hunting season. I found that the stock had some issues and the result was a compete bedding job on it. Since I only had a week to get it sighted in before the season opened, and none of the standard loads available, I went with some 110gr AB's and the 56.5 grs of RL-22. I just loaded them as I would have any of the rest in hopes that they would repeat the performance. I shot them in close to 15mph winds and got just over 3200fps, and under a 1" group at 200 so I was totally happy. I had three bullets left from the initial 20 which I had loaded to give to my daughter for opening weekend, at which time I presented her with the rifle as well. I did the bedding and swapped out the Leupy 4x12 with a Weaver 4.5x14 Tactical that I got back the first part of this year. She has taken one of her best deer using it along with numerous others. So far this year she has only scoped out one decent buck through it, but already likes it better. Hopefully it will serve her as well as it has me for the past seasons and she will get a few more nice bucks with it.
Good luck with yours, they are a great combo for medium sized game out to around 400yds using the mid sized bullets. I just found that I preferred them over the 100gr stuff due to the better SD and higher BC. I could get close to the same velocity but had more energy when they got there, which to me was better for our type of hunting. I will say this, I found the 100gr BT a little to much for deer under about 150 yds or so. Yes it dropped them like lightning hit them, but I didn't like the after effect of trimming off the bloodshot meat. With the PT's or the heavier weight bullets, I found it to a much lesser degree. I haven't taken anything using the AB's or the 115gr BT other than yotes and they were hit between the eyes. Needless to say the end result was pretty similar for both.
