25-06 suggestions

[muddycreek]

I have a tikka 25-06 that I've acquired recently. I don't know a lot about them but hoping to gain a little info and some suggestions.
This one is going to be for the wife to shoot. She does a little deer hunting every now and then, and wanted something that wasn't going to be too rough on the shoulder.
So I'm starting to do a little research on a bullet to use in this gun. I'm open to any suggestions of kind of where to start out and maybe go from there.

 

[elkaholic]

I have a tikka 25-06 that I've acquired recently. I don't know a lot about them but hoping to gain a little info and some suggestions.
This one is going to be for the wife to shoot. She does a little deer hunting every now and then, and wanted something that wasn't going to be too rough on the shoulder.
So I'm starting to do a little research on a bullet to use in this gun. I'm open to any suggestions of kind of where to start out and maybe go from there.

I shot a 25-06 for nearly 30 years and they are a GREAT deer rifle! Since you want something easy on the shoulder, I would stay with bullets of 100 grain or less which will work just fine for deer. If you are not considering max range for the rifle, b.c. does not have to play too much of a role, so go with something that is accurate, and will hold together well enough. If you are hand loading, 4831 is still a very good powder for the 25. You don't really need to spend tons of money on premium bullets either. I dropped dozens of deer with Speer, Hornady, Nosler, and Sierra std. hunting bullets.............Rich

 

[MudRunner2005]

I shot a 25-06 for nearly 30 years and they are a GREAT deer rifle! Since you want something easy on the shoulder, I would stay with bullets of 100 grain or less which will work just fine for deer. If you are not considering max range for the rifle, b.c. does not have to play too much of a role, so go with something that is accurate, and will hold together well enough. If you are hand loading, 4831 is still a very good powder for the 25. You don't really need to spend tons of money on premium bullets either. I dropped dozens of deer with Speer, Hornady, Nosler, and Sierra std. hunting bullets.............Rich

I agree with everything Rich said, but I would look into the Nosler 110gr Accubond bullets. They functioned perfectly for me when I was hunting with my .257 Wby full-time. But since then, I have moved to Berger bullets. I shoot he 115 VLD's for my .257 Wby and .25-06 AI.

While I have not shot a deer (yet) with the Berger 115's, I have shot several with the 7mm Berger 168 VLD's, and they performed flawlessly.

I shot several deer with my .257 Wby and 110 Accubonds before retiring it as a varmint rifle, as well.

 

[Jud96]

Don't have any .25s but have had nothing but success with Hornady Interlocks and SSTs in my .270 so they should be a great slug for your .25-06 on deer. Have heard great things about Nosler AccuBonds and Hornady Interbonds but haven't tried either one. Haven't had a problem with standard cup and core bullets so did not see a need for the bonded projectiles. Bonded slugs may be needed for the higher velocities produced by the bigger quarter bore cartridges though.

 

[muddycreek]

I've heard lots of stories that 25-06's didn't really like the SST's. Not sure but I've read that a few places.
I've run interlock btsp's in my 7mm mag and absolutely love them.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

100 nos bt's and I 4831 do well for my Pop's 25-06... I know one mule deer doe that had a very hard time with that a couple of years ago at about three hundred yards...

 

[muddycreek]

I'm leaning toward the American Whitetail 117 interlock btsp's. I don't know a lot about that hornady line of ammo, but I do love the btsp's. Looks like they're a little slower than others I've seen, but should be ok for shooting deer for her.
Has anyone shot the American Whitetail line or have any dealings with it?

 

[Dosh]

Muddycreek, +1 for Mudrunner's 115 Bergers. My son's 25-06 is sub-1/2 MOA at 300 yds and my .257 Wby is very close to it with these bullets. Recoil is mild IMO. Good luck

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I'm leaning toward the American Whitetail 117 interlock btsp's. I don't know a lot about that hornady line of ammo, but I do love the btsp's. Looks like they're a little slower than others I've seen, but should be ok for shooting deer for her.
Has anyone shot the American Whitetail line or have any dealings with it?

hornady pills are almost always a good choice... Any factory ammo has an accuracy spread but hornady bullets are usually pretty good accuracy and performance wise so if they shoot in your rifle you are good to go... Build up a brass supply and start loading when you feel like it.

 

[Jud96]

hornady pills are almost always a good choice... Any factory ammo has an accuracy spread but hornady bullets are usually pretty good accuracy and performance wise so if they shoot in your rifle you are good to go... Build up a brass supply and start loading when you feel like it.

x2 I am a Hornady man through and through because they consistently deliver with accuracy, performance, affordability, and utmost dependability!

 

[lloydsmale]

what ive found in over 35 years of loading for the 2506 is that if a guy takes some 4831 and a 117 sierra flat base spitzer and a nos 115 ballistic tip and shoots them both and one doesnt do exceptional the gun probably will never be exceptional.

 

[RT2506]

I agree that the 117 Sierra and 115 Bt are great. I have shoot the 25-06 for many years and killed a few hundred deer with it. I mainly use the 117 Sierra flat base pro hunter. My current rifle likes 49 grs IMR 4350 with CCI 250 primers and does 3000 fps. Killed two deer last week Bang Flop with it.

 

[lloydsmale]

yup you surely dont need any high dollar fancy bullet to kill deer with a 2506. People have been hamering them for 30 years with good old cup and core bullets.