I just bought a new ruger 25-06 and took it to the range to sight in. Since ammo is still in short supply I bought whatever I could find on the shelf. I sighted the rifle with 100 gr Remington core-lokt PSP. Muzzle velocity 3230. I then shot a few rounds of Hornady 117 gr InterLock. Muzzle velocity 2990. The Hornady round was 3 1/2 inches lower than the Remington round at 100 yards. My question- does that seem right?
Ballistic comparison of 2 25-06 factory loads
- Thread starter TMH
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Yes. Different bullets can have drastically different impact points in my rifles. I also shoot a 25-06 and get 3068 FPS with the 110 Gr Accubond. So your speeds look like what might be expected.
So is the lower impact due to the Hornady cartridge being 240fps slower?
When I look at the ballistics of the two rounds (gun data.org ballistic calculator) I don't see the same drop- 3/4 of an inch at 250 yard. I realize that I would not see the difference in the table when both rounds are zeroed at 100 yards, but at 250 I should see well over 3 1/2 inches. Maybe the calculator has bad data. This particular calculator allows the user to select the brand of ammo and particular grains ans bullet style. Kinda cool but the result here does not make sense to me.
Range Drop
0 -1.4945 -1.4941
50 -0.2821 -0.2156
100 -0.0001 0.0051
150 -0.7577 -0.9252
200 -2.6788 -3.1099
250 -5.9057 -6.663
- See more at: Ballistic Calculator GunData.org
When I look at the ballistics of the two rounds (gun data.org ballistic calculator) I don't see the same drop- 3/4 of an inch at 250 yard. I realize that I would not see the difference in the table when both rounds are zeroed at 100 yards, but at 250 I should see well over 3 1/2 inches. Maybe the calculator has bad data. This particular calculator allows the user to select the brand of ammo and particular grains ans bullet style. Kinda cool but the result here does not make sense to me.
Range Drop
0 -1.4945 -1.4941
50 -0.2821 -0.2156
100 -0.0001 0.0051
150 -0.7577 -0.9252
200 -2.6788 -3.1099
250 -5.9057 -6.663
- See more at: Ballistic Calculator GunData.org
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
Yall should open them up to a .25-06 AI.... With the 115 Bergers and 7828 SSC I'm getting around 3,300 fps MV out of a 26" 1:10 barrel.
MagnumManiac
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Well, my standard 25-06 gets 3266fps with 115gr Partitions with RE25.
Nothing to sneeze at.
Cheers.
gun)
Nothing to sneeze at.
Cheers.
gun)
That is very fast for a standard 25-06. What barrel length and maker are you using? I shoot a 25-06AI with a 26" Krieger. Shoots 115 gr Bergers at 3350fps using H1000. I could push it a little more; but it is very close to max.
Interesting comments but they are not helping me understand what I observed. I intend to shoot federal 115 gr nosler partition for hunting deer. Their ballistics are almost identical to the Hornady ballistics. So if I see the same 3 1/2 inch drop at 100 yards then I will conclude that 1) the drop is the result of the federal and Hornady loads being significantly slower than the Remington cartridge and 2) the gun data.org ballistic calculator is wrong. I will let you know how this turns out. Now I just need to purchase some federal 115 gr nosler partition ammo. Will probably have to get it online. Thanks for the comments.
OK. Checked out the calculator. Pretty neat for factory loads I guess. But I doubt its accuracy. Most of us on this site handload. And, I think we assumed you were to.
Most on this site will tell you that any type of factory ammo will perform differently in two different rifles. It is very difficult to have a simulator to tell you what a particular type of ammo will do in your rifle.
In my 25-06, A-MAX flies high right and Bergers fly low left and Noslers just fly left. Sierras always seem a little high. Your rifle is the big variable in all of this. Your rifle and the results you see are telling you the truth.
Most on this site will tell you that any type of factory ammo will perform differently in two different rifles. It is very difficult to have a simulator to tell you what a particular type of ammo will do in your rifle.
In my 25-06, A-MAX flies high right and Bergers fly low left and Noslers just fly left. Sierras always seem a little high. Your rifle is the big variable in all of this. Your rifle and the results you see are telling you the truth.
MagnumManiac
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2008
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- 5,579
24" 6 groove 1:10" twist. RE25 is significantly slower than H1000, therefore the higher velocity, and yes this data/load IS pressure tested in MY rifle. I have a Pressure Trace II.
TMH,
The reason you have seen the bullets hit significantly different is due to barrel harmonics. As a bullet travels down the bore, the barrel oscillates in a circular motion, it can be an oblong, either from side to side or up and down or any other combination of this. If a bullet exits at the bottom of the oscillation, it hits lower, the opposite is true if a bullet exits at the top of the oscillation. Good groups occur when the oscillation is at it's slowest or when it has stopped and the barrel time is consistent enough that all bullets with that load exit at the same time.
Hope this helps you understand how you should always re sight your rifle if switching between bullet weights.
Cheers.
gun)
the444shooter
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- May 8, 2001
- Messages
- 730
Maniac summed it up best--different brands/weights of bullets will usually behave differently in the same gun, and it is imperative that you re-sight your gun in for the round you will actually be using in the field. That's why it's not a good idea to buy the cheapest ammo on the shelf to "sight in" with and then switch to the projectile you decide to use on opening morning without verifying point of impact.
Where your bullets are impacting really has nothing to do with the difference in ballistics between them. You can take the very same bullet and shoot it at the same velocity but use different powders and the bullets usually will not impact in the same place because of the harmonics of the barrel will be different because of the different burn rate of the powders. You must zero your rifle with the same ammo you want to hunt with. You can even take your factory Rem 100 gr and then go get another box that is a different lot number and it probably will not shoot to the exact impact spot that your first box did.
Thanks for the informative comments. I have never seen this amount of difference in a rifle. I have a 223 Browing A-bolt and a Remington 7mm Mag and I shoot different ammo through them at 100 yards and don't see more than an inch of difference between brands. I ordered some 25-06 Federal 115 grain partitions. I'm interested to see how they shoot through this gun. My 25-06 is a Ruger Hawkeye and new to me so I'm just learning this gun. thanks.
