Load Development 25-06 berger 115, 26"barrel

[red dawg]

I have a savage factory gun and a one pound rifle basics trigger varmint contour 116 stainless that love's 57.5 grn of H-1000 and a berger 115 bullet it is a tack driver at 100, and killed yotes out beyond 300 several times last year and one past 400yds! my favorite powder, it shot 4831 sc, and imr 4350 very well also

 

[Cal1980]

Hey guys,

I had a chance to try out the new test loads last weekend. Conditions wasn't the best (15mph 9 O'clock crosswind). However I feel like I found my best load (60.6 gr). The load had about 1/8" deviation in elevation out of a 4 shot group. I did have some horizontal stringing but I think it was mostly due to the wind conditions.

Something Weird Happened that I cant understand. I have my rifle shooting 3" high at 100 yards. I set a target up at 200 & 300 to check it out.

At 200 yards my POI was 3.5" high and 5" to the right of POA (about 1" MOA group w/ 6 shots).

At 300 yards my POI was 3" high and 8" to the right of POA ( 2 shots fired group was 1/2" @ 300 yards).

My wind drift is right on the money according to the book. BUT I don't understand why or how my bullet didn't drop more. According to the LRH ballistics calculator and Berger's loading data I should have dropped 3" from 100-300 yards. Instead I climbed 1/2" at 200 yards and my bullet drop is the exact same 3" high at 100 & 300.

I am stumped.

25-06
26" chrome moly Krieger 1/10 twist
vias break
20 moa 1 piece ferrel steel base
vortex comp rings
vortex 4-16x50 ffp HSLR
1.75" scope height

115gr Berger
60.6 gr Retumbo
CCI BR2 primers
PPU brass trimmed

 

[RT2506]

If you have not shot over a chrno you do not know what your REAL velocity is. I get the same results as you do with my 264 Win mag 27 3/4" barrel rifle. 3" high at 100 3.5" at 200 and 3" high at 300 dead on at 350 and 3.5" low at 400. I am shooting the 130 Nosler AB at 3350 fps. Bullets tend to shoot a might flatter when they are screaming fast.

In my 25-06 26" barrel I am shooting 49 grs IMR or AA 4350 (they shoot the same for me) Rem case, CCI 250, 117 Sierra Pro Hunter, 3000 fps. It shoots 3" high at 100 3.5" high at 200 1" low at 300 3" low at 350 and 6" low at 400.

 

[red dawg]

If you are right handed it might be your trigger pull? I mean the shots being to the right

 

[BEEMAN]

My 25-06 AI likes H1000. You could give it a try but your groups with Retumbo are looking good. As MudRunner stated my gun also likes the 115 Berger 15 thou off the lands. My H1000 load is very consistent with good ES and velocity is a bit over 3300 fps.

 

[Clark]

I have two 25-06 rifles:
1994 Browning B78 made in Japan in 1994
1953 Winchester M70 I put a Shilen select match stainless 257 #3 taper 9" twist barrel on it.



25-06 3.25" 115 gr Nos Bal tip moly 51.5 gr IMR4451 3185 fps chrono 26" barrel

 

[Cal1980]

If you have not shot over a chrno you do not know what your REAL velocity is. I get the same results as you do with my 264 Win mag 27 3/4" barrel rifle. 3" high at 100 3.5" at 200 and 3" high at 300 dead on at 350 and 3.5" low at 400. I am shooting the 130 Nosler AB at 3350 fps. Bullets tend to shoot a might flatter when they are screaming fast.

In my 25-06 26" barrel I am shooting 49 grs IMR or AA 4350 (they shoot the same for me) Rem case, CCI 250, 117 Sierra Pro Hunter, 3000 fps. It shoots 3" high at 100 3.5" high at 200 1" low at 300 3" low at 350 and 6" low at 400.

Thanks RT!

I was able to get over a chrono thw other day and averaged 3294fps. I ran this through the the Calc and it looks like the numbers match. My .41" groupings started to open up on me. So I took it home and gave it a deep cleaning. I am discusted with my PPU brass but thats all they had at the time and i didnt know any better. Do you think its worth it to change to Norma brass? From what I read i will need to start over with load development if I change brass. I already have 200 rounds down the tube to get to where I am now. I was striving to get to the .3's but does it matter in the real world? The primary goal was for a 500 yard hunting rifle on deer and hit steal at 1k.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Spend more time shooting the 300y target. You will learn much more about your load and shooting. Other than finding vel and pressure, 100y shooting is a waste of time.

As far as hunting to 500y, I believe you are done with load development. Stop wasting your time and resources. Put your load together and site it in for max point blank range zero. Then look up your drops to 500y and shoot to verify them.

Steve

 

[Cal1980]

Spend more time shooting the 300y target. You will learn much more about your load and shooting. Other than finding vel and pressure, 100y shooting is a waste of time.

As far as hunting to 500y, I believe you are done with load development. Stop wasting your time and resources. Put your load together and site it in for max point blank range zero. Then look up your drops to 500y and shoot to verify them.

Steve

Thanks Rocky. Will do.

 

[lee31]

I ran Retumbo in my 25-06 for a while I was shooting 58.5 grains with Bergers seated right at the lands. I was also using a Fed 215m primer. Gave me 1/2moa out to 500 and was shooting 3270fps. A friend of mine his Grandpa gave me 2lbs of Vihta Vori N160. Told me it was good for a 25-06 so I tried it and I'm now using it. 53.5 grains gives me 3240fps and half MOA accuracy. Also have some H1000 I'm wanting to try. I figure I will once I'm out of N160