25 06 Rem info required

[Land Rover]

Awesome action! Using a P17 to build off of right now.

Hey Jud, sounds interesting. What calibre are you building?
I'm still waiting on my gun smith, before I can post pics.

 

[Land Rover]

I shoot the Berger 115 VLD's out of my .25-06 AI 40*, and use IMR 7828 SSC powder with Federal 210M primers. I form brass out of inexpensive (and easy to find) Winchester .270 Win brass.

I'm a .25-06 enthusiest, but a slightly different one, therefore none of our load data will interchange, without some serious negative effects on your end, since the AI version can handle more powder and pressure than the standard .25-06. But I still recommend the same powder and bullets that I use.

Thanks MudRunner
I have ADI AR2217 which is slightly slower than IMR7828.
Have you played around with different projectiles?
I am keen to try the 115 VLD's.
I have Federal 215m primers (they should be fine shouldn't they?)
What velocity were you finding the sweet spot at for the 115gr VLD's from your 25 06 data?
Do you seat just off the lands?
My 117gr SST load was doing 3030fps from a 24" barrel, so in my new 26" barrel I would expect roughly 3100fps. Primers were just starting to flatten, no other pressure signs.

cheers LR

 

[Land Rover]

I have been shooting the 25-06 for about 25 years. One of the best deer size game killing calibers I have ever seen. I used to do crop damage control with my buddy and he turned me onto the 25-06 pretty quickly when seeing him shoot deer 400 to 500 yards across a bean field and they drop in their tracks like the ground had been jerked from under them. I have tried all kinds of cup and core bullets and I really like the 117 Sierra. My current rifle is a Rem sportsman 78 action (it is a 700 action that was not polished as well or engraved that was made in the 1980s). It has a Shilen #6 SS select match 26" barrel in a HS Precision full bed stock with Rem 700 SS BDL bottom metal. It is a bug hole shooter with 49 grs IMR 4350, Rem case, CCI 250 mag primer, 117 Sierra Pro Hunter flat base bullet that does 3000 fps. If I had to go after game the size of elk all I would do is substitute some older model Speer 120 Grand Slam bullets I have stored back into the above load. Those things are tough bullets that will drill a deeeep hole through things.
Most 25-06s will shoot this load perfectly. 52 grs H4831 or the SC version, CCI=BR2 primer, 115 to 117 gr bullets. This is a max load so work up to it. My current rifle does not like this load for some reason but I had a Rem. 700 that did but traded it to my hunting buddy for a custom 264 Win mag on a Rem 700.

With the 25-06 pushing the 117 Sierra at 3000 fps I sight my rifle to hit 3" high at 100 yards and it hits dead on at 300 yards and 4" low at 350 yards. I hold center of front shoulder of a deer from point blank to 350 yards and squeeze one off and 99% of the time they drop in their tracks. If they are between 350 and 450 yards I hold at the top of the shoulder still in the hair and at 500 to 600 I hold a cross hair width of daylight above the shoulder. Practice shooting at these distances will let you know where to hold. Or you can use a dial-a-scope. Most of my deer shooting in inside 500 yards.

Thanks RT
My 117gr Prohunter load is similar to yours. I have two mildots on my scope so when my rifle comes back with the new barrel fitted, I will see where the mil dots hit. Hopefully 250yard zero, then 1st mildot 400yards and the second mildot 500yards.

cheers LR

 

[Land Rover]

I do crop damage shooting every year too and a couple of my favorites are the 2506 and 257wby. My partner about exclusively uses a 2506. Ive between him and myself weve accounted for proabably 200 deer with the 25s (he had a 257 for a while too) The conclusion we have come to is with the right bullet its a swift killer out to about 400 yards. We shoot sometimes 5 deer a night so we don't like to have to track wounded deer. If I know my shots are likely going to be farther then that I like a bit more gun like a 7mag or 300 mag. those big 150s,165s,and 180s just smack animals harder when the velocity has fell off. I wont say you cant shoot deer at 600 yards with a 2506 as ive done it myself but personaly I think its really stretching the 2506 and even the 257wby. At 600 yards your probably talking the power level of a 2520 at 50 yards and not many would go deer hunting with a 2520. 600 yards for me starts at my 264 and goes up quickly from there. 600 yards is territory my 300 ultra or 7stw arent even considered being overgunned. bottom line is anything over 300 and surely 400 is to far for the average guy that shoots one of two deer a year anyway. Unless he spends hours shooting long range before season. Combine that with a marginal gun and your asking for trouble. Remember you shooting live animals not paper targets. I don't know about the rest of you but I feel I owe it to the animal to use enough gun that there killed quickly.

Thanks Lloydsmale
I mostly shoot Goats here in New Zealand up to 500yards if the perfect shot presents itself. Most shots 0-250yards on Goats with the odd Boar and Deer thrown in.

 

[Jud96]

Hey Jud, sounds interesting. What calibre are you building?
I'm still waiting on my gun smith, before I can post pics.

I'm building a long range .308 Norma Magnum. It's still a work in progress because my Uncle and I are building it, he's a gunsmith so this is just a side job he's working on. Its really interesting and I like learning, helping, and watching it all come together!