seattleman1969
Well-Known Member
100 Gr. TTSX all day every day out to 500 yards easily.
.257 Whitetail Hunting Bullets.
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I've watched the video, our deer are a little bigger than antelope. I can't tell for sure, but it looks like the pronghorn was shot high on it's shoulder/spine, or in the neck. ???
With a shot like that, I'd feel comfortable with the 90gr's I've been shooting. I'm curious if that 80gr made an exit wound?
But at that angle, if you'd drop down, (aiming for it's heart/lungs) and catch 2 or 3 ribs, my 90gr's will explode. I'm sure it'd die just as quick, but I'd like to have an exit channel.
I can think of 2 or 3 deer I've shot in the neck, with 90gr bullets, and never got an exit. Shot high on their neck, too, not down in the meat near the brisket. Of course it hammered them, but IMO the bullet is just too fragile.
Seems like bullets are hard to find these days! Not sure exactly how many deer I've killed with my 25-06's, I do remember 3 bear kills. But it's taken me quite a few, to finally realize, I need a different bullet.
Hunting in the wide open is a lot different than hunting in the timber.
With a shot like that, I'd feel comfortable with the 90gr's I've been shooting. I'm curious if that 80gr made an exit wound?
But at that angle, if you'd drop down, (aiming for it's heart/lungs) and catch 2 or 3 ribs, my 90gr's will explode. I'm sure it'd die just as quick, but I'd like to have an exit channel.
I can think of 2 or 3 deer I've shot in the neck, with 90gr bullets, and never got an exit. Shot high on their neck, too, not down in the meat near the brisket. Of course it hammered them, but IMO the bullet is just too fragile.
Seems like bullets are hard to find these days! Not sure exactly how many deer I've killed with my 25-06's, I do remember 3 bear kills. But it's taken me quite a few, to finally realize, I need a different bullet.
Hunting in the wide open is a lot different than hunting in the timber.
Yep is sure is different shooting deer at 20 to 100 yds than it is at 100 plus with the 25-06, I bought my 25 in 1995, up till that time I was shooting deer with .308, 30-06, 270, 7mm mag, all kill deer very well , but to me they were all lacking. Got a smoking deal on the 25-06 that I still own today in 95, Ive been reloading since the early 80's, did a little research and figured that the 100gr sierra pro hunter bullet with a stiff charge or IMR 4831 would be just the ticket, between myself and nephews we killed close to a dozen deer that year from 50 to about 150 yards. Any deer killed inside 100 yards that bullet shed its jacket pretty much on contact, the deer didn't go anywhere but for the most part none of its remnants hit the off side. At 100 plus yards it worked great, pass thru's and DRT really didn't matter what the angle was.. Hunting the east end of Michigan U.P. mostly, 99% of my shots are inside 100yds, Shot the Barnes 100gr X bullet one season, didn't shoot well out of my gun and fouled it HORRIBLY, killed a 160 pound dress 8pt. Hit mid ribs lodged in the base of the neck. DRT, text book mushroom for Barnes. Tried the hornady 117 SST's, shot 2 deer with that bullet, first one 150 dressed 7pt, shot in the base of the neck just in front of the shoulders, he was in full rut So the neck was quite large in that area, DRT, but the bullet was just under the skin on the off side, Flatter that a dime and about the same size. Deer #2, 140lb dressed 8pt. Hard quartering away, hit in the short ribs, lodged under the skin just above the brisket, again DRT. On to the 100 gr partition, this is the bullet that I have killed the most deer with, they shot well out of my gun and they shot to the same point as the 100gr sierra ProHunters, If the deer left where he was standing I always had a great blood trail, and never longer that 30 yards.. so all and all after this little book, for a bullet to do what you want it to do at all ranges you as a woods hunter might shoot a deer, I would be looking at the Nosler Partition- Barnes triple shock or it's tipped brother, and maybe even the swift A-Frame.. My 25 is at the gunsmith as I type this getting a 25 inch Bartlin 5R fitted to it..
BERGER BULLETS!!!!! Watch video of a recent hunting trip and you can see for yourself!! 25/06 rem, Berger 115 VLD hunting @247 yards on a 107 pound whitetail! Last year I got to experience what they call as crop damage control so I decided to try different bullets, different calibers on whitetail! My field study consisted of different bullets manufactures, types of bullets, calibers, grains and so on! I also recorded how many deer fell in their tracks and how many ran, length of blood trail if their was any! So I'm gonna stop their!!!
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6.5x47hunter
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- Jul 17, 2009
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- 144
that smells like nosler partition all the way to me. I've shot alot of pa whitetail with 25-06 and my favorite bullets were 100SMK-100-115NBT-117hornady BT
i would not hesitate the least to use to 110NAB or100-115 NP
oldfamily
Well-Known Member
Here is a question, what bullet does your rifle like the best? We can all give advice about what would be a good bullet, but it does come down to what your rifle likes. I have used the 25 caliber bullets in 25-06 to the 257 stw, and it boils down to what the gun shoots the best. You drive a 110 nab to 3700 fps and shoot a deer at 20 yards it will blow up. When you could get wildcat bullets I ran the 125's and 130's at 3500 fps and they hit like a ton of bricks. Point being spend some time with your rifle and let it tell you what it likes. Anything from the 100 ballistic tips to the 115 bergers, if you have friends that have the same rifle split the cost of bullets to find out what works the best. We can tell you all kinds of what ifs, and so forth. Just try good quality hunting bullets and get away from the hollow point idea of thinking. Let your rifle tell you what it likes, just make sure to feed it the right bullet to do what you are wanting it to do.
lancetkenyon
Well-Known Member
In AZ, we have some big bodied mule deer. I used a .25-06 Ackley to knock my last two flat.
In 2012, I used a Barnes 100 TTSX @ 3590fps. Shot was 488 yards, quartering on. Bullet entered right front shoulder, exited left hip. I swear the deer never knew he was hit. He stood for 5 seconds without any reaction. I thought I had missed. As I chambered a second round, he stood straight up on his hind legs and went over backwards without a single kick or twitch. Not a drop of blood other than from his mouth. 24" wide, and I got 90# of meat. So I would guess 180# on the hoof?
In 2014, I used a Berger 115 HVLD @ 3460fps. Shot was 160 yards, quartering on. Bullet entered right front shoulder/neck junction and exited left shoulder. Deer jumped and went 10 yards in 2 seconds and piled up without a twitch. Stevie Wonder could have followed the blood trail. This deer was shot 2 years later, and 152', yes, 152 FEET, from the 2012 deer. 26+" wide, and 95# of meat.
In 2012, I used a Barnes 100 TTSX @ 3590fps. Shot was 488 yards, quartering on. Bullet entered right front shoulder, exited left hip. I swear the deer never knew he was hit. He stood for 5 seconds without any reaction. I thought I had missed. As I chambered a second round, he stood straight up on his hind legs and went over backwards without a single kick or twitch. Not a drop of blood other than from his mouth. 24" wide, and I got 90# of meat. So I would guess 180# on the hoof?
In 2014, I used a Berger 115 HVLD @ 3460fps. Shot was 160 yards, quartering on. Bullet entered right front shoulder/neck junction and exited left shoulder. Deer jumped and went 10 yards in 2 seconds and piled up without a twitch. Stevie Wonder could have followed the blood trail. This deer was shot 2 years later, and 152', yes, 152 FEET, from the 2012 deer. 26+" wide, and 95# of meat.
I've used the 117 GMK in a 25-06 on mule deer doe once at about 60yds. it did swell. The rest of my .257 caliber kills were the Hornady 120HP from a 257 Roberts AI ( going 25-06 speeds) on Texas whitetail, stem to stern around 80yds. The rest were exotics I shot, all with the .257 Weatherby, using the Nosler 115PT and 100TSX. Perfection personified! In truth, a 25-06 would have done the same thing, with less fuss and muss. I will say that every guy I knew who used a 25-06 in Texas used either the factory 100 Corlokt or 87gr Hornady in handloads. Texans like light/fast for deer that seldom go over 140#, average about 90. Here in Utah, I know a fellow that uses the 120 factory Corlokts on mule deer/elk every year. If I couldn't get the 115PT to shoot ( or that Etip) I'd try the 120PT then and only then. I bet you would be happy with the Etip though.
seattleman1969
Well-Known Member
I swear by the Barnes 100 Gr TTSX. I have yet to shoot an animal (1 coyote, 2 Texas whitetails, and 2 Wyoming antelope to date) that did not have nice clean one shot kills. all but one were DRT, the one was a high lung shot on a doe antelope at about 150 yards (Had been shooting out to 4-500 regularly and held a hair too high, my fault), she ran a 1/4 mile semi circle and graciously died right next to the road for me.
The thing I love most about the TTSX is the low percentage of adjacent tissue damage, IE if I make my standard heart/lung shot the bullet doesn't come apart and take out the shoulder(s) etc. Nice clean entry and exit, have yet to have one not exit even out to 400 yards. Yes the exits are smaller than for a "standard" bullet but it really doesn't seem to matter, they still bleed to death and the lungs/heart are literally pulp.
The thing I love most about the TTSX is the low percentage of adjacent tissue damage, IE if I make my standard heart/lung shot the bullet doesn't come apart and take out the shoulder(s) etc. Nice clean entry and exit, have yet to have one not exit even out to 400 yards. Yes the exits are smaller than for a "standard" bullet but it really doesn't seem to matter, they still bleed to death and the lungs/heart are literally pulp.
Springville shooter
Well-Known Member
I've killed a dozen animals with my 25-06 AI and 100 e-tips at 3450. One shot a piece from antelope to cow elk at ranges for inside 100 to around 500. Haven't gotten a bullet back. Exit wounds tend to look like a broad head wound. This is the exit wound from a 490 yard shot. In behind the onside shoulder, through the offside shoulder and out. Instant kill. A big cow elk took one low behind the shoulder at 80 yards and ran 75 yards before expiring. The blood trail was impressive and very easy to follow. They shoot very well in my rifle and sport a decent coefficient for a 100 grain bullet. Just my $.02.--------SS
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86alaskan
Well-Known Member
I load my tikka 25-06 with 100gr TTSX bullets and a generous dose of RL-22. It gets me in the 3200fps range and puts the hurt on Missouri Whitetails. I haven't had a deer walk away from that load yet.
My grandchildren have been using my 257 Roberts to take their
mule deer its shooting 117 gr Hornady spbt interlock.
This rifle has been deer hunting from me to my children to now my
grandchildren the bullet has never failed and shots past 325 yds.
mule deer its shooting 117 gr Hornady spbt interlock.
This rifle has been deer hunting from me to my children to now my
grandchildren the bullet has never failed and shots past 325 yds.
257ackleyhunter
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- Sep 28, 2014
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I have a 257 Roberts ackley improved and my hunting round is 120 nosler partition moving about 2900 fps with 49 grains of Reloader 22 and ive dropped every deer I've shot with it. problem now is that I have not been able to get ahold of the 120gr partitions i have 4 unloaded bullets left and thats it. very good combo i shot a deer through heavy foliage and it dropped the doe where it stood. oh and the bullet holds up pretty well. i havnt gotten to shoot the 110 gr accubonds since they came out though but they have very good performance on a target for grouping and velocity
