New Reloder

WELCOME!!
I have been shooting a 25-06 for over 30 years. Never have I wished for more from that caliber. Deer are all I have used this gun for and it is, in my opinion, the best cartridge for deer sized game available for the everyday shooter. My ancient old Ruger 77 still shoots five shots under .375 at a 100 yards.
Load 117-120 grain bullets for deer and 70-85 grain bullets for coyotes. My favorite powder in the 25-06 is
IMR-4831.
My advice, free and not very valuable, is to shoot your 25-06 as is and learn to load correctly before moving to modified case.
Be safe and have fun learning to reload your own ammo!
 
Josh Potter said:
1 st post

Im new to reloading, like just got my press new. I shoot a TC pro hunter and want a 25-06 Ai. I'm going Hunt deer, coyotes and if a black bear presents a opportunity them too. I'm in VT so the typical shot is under 100 yards but up to 400 where I am. Should I skip the Ai for now stick with the standard 25-06
Keep things simple.
I guess is the Ai not something someone new should jump right on or go for it there's plenty to learn
Also is the 1-7.5 twist the way to go
Even if I get the standard chamber?

thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Welcome and I agree with the other folks here in keep the barrel if it is still good. I would look at the stock to consider bedding and possibly a trigger upgrade. Erik Cortina has a great video on PRS loads (I know your doing hunting but it is great for fundamentals) on his Pateron. I am a Berger fan so they offer a 115 gr. hunting bullet and you can call the for load data to match the components you have on hand. Also give this a read as for it can be applied to more than just Berger bullets: https://bergerbullets.com/how-do-you-load-and-tune-a-vld-bullet/
 
And a warm welcome from Idaho. Love the 25's. My first 25 was a 250:3000 Savage 99. It got AI'd. Then the 25:06 which eventually got AI'd as well. Added in the 257 Roberts. As my ability to reload grew so did my accuracy. And after 50 +/-, I'm still learning much and this site has been so beneficial. Read lots. You'll CBD that there are some members you tend to gravitate to and respect. Most of all, ENJOY. There's nothing like carefully reloading and then taking your first animal with a cartridge you built. Gibbs
 
All the advice is spot on. Start at the beginning and read one of the reloading manuals....all of it. Learn everything thing you can and pay attention to the details. Reloading is fun, but can be dangerous if you make mistakes. This site is a wealth of information for reloading. Use it.

Buy quality (not necessarily expensive) equipment once, if you buy the cheapest stuff you will probably end up replacing it sooner rather than later. Ask questions and get opinions from other experienced reloaders. There is a lot of quality equipment out there that won't break the bank, but you have to be a smart buyer.

Reloading is a lot like tying your own flies for fishing, (I do both) you start off by convincing yourself you will save money, but in the end you get hooked and spend more but the satisfaction of creating something and using it is worth it.
 
Last edited:
KS Shooter2021 said:
All the advice is spot on. Start at the beginning and read one of the reloading manuals....all of it. Learn everything thing you can and pay attention to the details. Reloading is fun, but can be dangerous if you make mistakes. This site is a wealth of information for reloading. Use it.

Buy quality (not necessarily expensive) equipment once, if you buy the cheapest stuff you will probably end up replacing it sooner rather than later. Ask questions and get opinions from other experienced reloaders. There is a lot of quality equipment out there that won't break the bank, but you have to be a smart buyer.

Reloading is a lot like tying your own flies for fishing, (I do both) you start off buy convincing yourself you will save money, but in the end you get hooked and spend more but the satisfaction of creating something and using it is worth it.
Click to expand...
Got that Right!
 
Agree with all above. Since you are new and AI's hide pressure signs, stick with the standard. Once you get some experience with pressure signs and velocity comparison you can step up to the AI. The good news is you can always get a barrel for your TC easy enough down the road. I've got a 280AI in a bolt and a 338-06AI for my TC. Just be careful with the TC. Those barrels seem to mate while they are in the safe. Next thing you know you've got a dozen barrels staring back at you the next time you look.
 
Welcome to LRH Josh

I usually don't post much on here, cause most members give great advice before I read the posts. So I'd just be repeating everyone else. But sometimes If read posts and things come to mind, I try to give my input. Most replies you have are great post from some great guys. Never hesitate to ask questions. This site has helped me more times then I can count.

Now...The ole favorite of mine...The T/C pro hunter 25-06 with the 28" barrel. My go to rifle when going to SW Va to hunt. Easy to carry in the beautiful mountains, looking for whitetails and more accurate then I am. Never had any issues with shoots from 25 yds out to 460yrds.

A couple things come to mind that has been mentioned. Do lots of research on reloading for the T/C. Reloading for a single shot rifle is different than a bolt action. A couple things that come to mind are, head space and your powder charge. Its harder to see pressure signs in a single shot. You won't get the little smiley face ejector marks. So keep your loads under book max. Speaking of books. Your reloading manual should have a section just for the T/C. A guy named Bellm has a great website and some great videos on the T/C.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your new addiction. Be safe.
 
Welcome to the reloading/handloading world. I agree with those who say that 25-06 is sufficient for your needs. I would also hesitate to go the AI route. When I started loading for my 25, there wasn't much 25-06 brass available. However; I was able to convert 30-06 to the 25 by running them through the RCBDS trim die and then fire forming the cases. In those days of yore, we had no other choice but to form brass. That coupled with the gun shows, where military surplus 30-06 brass was plentiful and inexpensive. I retired the last of these cases 2 years ago. In those days we were "hand annealing" with templaq and a butane torch. The second reason of barrel life should be a concern.
 
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