Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 25-06 deer bullet

I have my 25-06 all ready to go but need to decide on a bullet to load for it. I will be using it for both White Tail and Mule deer.

What do you suggest.

For whitetails, the 100gr Nosler Ballistic Tips have worked very well for me over the years. Very accurate, mostly one shot kills with zero drama.

Would probably want something a tad tougher for mulies?

No mulies in PA, not an issue here.

Used a lot of 115 g. Nosler BTBT's.. Plus some 100 g. of the same make.. A few 100 g. Part.. When I load another batch for deer and antelope, it will probably be 110 g. Accubonds.. Have killed both mulies and whitetails with mine..

I've had whitetails die quickly with both 110 Accubonds and 115 NBTs. 100gr TTSX has worked well out of my 257Wby and I'm sure it would do the same out of a 25-06. I've got some 4K fps loads with the 80gr TTSX out of the Wby but I haven't tried that bullet on game yet. I'm considering loading some of those 80s in my '06 to see what they do.

120 grain Partition and a sharp knife!

Nothing super tough about mulies, seem to die easier than flagtails IMO...

I'll second the 100gr NBT and have heard good things about the 115's

Partition in 115.

+1 on the 100 BT.

100 gr Hornady, if you can find any.-Muddy

This is how I would roll...and have.

Notice the OP is from BC,where mule deer and whitetails can weigh 25%-50% more on the hoof than some of their southern brethren. You don't need a cannon for them but I like a bullet that gives a bit of insurance for penetration. Never hurts.

I've seen the 100 grain Ballistic Tip exit on big cow elk. Wouldn't give a second thought to going after the biggest mule deer or whitetail around with said bullet.

My new favorite has been the 100gr tsx in my 25-06.
My 257 ackley I run the 115 gr nosler ballistic tips.


I got both guns from my gramps, and he used both 100 gr and 120gr sierra game kings and prohunters on deer and whitetail in Wyoming back in the 80s.

Back when I used the 25-06 for deer, my favorite bullet was the Speer 120 gr. HotCor. 2 holes; DRD.

PG you know that to be true but I don't.....so I can only recommend what I know for certain from my own experience,hunting those Canadian mule deer.

I've seen a 117 Sierra from the 25/06 stopped flat and torn to confetti in the ham of an oversized Wyoming buck. On that same buck a 130 gr Partition from my 270 went from the last ribs to the off side shoulder, breaking it.

Of course that Sierra was not a 100 gr BT but my own view is that when deer get into the 350-400 pound category I like a bit of extra in the way of penetration.JMHO.

Hunt long enough we see all kinds of things happen to bullets in game.

Bob, exactly right, often folks judge the worth of of a caliber or bullet on limited situations or limited conditions.. What we need to keep in mind, what happens when things go wrong or conditions arent perfect.. With today's huge whitetail population, and the practice of shooting deer over bait or food plots makes some think all hunting is this way..
Often on public lands or in an area with short seasons and heavy pressure things do not always go as we plan.. And as you mention deer vary a great deal in size.. So for me it makes good sense to go a heavier caliber and bullet ..
Several mulies I have shot were huge.. I was not able to begin lifting them into the pickup.. They were not common, but they were ALL the kind of buck we hope to find, but seldom do..
It is easy to sit at one's computer and say, I wouldn't take a chance shot, but we know at the end of a long hunt, most will take that shot..
Also a consideration is many shots at truly fine game come in the last minutes of day.. Here is where I want more bullet weight, and a larger caliber..

The 100 grain 257 Ballistic Tip is one of the stouter jacketed models. Built to handle the velocity of the Weatherby, so it sticks together really well when slowed down a couple hundred feet per second. Exits are the norm on Montana deer.

Good to know.. My current .25-06 didn't seem to like them.. I only had a few, so didn't get any more.. I have used it on whitetails, antelope, some mulies and an axis deer.. But that was out of a .257 Wea.

I would suggest the 115 Berger VLD.

Four of us use this bullet with our 257 weatherbys and one friend began using it with his 257 Roberts last season. This bullet kills fast and usually exits.

To date we have killed 6 elk, 4 mule deer,16 coues wt and 1 antelope with the 257s with quite a few kills 400-580 yards.
The 25-06 velocities at closer distances would pretty much duplicate the long range performance we are getting with our weatherbys.

The 257 Roberts, Vel 2980 fps, shot a coues wt last year at 317 yds, near spine DRT bullet exited.

Ross that's interesting!

Sounds like Bergers 25's do pretty well even from fast cartridges.

I got some you want them for cost plus shipping?