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?

My 25 seems to shoot the best with 100 gr TSX and I have had good luck with them on Whitetails, this year it will be my backup Mule Deer gun and hopefully I will get to try it on one...

115 Nosler BT puts deer down in short order.

Take advantage of its speed and use a TSX.

Another vote for the 110 accubond. I've wanted to try others but its proven itself over and over in both the deadly and the accuracy categories that its hard to stray. Almost always produces two holes on okie whitetails and piggies.

100gr TTSX

115 NP, 120 Hot Core, 120 Hornady HP. Great results from all of these

In my experience it's not to hard to find a good 25 cal bullet for deer. My personal favorite for deer is 100 grain ballistic tip. I can't remember ever keeping one in a deer from 25-06, 25-06 ackley, and 257 weatherby from close to far they just seem to plow right through.

My 25-06 shot the Hornady 117gr interlocks real well, and was deadly on Muleys.

I've had great results with the 120PT and the 100gr E-Tip. That E-Tip is a mean machine at 3,300fps. Shoots flat and digs deep.

I really like the 115 NBT and will probably stick with them, although the Accu Bond is pretty interesting.

When I shot a 25-06 I used the 117 Hornady's too.

most of my .25-06 hunting was with barnes and noslers, pick the one which shoots best and rock on.

My wife and I have killed deer of various sizes pushed at .25-06 velocities and higher with the 100 Barnes TSX and TTSX; 115 Berger Hunting VLD; 100 Hornady Interlock; 100 and 115 Nosler Ballistic Tip; 100, 115 and 120 Nosler Partition; and 120 Remington Core-Lokt.

The only problems we've encountered with any of them were one very early 115 Nosler Ballistic Tip failing to penetrate a whitetail doe on a frontal shot, and a 100 TSX failing to open on a broadside shot on a mule deer buck. Other than that they all worked fine.

If I were going to pick one bullet for hunting deer with a .25-06 for the rest of my life it would probably be the 115 Nosler Partition, as overall it has killed quicker than any other, always penetrated more than sufficiently and shot accurately. But like laker said, in the .25-06 just about any bullet will do the job.

This.

^^ Yep. 115gr NP w/51.5gr RL22

Can't see how you could find a better deer bullet than the 110 grain Accu-Bond for the 25-06.

i like the ttsx and accubond.

TTSX is all you need.

What he said ^^^

Pack the brass full with RL'22 and get the grill hot

Shooting western deer for more than 40 years with the 25:06 - 119 and 120 grain bullets (various) have proven to be best all-around for me.

I never reloaded for my 25-06. Just have used Remington 120 grain factory core locks for over 50 Bucks. Never lost one.

50 bucks?
Sounds like expensive ammo?

100 gr Speer boat tails and 110 gr A-Bonds here. Never recovered either of them,so I call them a success. Quick clean killers.

The 100 gr Nosler BT has been my go to bullet in the 25-06 for a while and I have loaded up some 110 gr AB but have never tried them on big game as of today.

These three are great bullits, I would try all three in your rifle and go with the best group.

+1

What I will be using for my bull moose and cow elk this year....

120 gr Hornady HP. Screaming accurate in my T/C pro hunter with 54.0 of H-4831sc.

If your rifle will shoot it, a 120 gr Partition over a max dose of RL22/7828 will do the deal in spades.

Yep, but the reason I prefer the 115 Partition is, on average, it's a little more accurate and quicker-killing. Neither makes any difference 99.9% of the time, and penetration is similar, but the Campfire is mostly about picking nits. The difference isn't enough, however, to choose one over the other if all you can find is one of 'em.

We've been using the 115gr NP in my son's M70 ever since Nosler dropped their 100gr Solid Base(I actually still have some 150gr in 30cal.) He moved to Florida in January and hopes to try them on hogs before too long.

The last couple of 25-06's I've had shot great with the 115gr partition..just shot my rifle the other day and it was under 3/4" at a 100 yards

110 accubombs on top on a heavy dose of rl22

+1 I agree with Scott.

Retumbo also works well with the 120gb Partition.

Plus 2. . But only if you don't Want the fun of tracking the deer!

Interesting on the 115's MD, I'll also keep that in mind should I run into a bud with load/twist issues in the smaller 25 cal rifles.

It shoots good in my 25-06 AI too AGW, a real flame thrower.

115 ballistic tip over IMR 4831

Works great when I do my part

Burt2506

I don't know if they are available in components, but the best bullet we have used on deer in the 2506 is the 120 grain Winchester positive expansion point.

What no love for the Hornady 120 Gr HP?

Doc

Great bullet. But my supply is running low and our friends at Hornady haven't seen fit to make any in a LONG time!

I have about a hundred left. They shoot well in my Savage and in my buddy's Encore. They are a strong bullet that levels deer.

The 120gn Hornady HPBT was developed for elk so deer are no problem.

The 117 grain Sierra Pro Hunter works well for me.

This will be the first year in several years that I have NOT used a 25-06 as my go to rifle.

In 2013, I took a rag bull and a cow elk, 3 antelope and a mule deer buck with the 110 accubond.

I didn't know that but it makes sense. Somebody at the range once told me it was designed for the 257 Weatherby but I dunno, I've heard all kinds o stuff at the range over the years . It's a good bullet though, always shot well for me.

The 115 NPT is real good for VA Whitetails. The 115 VLD is like the Vulcan death ray in my 257wby. Check out this site from some fellow hunters in OZ http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/.25-06+Remington.html

Good luck and shoot straight

Bob

Nosler 115 gr BT

JD338

100 gr part over imr4831 has been my go to for 20 years. WI whitetails drop very quickly indeed.

The 75 grain Sierra or Hornady makes a feral cat rifle without peer.

Amen, I'm a big fan of BT's and there's no need to go with the heaviest one you can find. I once took a calf elk at 260 yards with a 90 gr hollow point from a 25-06. I wouldn't recommend it, but circumstances at the time made it the only option. that bullet entered high and exited low (high angle shot) behind the shoulder. piled it up right there.

115 gr nosler partition

110 Accubond out of my 25/06ai.....flattens deer....

Tony

I have the 25-06 reamer, but have not used it yet.
The 257 Roberts Ackley Improved, I have 13 years range experience.

75 gr Vmax 0.75" 5 shots average at 100 yards.
100 gr HNDY SP 1.0" 5 shots average at 100 yards.
115 gr 1.25" 5 shot average at 100 yards.

I killed (4) mule deer between 50 and 400 yards with the 115 gr Nos Bal Tip 3050 fps muzzle. All bang flop.

I think the reason I have better stopping power with the 257 than the 7mmRemMag, is that I aim better with the little 257.

117gr Hornady Interlock.
117gr Sierra Pro Hunter GK
115gr Nosler Partition
100gr Barnes TTSX

Have killed game with all of the above. I keep coming back to the 117gr Hornady Spire Point in everything but the 257WBY.

117 Sierra Game King for a 25-06.
115 Berger Over IMR 7828 in a Ackleyed version. Never had a deer get out of its tracks with the Bergers!

The 87gn Hornady, as the preferred bullet of Roy E, is also a very good performer in the .25/06. I can regularly get .5-6 MOA 5 shot groups in my rifle and the riles I am sure can do better than that. Velocity averages 3619fps in the 26" tube.
John

Used 87gr Sierras back in the late 70s and through the late 80s, as my varmint bullet in the 25-06. Made some pretty spectacular "splashes" on woodchucks, out around 300 yards and farther.

Switched to 100gr Btips when they came out and that's been the "do it all" bullet for varmints and deer, ever since.

I stuck a bunch of IMR4831 behind some 100gr NBTs yesterday for my dad. It's his favorite load and has killed a ton of animals in the last 15 years.

120 Gr Partition with 54gr or RE22, or 55gr of IMR7828.