Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .25-06 load - looking for new powder

I have a load that is "pretty good" (.75 - 1" avg), but my rifle is capable of doing better. My current load is H4831SC w/ 110gr AccuBond...I also tried RL22 with same bullet and it wasn't as accurate. I want to keep the same bullet and try new powder...I'm thinking something that would fill up the case more.

Looks like Retumbo or H1000 might be good options for those, though I always thought of these powders as being geared towards larger/magnum calibers...and I've never worked with these powders.

Note: Accuracy is more important than velocity to me.

Thoughts?

RL 19 or one of the 4350's would be a good place to start.

I would try IMR7828. It has worked well in my .243, .270, and .300Win Mag. It will come close to filling the case, shoots accurately, and gives good velocity. With a full case (45.5grs) and a 95gr BT in the .243, it only lost 50fps when it got down to 40 degrees.

In every application where this powder was suitable, it has worked really well IME.

It won't fill up the case more, but IMR4350 has always been a good bet for me in a 25/06. Sierra thinks so, too!

My 25-06 really likes Retumbo - 58.0 grains to be exact with a 115 Partition. That isn't top end but close. Re 25 was a dissapointment. Ramshot magnum turned in impressive velocities but didn't group as well as Retumbo.

7828 and a 100 Horn will cure most all that ails us. Tis accurate as heck and I can't see a need for anymore bullet for most anything that I'd ever point a 25/06 at in anger.

Dober

I have found H1000 to be money for me with the .25-06. It pushes the 110/115g bullets with good velocity at excellent accuracy, my loads were 58g with the 115g, and 59g with the 110g (my max, work up-blah, blah).

In Layne Simpson's article in Shooting Times in July 2008, his load for the 110g NAB was 59g Retumbo for a velocity of 3310fps with 100y accuracy of 0.87 inches in his Cooper Model 52. Sounds like a good load with Retumbo.

Have had good results from both H4350 and Retumbo. Kind of stumbled across the Retumbo load after I sold my .300 RUM and had a pound of Retumbo left over... Decided to try it in the .25-06 with 115 grain Berger bullets - and it worked out real well.

Several years ago had another .25-06 that shot real well with H4831 though...

I shoot Nosler Ballistic Tip 115 Gr over 55 Gr H1000. Very accurate, less than .5" 3 shot group @ 100 yds.

The .25-06 responds well to a number of powders. My Ruger No. 1 shoots extremely well with H4350 with 100-grain bullets and Ramshot Magnum with 120's. The Ramshot/120 load also gets close to 3200 from a 24" barrel using book loads.

But then then this rifle shoots pretty darn well with about any reasonable powder/bullet combo. In my experience the .25's in general are kinda like that.

Another +1 for 7828. Shoots good in a .25-06 although I as running 115 gr TSX. You could cover all 3 shots at 100 yards with the base of tha .25-06 case.

another vote for 7828 only I use the SSC (super short cut) it flows so much better and doesn't bridge like the regular does. Tremendous accuracy with it and 115 bergers.

I appreciate all the replies.

Do yall thinking I'm barking up the wrong tree in looking for something that fills up the case a bit more?

Right now I'm running 53.5 grains of H4831SC and there is still a fair amount of room left in the case, but since I'm already right around max (as best I can tell based on Hodgdon's and Nosler's published data) I don't know that I feel comfortable going up in powder charge...plus, a couple more grains of powder isn't going to fill the case up anyway.

FWIW I'm shooting a Rem 700 Sendero.

The way I look at it, the tighter the powder is packed, the more consistant it will ignite...but I don't know that there is any truth to that?

I've had good luck with AA3100 in the .25-06 too. I have to ask though sub MOA and 3310 from a 110 grain AB isn't good enough- that's a darn fine load right there considering deer vitals are about 9" in diameter seems a fine 500 yard load as is.

Planemech, you bring up an excellent point, in fact this is the 3rd season I've used this load b/c in reality the accuracy is plenty good...BUT I know the rifle can do better, so I'd like to try to get all I can out of it. The reason I know the rifle is capable of more is b/c when I first purchased it I ran two types of factory ammo through it and both shot sub .4" groups.

It just bothers me that I haven't been able to match that.

Of course another option is try a different bullet. I've tried the 100gr Hornady FBSP and it did shoot pretty darn good, but I'm somewhat concerned that it won't be tough enough if I'm presented with a close shot.

If I tried another bullet it would be the 100gr TSX or 110gr InterBond...problem with that is that I've been so pleased with the performance of the 110gr AccuBond on over 30 deer and several hogs.

Before going further, are you checking bullet run-out in your loads? If not, that might help the AccuBond load shoot even better.

I'll second the AA3100. 51.0 grains gives me CONSISTENT 0.49" groups from my Sako 85 with the 110 grain Accubond. It's clocking around 2910 fps, which is not the fastest load in the world, however. Of course, my barrel length is just over 22.5 inches.

Measure the factory ogive length and compare 'em to your 110gr. AB's ogive length. Try seating them the same distance as the factory loads giving you those great groups and you may end up exactly where you want. That's exactly what I did with this particular 25-06, my fifth in many years. Tried all sorts of stuff/tricks, rangemaster/friend gave me 5 boxes of this older member's 25-06 stash who had died, tried them as a last ditch effort......accurate as heck. Measured 10 factory cartridges by taking their average ogive reading, applied it to my 110gr. AB's, threw some RL22 under them and bingo...........cloverleafs.

I'd totally agree with Planemech on this one. I've handloaded the 110gr. AB in my Sako 75, 25-06 since they came out and they shoot very well at 3,300+ fps. Their terminal effectiveness has been outstanding. Your current velocity is just fine, more importantly, so are your groups.

If you want to see if you can get a bit more accuracy out of your current load, do the ogive thing, but make sure that you have already logged your current ogive length's. Those are good groups too.

Good luck............

What powder and charge are giving you those velocities? I'm loading the 110 Ab in my Sako 85, and I'd love to get some of that 3,300 fps action.

I guess I would too, but that might be a bit too edgy.....grin. My bad, make that 3,200 fps. instead of 3,300 fps.....typo/spaced out as I'm gettin' #'s/components/charge weights together to load the 100gr. TTSX's for my 25-06 as well, which will/should be around the 3,300 fps zone, I think, we'll see. A healthy dose of RL22, 210M Feds and WW brass is what I used with the 110gr. AB's. My 75 has a 22 7/8 barrel, same as yours. How's the 85 different, or is it?

Alliant shows the 100gr. with 58grs. getting 3,248 fps and the 120gr. gettin' 2,931 fps, both with RL22. The 110gr. sits in the middle, not necessarily an indicator nor promotion to split the difference when it comes to powder charges.....BTW. Also, Alliants new RL17 shows almost 3,400fps with 100gr. bullets (out of a 24 inch barrel). Since it's a very new player in the powder field, I've not had the pleasure of goin' there yet, but that's smokin'!!!

Your 2,910 fps shootin' 0.49" is more than quite capable and plenty accurate. You have some room to spare, but given the accuracy your gettin'.......why? You'll get a few more loads per case than I will, no doubt, or at 3,400 fps.....grin.

Your current "action" seems plenty good, but I've always found good accuracy with RL22 and have found Alliant powders to generally give the best velocities. As you likely already know, accuracy trumps velocity everytime, but when both are available.....not a bad combination either. YMMV.

Good luck.........................