Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 25-06 for Mule Deer

I am looking for a good mule deer load for my 25-06. Recomendations please.

Federal 117 gn "blue box" did the job well for me. Cheap, accurate, killed the deer.
I bought more to use If I get another tag...

Dino in Reno

Reloads or factory?

Sorry, I should have been more specific, Handloads.

100gr TSX and 53gr of IMR4350 has been fantastic for me on a few big deer.

Also the 110gr AB under 50gr IMR4350 has worked well, although more explosive than I would like for shoulder shots.

The factory 120gr Fusion is very accurate in my rifle, and although I haven't personally shot any game with it, people are saying that it's a fantastic deer bullet.

Mr. Landkiller;
We had very good results with a friend's .25-06 using 100gr. Partitions, 117gr. Hornady BT and 120gr. Speer on mule deer.

With apologies to those who have read this from me previously, the largest mule deer I have ever seen or packed out for that matter was taken with a 117gr. Hornady. If memory serves it made for 130lbs of boned out meat so it was a pretty fair sized animal, for our part of the world at any rate.

Other Campfire members with much more experience with this cartridge than I, such as Mr. Dogzapper speak very highly of the 100gr. Hornady in the .25-06.

While I know it isn�t the same cartridge, our daughter�s .250AI makes short work of mule and whitetail deer with the 100gr. Hornady as well.

Back when we loaded for the .25-06, we used powder in the burning rate range of IMR and H-4831, IMR 4350 and AA 3100 with equal success. Today I would try them and add RL19, which has proved to be a very versatile powder and maybe try RL22 although that is a guess. Perhaps some members with experience with Ramshot powders could give some suggestions as well, but as that line has been thus far impossible for me to come by in my part of BC, I can�t say.

Good luck with your reloading and your mule deer hunting, whichever way you decide.

Regards,
Dwayne

John Barsness has 49 gr IMR4350 with a 120 gr bullet in his Loads that Work, and notes you could substitute H4350 for more temp insensitivity).

jim

Either of these should work nicely for you.



OR

115g NP with 58g H1000

Aside from the varmint bullets... Is there a bad deer load for the .25-06?

Would not think so. Stood on my 25-06 a little yesterday(lots of RL22) and got 100 grain B-Tips up to 3404 with not pressure sings at all. Well I've not primed the cases yet but no signs to primers,case head, or tight bolt. I'm thinkin this load would do well on mule deer.

Yeah, I was being a little facetious. Have taken three mule deer bucks in the past four years with my .25-06/Rem 700. I used the 100 gr Barnes TSX @ 3340 fps on two of them and the 115 gr Berger VLD on a nice buck last year. All of them dropped instantly.

Talking to other .25-06 equipped deer hunters, it seems I hear nothing but success stories with any bullet of 100 grains or more.

Yea I knew you was. I should have tossed in a -grin-. This was my first season to use the 25-06 and I'm like'in it a great deal.

The 110gr. AB has been quite effective on several large bodied bucks while using my Sako 75, 25-06. I will soon be trying the 100gr. TTSX's as well.......waitin' for warmer range weather however......

When you shoot them at the base of the ear even a varmint bullit makes then fall over. ( grin ) I like 110 Acubonds and 115 BT's in quater bores for deer. Let the gun tell you what it likes, learn to shoot that bullit well, then stick with it.

I've taken a number of muleys with my 25.06.

Used Federal Premium with Sierra GameKing 117 gr. BTSP.

All of them were one shot kills, usually DRT.

The 25.06, IMHO, is the perfect caliber for deer of any size. Some will work as well, but none better.

100g Hornady Flat base out of the 25/06 at 3400+ or the 257 WM has been great.

It is an odd thing that I have seen better accuracy out of the 100g Nosler partition than any other partition that I have ever shot. Of course, the 100 partition just works...idiot proof bullet.

100g Hornady Flat base out of the 25/06 at 3400+ or the 257 WM has been great.

It is an odd thing that I have seen better accuracy out of the 100g Nosler partition than any other partition that I have ever shot. Of course, the 100 partition just works...idiot proof bullet.

R#19 with Win primers, R#25 with Fed 215's give the 25/06 as serious kick in the pants when it comes to speed and serious accuracy with the 100's. A buddy claims the same with R#22.

Landkiller:I think you are getting some really good info for your .25-06 from the Campfire.My favorite load is 50.5 H-4831sc under 120gr. Hornady interlock flatbase.Rifle is Ruger MK2S/S.Very acc.& fps is 2950.That should do the trick for any mule deer huting. If anyone has used Ramshot Hunter in the .25-06, I would like some insight the loads. Shoot straight.

100gr. Partitons or 100gr. TSX's out of my 25'06.

A full dose of RL22 yeilds 3440fps from it's 25" gain twist bbl.

Only a couple mule deer with it, but about 10 WT's, 1 bull elk, and 4 moose.

No complaints what so ever.

"Only a couple mule deer with it, but about 10 WT's, 1 bull elk, and 4 moose."

I'd say that's a pretty healthy endorsement!