Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters looking for info on 100Gr. Nosler BT in a 25-05

Hi everyone,

I am looking for any feed back on game taken will the nosler BT in a 25-06. I have worked up a load of 55Gr H4831sc and the 100 Gr. BT. I am getting 3150fps over a chony. I have use the 25-06 for the last 15 years but have never shot any BT into an animal out of any thing.

I hear alot of horror stories about the BT and just want real life info.
Am I push the bullet to fast? I have heard the I should stay in the 2900 fps range.
This round will only be used on Texas sized deer. I am going on and management hunt next week and work like to use this load.

What does everyone thing use it or head back to the range and use my 117 gr hornday load like years passed?

What are you veiws on the the Nosler BT's?
Sako

sako: I took a lot of Hill Country does with a 100gr BTip @ 3200fps (chronographed) in my 257Roberts. Very accurate and very deadly. Then I took it to south Texas. The first 2 mature bucks died quickly, but the bullet did not exit, on broadside lung shots. I have opted for a tougher bullet on bigger deer. But if you can hold out for broadside shots, they should do very well. Jim

Thanks Southtex,

I really like the 117 hornday and have used them for several years in southtex. But I got the itch to try something different. This is a big step for me to try a new load on an animal. I test stuff all the time on paper but go back to the tried and ture know what works.

The management hunt should be a good test I am only good to be hunting doe and spikes out in South West Texas.

Thanks for the input.
Sako

I'll be interested in your results. Where is southwest Tx will you be? Jim

I don't think you can do better than a 25-06 with 100 grain Ballistic Tips for Texas deer. I shoot them at 3500 fps with IMR 4831. It is the ideal caliber and bullet for our deer. Put that bullet into the deers chest and he will drop right there.

I just returned from antelope hunting in Montana a few minutes ago. The truck is full of blood and I am a tired puppy.

BUT, I just had to stop and answer this question.

Karen (wife of 40 years) and I both used my .25-06 and 100-grain Ballistic Tips at 3500 fps on all of the four antelope we just killed. The ranges were 300+ yards, 306 yards, 359 yards and 322 yards.

The kills were wonderful. All were shot squarely through the lungs. There was a two-inch entrance hole and a two-inch exit hole on all four critters. The rib blood-shooting extended perhaps another two-inches beyond the hole.

Interestingly, all four hearts were OUT of their sacs. The heart of the last antelope was still beating furiously when I dropped it into the heart & liver bag (that was REALLY cool).

Three of the prairie goats ran like hell for a hundred yards and tanked up in a spectacular fashion (my experience has been that antelope are tougher than deer and commonly do this). One goat just keeled over.....dead at the shot.

Heck yes, the .25-06 with the 100-grain Ballistic @3500 is pure death on antelope/deer-sized animals. Meat destruction is minimal, the trajectory is laser-flat and the combination kills wonderfully. Whats not to like?

For what it's worth, that is my most recent experience.

Gotta go make my meat safe.

Steve

Thanks guys for all the input.

Southtex, I will be hunting a ranch 30 miles north of Sanderson and 70 miles south of Fort Stockton. It is a 16,500+ acre place that is under that TPWD Management program. I will be shooting does and bucks 5 points or less.

DogZapper,
That is a nice goup of Goats yall killed. I feel alot better about shooting something with them (BT) now.

Praire Dog Shooter,
Thanks for the input. I see you are from Mckinney, I am just down the road in Allen.

Just a little more info on the load I have worked up. I had to start a new batch of powder and went out saturday to double check the load and to sight in the rifle. I reran the load over a chony and was getting 3250 fps not bad. Shot 3 3 shot groups all of them less than 1/2". Then I tried one 5 shot group had the first 4 shots into one oblonged hole and as luck would have it I shanked the 5th shot out an inch. Oh well.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />
Anyway the load looks great on paper and we will see how it work on the Deer Friday. Love the 25-06!

Thanks again to everyone. I will let you know how I come out on the hunt.
Sako

Sako,

Might try RL-22. I'm using 58.0 grains with Winchester cases and WLR primers. this is about "hunting maximum" in my rifle, with cases lasting about ten firings before the primer pockets enlarge.

Obviously, you want to work up the load in your rifle, starting at 55.0 grains or so and working up in one-grain increments.

My 58.0 grain load gives me 3488 fps instrumental at ten feet, which translates to about 3508 at the muzzle. Man, it just plain KILLS deer and antelope Last night I didn't mention the dozen or so mule deer and four Alberta whtetail I've taken with the load. I was just SO proud of the current kills that I had to blurt them out. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hope this helps.

Steve

I am very impressed with everyone that is getting 3,500 fps out of there 25-06. I am over max on my load ( per the manual) and out of a 23" barrel I have only been able to get 3250.

What length barrel are y'all shooting.



Dogzapper, I will give the RL-22 at try when I get a chance I shoot it out of my 6mm rem and it works great with 100gr bullets.

Sako

Sako,

I'm shooting a Pac-Nor three-contour that is twenty-four inches in length.

It's sort of a funny barrel. It is an inadvertant gain-twist. The gunsmith I was working with at the time got it from Chris, along with a chart from a company named Barrel Scan. The twist is 11" at the throat, gradually and evenly (straight line on the chart) tightening to a 9" at the muzzle.

Pac-Nor didn't intend it that way, but that's the way it turned out. I was told to shoot it and keep it if I liked. I liked.

The Pac-Nor has always shot FAST and spooky-accurate. It has not shot a five-shot group over one-inch for years.

Most barrels are female; bitchy, whiney, greedy and headstrong. My Pac-Nor.25-'06 barrel is definitely a boy barrel; friendly and willing. When this barrel dies, as they all must, I will cry real tears and give it a proper Viking Funeral.

Steve

Dogzapper,

That is a very interesting barrel indeed. I have been thinking that my barrel is going to go south every year but it just keeps going. I have just under 3,500 round thru this tube and most loads shoot under and inch. I have only been handload for it about ten years.

I have been thinking of having a new barrel put on but just can't bring myself to do it when it is still shooting so well.
sako

My barrel is a 26 inch Sendero factory tube. I didn't realiaze you were in Allen, we should get together and shoot the bull sometime.

Prairie dog shooter,

I should have guess you would have a Sendero reading some of your stories.
Yes, we should get together and shoot the bull.
sako