Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles my gun will not shoot boattail bullets

My main deer gun is an old rem 700 25-06. It was my father�s main gun for many years and I have been using it for about 12 or 13 years myself. I think dad bought it in about '73 or '74

It has had about a million rounds put through it. (I might be exaggerating a little :))

Anyway it refuses to shoot any boattail bullets with any kind of accuracy. Will not shoot Nosler partitions. Sprays them all over the target, like 6 or 8 inch groups at 100

It absolutely loves sierra 100gn flat base soft points (prohunter) easily sub MOA, very consistent

It also shoots 87 gr hornady varmints well.

Not really a big deal because these bullets suit my needs fine but was wandering why it will not shoot the boattails?

Worn throat?

I'm thinking the other end, the crown.

So it won't shoot the BT's....good to know and you won't have to try them anymore.

Load up 100 Horns with 7828 and rock on, easy as it gets..

Dober

I'm with Dober on this one.

My Dad has a 700 Mt rifle in 280 that loves 139 gr. Spire Points. Why change unless you have an strong desire to shoot boattails?


ddj

Lots of rifles out there won't shoot BT bullets. I have 4 or 5 that won't shoot anything BT accurate. I just load FB's in those rifles and don't worry about it.

I agree with you guys. If it won't shoot BT's, don't use them and don't sweat it. I think the BT's do exaggerate any problems with the crown and they show up in problems with grouping. Also, I never have gotten great accuracy with Nosler Partitions. I do get acceptable accuracy however and Partitions absolutely hammer game. I use them a lot.

All my rifles are individuals. I try to find a load and bullet that shoots well and I quit worrying about it. A lot of them don't shoot BT's worth a hoot so I shoot other bullets. If they won't shoot anything, I get rid of them.

Sounds like you have a nice old .25-06 with a great history.

I have no problem shooting FB bullets. Just curious as to the reason it does not like BTs

You got it..



There are many instances where the BT styles just don't work very well.. It's just one of those things...

Have it re-crowned or just stick to what it likes.

I think I would do some rifle checking to see if all is well with it; barrel free floating, action bedded well with no tendency to bend when the action screws are tightened, trigger set up for a good crisp break at about 2 1/2 pounds, see if the crown is good, and I'd inspect the throat to see if it's washed out some. I think I'd give the bore a good scrubbing with JB Bore Paste and maybe some copper remover like Sweets.
My 25-06 LOVES the 115 to 120 gn heavyweights which include some BT's, especially the Speer and the Sierra 120's. They have great ballistics. I seat these bullets so the just clear the magazine, and are not too long.
7828, RL-22 and H-4831SC deliver three shots with both of these bullets into 1/2"-5/8" groups at 100 yards. I've dedicated my 25-06 to shooting heavy bullets, and leave the lighter bullets to the 257 Roberts and the 250 Savage.

Some older 25-06's had slower twist rates (1-12" IIRC) and won't stabilize longer bullets. If that's the case you're pretty much limited to 100grs or maybe a flat base 110. Use your cleaning rod to measure the twist. If it's a 12, that's your problem. If it's a 10 that'll easily handle all of the 25 caliber bullets and you have a different problem.

Flatbase bullets a tougher anyway !

I have the same problem(?) with a pre Garcia finnbear in 30-06. Have tried numerous BT's with it and nothing shoots well but moving to FB it shoots lights out!

Yes, it has been "accurized" with all the work noted above done and it is still picky, picky.

Just like women.

Quite often, a throat which is loose and/or long will be intolerant of boattail bullets. Early Weatherby 300 Magnums were made with a very long throat (freebore) which was also susstantially oversized (up to .312"). These rifles would often shoot Hornady 180's very well but would spray Sierra boattails. Chambers cut with long freebore which was closer to bullet diameter were much more likely to shoot the Sierra BT's well.
I suspect that your 25/06, with it's high round count, has developed the equivalent of that early Weatherby freebore. GD

My Rem. 700 Varminter 25.06 has only ever seen boattails since I acquired it. Best group ever, 3 into about 1/8", was with 117 gr. Sierra Gamekings BTSPs.

I believe 25.06 tend to be a tad hard on the throat, would have that checked out. Last time mine was at the smiths he mentioned he cleaned the throat up a tad. And it hasn't seen thousands of rounds through it, not by any stretch.

Also recommend a target crown, just for good measure.

It's a great caliber, awesome for deer of any size.

No worries. Nothing wrong with flat base. I'd feel fortunate I found that out. IMHO a cup and core flat base is more reliable with respect to performance.

Of your rifles that won't shoot boat tail bullets, how many have an 11 degree crown and how many have a 90 degree?

Of all my rifles, only my new Marlin XL-7 shoots Sierra BT's better than flat based bullets. They come apart inside the deer and I am only running them about 2750 fps. But it shoots most anything pretty good. I am going to try the 140 gr. HPBT in that 270 this year and see if it penetrates and holds together better.

I've heard it from others and now have seen it for myself; the BT is a more fragile bullet than the flat base.

So be glad your rifle shoots flat base best cause they are the best hunting bullets in my experience.

So which expanding flat base bullets are tougher that a Barnes TSX with a boattail?