25.06 load recipes
 

Having a little more time on my hands I was thinking about loading up some rounds for the summer/fall. It's been quite a long time since I have utilized my reloading press, but with my wife getting into hunting I would like to start to load a few more rounds for practice. The last four years I have been using factory loaded Barnes 100gr TTSX BT with great accuracy and in the field performance.

My reloading manuals are mostly older than I am, I was thinking of trying to find some online resources. Where do you guys go for current load data? Nosler looks like a decent resource. Does ground shipping take a while for reloading products?

Cheers,

Just google the powder manufacturers, and you’ll easily navigate into some data resources.
Hodgdon, IMR, and Winchester, are all under the same site.

My favourites are IMR 4831, 7828, RL22.

IMR 4350 for me

As with Dick R22 and IMR 4831 have worked with several bullets in a couple different rifles

Barnes may have data online.

Ive take a few deer with imr 4350 and 110gr accubonds.

Look here

https://www.barnesbullets.com/wp-con...6Remington.pdf

Thanks for the help guys!

I have a Barnes manual and also use their website data. You should know that if a particular powder you want to use is not listed send them an email using their online address asking for specific information regarding specific powders and they will reply with the information you need. I have done this a number of times and have been very impressed with their detailed response. Sometimes it has taken a few days to receive a response. I am a Barns bullet fan as well as a fan of their product support.

Curious Dick, do you see difference between using IMR 4831 and RL 22?
I have loaded IMR 4831 and Hodgdon 4831 in my wife's 2506 for years but have never experimented with RL 22.

Reloader 26 and VV N560 work really with 25-06. I’ve also had a lot of success with Berger 115vldh & swift scirocco 2 mixed with some h4813sc. I was able to also get 1000 Speer 100gr bt on the cheep 20$/100 rounds and they also shoot really well. The only thing my rifle didn’t like was the nosler partitions untill I tried ramshot powder.

I’ve been using quick load and various other online sites for data. A lot of the manufactures will email you some data if you ask the directly Berger was great to talk to and they gave me a pile of load data and reading material on how to load there bullets.

Wondering if you saw much a difference between IMR 4831 and Hodgdon 4831. They seem to be the most popular two powders listed from what I've read? I'm just getting into reloading right now and my 25-06 is top priority!

I’m using IMR 4350 with 100gr Sierra GK.
I just started using R22 that I had left over from 6.5 Swede. I found it quite accurate with Speer 100gr sp.
Still trying to see what my Barnes TSX will like.

I get similar results with IMR compared to Hodgdon 4831. I really can not say I have determined one works better than the other in my particular rifle.
I do like the Hodgdon Short Cut simply because it drops a little easier out of the powder measure. Then again I way each load anyway. I am sure you know from your data charts that IMR and Hodgdon are not the same and have different Minimum and Maximum load values.

I ended up picking up some IMR 4831 because they had some at Wholesale. I got in and out and can now reload through this social distancing period.

My 25-06 AI shoots best with H1000 and 115 Berger’s at 3350 FPS. I found R22 and 7828 to temp sensitive. R22 pressured up very early and couldn’t get the speed or accuracy I wanted with that powder. With that said the barrel is basically toast so it will be re barreled to a fast twist 1-7.25” twist CF to shoot the 131 BJ.

I just bedded the action on my M700 .25-06. Went and re tested a few loads today. Wanted to see how H4350 stood up against H4831. Up until this point I've always loaded with IMR4831 and wanted to switch over to the Hodgdon extreme powders.

All loads were Win brass, CCI 200 primers and 100gr Nosler ballistic tips. All groups were 5 shots at 100 yds with plenty of time between to cool the barrel.

https://i.imgur.com/GTSgNGq.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/h0CJ0Tr.jpeg

These we're my two best loads out of the 10 that I tested. I like the extra 200fps I'm getting with the H4350, but should I stick with the H4831? I'm thinking more for availability than anything else.

200 FPS more? Is that checked with a chronograph?

If I were you I’d load 1/2 grain more of each load, and 1/2 grain less of each load, as well as replicate the posted loads again, and go shoot some groups with those 6 loads.
Then I’d try the best looking groups again, and yet again at 300 yds.

Yep, that was recorded with a chrono.

50gr H4350
3156
3158
3138
3189
3144

52gr H4831
ERR
2981
2967
2965
ERR

Roughly 200fps difference on the average.

Was definitely going to replicate those two loads. I'll add in the .5gr loads for next time as well. Thanks Dick.

You’re also 2 grains shy with the H4831 if you’re chasing max loads according to Hodgdon.
That’s likely why the big velocity difference.

You’re also at least 100 FPS slower maybe more, than published velocities in this bullet weight even with your 4350 load.

You guys chiming in with some helpful advice take a bow!! It's what makes this place so good. Thanks!

The 54gr load of H4831 shot 2MOA at 3097fps so I decided not to go ahead with that load.

The OAL is 3.242. I believe the posted OAL is 3.200. Could that be the reason for the lower velocity?

OAL has zero bearing, as the test rifle most likely had a different leade, than your rifle. I would sooner have the amount off the leade referenced.
I as a habit start around 10 thou off the leade, with conventional cup core bullets.
This is also tempered with the ability of the rounds to fit in the rifles magazine box. Mag box first, near the lands second. Monolithic bullets are a whole different kettle of fish.

Agreed 100% with OAL to Mag box, I usually end up squeezing every last square thou of an inch out of OAL and accuracy results tend to satisfy the author of that load, me. The magic # for me tends to hover around fifty three point five for both R22 and IMR 4350.
Thankfully my 25-06 is a single shot so the OAL dept doesn’t overly concern itself here however trying to work up something for Barnes TSX is depleting stock.
:)

I'm sitting 0.030 off the lands with those suckers, just a hair shy of my mag box. One of those Kwik Klip conversions.

I've used RL22, H4831, H4350 and Magnum in the 25-06 and 25-06AI.

FWIW the best all-round powder was definitely H4350 as far as consistent accuracy and speed. 3300 with 100gr bullets and 3050 with 115gr was easy to get in the standard.

That's said really speedy loads hands down went to Magnum. I had 3450 for 100gr and 3200 for the 115gr in the AI. RL22 was close, but not nearly as accurate.

Mag box is the final denominator.

Referencing the books OAL leaves lots to interpret.

At any rate the 25’06 is a 52000-53000 CUP cartridge, and you’re only just judging that threshold with the 4350, and at 52 gr with the 4831, your likely south of 50000 CUP.

Perhaps 4955, or 7977, or 7828, or RL23, or RL22 need a try.

^^^ I'll probably end up coming back to his thread over and over throughout the summer. Right now I will just try to get back into the swing of reloading. In terms of shooting practice, ie having my wife shoot at a 8" gong at 200 yards, so not worrying about measure accuracy or speed, how old of power would you still use? I have some old stuff that has been stored appropriately but some is close to 20 years old.

If the powder is kept cool and dry, in a sealed container, it can last 50-60 years without issue. Smelling the powder is a good indicator of its condition, a solvent or ether like smell is good, a bitter acrid smell is bad. Rusty coloured powder on the kernels is a dead give away to powder going bad as well.

Thanks Ranger! I’m not sure what I’ll try first. I’m still setting up a bench to do all of this! I was interested in trying the Hodgkin short cut for the same reasons you mentioned. Thanks for the info!

If I pull the bullet on a Barnes factory round. Is there anyway to know what powder it is or would you just be taking your best guess?