25-06 question

I am wondering some of the factory loads yall have been using with good success? My rifle shoots the cheap 100 grain corelokts really well. Last weekend i shot a decent 9 point at about 60yds dropped in his tracks flat on his back, less than 30 secs later he jumps up ran about 75 yds no blood trail because of no exit hole im assuming, luckily i found him few minutes later. Well last night i shot a doe at about 150yds dropped in her tracks but took a minute for her to expire, once again no exit wound. Both were heart shots, and while skinning the corelokt reaked havoc on the heart pretty much turned the vitals to mush. But if these deer would have ran any distance they would be almost impossible to find without having a good blood trail. I really like the caliber probably the most accurate rifle i have just wondering about some different bullets that has been successful for yall.

I use the Hornady Superformance with the 117 grain SST. My Encore barrel shoots it really really well. I used it on a Pronghorn hunt in Wyoming and took a doe at a little over 300 yards. It was a neck shot that dropped her. Blew a softball sized hole in her neck and she dropped right there.

Mine likes 117 & 120's, but I haven't used it in a few years!

If you are looking for a "pass through" bullet, nosler partition would probably get the nod. I choose to use 117 gr hornady SST's. My 25-06 shoots them very accurately and I have had good luck with pass through's. I shoot core-lokts out of my .243, again, cause the gun shoot them accurately and the bullet performance, on deer , has been great. Good luck and keep me posted on your bullet performance. Im always ready to learn more about my favorite caliber..... The 25-06

The smaller and faster the caliber the less I like to use standard cup and core bullets like the CoreLokt bullets. That is where preminum bullets like Partitions, accubonds, siroccos, a-frame, barnes TSX and TTSX bullets really shine. Mushroom and do enough damage while providing good exit holes for blood trails if needed.

If impact velocities are going to be above 2800fps for planned hunting with any round I use one of the ones listed above.

I really like the Nosler Accubonds in my 25-06. I think what I use was made by Double Tap ammo. Very accurate and knocks deer down hard. I have a lot of confidence in this load.

Really like these loads in my gun!!!

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/347394/...=ProductFinding

Ed

x2

If you want an exit hole, go with the partition. Or 100 grain TTSX.

X2. I only use the nosler custom ammo with a 100gr partition now.

Had good luck with the 100gr tsx also.

Turning "the vitals to mush" sounds like excellent bullet performance to me. IME, many heart-shot animals will run like scalded cats 50 yards or so until they die in mid-stride. A .25-06 shooting 100 gr bullets at high velocity may be resulting in more of an explosive effect than you want, however. If you desire reliable exit wounds, a move up to a heavier premium bullet of 115-120 grs may be what you're looking for.

My wife shoots a 25-06 and she love the rifle and I do to. I chose Federal Premium Nosler 100grn Ballistic Tip bullet. Works well. The most any deer ran is 15 yards.

My wife shoots here 257 WBY on dang near everything. She shot it in Africa on everything from impala to kudu and everything was DRT..entrance and exit.



The ammo:


http://www.midwayusa.com/product/537555/...=ProductFinding

Ed

^^Awesome animal^^

I started off shooting Winchester Accubonds out of my 25-06 and the first few deer were DRT. But the exit holes were .25" and there was NO blood. I'd put them on the back of the truck and drive to the cleaning station and the tailgate would be clean. I knew that if one didn't fall where it stood I'd be in trouble and sure enough it happened. Hit one right before dark with no blood trail whatsoever. Lost the deer and haven't shot them since.

I'm using the core-lokt with great results and great exit wounds.

Accubonds have been excellent for me.

Thank you..she loves to hunt, she has gone to a lady hunter in a savage in a 308 and runs a SDN-6 suppressor with it for most of our hunting around home.. She still loves her Blaser though...barrels in 257 WBY and 7x57.

Ed

I've been hunting with 25-06 for 16 years, shooting hand-loads with 115gr Partitions. Shots from 25 yards to just over 300 and even if they weren't DRT they didn't require tracking. This is on whitetail from small ET deer to 200+ pound bucks out west.

I've shot quite a few deer and Hogs with the 100 gr Core Lokts. Most everything drops in it's tracks or doesn't go far but I don't know if I've ever gotten a pass through. They leave all their energy in the deer but if you want a blood trail you should at least step up to a 117 gr bullet to improve your odds of a pass through. I've used 117 gr partitions but my gun doesn't seem to like them much.

My gun Shoots the 117 gr. Sierra game king at 3/8" groups. I haven't shot anything with them yet but with that type of accuracy I'm pretty sure I'm gonna stick with those.

Federal vital shok 117 is your bullet.

I started shooting 25-06 this year and so far we are 2/2 on deer and 1/1 on coyote with same bullet, the 117gr hornaday SST. Both deer were heart shot, first one jumped about 15 feet and expired, second deer ran about 50-60 yards and expired. I have had +\- experiences on heart shot deer, some drop very close and some run a little ways before dropping. But, I like this bullet and the gun so far. it helps to have the gun shoot this factory bullet around 3/4 MOA or better with just a front rest, so I have high confidence in the system.

100 gr cor-lokt is my favorite. They have all exited and the deer is DRT. I have used some old Speer 120 hot core ammo that had worked very good also. This was ammo Speer made for a little bit too hen Federal bought them out, I belive.

My father uses 100gr. Barnes TTSX in his weatherby vanguard II and has devastated out to 250yds with awesome accuracy. great for pig as well, great penetration and expansion.

My father uses 100gr. Barnes TTSX in his weatherby vanguard II and has devastated out to 250yds with awesome accuracy. great for pig as well, great penetration and expansion.

100 grain CoreLokts seem easier to find than 120 grain and appear just as effective.

I use Federal premium 120 NP in my 257 Roberts, I have not recovered a bullet in the ten or so deer I shot with it.

My daughter and I both shoot 25-06's. We use Hornady 117 SST ammo and have had great results and are accurate in our Remington 700's. The bullets do damage a lot of meat if hit in shoulder and so far had only one bullet that didn't completely pass through and that was on a mature mule deer and he expired in view. Farthest I had one run was a double lung behind the shoulders and went about 50 yards with a good blood trail.