25-06

[madang55]

Last threads on 25-06 were a few years ago. Does this mean its gone away? Seems that a lot of the new calibres have meteoric rises then gradual but eventual downs and the 25-06 is still around. So, who still has one? I just picked up one and I'm like an expectant parent. Only a small range of projectile weights, but damned effective. I'm a tinkerer, so I think this is going to be a lot of fun. Finding the necessary bits has been interesting. Dies from Adelaide, projectiles from Qld and Vic, Cases from Qld and Vic. I've mothballed my heavy barrelled 6.5 Creed and I reckon the 25-06 is going to get a lot more work. I might even take the Varmint stock off the Creed and put it on the hunter. Now there's some free floating!!
Favourite load data guys, always nice to see what works. Particularly 100gr pills.

[No1Mk3]

I'm using Hornady 117g SST with 57.5g of 2217 for around 2900 fps, good results at 500 yds but needs a bit more tuning, will play with jump next load. Rifle is a Ruger 77 VT.

[deye243]

I wouldn't be tinkering to much as they have a short accurate barrel life .

Having said that my favourite varmint load is 60g of 2209 and a 75 vmax for 3750 from memory but on anything smaller than an adult fox they are underwhelming if you are looking for paddock pizza as they are to hard a pill for rabbits and hares .

I will have to have a look for my 115 Berger VLD load think it was 58g of 2217 but since I got a 260r the 26 06 has just sat doing nothing as it shoots a lot flatter and hits a lot harder with a LOT less noise.

[wrenchman]

Sheep hunters love the round very flat shooting I have not had any experience with any other than looking at a few

[madang55]

Is it just me or is the 25-06 one of thos rounds with both small and large primers. I was preparing some hand-me-down cases and sort of fell off my perch when I noticed that the primers were a different size. I did measure them.

20230811_172013.jpg (468.19 KiB) Viewed 1142 times

And can anyone identify the odd Headstamp on the RH side ones?

[Jorlcrin]

The 'nny' is one of the stamps I find in the Highland brass I brought some years back.
I also find some of it stamped 'PPU'.

Turns out the 'nny' is the Cryllic stamp for 'PPU'; they are both made by Privi-Partisan.
From Wikipedia: "ППУ (PPU) Prvi Partizanski zavod ad Užice ("First Partisan" Ammunition Plant) (1945–present) – Užice, Yugoslavia (now Serbia)."

I bought a heap of .308 150gn SP Highland ammo about 10 years back.
The ammo was pretty crap for accuracy/consistency.
When I first started reloading the brass, I didnt have high hopes for the quality of it.
I found it needed a lot of work to get it into similar shape as the Lapua and even ADI brass I'd bought.
But once I got it all into shape, it's lasted pretty well, and that brass is still part of my collection of brass after 8 or more reloads.

[Unlike the new Remington brass I bought for the 7mm-08; binned the whole batch on the 3rd reload due to the high amount of case failures.]

[macjeffrey]

I have a tikka t3 in 25-06. 60.5 gn 2213sc and hornady 75gn shoots small groups and annihilates foxes. Tried a few primers and settled on federal match. This resulted in noticeably smaller groups. AOL changes and distance to lands didn’t impact accuracy much. 120 grainers and 2209 also group well for bigger stuff.

[madang55]

The 'nny' is one of the stamps I find in the Highland brass I brought some years back.
I also find some of it stamped 'PPU'.

Turns out the 'nny' is the Cryllic stamp for 'PPU'; they are both made by Privi-Partisan.
From Wikipedia: "ППУ (PPU) Prvi Partizanski zavod ad Užice ("First Partisan" Ammunition Plant) (1945–present) – Užice, Yugoslavia (now Serbia)."

I bought a heap of .308 150gn SP Highland ammo about 10 years back.
The ammo was pretty crap for accuracy/consistency.
When I first started reloading the brass, I didnt have high hopes for the quality of it.
I found it needed a lot of work to get it into similar shape as the Lapua and even ADI brass I'd bought.
But once I got it all into shape, it's lasted pretty well, and that brass is still part of my collection of brass after 8 or more reloads.

[Unlike the new Remington brass I bought for the 7mm-08; binned the whole batch on the 3rd reload due to the high amount of case failures.]

Well that solves that mystery. What about the primer size, either an optical illusion or they are actually different sizes. I'm guessing I will find out when I try and put a large primer into what i think is a small whole.

[animalpest]

2209 for 100gr bullets.

[madang55]

As part of a "deal" I picked up about 100 pieces of brass. A mixture of the ones in the photo above. Some primed, some not, and about 30 loaded rounds. Most a little dull on the outside but shiny new on the inside. Being the suspicious type, I've de-primed, re-sized, annealed all of it. Apart from the odd primer size difference, turns out they're all LRP, some a little tighter, the projectiles I pulled from the loaded rounds looked ODD. 2 were cannelured SP 140gr, the rest were 142gr boat tail. (looked like javelins) I took out one of my 25Cal projectiles and they dropped through the mouth of the pulled case. I'm in the process of buying a new gauge, so I can't accurately measure the diameter, but I'm thinking they're 6.5 proj. The previous owner has been playing dangerously. There is no load data for 140gr for the 25-06. And these proj were definitely loaded into 25-06 cases. Glad I didn't just drive them into my new toy. The 6.5-06 ASQUARE is out there, BUT!!!

[Gamerancher]

Yeah, at 140gr, they won't be .25 cal. Pull them all and resize the cases with your full length die.
If you don't have a 6.5mm, bin the pills so you don't make any mistakes later.

[deye243]

As part of a "deal" I picked up about 100 pieces of brass. A mixture of the ones in the photo above. Some primed, some not, and about 30 loaded rounds. Most a little dull on the outside but shiny new on the inside. Being the suspicious type, I've de-primed, re-sized, annealed all of it. Apart from the odd primer size difference, turns out they're all LRP, some a little tighter, the projectiles I pulled from the loaded rounds looked ODD. 2 were cannelured SP 140gr, the rest were 142gr boat tail. (looked like javelins) I took out one of my 25Cal projectiles and they dropped through the mouth of the pulled case. I'm in the process of buying a new gauge, so I can't accurately measure the diameter, but I'm thinking they're 6.5 proj. The previous owner has been playing dangerously. There is no load data for 140gr for the 25-06. And these proj were definitely loaded into 25-06 cases. Glad I didn't just drive them into my new toy. The 6.5-06 ASQUARE is out there, BUT!!!

Sounds like it's time for a rebarrel to 6.506 .

[madang55]

Geez, re-barrel...I just got this one..Yes got a new caliper,...6.5 they were.....binned they are. I'm moth-balling the Creedmoor until I can sell it off bit by bit. I have a Grendel, but 140 is a waste. 6.5-06...that sounds really interesting but no.
Anyway...anyone tried the 87gr Bertrams? Factory is just up the road.

[madang55]

Has anyone tried the 87gr Bertrams?

[madang55]

Has anyone tried the 87gr Bertrams?

Seems no-one has....any reasons in particular?
Not a good projectile?

[deye243]

Properly because made in aus no shops stock or promote them umm no fancy placky tip unknown accuracy and impact performance that list gos on .

[madang55]

Properly because made in aus no shops stock or promote them umm no fancy placky tip unknown accuracy and impact performance that list gos on .

Well I will just have to see for myself. At $40/100, the paddock rats won't know the difference.

[deye243]

Properly because made in aus no shops stock or promote them umm no fancy placky tip unknown accuracy and impact performance that list gos on .

Well I will just have to see for myself. At $40/100, the paddock rats won't know the difference.

Great don't forget to put up a review I for one would like to know if they are explosive or tough and mushroom like a hunting pill .

[madang55]

Projectiles.jpg (72.08 KiB) Viewed 851 times

Properly because made in aus no shops stock or promote them umm no fancy placky tip unknown accuracy and impact performance that list gos on .

Well I will just have to see for myself. At $40/100, the paddock rats won't know the difference.

Great don't forget to put up a review I for one would like to know if they are explosive or tough and mushroom like a hunting pill .

After having a look and a "feel" of the projectile...
The lead tip/point reminds me of a big bore.. Not pointy but rather blunt, not 'neat'
The ogive......not long or elongated
The actual metal jacket not polished as the commercial projectiles are... not as pretty and without correct equip, I'm not able to say if the case is softer or harder.
I reckon they will probably wreck havoc on foxes, goats, PR's etc.
We shall see.
The picture is of my collection
87gr Bertram, 100gr Speers and Sierra's and a 117gr Hornady SST