25-06 Possible?

[OneShotNeeded]

Another quick question for all the guru's out there.

I have a 25-06 Savage and am looking for a good mould to use for this application. I've noticed most don't use gas checks, and Lee doesn't make a Lube and Size Kit in .257. Can a cast bullet this small hold the preassure w/o a gas check and not become a glob of molten lead flying through the air. I do realize that the charge, preassure, twist rate and velocity plays a factor. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions, or if the old method of using an accelerator might be the way to go.

[carpetman]

One shot needed---I shoot .22 cals using the 55 grain RCBS mold which is a gas check design. They seem to shoot as well without the gas check as they do with them. I also shoot the 95 grain RCBS mold in .243---another gas check design. Pretty sure RCBS makes a similar mold to those two in .25,if so I'd bet you could shoot with or without the gas check.

[bruce drake]

Keep your velocity around 1600fps and you should be fine. I've got a 257 Roberts that I use a 100gr (257418 - had to look it up) Ideal with. I've shot it gas-checked and without gaschecks. No noticeable difference at 100 yards. Still puts rabbits in the pot.

Bruce

[Bret4207]

If I was you, and I've always admired the 25-06 despite it's overbore condition, I'd find a GC mould of at least 90 gr. Lymans Spire Point 90 gr moulds turn up quite often-257418, the 85 gr 257388 might also work as would the Loverin 257454 at 92 gr. All are out of production as are MOST of Lymans designs. (Rant on-But of course we have about 37 choices for the frickin'43 Spanish!!!!! Rant off) RCBS has a 25-100 and NEI offers several heavier moulds. That big case and small bore can cause problems with getting good combustion, so I'd start with a powder that isn't position sensitive and not terribly slow. Aim for a velocity in the 12-1500 fps range to start. 257 Roberts data couldbe a starting point. I'd use a GC design for sure.

I recommend a fairly heavy boolit because I've always had better luck with a heavier/fatter boolit than with light ones. That being said, there are quite a lot of the Lyman 257420 (65 gr) and 257463 (75gr) designs to be had and both might work good if you're throat isn't a mile long. In something like the 25-06 throat erosion is often a problem and the heavier/longer boolit will help that. I'd seat just a far out as I could and definitly size as fat as the throat will accept.

[Leftoverdj]

Lee made us a run of .259 sizers for a group buy a few years back. It would be worth a call to see if they will make a custom sizer for you. Even their custom prices are reasonable. Buckshot might make you one, too. He's very reaonable and sympathetic to unusual requests.

That same group buy was for twin 79 grain RF TL bullets, one GC and the other PB. I've tried both in .25-06. The PB made a decent squirrel load at about 1200 fps. The GC shot into an inch at 50 yards (my backyard range) at about twice that. My need for those bullets was to feed a .25-20, and I only shot maybe 50 of each in a .25-06 out of curiosity.

I'm with Bret on the GC. PB in .25 cal are a specialty item. They do fine in small game loads and for low cost short range plinking, but they are very velocity limited.

I've had a RCBS 25-100 for decades and have found it an excellent general purpose bullet. I've shot it a 25-35 Imp., two .250-3000s, a .257 Roberts, a .257 AI, and several .25-06. It's done well in all of them, but it's too long to stabilize in the .25-20.

[Larry Gibson]

Another quick question for all the guru's out there..... I've noticed most don't use gas checks....... Can a cast bullet this small hold the preassure w/o a gas check and not become a glob of molten lead flying through the air. I do realize that the charge, preassure, twist rate and velocity plays a factor.


I think most handgun cast bullets don't use GCs but most who shoot cast bullets out of rifle cartridges in rifles use GCs. Otherwise performance is very limited. The 25-06 will do a fine job with a heavier cast bullet as already recommended by others. Also as mentioned keep your velocity down in the 1600-1700 fps range and you'll find good accuracy. With such a bullet as the bore riding RCBS 95 gr bullet ( a good choice) that will keep the bullet within the RPM theshold and save you a bit of frustration over lack of accuracy if you exceed that velocity.

Larry Gibson