25-06, boolets and IMR stick powders

[quack1]

Anybody have any powder suggestions for a 90gr GC boolet in 25-06 using 3031, 4895 or 4831? I'm hoping for around 2000fps. I have a couple hundred cast up from a new to me mold and am just waiting for better weather to start shooting them. I've been loading the 60gr boolet that I use in the 25-20 with 2400 and 4227, but would like to try some IMR stick powders I have on hand with the heavier boolet. All the data I can find for IMR stick powders in my old load books is for 4198 in a 257 Roberts (books predate 25-06) which I will try, but would also like to try the others. Anybody have any suggestions or experience, good or bad, with these powders in the 25-06?
I did use the search function, but there isn’t much on cast in the 25-06.
Thanks

[BerdanIII]

I looked around and found only one load for a 100-gr bullet (at the bottom) with 4831 in a Lyman handbook. That much powder seems like a waste.

You might use the Reloder 7 data as a starting point for IMR3031 since Reloder 7 is slightly faster, but I would expect to see unburned powder in the case and bore.

Richard Hoch wote an article on various calibers as cast bullet shooters and was not impressed with the .25-'06. He thought that case size was playing a role in limiting accuracy, although from his writings he had (has) very high standards on what he considers to be "accurate".

From: .300 Savage Pump Gun; The Fouling Shot 50-37

"I have used WW-680 in my .25/06 with good results in the past. The following are some loads with the Lyman #257312 (90 gr):

Powder - Charge - Velocity - E.S.
WW-680 - 11.0 - 1395 -
WW-680 - 12.0 - 1490 - 58
WW-680 - 13.0 - 1565 - 55

Although I have not had any problems with ball powders, due to the hazards of WW-296 I don't think I'll use them any more for reduced loads."

From: More on the .300 Sav. and .25-06; The Fouling Shot 53-39
"I did some more testing with WW-680 in my .25-06 and different primers, but results were still not very good ballistically. Accuracy with both WW-680 and 2400 is about the same, but 2400 burns much more uniformly. Here are some chronograph results using a Hoch bullet that is similar to the Lyman 257312, weighing 90 grs., and WW-680.

Charge - Primer - Velocity - Std. Dev.
17.6 - CCI 250 - 1670 - 28
17.6 - Fed 210 - 1701 - 66
17.6 - Fed 150 -1853 - 56
18.5 - CCI 250 - 1802 - 92
18.5 - Fed 210 - 1719 - 73
18.5 - Fed 150 - 1831 - 73

This inconsistency may be aggravated by the fact that the throat is worn to the point that the bullets cannot be seated to touch the rifling. I don't plan to use WW-680 in the .25-06 any more."

From: Try Cast in the .25-06; The Fouling Shot 67-25
"Norm Duesterhoeft sent along some chronograph data on his experiments with RL-7 and SR4759 in the .25-06. This cartridge is not generally thought of as a good one for cast bullet shooting, but Norm reports he's getting the same accuracy with lead as he has gotten with jacketed bullets in his gun, or 1½-2" groups. Should be worth trying, if you happen to have one laying around. All loads were assembled with the NEI 115.257 GC bullet, using Winchester cases and CCI 200 primers. Rifle was a Ruger M-77 with a 24" barrel."

SR4759 - Velocity - Std. Dev.
15.4 - 1588 - 18.4
16.2 - 1661 - 13.0
17.0 - 1732 - 11.2
17.6 - 1784 - 9.1
18.5 - 1884 - 15.8

Rel 7 - Velocity - Std. Dev.
18.4 - 1599 - 19.6
19.0 - 1657 - 12.8
19.7 - 1713 - 13.2
20.4 - 1771 - 23.2
21.1 - 1815 - 19.6
21.8 - 1850 - 10.6

From: Cast Bullets Afield, Part II: Small Game Bullets, Handloader #192, April-May 1998
NEI 120.257 (.258"), CCI 250, RP case

BHN - Powder - Charge - MV - 100 yd Group
21 - 2400 - 16.5 - 1867 - 0.9"
21 - 2400 - 18.0 - 2001 - 1.1
21 - IMR4227 - 24.0 - 2012 - 1.2
21 - IMR4227 - 26.0 - 2156 - 1.25
28 - IMR4198 - 26.5 - n/c - 1.25
28 - IMR4198 - 27.0 - n/c - 1.2

Lyman Handbook No. 41

Lyman 257418 (100 gr) - 58.0 - 4831

[HORNET]

You might try using some of the loads from one of the .270 threads as a starter. Look around down the main index page under Cast Loads: My Favorite Cartridges (IIRC). Maybe start about 19.0 grains of 3031 with some Dacron fiberfill, seated out to firmly touch the rifling and work upward in 1 grain steps to about 30 grains. See what it likes. If groups start to open back up, you've passed where it wants to be. About the same with 4895, maybe a little heavier loads.

[fourarmed]

Hodgdon recommends 4895 at 60% of starting loads for a light cast boolit load. I have used 25 gr. of Reloader 7 with good results in the .25/06.