25-06 cast?

[bigted]

My Ruger 25-06 is hollerin that it want's/needs to try cast boolits. Have not read too much in the 25's as to boolit molds n such much less shooting reports on either PC'd or lubed cast boolits.

Anybody?

[rancher1913]

the main problem is the 25-06 likes a fast bullet, thats what makes it a good varmit gun. you can get all kinds of 25 cal molds, i would probably go with a gas check verity. if you used a regular mold you would at the very least need to powder coat or hi tek to get any kind of speed.

I gave up on cast and went with swaging for my 25's, 22mag brass makes a really nice jacketed round

[richhodg66]

The older Lyman manuals have data for three or four designs of their cast bullets. I've only done it a very little bit, with some 120 grain gas checked ones someone else cast and then some 95 grain plain based ones I cas that don't work in my .25-20. If you're looking for practice or small game loads, go for it. As for deer hunting with cast, smallest I ever did was 7mm, doubt I'd try it with a .25.

I shoot cast in .22 Hornet, in fact, it's all I shoot in .22 Hornet. A lot of guys on here cast for small bores, no reason you can't have a lot of fun with it, but understand the limitations of it.

[Texas by God]

I did it for a spell with a Lyman 90 gr GC bullet. It was fun with 9 grs of Red Dot, and accurate in my 10" twist Tikka.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[bigted]

Yep lite practice loads and small game getters is what Im after.

I download my Encore 16 inch rifle barrel in 223. 55 grain lee cast boolits runnin around 1300 FPS using Trail Boss. This kinda round is what I would like to arrive at with my 25-06.

My 375 Ruger has my big game hunting covered with cast boolits.

Guess I could just make a stab at a mold and try Trail Boss for powder ... maybe the 120 grain

[clearwater]

Here are some commercial if you want to try out a hundred or so.

http://westernbullet.com/25caliber.html

I have used the gas checked ones and they did well using Unique. Got an SD of 6 for 5 rounds.

[Harter66]

I've started on an older 700 BDL Varmint special . The 260-120 FP NOE is showing promise on Unique I got to 12 gr with groups improving but not really shrinking .

I shot a few Herters 25-80s that appear to be a 258388 I think , I have the 257312 to try also .

I wanted to work up a 1000#/100 yd load first for which I need 2100 fps with the 120s .

For whatever it's worth the 80 gr worked fine with Unique but a start load of 4831 was just too much and the 50 yd backer had square holes in it all over . So there's no need to go there . I don't recall what the books say but I'm sure it was north of 3000 fps , good news , no leading .

[Bad Ass Wallace]

BigTed,

I have been experimenting over the last 6 months with both 303/25 and 250AI and powder coated boolits. A 100gn RCBS gas checked and powder coated boolit are being driven to 2800fps with good accuracy and no visable leading. I'm using some IMR3031 powder in new cases. My rifles both have 1:10" twists.

In your 25/06 a charge of 36-38gns with the 100gn boolit would work well.

[bigted]

Here are some commercial if you want to try out a hundred or so.

http://westernbullet.com/25caliber.html

I have used the gas checked ones and they did well using Unique. Got an SD of 6 for 5 rounds.

Thanks, ordered 500 117 grain. Will try em out. Seems like a reasonable price at 13 bucks per 100. If they work for my needs looks like I will be on the lookout for the mold.

Thankyou all for the reply's. Like reading everybody's thinking and experience.

[quilbilly]

Since you have an Encore 25/06, the twist is probably the same as my 250 Sav. Encore carbine. Mine loves cast with frequent 100 yard groups under 1.25" using 107 gr boolits from an old Saeco RNGC mold. The powder is 4198 for an MV of about 1850 fps. I have tried 120 gr JSP's in the rifle and they shot well out to 200 yards but I prefer shooting cast. NOE has a great looking 25 mold that a friend of men ordered for his 25/06.

[Three44s]

BigTed,

I have been experimenting over the last 6 months with both 303/25 and 250AI and powder coated boolits. A 100gn RCBS gas checked and powder coated boolit are being driven to 2800fps with good accuracy and no visable leading. I'm using some IMR3031 powder in new cases. My rifles both have 1:10" twists.

In your 25/06 a charge of 36-38gns with the 100gn boolit would work well.

I have that mold. Got it on sale after it was a special order item!

Casts very well but I need to work with it some more. I have several quarter bores from 25-20 through 25-06. Maybe I ought to try the “big’n”?

Three44s

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Interesting. What alloy? Can you define good accuracy?

BigTed,

I have been experimenting over the last 6 months with both 303/25 and 250AI and powder coated boolits. A 100gn RCBS gas checked and powder coated boolit are being driven to 2800fps with good accuracy and no visable leading. I'm using some IMR3031 powder in new cases. My rifles both have 1:10" twists.

In your 25/06 a charge of 36-38gns with the 100gn boolit would work well.

[foxtrotter]

I have been shooting Lyman 257325 in both a 25-06 & 257 Roberts for over 40 yrs, 25-06 is custom with a 1:12 twist. I have used loads from 5 gr bullseye to 25 gr 4759. I use straight wheelweights, Hornady GC, sized .258, lube with various commercial hard products.
25-06 with 25 gr 4759 no filler 2400 fps
257 with 18 gr 4759 no filler 1850 fps

The 1964 edition of Handloaders Digest has an article on squib loads which is where I got interested in extremely light stuff for shooting near people that would be bothered by the noise of hot loads