25-06/115g VLD's/400 yards

kyotekiller25

kyotekiller25

Well-known member
Finally was able to get some longer distance shooting in this morning. I was mainly concentrating on the 115g VLD's out of my 25-06. Previous testing at 100 yards with RL-22 showed mediocre results, however they were 5 shot groups. I went back to 3 shot groups as this is a hunting rifle. 50g RL-22 shot the best at 100 yards, so I decided to load a few there, and also at 50.5g. I am using Win brass, Fed 210 primer, and bullet seated right at the lands. I also loaded up 1 load that duplicated the 50g RL-22 load, but the only difference I did was a primer swap which happened to be the CCI 200. I figured that might or might not help, only way to know is to try!! I"m glad I did

I also shot the 300 WBY w/200g AB w/83g IMR-7828. I pulled the 1 shot which was low, and was not to happy with that. Might work on this load at 400 a little later. The group was 5.5".

50g RL-22 w/fed 210 shot right at 2 1/4" which is just barely over 1/2 MOA.

50.5g RL-22 w/fed 210 shot a whopping 8" which is just plain horrible for this distance, which is 2 MOA. Amazing what .5g powder difference can do.

50g RL-22 w/CCI 200 shot right at 1" which is just plain awesome. 1/4 MOA at 400 yards, I'll take it any day of the week. I just may use these 115g VLD's afterall!!!

I didn't cronograph this morning as I was just shooting for groups/accuracy. I'll definately be loading them up with the CCI 200 primer and checking velocity, however with the Fed 210 and 50g RL-22, there right at 3025fps. Curious to see how the velocity changes with just the primer swap as accuracy was cut in half!!!

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Its a trued Rem 700 with a 24" shilen semi heavy varmint contour. Brand of stock is unknown to me. It has the high cheek piece profile like a McMillan, but I doubt it is a McMillan. It is synthetic. Factory trigger at 5 lbs, horrible I know. Needs to be reworked but I cant break the screws loose. I might end up buying a timney if I cant ever break them loose. Leupold 4-12 AO for now. I cant get the rings off either, otherwise I'd swap my 6-18 Leupold w/turrets. Seems the previous owner felt the need to loc tite every dam screw on the rifle...

I just sighted in 6" high at 100 so I could do testing at 400. Its a lot easier to do testing at LR when you can just crank the knobs...

I still want to work the trigger down to 1.5 lbs, switch the scope to a 6-18 leupold, and paint the stock before coyote season. So I have a little bit of work to do before Its the way I really woudl like it. Its ok for now though.
 
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For now, LR steel, and coyotes.

Maybe in the future, I'll try them on deer.

Have you tried them?



Yes, I tried them in 2 barrels. They shot about 1 moa at 3oo yards with my original factory barrel.

Trying them at 1000 yards with both my old factory and Lilja, I couldn't get decent groups. But I only shot about 50 in each barrel using 4350-4831 & CCI's. Though they definetly had the wind advantage compared to all other bullets.

I am extremely impressed with the 6mm Berger 105grn. VLD. I can't say enough about that.
 
I have heard the Berger 115gr VLDs will do a number on coyotes out to 600 yards and beyond. Sounds like you have a good setup there.
 
125 VLD would be awesome. The added BC would be a big bonus.

I'm only seeing a slight wind advantage of a few inches with the 115g VLD compared to the 115g NBT. I can push the 115g NBT at 3150-3200, so the advantage is very slim when I'm only pushing the 115 VLD to 3025.

I"ll be doing them again at 400, then 800 when the wind dies down and I have my 6-18. Hopefully they'll do what I want of them and thats to put big holes in kyotes and put em down hard!!

Otherwise, I'm going back to the 100 or 115 NBT. Just dont know if they'll shoot as good out of this rifle yet. I haven't worked with those bullets out of this 25 yet. I'll be working with them soon though as well...
 
initial tests are looking good with the 140 vld's out of my 6.5 gibbs, running them 3250 with 61 gr of re22, first 3 shots were at 100 yards and went into .417" the next 3 were at 600, bad mirage and about a 4mph breeze which wasn't adjusted for, ended up with a 6" group which I'm sure is due to mirage and heatwaves (target was really dancing in the mark 4) all these shots were fired off a bipod.
RR
 
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I'm only seeing a slight wind advantage of a few inches with the 115g VLD compared to the 115g NBT.




That slight advantage was at 400 yards? I would be interested to know the difference further out, maybe 700+ yards.

It seems like you could get the VLD's going faster than the boattail, theres less bearing surface to deal with.
 
thats at 625 yards. Dont ask me why I picked that range. But out to 700 yards. Its only about 4" which aint really much IMO.

I'm sure I can get the VLD's going faster, but accuracy suffers. So theres really no point in pushing them.

I get my best accuracy with the 115 NBT's usually at 3150-3200. So in real world, there is going to be neglible difference out to 800 yards...
 
that appears to be a 4x12 Vari II...right????? That target also appears to be around 10-12 inches high????? right about the size of a pie plate. how could you see that at 400 yards????
 
Indeed a VX2 4-12.

And yes your correct about it being about a 10-12" square.

Well I dont know I saw it, I have eyes and I bracket the square to my crosshair. Not very hard to see, but I do like 18x a little better then 12x. Just proof you dont need a telescope to shoot small groups at longer distance. Member that thread about 9x at 100 yards???

Are you telling me you cant see a pie plate size object at 400 yards with a 12x scope???

That could be kinda scary IMO...
 
I used to make bullets for Benchrest Competiton. The problem with the bullet jackets that are used on competition bullets is that the base of the bullet is thin, and will distort with the high rotational stresses.

I was able to push the Nosler 115's at 3350 fps out of a custom 26" 25/06 with 58.5g of R#25 in a Win case and a 215 primer shooting groups in the high 3's and low 4's.

In the same rifle, 63.0g of R#25, win case, 100g Ballistic tip, 215 primer shot groups in the high 2's and low 3's at 3650 fps with zero pressure, only neck sizing was required.

In a Stainless 700 that I have now, I am shooting the 100g Speer BT at 3475 fps shooting 1 1/2" groups at 400 yards with win cases, WLR primer, and 57.5g of R#19. I bump the shoulder on every firing with a Bonanza neck sizer and full length size about every 10th firing.

If you try any of these loads, start 5g less and work up to these loads.

I tried the 95g Berger in my 25/06 and they would not group at all. The 100g Noslers, Sierra Spt BT, and Sierra Match shot better than the 95g Bergers, but the 100g Speer Spt BT really is unreal. I shoot 1/2" groups at 200 yards with this Rem 700 Stainless, but it does hava a 6-24 Pentax on it. Deer hit the gound fast with that Speer 100g BT.
 
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In a Stainless 700 that I have now, I am shooting the 100g Speer BT at 3475 fps shooting 1 1/2" groups at 400 yards with win cases, WLR primer, and 57.5 grains RE-19 . I bump the shoulder on every firing with a Bonanza neck sizer and full length size about every 10th firing.



How long does you brass last with a load like that?

I know a bunch of .25-06s that can't handle 57.5 grains of RE-22 with a 100 grainer... let alone the same charge of RE-19.

I do like the RE-25 loads with the heavies... I prefer Retumbo... but it's the same concept. I shoot the 115 Bergers at 3100 plus, in a 24" Lilja pipe, pretty easily... I'm sure I could get 3200... but why push it?
 
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I tried the 95g Berger in my 25/06 and they would not group at all.



That's not what I wanted to hear /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif I just bought 700 of these to try. Hopefully they will work for me.
 
Hmmm, might have to try that RL-25 with some 100g and 115g NBT's. I like your velocities and accuracy.

3650 with zero pressure is identical to a .257 WM, very nice. That would be a zapper for coyotes!!

57g RL-22 w/100g SBT didn't shoot for crap in my rifle. 3450fps and about 1.5" group at 100 yards.

56g RL-22 put 2 touching, and flung the 3rd 1". I was just using up the bullets, not to concerned with it.

Thinking of trying a new powder with the 100's and 115's and it looks like I"ll be trying some RL-25. I usually stick with 4831 or RL-22.
 
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