25-06 Ramshot Magnum Powder

R

Ramjet

New member
Well I have a Stevens 200 in 25-06 and 2 lbs. of Magnum has anybody tried this combo . I am also using Federal 215 mag primers and the following bullets:

Rem 100gr coreloks
Sierra 117gr Game Kings
Speer 120gr hot cores

This gun seems to shoot everything OK but finding a load that give a sub moa group every time has been difficult . I get 1 1/4" with almost any factory load and about the same with the hand loads I have tried . Not bad but I think it will do better .
 
I've shot a lot of Ramshot Magnum behind 115/117 grain bullets in the .25-06. Typically you'll see 3050-3150 with 58-61 grains depending on the bullet/rifle. I found that a magnum primer was also necessary to get the kind of accuracy/velocity I was looking for.

Never run it with the 100s
 
6mm I was going with a mag primer cause the barrel on the Stevens is only 22 inches and I felt like i was not getting complete burns with my earlier loads. I was thinking that this may be the reason the moa groups have been hard to get . I am using this gun for whitetails and yotes with an occasional pig thrown in . Worst groups I have seen are about 1 1/2" which is really nothing to complain about . But hey I have been spoiled by modern manufacturing .
 
If the worst groups you're seeing are 1.5".... then you've got the right powder.... just need to work on seating sounds like to me.

All that powder should burn in the first 10-12" of barrel.... I just found lower ES/SD numbers with mag primers.
 
I've seen a couple of 1/10"s that struggled with longer 115-120s. The one I had actually measured closer to 1/10.5", it wouldn't shoot 115 NBTs, 115 Bergers, or the 117 Sierra SBT.
 
6mm-I tried the Rem 100gr Core-Loks with both factory and reloads . So far about 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" groups but the Win (factory Loaded) 120 gr Flat base hollow points have given me my only 1" groups . You might be right I think I will try some sierra 117gr Prohunter flat base bullets and do a little more work with the 100gr Core-loks. I should also tell you my first handloads were with H4831sc and standard primers . I am going to go back and try mag primers with these loads.I am interested in the Magnum powder because i have 2 pounds of it in inventory and only a small amout of the 4831SC.


I would sure like to hear from some other 25-06 Savage /Stevens owners about their experiences.
 
Are you hung up on these bullets or can you try something different? The 115gr may be too long to stabilize well, but not likely. What is your intended purpose for these loads? May need to get into a little lighter bullet. Also, out of curiosity, what are you using to meter your powder?
 
Not hung up on any bullet . I picked these based on others I am loading in different cartridges . Future targets include mostly coyotes , but some deer , and hogs. I bought this gun because I am traveling all over the country and I wanted something accurate , long range ,and cost effective.
 
Some may argue, but I am going to say that if you are getting your best groupings with which ever weight of bullet (i think 120gr) then i would play with other bullets in that 120gr bracket. In my 25/06 I'm shooting both 75gr sierra hp's and 115gr barnes tsx's. Both these bullets will give me .75" or better 3 shot groups. I do have a 26" barrel though, and it's a ruger. For a good mid line bullet I would suggest 100gr ish with maybe just a lead point for all around performance. I'm going to say that your choice of Magnum powder is on the slow end for 25/06 and will see more benifit in a longer tube. With your shorter barrel a faster powder most likely will perform better.

Also, possibly chasing accuracy problems with ammo, when it's due to action bedding issues. Such things as free floating the barrel, and making sure action screws are tight, if you haven't already covered those.
 
Originally Posted By: travjc
Also, possibly chasing accuracy problems with ammo, when it's due to action bedding issues. Such things as free floating the barrel, and making sure action screws are tight, if you haven't already covered those.

This is an excellent point, and should be checked for sure. If all seems well, and the above mentioned groups are fairly uniform, then I'd say the rifle system is fine and to continue making small adjustments to the loads until you see desired accuracy.

Also, for what it's worth..... if I'm doing "load development" and a load shoots a sub-1" triangle, then it gets shot at 300. I think a lot of good loads get thrown out because they're not internet groups at 100 yards ("sub-1/4"... "all day long"). I have seen a lot of 1" loads shoot 2" at 300 and 3.5-5" at 600. I think it has a lot to do with scope parallax.... but I'm really not sure why it is.

Here's a couple .25-06 Ramshot Hunter loads. 115 Berger VLDs, velocity was right around 3100 (note the WLRM primer).

115groups.jpg
 
Regarding bedding the gun is pillar bedded and free floated .As for groups a consistent 1" (3 shot) is my requirement . I want this level of accuracy to shoot at ranges of at least 350 yards . However the most shots I take are less than 150 yards .My gun is equipped with a Simmons Master Atec 4 1/2-14 scope with a side mounted parallax adjustment . Just so you know I measure my groups from the outside diameter of the hole not the center . I also agree there are some fantastic groups on the net .

As for the choice of Magnum for powder it may not be the best selection but I have it . I also have some Hybrid 100v and Reloader 22 . I have only fired hand loads with 4831sc with Remington standard large rifle primers . I am going to try these loads with mag primers . I just want the coyotes I kill to next fall to know they died with the best combination of components I could put together and that big hole in there chest is a monument to American Manufacturing. Because for me it is all about "Big Hole". In west Tennessee the fur is never really prime .
 
I should also tell you that I have installed a Rifle Basix trigger set at 2 lbs - 6 oz. I never shot the gun with the original trigger . The stock will ultimately be replaced with a Boyds ; probably a thumb hole . I already have the pillars but don't have the time before this fall.
 
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