25-06 Rem. !00 or 117 Gr. for Whitetail

M

MNSHOOTER

New member
Hi Guys,
I have always shot 117 Hyd. Interlocks in my 24" barreled Ruger . It shoots well and on game performance is great! My question is will the 100 gr. Nosler BT shoot flatter and perform as well or better at long ranges [ 300 + yds ]? I found a new spot to sit this year that could offer a longer shot. I have tried some and they group great over 54 gr. of AA3100 { .500 groups } . I am torn between the old saying "if it aint broke don't fix it" and wondering if their is a better long range option out their. I also live a 100 mi from nowhere so I don't have time before season to work with any other bullets than the two I have on hand . A nice buck here will top 200# dressed !! Thanks for the help .
 
Assuming that you are getting better velocity from the 100 gr. load, which you should be, then yes, it should shoot flatter. How much flatter depends on the velocity difference. Having said that, the heavier bullet will eventually overtake the lighter bullet re velocity and will have more momentum, which will get it the energy edge at longer range.

The question that controls is, how much flatter will the 100 gr. shoot, and is the difference significant enough to change loads.

If you can get me the velocities of the two loads, I'll be happy to punch them into my ballistics program and give you the data.
 
Thanks for the reply ! I don't have a chronograph but out of the manual the 117's are at about 3000 fps and the 100's are 3250 fps. The velocity should be close as my ruger is the 24" heavy barreled model. My other concern is not only in trajectory but is the 100 gr. BT enough slug for big a whitetail past 300 yds. Thanks Mark
 
That 100gr bullet will do the job if you do yours. Gotta love the quarterbores. I have a .257wby and handload it with 100gr gamekings. These 100gr's will do the job for you.
 
I shoot a load in my 25/06 with the Win Brass, WLR primer, 100g Hornady flat base, 57-58.5g of R#19 at 3460 fps and extrremly accurate at 300 yards. I shoot another load of 63.0g of R#25 with the 100g HOrnady flat base, Fed 215 primer and it shoots just a little bit tighter but I have not clocked it yet. I suspet that it is churning over 3500 fps because in the 12" twist that had a 26" barrel on it, the velocity was 3630 fps.

In this same 12" twist 25/06, Using the Sierra 117g flat base 58.0g of R#25 was punching 3350 fps out of the 26" barrel shooting groups in the .400 range.

Remington Brass is softer in the case head and will not take the pressure that the Winchester brass will.

Please work up to these loads in your rifle if you try them, they were safe in my gun, but in your rifle, these loads may produce excessive pressure.
 
Given the velocities you provided, it shakes out about like this, assuming you're 3" high at 100:

100 200 300 400 500
path
100 gr 3.00 3.66 -0.19 -9.34 -24.76

117 gr. 3.01 3.10 -1.88 -12.70 -30.27


energy
100 2011 1718 1460 1233 1035

117 2047 1785 1550 1340 1153
 
Thanks for all the info! It looks like I am going to stick with the 117 gr. interlock. I have never found one in over 20 deer , they have always exited even at some bad angles !! I thought their would have been a bigger difference in the 100's but after seeing the chart I don't think its worth messing with my confidence level!! Mark
 
As it hasn't been noted in replies, the 117-120 gr. bullets have greater sectional density (SD) and a higher ballistic co-efficient (BC) than the 100 grains....thus, they will almost always out-perform the 100s in energy, drift, drop, energy, and penetration at loner ranges [True for any caliber as to respective SD and BC numbers].

While Ackleyman notes a load of 58gr./R-25 w/117 gr. bullet at 3350fps as "safe in my gun", that velocity quoted is at least 200fps faster than a 25/06 maximum load in most manuals i.e. an overload...I would not even try to duplicate that! I have reloaded for a Ruger 25/07 77-R (your rifle) since 1983. Good hunting
 
Welcome to the board Spec.

We always used the 117-120gr bullets for hunting. They seem to work well. I would not change what you have if it is working well.
 
My all around gun was a 25-06 for many years. I loaded 100 BT for coyotes and 100 Partitions for deer. Allthough the 100s will kill deer, the 117's have a higher BC for the longer shots. The SD of the 117's will go lengthways through a whitetail. I have recently been working with a 25-284 and shot a deer last week with the 100 BT. allthough the deer fell within 20 yards and both shoulders were broke, I had absolutely no blood trail from impact to last breath. That one experience will take me back to the 100 partitions or the 117 Sierras that worked so well in my 25-06.

I think you should dance with the one that brung ya. If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it.
 
My "goto" bullet for the .25-06 is the Hornady 120 gr HP interlock. It has never failed me on shots from 20 to 450 yards at various angles. Always massive damage and you will never have to trak them far if you place it properly. If on the odd chance the deer doesnt drop in sight, it will leave a blood trail Stevie Wonder could follow.
 
BuckeyeSpecial, your concerns are well warrantied. I have never seen R#25 even listed with a 25/06, I do not have all of the Reloading manuals.

I got both loads using R#25 from a gunsmith in Texas that specializes in building 25/06 rifles with a 12 twist barrel on them. I had one built after meeting 12 guys that owned a 2500 acre ranch in Texas that they trophy deer hunted on, (I was there to hunt yotes). All they could talk about was how effective their 25/06's were at 500 yards on big deer.

All 12 of these guys hunted with the same type of rifle, 12 twist Stainless Match barrels, 26" long, with a minimum spec chamber. He suggested that I try two loads, one for the 100g Sierra flat base and the 117g Sierra flat base. I had this guy build me a rifle, and first time to the range, 63.0g of R#25 with the Fed 215 in a Win case was fireforming brass shooting a ragged hole that measured in the .350 range (measured center to center). My Ohler 35P clocked the velocity at 3630 fps, about 300 fps faster than I had ever seen in any other 25/06, and I have owned a bunch of them since the late 70's. In my rifle, this load produced pressure so that all I had to do was neck size the brass and fire it again.

I would never shoot Max loads or near max loads in a Ruger #1 or any falling block action of any kind.

I next loaded 58.0g of R#25 with the 117g Sierra Flat base, Fed 215, Win case, and the load was clocking 3350 fps. The groups were in the .400's range, and this load was what I would state an absolute max load for my rifle.

I have shot the barrel out of a Ruger 77V, two 700's, and 2 Savage 112 J's shooting the 90g BTHP and the 100g Version of some variety. I have never seen velocity with accuracy like was produced with R#25. I think that the key to R#25 loads is the Fed 215 primer and the Win brass. Obviously, this real slow powder is working well with the 25/06.

While these loads were safe in a bunch of guys custom guns, and mine, they may be dangerous in your rifle, so work up to the loads listed. I have found that Alliant R#19 and R#25 to vary up to 2.0g in burning rates from one lot to another.

I have one old lot# of R19 where 57.0g(3385 fps) is the accuracy node and a newer lot, 58.5g (3460 fps)is the accuracy node loaded with the 100g Hornady flat base bullets. Care should always be excercised when working up to Max loads in your rifle.

I also have a Stock Remington 700,and 63.0g of R#25 with the 100g Hornady shoots well, 58.0g of R#25 is way too hot in the Remington with the 117g Sierra Flat base. I elected to shoot the 100g bullet instead of the 117 due to speed.
 
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