[Howitzer]

I like to leave guns around the country so I just have to walk on the plane to go hunting and picked up a Weatherby 25-06 for $500 on clearance that I think I will use for whitetail muleys, pronghorn, and the occasional Elk.

A bonus is I have vast quantities Magnum, 4831SC, Varget and a few other powders that work with 25-06 - I ordered the new Barnes .257 VLD Hunter and some 80 GR TTSX . The twist is 1:10 so I have to stay on the lighter side of things.

Has anyone used the Barnes VLD in 25-06?

 

[wolverines]

I like to leave guns around the country so I just have to walk on the plane to go hunting

I have not hand loaded for 25-06, but I like your style.

 

[ikesnipecity]

I think we run 117grain Horandy SST's, that are a great round on whitetails. Also have shot partitions, which group excellent as well.

 

[LGB]

I like to leave guns around the country so I just have to walk on the plane to go hunting and picked up a Weatherby 25-06 for $500 on clearance that I think I will use for whitetail muleys, pronghorn, and the occasional Elk.

A bonus is I have vast quantities Magnum, 4831SC, Varget and a few other powders that work with 25-06 - I ordered the new Barnes .257 VLD Hunter and some 80 GR TTSX . The twist is 1:10 so I have to stay on the lighter side of things.

Has anyone used the Barnes VLD in 25-06?

Did you mean Berger VLD hunting bullets ? I've been using the Berger 133 and 135 grain bullets in my 25 caliber rifle. 133 are there hunting version. They shoot very well but I've got a 7.5 twist barrel.

 

[Howitzer]

Did you mean Berger VLD hunting bullets ? I've been using the Berger 133 and 135 grain bullets in my 25 caliber rifle. 133 are there hunting version. They shoot very well but I've got a 7.5 twist barrel.

Sorry, not enough coffee. LRX

Barnes LRX Long-Range Hunting Bullets 25 Cal (257 Diameter) 101 Grain

The Barnes Long-Range X Bullet (LRX) line is designed after the best-selling Tipped Triple-Shock X Bullet. The LRX bullet design increases Ballistic...

www.midwayusa.com

 

[LGB]

Sorry, not enough coffee. LRX

Barnes LRX Long-Range Hunting Bullets 25 Cal (257 Diameter) 101 Grain

The Barnes Long-Range X Bullet (LRX) line is designed after the best-selling Tipped Triple-Shock X Bullet. The LRX bullet design increases Ballistic...

www.midwayusa.com

Oh ok. Not a VLD but a LR bullet Barnes offers. It's a tangent/secant ogive not strictly a secant ogive bullet like the true VLD bullets( Berger/ELDs). Excellent bullets tho. One of the better LR hunting bullets for sure.

 

[Howitzer]

Oh ok. Not a VLD but a LR bullet Barnes offers. It's a tangent/secant ogive not strictly a secant ogive bullet like the true VLD bullets( Berger/ELDs). Excellent bullets tho. One of the better LR hunting bullets for sure.

Acronymville struck me, I was set on a Berger but stabilization is the question mark for me. I am considering the Hammers but unless there is a huge leap in BC or another differentiating factor I'm sticking with Barnes because bullet failure in the last 20 years of my life is zero.

 

[LGB]

Acronymville struck me, I was set on a Berger but stabilization is the question mark for me. I am considering the Hammers but unless there is a huge leap in BC or another differentiating factor I'm sticking with Barnes because bullet failure in the last 20 years of my life is zero.

I'm not a big Berger fan with the VLDs for hunting. They do make a 115 VLD hunting bullet for the .257 that requires only a 10 twist. I'd opt for the Barnes especially being a copper solid type bullet.

 

[Howitzer]

I have not hand loaded for 25-06, but I like your style.

After leaving my rifle in the car 1X due to a lock that just failed to lock, my bad for not having an extra lock and having another gun delayed for 3 days I threw in the towel. It's somewhat easy to get good rifles for $500 and put a pretty good scope on them but pack an awesome scope if it's needed. For these guns, I have found that the Meopta 3-9x40 or similar are cheap enough if you buy them on eBay but are adequate in 99% of hunting situations.

1. 6.5 Creed in Montana
2. 6.5 Creed Mauser M18 in Alabama for Alabama and Georgia.
3. 25-06 ...? Texas maybe?

 

[Howitzer]

I'm not a big Berger fan with the VLDs for hunting. They do make a 115 VLD hunting bullet for the .257 that requires only a 10 twist. I'd opt for the Barnes especially being a copper solid type bullet.

Amen, I can't see the upside in venturing away from Barnes. I'm flexible but not afraid to try new bullets.

 

[wateroperator]

No experience with Berger bullets but I've taken countless whitetails with a quarter bore loaded with Nosler 115 gr ballistic tips. Used the 115s to down a big mulie in Montana at 285 yards this fall and he didn't go 5 steps. The 25-06 is and has always been a favorite of mine.

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk

 

[TriggerDiscipline]

I've always wanted a .25-06. An old buddy had one for hunting big fields. One time we were up at this farm in Leelanau County and he got a nice buck from about 400 yards three sheets to the wind off Busch Light using ye olde Kentucky windage. That is one flat shooting and accurate caliber! I'd posit you could kill any game in North America with .25-06, .30-06 and .35 Whelen and you would only need .30-06 brass and no magnum actions.

Never reloaded for it, but Hornady makes a .257 caliber ELD-X (extra low drag- expanding) in 110 grain https://www.hornady.com/bullets/eld-x#!/#product-line . Their reloading app is pretty good and it's only a dollar for each caliber you reload for. There's also this site with a good amount of reloading data: https://shootersreference.com/reloadingdata/25-06-remington/ . Varget would be where I would start, although the 4831 should be a good powder too. Start really light and work your way up from there.

 

[LGB]

I've always wanted a .25-06. An old buddy had one for hunting big fields. One time we were up at this farm in Leelanau County and he got a nice buck from about 400 yards three sheets to the wind off Busch Light using ye olde Kentucky windage. That is one flat shooting and accurate caliber! I'd posit you could kill any game in North America with .25-06, .30-06 and .35 Whelen and you would only need .30-06 brass and no magnum actions.

Never reloaded for it, but Hornady makes a .257 caliber ELD-X (extra low drag- expanding) in 110 grain https://www.hornady.com/bullets/eld-x#!/#product-line . Their reloading app is pretty good and it's only a dollar for each caliber you reload for. There's also this site with a good amount of reloading data: https://shootersreference.com/reloadingdata/25-06-remington/ . Varget would be where I would start, although the 4831 should be a good powder too. Start really light and work your way up from there.

RL26 is another that's very good.

 

[doubleshot]

I’ve got 3 of them and just developed a load for a friends 25/06. Would say if elk is possible to start with Nosler 110 gr accubond or 115/120 gr partitions. also the Speer grand slam 120 gr is deadly on elk, not the highest BC but does it right on the terminal end. Wouldnt hesitate to shoot that on a MI elk given typical shot distance. I found like LGB that RL 26 is awesome but right now it’s hard to find. Retumbo is also good.

 

[Howitzer]

Great input guys, thanks! I now have my supplies and managed to get some Nosler brass at a decent price..bonus!

Now to scope it.......that's where it gets confusing, is this going to be a travel gun, leave at ranch gun with a scope or pack a scope and put it on when I arrive. The latter seems easy enough but I go on 3-4 days trips and usually hunt the day I fly in so I think I am going to spring for serious $$$ on mounts and keep a record of my zero and keep a good enough scope on it (Likely Bushnell Forge, Match Pro or Meopta Opitka 5) and can pack the MeoStar if I have the opportunity to take a test shot.

 

[TriggerDiscipline]

Great input guys, thanks! I now have my supplies and managed to get some Nosler brass at a decent price..bonus!

Now to scope it.......that's where it gets confusing, is this going to be a travel gun, leave at ranch gun with a scope or pack a scope and put it on when I arrive. The latter seems easy enough but I go on 3-4 days trips and usually hunt the day I fly in so I think I am going to spring for serious $$$ on mounts and keep a record of my zero and keep a good enough scope on it (Likely Bushnell Forge, Match Pro or Meopta Opitka 5) and can pack the MeoStar if I have the opportunity to take a test shot.

If you're going to leave the scope on rifle, the Seekins Precision rings are excellent and a great value considering the quality. That's what I have on my go-to .30-06. Hardly had to be lapped. If you're leaning to a QD setup you can take off and attach, you need to spend big bucks (as you already said) to get true return to zero performance. I have a couple LaRue tactical mounts, and definitely recommend them. Badger Ordnance are another good option. I've been wanting to try a Spuhr mount, they look like absolute tanks, but can't justify the cost yet.

I've heard a lot of great things about the Optika5. I have an Optika6 3-18x50 on a target rifle and am incredibly impressed with the glass and build quality considering the the price point. A rifle like that deserves to stretch its legs. That said, I don't like first focal plane on hunting optics as the reticle hold-over's get too big at higher magnification, but that seems to be what everyone's moving toward. Eurooptic has some great deals on Trijicon scopes right now: Trijicon Credo 4-16x50 SFP w/ Red MRAD Center Dot, 30mm, Matte Black Riflescope 2900003

 

[wateroperator]

Great input guys, thanks! I now have my supplies and managed to get some Nosler brass at a decent price..bonus!

Now to scope it.......that's where it gets confusing, is this going to be a travel gun, leave at ranch gun with a scope or pack a scope and put it on when I arrive. The latter seems easy enough but I go on 3-4 days trips and usually hunt the day I fly in so I think I am going to spring for serious $$$ on mounts and keep a record of my zero and keep a good enough scope on it (Likely Bushnell Forge, Match Pro or Meopta Opitka 5) and can pack the MeoStar if I have the opportunity to take a test shot.

You said you gave $500 for the gun. Why not just scope it with something decent and leave it be? You're not shooting competition, just hunting. A good set of rings and any modern good quality hunting scope in a 3.5x15 or 4x12 is plenty of combination. Sight it in and it'll be ready when you show back up to hunt.

I've had a Bushnell Elite 3200 4x12 with Leupold rings on a 25-06 for 2 decades. It's never let me down once and I've taken countless animals with that combo. Just packed it around Montana and bagged a good mule deer.

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Michigan Sportsman mobile app

 

[Howitzer]

Long story short, I’m fussy as hell when it comes to scopes.

 

[wateroperator]

Long story short, I’m fussy as hell when it comes to scopes.

We all are. Even better reason to set it up once and leave it alone.

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Michigan Sportsman mobile app

 

[Howitzer]

I will set it up and leave it with a less than $500 scope , but with the prices of Optika6’s and Meostar I’m not leaving one behind . But you are not off base I have a Meopta Artimas 6x42 which would be perfect for stay on the gun scope.

Since I started this thread I ordered a Burris Veracity which I think will punch the ticket.

I am Going to explore the mount recommendations by @TriggerDiscipline it appears that we have a conduit of same scope needs.