What next for 25-06 Partition??

[Colorado Redneck]

A friend gave me a box of 117 gr. Nosler Partition bullets that are no longer manufactured. In trying to work up a load for hunting, the best load so far has good velocity, consistent velocity but the best three round group was 1.75 inches at 100 yards. The other groups were 2.25" or so. There are now 24 of those bullets left. If the groups tightened up to 1.25 inches then it would be ok to hunt with IMHO.

Frontier Brass
WLR Primer
Retumbo 57.5 gr.
The round is seated 0.025" off the lands.


What do ya'll think would be the most prudent change to this load to improve accuracy? Maybe closer to the lands would be most likely to tighten things up? Or farther off the lands?

 

[flashhole]

There is probably a good reason those bullets of that specific design are no longer manufactured. I never had any success with 117 grain bullets in my 25-06 no matter the manufacturer. I think it was related to the bearing surface of the bullet.

Don't expect a magic recipe.

 

[Mobuck]

24 bullets might last 2-3 years if you don't waste too many on checking zero. 2" groups are good enough for 250-300 yard deer. I've carried a lot of deer rifles that wouldn't do better than that (and tagged a lot of deer with them).

 

[Colorado Redneck]

Flashhole--Yeah--it has occurred to me that this may not work out. But being the thickheaded type, someway or another I will waste more time on this project, and probably eventually revert to using the 110 gr. Accubond.

Mo--may be that I am too picky. Will give your comment some thought, and see what becomes of this experiment. This is the most potent hunting rifle in my safe nowadays, and a friend wants to go black bear hunting next fall. Thinking the partition would be good for that. At 200 yards or less the 1 3/4 inch group would work fine, providing the nut behind the butt plate does his part.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

24 bullets left? The most prudent change would be changing from a "find a good load" mindset to a "use them for practice" mindset.

 

[Mike / Tx]

Years ago when I first loaded for my 25-06 I started with the brand new 100gr Ballistic Tip's. I quickly found they were a bit more than what I wanted to use on a whitetail. I found the 120gr Speer to shoot very well but I could not get it to reach the velocity range I wanted no matter what I tried. Anything over around 2850fps just flattened out primers.

Then along came the Nosler Rep who turned me on to the 115gr Partition, and I never looked back. I sort of reached the load by accident though. I was working with the 100gr BT's for some yote issues we had been having and I forgot to change the seating die. The result was when I worked up the load with the 115's using RL-22 everything came together into a small clover leaf group at 200yds. It took me a while to figure this out but when I did, I super glued one of the BT's in a dummy case to use as a standard for setting the seating die for the 115's.

What this ended up being was the 100gr seated to 3.250" base to tip. I haven't got a clue what the Partitions are since I just use this as a gauge and load. Still after some 20+ years this same load will still shoot smaller groups than I can usually hold. It's not the bullet but the seating depth that matters on this rifle. I can easily switch between the 100gr BT, 110gr Accubone, the 115gr Partition or the 120gr Solid Base and get the same type groups with all, using the same powder charge. I can also switch to the 117gr Hornady in either the flat base or boat tail with no changes and get great groups.

If you want to stick with this weight bullet I highly suggest trying to locate and use some RL-22. In 6 other 25-06 rifles this has been the top performer as far as powder goes and all of the accuracy groups have fallen somewhere right around the 3.250" OAL range as well. If your rifle has a 1-10" twist it will handle all of the weights up to 120gr easily.

This is the 110gr Accubond at 250yds. The low shot was a fouling round after cleaning, the two top ones were for group in a 15+ mph crosswind.

I have gotten the same accuracy from the 115gr Partition for many years as well. Plenty good enough to put one between the eyes of a coyote at 300+yds or take fox squirrels off my deer feeder motors at over 200.

 

[Colorado Redneck]

Thx for the info Mike. Great group for the Accubond! Your comment about the COL being a critical factor with your rifle made my ears perk up...I am thinking along that same line, that the COL might help this load of mine shoot smaller groups.

I had a few 115 gr. Partitions, and worked that up with Retumbo also. Only have 4 of those left---the max load was the best with those. But I can't find them in stock anywhere right now. It is 9 months to hunting season, so there is time to keep working on this.


In reference to the COL these 117 gr. Partitions are so blunt that they touch the lands at 3.200 COL. So these were 3.175---25/1000ths off the lands. Thinking right now I will load 6 more of the load that grouped the best and try 3 of them at 40/1000ths off and 3 of them at 15/1000ths off the lands and if one of those loads don't close up the groups maybe look harder for 115 gr. Partitions to buy.

Thanks all for the comments and good advice.

 

[Colorado Redneck]

Lady Luck today

Went to a local outdoor sports and farm supply store today and they had 120 gr. Nosler Partitions in stock in .257! This is really the bullet I wanted in the first place. So when the weather and my wife allow, back to the range. Can't wait! Hope springs eternal.

 

[gman3]

I have had the same experience with 117 grain bullets in my 25-06. No matter the brand, they just don't do it for me. What does work well is the 100 grain Scirocco. It allows the velocity that you bought a 25-06 for, and is a relatively high BC (very high for 25 caliber) bullet.

They shoot into one hole in my rifle at 3380 fps. Its a bonded core bullet, so your black bear will probably wonder what the hell happened in the next life.

They are expensive though, close to $.60 per bullet. It is a potent-very accurate load in my rifle. I have also been experimenting with it in the 257 mag. Last deer I shot with my 25-06, my friend was about a half mile away, I was hunting a huge peanut field. After I shot, he says "I knew that was you shooting, I could hear the bullet sizzling across that field, and then THWACK"

About 425 or so.

Trust me, it's an impressive killer.

 

[Colorado Redneck]

Well, there is more to the story on this load work up. I want to use this gun for elk hunting---maybe. So the 120 gr. Partition was what really looked interesting, but they just never showed up anywhere. Then the stars aligned and I found some.

Never have used Siroccos. They are interesting, but pricey as heck. That was a good description you posted! The thwack can sometimes really be distinct, and usually that means a good hit.

 

[gman3]

Ahh yes, we don't have Elk here. 100 grain would be to light for that. Good choice on the 120 partition for that animal. If I could go there and Elk hunt that's what I would use in a 25. If I didn't have a 30-06.

As to your question though, I have had best accuracy and velocity in the 25-06with Win WXR, and RL-22. Really cant find WXR anymore, but RL-22 is usually fairly easy to find. Also have had very good results with PPU brass. I get best accuracy with CCI primers.

 

[Colorado Redneck]

Results with 120 gr. Partition

Did some testing with the 120 gr. Nosler Partition (25-06) yesterday. Using Hodgdon Retumbo the best load for accuracy proved to be 55.6 gr. seated 0.040 inches off the lands. I took my loading equipment in the truck, and worked right up to max load from Noslers load book. The objective was closely observing for over pressure signs. At max load (57.5 gr.) there was noticeable primer flattening and a very slight imprint of the bolt face on the case head. So I dropped back to 56.5 gr. and loaded three and tried them with the bullet 0.025" off the lands. Those rounds scattered---3 inch spread. Then backed down to 55.6 gr. (kind of by accident but no big deal) and got a 1 3/4" group. Then I tinkered with the OAL and seated the bullets at 0.040 off the lands. Presto! sub 1" group of three! Hallelujah! Adjusted the scope and shot 5 more rounds, the last group of 3 was exactly an inch. So there is the load for a possible elk hunt this fall. Velocity was 3085 fps with a 50 fps extreme spread. This should be effective to 250 yards or so.

Taking the loading equipment to the range was a new experience. I had tinkered with OAL which only requires the press, the shell holder and seating die, and a caliper, and a couple dozen pre-loaded rounds with the OAL just off the lands. But the powder dispenser, scale, trickler, etc was a lot more convenient.

 

[Mike / Tx]

Well I was hoping you would come back with some good news and there you did. Good for you.

I hear you on the on site equipment as well. I like to work up loads while sitting down in the back of our farm. Years ago my daughter and I built a little 8x8 shed expressly for this and measured the range out to 300yds using a 100ft tape. LOL

I usually don't take the scale, but depending on just what I am working on will on occasion. Usually I will pre measure here at the house and write down the load increments in my notebook. Then set the measure to the min load and work up once there in small increments until I either get what I am looking for or hit pressure signs. I was told by some local BR shooters years ago that as long as I had the low and high end noted and stayed within those parameters and watched my cases and velocities the scale wasn't needed till I got home and weighed the final charge weight. So far that has worked out well for going on 30yrs now.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

For shots to 100 yrds 1-1/4" is OK for rib shots. More likely a change in powders would help tighten your groupings. Any manufactures 4831 would be a much better choice. BTW: Nosler does discontinue bullets occasionally. Don't see that happening so much with the other bullet makers that I'm aware of.