.25-06, tired of poor bullet performance

[Twenty five ought six]

Back story --

I've been using one load for my .25-06 for 20+ years -- Winchester's Gray Box, 120 gr. PEP. The PEP is a rapid expanding bullet that's not available to reloaders, and that Winchester only loads in .25 cal. (.257, .25-06, .25 WSSM).

I've been reasonably satisfied with the round, having killed some 250+ deer with it, but after reading the posts here,and in the deer hunting forum, I've become aware of how inadequate this round is for deer hunting.

Apparently it lacks sufficient "knock down" power, and it is extremely bad about not creating a massive exit wound.

I shot two deer Saturday, and right now I am sitting here all depressed with "large exit wound envy". I need help.

Cases in point ---


Deer No. 1 -----

,25 caliber entry wound, left
shoulder,

Right shoulder --- not the first cotton picking sign of a exit wound. Broke both front shoulders, saw deer go down on front legs, and it took and ran 10 yards with absolutely no blood trail to track it by.

Deer No. 2 ----- (shot about 1 minute after deer no. 1)

Another .25 caliber entry wound, right in front of knife point. Left side --this is a combination shoulder/low neck shot -- didn't mean it that way, but that's the way if happened --deer was moving.

Right side of deer, no exit wound -- this deer had the good taste to not take another step and go TU, with the belly showing.

Live weight on the first deer was 130 lbs. -- so that's 130 lbs. of deer absorbing 2000+ ft. lbs. of energy.

I'm just all tore up though that my manhood is in question because I'm not making manly exit holes, and don't get to make manly tracks of wounded deer bleeding from massive exit wounds. I have severe big exit wound envy.

I mean is it really hunting if you shoot a deer and just walk over to where you shot her, and pick her up? Doesn't the Calvinistic work ethic that made America great demand more effort than that?

I mean, half the people on the internet swear that a bullet sucks if it doesn't leave a big ol' exit wound, and I read it on the internet so it must be true. Does my bullet suck? Should I quit using it to kill deer, and find a bullet that is more to the keyboard jockey's liking?

 

[Nitro]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shortly, someone will be recommending a 3000 Magnum - obviously you are undergunned.

 

[Nicodemus]

Hate that for you. I`m startin` a collection so that you can have a serviceable rifle before you put the deer herd in jeopardy with all the cripples. Those 250 plus were obviously pure and simple luck on your part. Would you feel sufficient with a 600 Nitro Express, in a double rifle?

 

[Twenty five ought six]

Hate that for you. I`m startin` a collection so that you can have a serviceable rifle before you put the deer herd in jeopardy with all the cripples. Those 250 plus were obviously pure and simple luck on your part. Would you feel sufficient with a 600 Nitro Express, in a double rifle?

Yep, it was just pure blind pig stupid luck that I was able to shoot all those deer with a gun and bullet not suited to the task before the internet came along, and I learned how I was doing it all wrong.

 

[Dead Eye Eddy]

One of my hunting buddies shoots 117 grain handloads out of his .25-06. He killed lots of deer with 120 grain bullets but lost a couple due to poor blood trails. He understood that that will happen occasionally even with larger heavier bullets, but he still wanted an exit hole, just in case. He found the new loading and hasn't lost one since (knock wood).

 

[WTM45]

I've been reasonably satisfied with the round, having killed some 250+ deer with it, but after reading the posts here,and in the deer hunting forum, I've become aware of how inadequate this round is for deer hunting.

You have been averaging 10 deer per year for 25 years?
Wow.

 

[germag]

That's horrible. I don't know how you ever managed to find those two deer. All I can say is "Good tracking!!" 10 yards....wow....just wow. I'm not sure I could have done it.

I think that you need to immediately switch to a real man's gun. Something that will just turn that off shoulder into a fine red mist of blood, skin, muscle and bone particles. Maybe you need something like a .338 RUM....or a .460 WBY Mag. I mean, I'm sure you're shooting at least 40 yards....you need some punch for those kinds of distances.

You're my new hero. Barney Fife (my old one) could NEVER track like that. Why, I'll bet you could find a bleeding elephant in the snow!

 

[Twenty five ought six]

You have been averaging 10 deer per year for 25 years?
Wow.

As much as I'd like to claim that I was that good, my total is over about 30 years. I would regularly fill my 5 Georgia tags, and I used to make annual trips to South Carolina where I was able to shoot bonus deer. Now I'm shoot 3-5 and I'm done. Old age is a ?????

I used 20+ years for the time that I've been using this particular load, because I don't remember how long I've been using it, and I didn't want to give some keyboard jockey the opportunity to say "well they've only been making that round 29 years, not 30 like you said, so you're a fool."

I'm probably mistaken, but I bought my current .25-06 about 1980, and began using the stated round shortly thereafter. I killed a few deer with the Hornady 117 grain HV round, but didn't particularly like it and came back to the Winchester round. It used to be a $14.00 a box round, now it's $30.00

Shot some Ballistic point reloads, and they were the pits. Too often they would blow right through a deer.

 

[Twenty five ought six]

That's horrible. I don't know how you ever managed to find those two deer. All I can say is "Good tracking!!" 10 yards....wow....just wow. I'm not sure I could have done it.

The deer that ran 10 yards actually piled up in a small gully. I heard it pile up, so I wasn't worried about it. It was back up under some trees, and there wasn't a bit of white showing, just brown topside. I actually walked past it the first time, and nearly worked up a sweat walking back uphill trying to find it.

 

[WTM45]

That's some clear empirical evidence right there!

 

[treemanjohn]

I like you have been a devoted 25.06 shooter, and your recent change in attitude reflect mine. I've been using 117 gr Seirra GameKings and I've lucked out many many times on Whitetails and on 2 Elk. I RARELY get an exit wound, but I've been fortunate because I've never had to track anything farther than 20 yards. Most never breath another breath. Lucky me.

Let me know when you find a suitable alternative. Until the take head shots and cross your fingers

 

[BriarPatch99]

Treeman ... your results mirror mine ... I mostly use the 117 gr Sierra BTSP for deer. I have used 120 gr. Speer, 120 grs. Hornady, 115 grs. Nosler BT... along with others, with the same results. I've shot deer from 9 yds to 400 + ... the 9 yds shot ran farther!

Jimmy K

 

[watermedic]

Same here. I actually used the 85 grain NBT in my handloads and they are awesome. usually not a passthrough but devistating when you open them up. All this talk makes me want to start shooting a rifle again for deer hunting. Nah, I will let my boys shoot em while I watch...

 

[bublewis]

Sometimes it takes a long time to see the light. If you're tired of the poor performance, change to the 25-06's parent cartridge, and experience deer killing perfection! But beware, it can get a little boring.

 

[killitgrillit]

twenty five ought six,
Maybe we can start a support group or somthing, I to have large exit wound envy also, I shot a 270wsm with 130gr bergers and I never get an exit wound either.
What I would give to have a hole the size of a basketball blown in the other side of my deer

L.E.W.E support group helping the undergunned sportsman cope.

 

[BamaBart]

OK...That's it!

I'm having my 25-06 rebarreled to a 30-06 and shoot 200 gr. Core Lokts!

 

[The Original Rooster]

That's just pitiful. Here's what you need. It's a 2 bore that shoots an 8 ounce chunk of lead at 1500 fps with 17500 ft/lbs of energy.

 

[tridog]

25-06 is the best all around deer rifle!!! but im sorry i do get exit holes with 115 gr bt!! maybe i should wait for a head on shot or maybe a texas heart shot to stop those exit holes

 

[BriarPatch99]

Does any body make .25 caliber Full Metal Jackets??

I'm sure they would give an exit wound and plenty of tracking to follow!!

 

[Larry Rooks]

I've been using a .257 cal for years. I switched to the Barnes X bullet LONG ago, and now the TSX and will use nothing else, ALWAYS leaves an exit would, regardless of distance, short range, long range, don't matter, will always exit and bullet will be in tact when it exits. In most caes it retains 100% of it original weight, perfectly
mushroomed. There is also a factory load availabel in Win
that I have used in the 25 WSSM and it has worked good too, 115 Bal Silver Tip. It ain't no Barnes, but had to have some to get cases to load in future. I have taken several with it and they are always DRT. The 257 Wby Mag is my favorite though