Any ammo experts?

[Oneil88]

Nosler or Hornady for me, skip Winchester ones(usually overpriced compared to alternatives). Don't buy in bulk, get a box or 2 and look if you rifle "likes" the ammo.

 

[TractorTYMe]

Federal makes ammo in 25-06 with Nosler ballistic tip, buy a box and see how it shoots. I reload for my 6.5x55 in all aspects as I have two old warriors (Krag Karabin 1912/16 and Swedish Mauser M38) in the same caliber in addition to my Tikka meat gun.

 

[gsganzer]

I'm a .25-06 fan and my bullet of choice is always 100 gr. Barnes TTSX

 

[Complete Turf Care]

Well....I've been searching for the Winchester Ballistic Silvertip in the 115 grain. One place referenced in an earlier post seems to have some, but you have to purchase at least $250 worth of ammo from them. 4 boxes (80 rounds) is $249.95. I may go back to that site and find something else to add to my order.

The only other I could find in this load is a couple of places have a 500 round order available for just under $500. I usually shoot about 10 - 20 rounds a year, so this would last me at least 25 years. I'm 62 years old, so I don't think I'll need that much, but I could give it to my grandkids.

I found this article online about ballistics: .25-06 Remington
This article speaks well of the Hornady SST Superformance 117 grain. So, I did some research on that load, and found some reviews on a forum somewhere, and about half of the people who used this load were not happy with them. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm still confused and not sure what I will do.

Here is a link to the forum where several users were not happy with this round. But, the article is from 2011

25/06 is not happy with Hornady Superformance rounds

Very disappointing last few weeks with the 25/06 I decided to switch up to a 117 gr hornady sst bullet out of my 25/06.. Bought some components and loaded up about 60 rounds... Bought some hornady factory superformance also with the 117 gr sst maybe a 3-4" group and shots 4 and...

www.24hourcampfire.com

I do appreciate all the replies so far.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm a .25-06 fan and my bullet of choice is always 100 gr. Barnes TTSX

I've done a few searches and the Federal Premium ammo that I've had such great success with doesn't seem to exist anymore. They discontinued the Sierra bullets and seem to be pushing the Barns bullets. I'll probably give them a try and see how they shoot, but I'm hesitant because when I was reloading back in the 90's, I found Barns to be the most inconsistent bullets in weight and performance. Accuracy was always a challenge too. I'd get two great shots, then a zinger. The few animals that I did shoot with Barns bullets, all dies, but the bullets that I found barely mushroomed, and what did mushroom, would usually break off. Cleaning the barrel was more effort then it was worth. Are the new Barns bullets that much better then they used to be?

 

[gsganzer]

I've done a few searches and the Federal Premium ammo that I've had such great success with doesn't seem to exist anymore. They discontinued the Sierra bullets and seem to be pushing the Barns bullets. I'll probably give them a try and see how they shoot, but I'm hesitant because when I was reloading back in the 90's, I found Barns to be the most inconsistent bullets in weight and performance. Accuracy was always a challenge too. I'd get two great shots, then a zinger. The few animals that I did shoot with Barns bullets, all dies, but the bullets that I found barely mushroomed, and what did mushroom, would usually break off. Cleaning the barrel was more effort then it was worth. Are the new Barns bullets that much better then they used to be?

So, I started with Barnes on my first Africa trip in 2003 with .300 WM handloads shooting 165 gr FB bullets. They all performed flawlessly on plains game with good accuracy and a solid exit wound. African PH's love exit wounds so they have a blood trail and I continue with that theory. The latest TTSX is what I try to handload in any of my latest chamberings as I think it gives great balance between accuracy and performance. I've always preferred a bullet that gives a through 'n through performance that minimizes blood shot meat. The TTSX seems to do that.

I'll agree with Eddie, not all guns shoot them well. It's the first round I try to get any new gun to shoot, if they don't group well, then I move to Hornady's GMX, another monometal bullet.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

So, the very few places that I find the Winchester Ballistic Silvertip 115 grain, require payment with CashApp, or Bitcoin, or Zelle, or one of the other cash payment options. None of them accept a good old fashioned credit card.

I'm just not comfortable paying with any of those options, because the money is instantly transferred to their bank account, and there is no way to get it back if they don't deliver the product.

I would much prefer to buy locally, or from one of the bigger online sellers, like OpticsPlanet or Midway that accept a credit card or cash.

Who would have ever thought buying ammunition would take so much research?

 

[Jchonline]

For years I have been using Winchester Ballistic Silvertip in a 117 grain in my .25-06 rifles. (I have 3 of them).
I’ve had good success with this round, but can’t find them anymore.
What would be a good substitute?
My rifles are Browning A-bolt and X-bolt.

Get 5 or 6 brands and shoot some 5 shot groups. Sometimes the gun just likes a specific cartridge.

 

[EddieWalker]

Sometimes a rifle likes a specific bullet weight. I was stuck on 150 grain bullets for my 30-06 for a very long time. I tried all sorts of combinations and just thought there was something wrong with the rifle. Then a buddy suggested 165 grain bullets. Oddly enough, it never occurred to me to shoot a heavier bullet for better accuracy!!!! Now I wont buy anything else, it has to be 165 grains for that rifle.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Each rifle is it's own unique self. You can have rifle "X" that only wants load "A", and rifle "Y" will only want load "B". This is with both rifle's being the same cartridge.

As a handloader, you get used to such things. I have personally had 2 separate rifles, both Winchester M70's, both chambered in 30-06, each want an entirely different load than the other. So much so that what shot great out of one, would not even group in the other. Nevermind different brands of rifle. My brother's Savage had a throat that was a full tenth of an inch ( .10" ) shorter than my 2 Winchesters (all were stock original guns). So I was loading 3 distinctly different loads for 3 different 30-06 rifles.

Each individual rifle needs to be accuracy tested as a separate entity.

I gave up on Barnes bullets before they came out with their "triple shock" line. The old "original" Barnes (cup and core bullet) was fantastic in my 375 Winchester. But I only had one rifle that ever shot the copper Barnes well. That was my Win M70 338 Win Mag. It doesn't mean the Barnes was a "bad" bullet. It just means I gave up on it before I could make it work.

But the most consistently accurate hunting bullet for me over the years has been the Noslers. Partitions in heavy-for-caliber bullet weights, and the ballistic tips. For me they have almost always been the most accurate bullet tried in an average hunting gun, and they've always given great terminal performance on game. But what shoots great in one gun, may not shoot great in another.

The one hunting gun that strays from this is my 375 JDJ Contender. It loves the Hornady 270 gr Interlock bullet. Fist-of-God level of performance on game. JD Jones-his-own-self took that bullet and cartridge to Africa and spoke very well of it also.