.25 Cal (Quarter Bore) / Big Game Success - 25 Creed, 25-284, 25-06, 25 PRC, 25 SAUM

[eLightfoot]

Sure why not? My current load in my saum is not H4350 but it’s a very usable powder for the saum case, especially in a short bbl. Do a little research on the 7 saum and F class shooters. H4350 is probably the most popular powder for the 7 saum amongst F class shooters because of its ability hold super low ES and SD’s. Is it going to produce the max velocities in a 25 saum? Absolutely not, there are better powder suitable for max velocity such as RL26, N565, and H1K. But to say it’s not probable to achieve the velocities @Redbeard88 is wanting is simply not true. It’s been tested by me in 2 different 25 saums as well as 2 25 SST’s so a total of 4 different bbls but all 20” long.

Seems like you would pressure out way early trying to burn that much h4350 through a 1/4” barrel. 7mm, sure that’s a big fat hole.

 

[cjdewese]

Man the 1st time I saw a write up about 25-06 I've wanted one, I think it would be the perfect deer rifle especially for a state that is copper only like California.

The only thing that's stopped me is ammo availability but if there is really going to be a resurgence towards 25 cal bullets from manufacturers I may just have to get one.

 

[Shooter264]

Seems like you would pressure out way early trying to burn that much h4350 through a 1/4” barrel. 7mm, sure that’s a big fat hole.

This is 53.4 grains of H4350 and a 133 Elite Hunter. Please tell me where the pressure is? As you can see we actually topped out at 3020 but had a useable node in the 53.2 range. It’s obvious to me that you don’t actually have experience or anything beneficial to add the conversation regarding H4350 and a 25 PRC/Saum so this will be my last response to you regarding it. Hopefully it provides the OP with some useful real world experience to ponder on and make his decision.

 

[Rooggvc]

This is 53.4 grains of H4350 and a 133 Elite Hunter. Please tell me where the pressure is? As you can see we actually topped out at 3020 but had a useable node in the 53.2 range. It’s obvious to me that you don’t actually have experience or anything beneficial to add the conversation regarding H4350 and a 25 PRC/Saum so this will be my last response to you regarding it. Hopefully it provides the OP with some useful real world experience to ponder on and make his decision.
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I really appreciate the response. What powder would you recommend for a 25 PRC based on your experience with the 25 SAUM?

 

[Shooter264]

I really appreciate the response. What powder would you recommend for a 25 PRC based on your experience with the 25 SAUM?

H1000, RL26, and VV N565 would be my top choices. H4350, H4831sc, VV N560, and RL23 would all work well too. I’m going to run some tests w VV555 just for kicks. My next saum is likely to be an 18” so something a little slower than H4350 may be good in that short of a bbl.

 

[eLightfoot]

This is 53.4 grains of H4350 and a 133 Elite Hunter. Please tell me where the pressure is? As you can see we actually topped out at 3020 but had a useable node in the 53.2 range. It’s obvious to me that you don’t actually have experience or anything beneficial to add the conversation regarding H4350 and a 25 PRC/Saum so this will be my last response to you regarding it. Hopefully it provides the OP with some useful real world experience to ponder on and make his decision.
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Well

This is 53.4 grains of H4350 and a 133 Elite Hunter. Please tell me where the pressure is? As you can see we actually topped out at 3020 but had a useable node in the 53.2 range. It’s obvious to me that you don’t actually have experience or anything beneficial to add the conversation regarding H4350 and a 25 PRC/Saum so this will be my last response to you regarding it. Hopefully it provides the OP with some useful real world experience to ponder on and make his decision.
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well I also have a 6.5saum and I know that it usually takes about 58-62 grains of powder to get a decent case fill. If you are getting good ES/SD’s power to ya.

 

[FLS]

Ive been shooting a 25-06 for twenty plus years. Ive hunted with lots of cartridges but its my favorite. I havet hunted as much as normal this season but managed a couple with the quarter bore. Wyoming speedgoat and South Carolina doe. Both shot with 115 Berger VLDs. Both were bang flops, antelope was 312 and doe was about 330. Rifle is a tuned up Remington 700 with a 24" 1-10 twist Bartlein #3.

 

[Harvey_NW]

My hunting partners daughter whacked 2 deer in 2 states in 14 hrs with my 25 creed. Barrel only has 50 rounds down it doing quick mild load development to break the barrel in with and get a firing on brass. Berger 133 avg 2620 fps *edited to add* 20" tube.

Pic is exit from 60 yard shot on a whitetail buck. The other was a mature mule deer doe @ 180 yards and he said it was a bang flop lung shot, lungs looked like soup. I think the 133 is nasty medicine.

 

[waldo9190]

Great, now I'm looking for a doner to throw a 25 creed tube on....

 

[Rooggvc]

Need your guys help. Berger said they are willing to do some work with the 25/284. They are asking what powders I would like to see. What are your guys thoughts?

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I'm a total novice here, but why not start testing with the selection of slow burning powders already leveraged for the .25-06? The case capacity difference between the two is less than 2 grains. In addition, I've read that lots of folks start their .25-284 development with min. .25-06 charges of the same powders.

 

[Rooggvc]

I'm a total novice here, but why not start testing with the selection of slow burning powders already leveraged for the .25-06? The case capacity difference between the two is less than 2 grains. In addition, I've read that lots of folks start their .25-284 development with min. .25-06 charges of the same powders.

That's what I was kind of thinking as well. I actually went through Berger's Load Data for the 25-06. I looked at the powders that were producing the highest velocities in the 25-06, and added those to my list. I also threw in a couple of mid range powders that are currently available for purchase. I really want to see how the 25/284 compares to the 25-06 because it would allow us more room to play with seating depths in the Tikka's.

This is my current list

Hodgdon H4350

Hodgdon H4831

Hodgdon H4831SC

Staball 6.5

Ramshot Hunter

Ramshot Magnum

Accurate Magpro

H-1000

RE-22

RE-16

RE-23

RE-25

IMR7828 SSC

VihtaVuori 555

VihtaVuori 560

VihtaVuori 565

VihtaVuori 570

 

[Rooggvc]

I added RL-26 to the list also.

 

[sndmn11]

I did a quick search for 6.5/284 Lapua brass. I didn't turn anything up. I did find some Peterson though.

Sportsman's has a bunch of Lapua; at least in the stores around here you could walk out with 300 each. @willfrye027 has some Peterson in the classifieds.

 

[willfrye027]

I added RL-26 to the list also.

N570 would probably be good.

With h1000, rl26, n565, rl23 I never could quite get a full case before reaching pressure. Those are the ones I tested. If I remember correctly rl26 topped out around 3120, everything else was right around 3060 but accuracy was down around 3010-3030. All in a 26” tube. Other guys with the same components have reported accurate loads in the 3100’s, so I think my barrel is a little slow.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Updated semi-custom build specs. and costs. This excludes stock and scope, but includes Redsnake bottom metal that allows use of cartrdges with 3.5+" COAL.

.25-06 semi-custom
Part	Cost
Tikka Long Action	$635.00
"Preferred Barrels" 26" Pre-Fit Barrel (including $65 lapping)	$485.00
Sportsmatch-t084-2-piece-30mm-medium	$43.79
MDT-metal long-action AICS-standard-5-round-black-Max OAL: 3.560"	$79.95
Redsnake Tactical long-action-tikka-t3-t3x-bottom-metal- 3.5+" COAL	$215.00
	$1,458.74

 

[Harvey_NW]

Updated semi-custom build specs. and costs. This excludes stock and scope, but includes Redsnake bottom metal that allows use of cartrdges with 3.5+" COAL.

.25-06 semi-custom
Part	Cost
Tikka Long Action	$635.00
"Preferred Barrels" 26" Pre-Fit Barrel (including $65 lapping)	$485.00
Sportsmatch-t084-2-piece-30mm-medium	$43.79
MDT-metal long-action AICS-standard-5-round-black-Max OAL: 3.560"	$79.95
Redsnake Tactical long-action-tikka-t3-t3x-bottom-metal- 3.5+" COAL	$215.00
	$1,458.74

Taking a round file to the front of the action port so the nose of your projectile doesn't hang up if it's over that 3.5" limitation, priceless. For the rest of that list, there's MasterCard.

 

[eLightfoot]

That's what I was kind of thinking as well. I actually went through Berger's Load Data for the 25-06. I looked at the powders that were producing the highest velocities in the 25-06, and added those to my list. I also threw in a couple of mid range powders that are currently available for purchase. I really want to see how the 25/284 compares to the 25-06 because it would allow us more room to play with seating depths in the Tikka's.

This is my current list

Hodgdon H4350

Hodgdon H4831

Hodgdon H4831SC

Staball 6.5

Ramshot Hunter

Ramshot Magnum

Accurate Magpro

H-1000

RE-22

RE-16

RE-23

RE-25

IMR7828 SSC

VihtaVuori 555

VihtaVuori 560

VihtaVuori 565

VihtaVuori 570

I had the best results with h1000 and H4831sc. I tried rl26 for a long time but the accuracy wasn’t there with my rifle, as well as not seeing much velocity gains. N570 showed good promise also but I only had one pound of it so it wasn’t worth sticking with.

 

[sndmn11]

Updated semi-custom build specs. and costs. This excludes stock and scope, but includes Redsnake bottom metal that allows use of cartrdges with 3.5+" COAL.

.25-06 semi-custom
Part	Cost
Tikka Long Action	$635.00
"Preferred Barrels" 26" Pre-Fit Barrel (including $65 lapping)	$485.00
Sportsmatch-t084-2-piece-30mm-medium	$43.79
MDT-metal long-action AICS-standard-5-round-black-Max OAL: 3.560"	$79.95
Redsnake Tactical long-action-tikka-t3-t3x-bottom-metal- 3.5+" COAL	$215.00
	$1,458.74

I wouldn't pay a dime for lapping a barrel.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I wouldn't pay a dime for lapping a barrel.

Can you please say more about this? I've already been told that "truing", especially on a Tikka, is completely unnecessary. However, hand lapping sounded like a good way to remove any micrscopic tooling marks to reduce fouling. For $65 in the grand scheme of things, it sounded like a bargain.