Quarter Bore Lovin’

[hereinaz]

25 SST makes me happy. I love this cartridge and what it does. It is so easy to shoot and spot shots. But, there is no perfect solution, just a set of tradeoffs that make you happy.

I started with the end in mind, and reverse engineered what I wanted with the most benefit with the least amount of negative penalty.

I wanted long range performance in as small a bullet and rifle package as possible. For me that is the .257 cal133 Berger Elite Hunter in a 21” barrel with suppressor, going 3160 at the muzzle. Cartridge is the 25 Sherman Short Tactical. I may even cut it shorter if I can get the velocity I want.

I already had a 7mm and 6mm. 6.5 mm was just too similar to my 7mm to justify a different gun. Dropping to .257 did it for me. The increase over the 110 class of 6mm bullets made it heavy enough to give me performance and still keep recoil down.

It’s easy to shoot and the best ballistics for the weight class of bullet. It is only 7 grains short of favorite 140 grain 6.5 loads. It matches my 7mm Sherman Short for ballistics nicely, except wind deflection is higher with a smaller bullets.

Sherman cases are easy to load for too, this is the same load as my first 25SST shot this group.

As a more expensive wildcat, it’s definitely not for most people…

 

[Brandon.miller.4]

I'm loving my 21" 25-284

 

[sierracharlie338]

I love it! I’m a huge 1/4 bore fan. My 257robAI really needs some more attention and I have 2 more builds on deck that will be a 257 something

 

[sierracharlie338]

@hereinaz i meant to ask before, why the preference to the 133s over the 135s?

 

[hereinaz]

The 133 are the hunting version with thinner copper jacket for terminal performance. I always run the hunting bullets from Berger. The target have a thicker jacket.

And, I have also heard that the 135 are a little more finicky.

 

[hereinaz]

I love it! I’m a huge 1/4 bore fan. My 257robAI really needs some more attention and I have 2 more builds on deck that will be a 257 something

I like the 257ai, sweet round. What bullet are you shooting?

What are you thinking for your builds?

I considered the 25 creed short action, 25 Sherman (270 based long action, and 25 SST (short mag) before I decided on the SST. They are also throated for the longer bullets and were easier for me to figure out and find components. Sherman has a good following and keeps his products flowing as much as he can.

I think I have one of my 25 SST that I am going to sell with some new brass, bullets, and a new die. I wanted shorter so I could more easily run my suppressor.

 

[B23]

Kind of similar to the 270's the 257's have always lacked high BC bullets but with the introduction of Berger's 133 /135's and now Hornady's 134 ELD-M there is finally, multiple, heavy for caliber high BC .257 bullets available to the general shooting world.

I've never really been much of a 25 cal fan and had zero interest in owning one let alone having a custom built, but, with there now being more heavy high BC options commonly available I'm more excited for my 25 SAUM to get built as I have been for any of my other builds I've had done in a very long time. When you run the numbers on the 133, 134, or 135's with the BC's they have and leaving at 3100-3200fps, some will probably go 3200+ pretty easy, they make for a pretty impressive combination that has the ability to deliver at LR distances, and, it's doing it with less recoil.

I was recently reading about a hunting weight 25 PRC Alex Wheeler recently put together where they were shooting the Berger 133's. If I recall they were shooting those 133's right around 3150-3200 or so and it was shooting very impressively.

 

[sierracharlie338]

I like the 257ai, sweet round. What bullet are you shooting?

What are you thinking for your builds?
.

I’m running the 110 Accubond in my 257AI at an easy 3000. I originally rebarreled the rifle (a standard 257 bob) to run the 131 blackjacks but got screwed in that deal. I have bought small stock in the Berger 135s so saving those for the new builds.

As much as I hate the creedmoor craze I’m considering a 25 creed build since I have an unused short action but have a burning desire for a 25x284 as well since I don’t own a standard long action. I wouldn’t mind a 25saum but what I don’t want to get into is a ton of brass prep. My time to shoot is limited enough as it is. Need some more time to investigate the second build but the first is probably gonna be a creed for a do-all Texas critter gun.

Why did you settle on the 133s versus the 135s?

 

[hereinaz]

when Blaxkjack Aces came out, I was excited about 25 cal because of the high BC. I waited until Berger came out with a bullet to build though.

For any caliber, I just always chose the Berger Elite Hunter or hunting VLD, so it was the 133 from the beginning.

The 25 SST is the easy button cause no brass prep with Sherman’s brass.

I ran over 3200 in my 24” barrel.

 

[Kimber7man]

This has got me thinking again, I've got a 20" 6.5 PRC shooting the 140 elites at 2,950. If I could go 25 PRC/SAUM/SST and get over 3,100 with the 133 in a 20" barrel, the ballistics might tilt me to a short mag 25.

 

[hereinaz]

This has got me thinking again, I've got a 20" 6.5 PRC shooting the 140 elites at 2,950. If I could go 25 PRC/SAUM/SST and get over 3,100 with the 133 in a 20" barrel, the ballistics might tilt me to a short mag 25.

The 257 133 with higher BC and more velocity than a 264 140 out of the same barrel is pretty significant, IMO. This is what finally convinced me I could cheat on my beloved 7SS shooting 180 at 3100 out of a 26” barrel…

I could match drop with a shorter barrel and significantly less recoil. The 6.5 mags were too close in recoil to justify a second rifle.

The 25 creedmoor does the same to the 6.5 creedmoor, especially when running 264 130 grain bullets in a short barrel for velocity.

I still run my 7mm when I want the lower wind drift and higher energy/terminal performance. But, I reach first for my 25sst cause it is more fun.

 

[JAC8504]

speaking of brass. are they going to have some 25SST brass in stock soon?

 

[JAC8504]

I'm loving my 21" 25-284

What #s are you getting?

 

[Brandon.miller.4]

Tikka action
Preferred 21" 25-284 bj reamer

54 grains of h1000 is giving me 2945 at the muzzle with berger 133.

Shot a black bear this spring at 120ish yards...devastating. Internals were a mess and 5 different exit wounds.

Shot a bull elk 4 days ago at 575. Also devastating. No exits on the elk and liquefied internals

 

[hereinaz]

speaking of brass. are they going to have some 25SST brass in stock soon?

I don’t know, Rich is active in Facebook and answers his phone.

I run 6.5 SST brass in one barrel and 25 in the other. I think all SST brass is formed as 6.5 and you have to neck down to shoot it

 

[Wapiti1]

Anyone have plans to try the 134 ELD-M this fall?

Jeremy

 

[sierracharlie338]

Anyone have plans to try the 134 ELD-M this fall?

Jeremy

Here ya go

134 terminal

 

[slatebuilder]

What is the recommended twist rate for these 134 ELD M’s?

 

[B23]

What is the recommended twist rate for these 134 ELD M’s?

It's somewhat dependent on how fast you plan to launch them. If you're shooting them in something like a 25 Creedmoor where the speeds could be in the 2700-2900fps range you'll likely want a 7.5tw but if you're shooting them in a 25-284, 25 PRC, 25 SAUM, 25 WSM, 257 Wby, or any other wildcat where velocities will be 3000 to as much as 3300+ then an 8tw will due.

The concern with using faster then an 8tw in things that'll launch these 3100 to 3300 or maybe even faster is the bullet RPM starts getting over 300,000 and at 300K that's when bad things start happening to bullets in flight.

I talked to Hornady and Bartlein quite a bit before I ordered my barrel and both thought an 8tw was the way to go with the 25 SAUM I'm having built to shoot the 134 ELD-M's.

 

[slatebuilder]

It's somewhat dependent on how fast you plan to launch them. If you're shooting them in something like a 25 Creedmoor where the speeds could be in the 2700-2900fps range you'll likely want a 7.5tw but if you're shooting them in a 25-284, 25 PRC, 25 SAUM, 25 WSM, 257 Wby, or any other wildcat where velocities will be 3000 to as much as 3300+ then an 8tw will due.

The concern with using faster then an 8tw in things that'll launch these 3100 to 3300 or maybe even faster is the bullet RPM starts getting over 300,000 and at 300K that's when bad things start happening to bullets in flight.

I talked to Hornady and Bartlein quite a bit before I ordered my barrel and both thought an 8tw was the way to go with the 25 SAUM I'm having built to shoot the 134 ELD-M's.

My son has a 257 weatherby mag. We need to check it, but I’ll bet the factory twist is to slow.