Can I make a gun shoot the bullet I want it to?

HartShot

New member
I want to buy a 25-06 and I want to shoot the Federal Premium V-Shok Ammunition 25-06 Remington 85 Grain Nosler Ballistic Tip out of it.
Can I make it like it if it don't?
 
I would say it is easier to match ammo to a gun then to match a gun with ammo. I would bet not, if it dont like a factory flavor, it just plain dont like it. If you dont like peas can I make you like them.
Cracker
 
I have a friend that will load up 50 rounds of a bullet/powder combo with out every trying them first. If they don't shoot good out of his rifle, he just makes up excuses. Well, the wind got that one or "My Bad". A half of dozen shots will tell you pretty quick if your rifle likes the ammo or not. I really like the 60gr. V-max and Varget powder, but my R-15 does not. (Just a couple of bad examples.)
 
I don't think you'll have a problem at all. I'm willing to bet it shoots pretty decent as is depending on how well your rifle shoots. You didn't mention if you've had the rifle bedding done or anything. If you did I can almost bet it will like that bullet.

When I first bought my .25 I shot factory ammo. Federal shot the best and Remington so-so.

I'm a big fan of the 85 gr to 87 gr bullets as that's about all I shoot out of mine. My rifle is a 700 VS in .25-06 made back when Remington chambered this round in a varmint style rifle.
 
you gun should be able to shoot that 85gr bt as long as you can load it. just start at the low end and work your way up. i got a buddy with a tikka t3 thats a 25-06 and his gun loves those 85gr bt with imr 4350 gun powder.
 
Back when I was a kid my father used to put a sticker on the dash of every vehicle we owned: "Machinery doesn't care".

I'm not finding that I can make a gun like a bullet. I may be able to get acceptable hunting accuracy out of it (say 85 grain Triple Shocks in my .243), but I can't make it produce one ragged hole, or at least haven't stumbled across the sweet spot (yet).

But I have almost given up on bullets using published data only to stumble across a different combination which produces stunning results (58 Vmax in .243 for example).

I loaded up a ton of different 55 grain ammo and my boys and I went out and shot produce and pop cans one day. The 50 grain Nosler ballistic tip is so explosive it is funny, followed by the 55 grain Vmax and then the Sierra 55 Blitz.

But I couldn't for the life of me get groups which made me happy using the Nosler. Heck, out of my .22 PPC Sako it's a spray gun.

I don't exactly like sitting on a partial box of bullets I'll never use, so that's when I try a less popular combination (out of the manuals, I don't truly experiment).

Low and behold I got the Noslers well under 1 MOA out of my middle son's 16" fat barrel AR, so now it's a keeper.

Where it shoots the Nosler, my other son's rifle rings the bell with the 55 Vmax (and factory Hornady 55 Vmax shoots 2+ MOA at best in his rifle).

Now that I reread your post I find that you want to use factory ammo, not a specific bullet. In that case the odds just stacked against you. This my friend, is the real reason many of us hand load. If you're really bent on that particular bullet out of a particular 25-06 you might need to roll up the sleeves and buy a press.

I don't want to be a buzz kill though. Buy a good rifle known for accuracy and give it a shot.
 
Match the bullet with a powder and load it likes and yes it will. Some just take longer to find that combination.
 
Originally Posted By: HartShotI want to buy a 25-06 and I want to shoot the Federal Premium V-Shok Ammunition 25-06 Remington 85 Grain Nosler Ballistic Tip out of it.
Can I make it like it if it don't?

The correct answer is yes...If you have the knowledge and necessary skill. You might have to spend a little money and it might require a modifcation to the end of the barrel to be able to tune it to the load. It you are creative you can do it a couple other ways too. Browning sold factory rifles you could tune and another company sold the device you could install on any gun, but it required threading the end of the barrel. There are also devices you can slip over the barrel and slide them forward or backward to help find the sweet spot. Sometime only s pessure point at the end of the stock on an otherwise free floated barrel will make almost all load shoot good too. The old timers use to use a oiled business card. Remington does it to all their factory stocks, bu the pressure cannot be adjusted with them.

In general tweaking the load is easier for most because it doesn't require too much skill ot overly expensive equipment. Me, I wouldn't get too hung up on a special bullet from Federal or anyone else. If you find you gun is pick try all of the factory stuff from the other manufactures that do the same thing. Once you find the best load buy a bunch of them.
smile.gif
 
I think he's saying he wants factory ammo. I haven't looked in awhile but I'm going to say Federal catalogs the 85 gr in one of their loads.

After 34 years I haven't tried the Nosler 85 gr in my rifle. Fact is it likes the 87 gr Sierra so much I hate to deprive it, groups are just under 1/2". The gun never did that before but is sporting a new Krieger Match barrel now.

But I have a stock of the 85 gr and will try them probably summer of 2011 along with the 115 gr VLD.
 
Originally Posted By: reb8600Match the bullet with a powder and load it likes and yes it will. Some just take longer to find that combination.

I agree with Reb! Factory ammo is another story.....

But if you can meddle with the various powder/primer combinations available, you should be able to get the performance you need and expect.
 
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I dont think you can MAKE a rifle like a particular load. Too many factors. I can not MAKE my 22-250 shoot a 85gr Vmax cuz the TR is too slow. My 30.06 hates 180gr pills but loves 165s.....I have tried to MAKE the 180gr shoot but it just wont do it. I have tried 4 different powders and I get MOA at best. The 165...... 1/2 MOA. Is MOA acceptable? If you are hunting, yes, if you are paper punching...no. Everybody knows that what works in one rifle may not work in an identical rifle......I find what my rifle likes and stick to it. Just my $.02......
 
HartShot, The short answer to your question is "Generally, Yes"... that's predicated on your willingness to spend the money and/or time to achieve your desired results...

While there may be some off the wall exceptions, most gun smiths can accomplish it for a price...

IMHO, the cost of getting into reloading is cheaper, but it's not a process for everyone..some just don't have the time, interest, or aptitude for it..
 
Assuming the OP was talking factory loaded ammo, its hard to MAKE a rifle like a bullet. You might get lucky and it will shoot it good enough or even be a tack driver. If your lucky. If your Rolling Your Own, anything can happen!
You might scream profanities at it and threaten to sell it if nothing else works.
 
It all depends on what you think is acceptable groups. Hand load this bullet combo you want with different powders and amounts of powder to get your best groupings. Twist rate might not work well with your choice.
 
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