I need some help with bullet choice. I currently have about 7 pounds of IMR 4831 and would really like to find a bullet that will shoot well with this powder in my Tikka T3. So far I have tried the 80gr barnes ttsx and the 117gr sierra btsp with no success. I was thinking about possibly the nosler partitions in 100gr. Hopefully someone on here shoots this same rifle and powder and can help steer me towards a good bullet choice. I need a good hunting bullet as this rifle is my main deer and hog rifle.
25-06 Tikka and IMR 4831
- Thread starter romad97
- Start date
joed
New member
I don't have a Tikka but that shouldn't matter. I've shot the 100 gr Nosler with very good accuracy. The 100 gr Nosler BT has also been excellent. For large deer go heavier like 115 to 117 gr. Odd that you got bad results with the 117 gr Sierra, that one has been good for me too. I don't use IMR4831 though as I had better luck with IMR4350. But that shouldn't matter as both 4831 and 4350 give good results. I just prefer 4350, but if I had 4831 I'd use it.
You also haven't mentioned what load you used. One tip I'll give you on the .25-06 is that it likes being loaded near max. I've had 2 rifles and my experience has been that starting loads haven't given the best results. What I found is as you increase the charge groups tighten up.
The .25-06 can also be somewhat finicky with primers. Best primers I've found are either Winchester or Federal BR.
Seating depths are something to pay attention to. Don't try to take an 80 to 87 gr bullet and seat it out to the lands, you'll find that you get weird results because there isn't enough bullet in the case to provide consistent tension. When it comes to light bullets I stick to the length given in the manual. With the heavier bullets you will have no problem seating the bullet further out.
You also haven't mentioned what load you used. One tip I'll give you on the .25-06 is that it likes being loaded near max. I've had 2 rifles and my experience has been that starting loads haven't given the best results. What I found is as you increase the charge groups tighten up.
The .25-06 can also be somewhat finicky with primers. Best primers I've found are either Winchester or Federal BR.
Seating depths are something to pay attention to. Don't try to take an 80 to 87 gr bullet and seat it out to the lands, you'll find that you get weird results because there isn't enough bullet in the case to provide consistent tension. When it comes to light bullets I stick to the length given in the manual. With the heavier bullets you will have no problem seating the bullet further out.
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K_V_V
New member
First off you have the right powder. That is a good thing. Suprising your gun didn't like the sierras. My gun actually shoots the 117 hornady interlock better than the sierras. I still shoot the Sierra's. Go figure. Maybe give the hornady 117 gr SST a try. That is a great bullet on game, but unfortunately for me it gave shotgun patterns out of my rifle. Lastly you might try going with the 100 gr Barnes TTSX. That is a great bullet that you can drive really fast and flat. On the other hand they are almost twice the cost of a cup and core bullet.
Best load I came up with for that powder: 117gr BTSP Hornady, Win brass, IMR 4831 near max, CCI 200. This one shot 3/4" out of a factory Mod 70. Don't bother with primers until you find the bullet your gun will actually shoot. Once you find that then you can tweak the load.
Best load I came up with for that powder: 117gr BTSP Hornady, Win brass, IMR 4831 near max, CCI 200. This one shot 3/4" out of a factory Mod 70. Don't bother with primers until you find the bullet your gun will actually shoot. Once you find that then you can tweak the load.
varmit_master
New member
I am shooting a TC venture 25/06 with imr 4831 with a 90 gr sierra HP gameking getting a 5 shot group u can cover with a dime. I also have a tikka 25/06 I use RL19 in it. If u can find some of the 90 gr gameking HP and use your powder. U will like it.
ninehorses
New member
In my testing, IMR-4831 works best with the 115-120 grain bullets, and generally speaking, usually the closer to maximum you get, the better it shoots. IMR-4350 is what I use with 115 grain Berger VLD's(3060 fps)deer and long range steel, and RL15 for the 85 grain Nosler BT(3580 fps)not fur friendly. The 117 grain Sierra should shoot, you may need to seat them closer to the lands, and run them close to maximum speed. Good luck in your testing, and let us know how it goes with some pictures.
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That's actually five shots, same powder, but 49.0 grains on this target.
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That's actually five shots, same powder, but 49.0 grains on this target.
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Originally Posted By: K_V_VFirst off you have the right powder. That is a good thing. Surprising your gun didn't like the sierras. My gun actually shoots the 117 hornady interlock better than the sierras. I still shoot the Sierra's. Go figure. Maybe give the hornady 117 gr SST a try. That is a great bullet on game, but unfortunately for me it gave shotgun patterns out of my rifle. Lastly you might try going with the 100 gr Barnes TTSX. That is a great bullet that you can drive really fast and flat. On the other hand they are almost twice the cost of a cup and core bullet.
Best load I came up with for that powder: 117gr BTSP Hornady, Win brass, IMR 4831 near max, CCI 200. This one shot 3/4" out of a factory Mod 70. Don't bother with primers until you find the bullet your gun will actually shoot. Once you find that then you can tweak the load.
Thanks for this info. I really do want to shoot the Barnes for two reasons. First, I am retiring from active duty in the next two years where I will be relocating back home to California which is in a lead free state. Second, this strictly a medium game hunting rifle and I have been told by several people that the barnes are awesome on game. I tried the 80 gr barnes and that didn't work. I want to try the 100 gr but I was worried about stabilizing them as my barrel is only a 1 in 10 twist at 22 inches. At $36 a box its a little unnerving to keep throwing money at something without hearing from others that they have had success with that certain recipe.
Best load I came up with for that powder: 117gr BTSP Hornady, Win brass, IMR 4831 near max, CCI 200. This one shot 3/4" out of a factory Mod 70. Don't bother with primers until you find the bullet your gun will actually shoot. Once you find that then you can tweak the load.
Thanks for this info. I really do want to shoot the Barnes for two reasons. First, I am retiring from active duty in the next two years where I will be relocating back home to California which is in a lead free state. Second, this strictly a medium game hunting rifle and I have been told by several people that the barnes are awesome on game. I tried the 80 gr barnes and that didn't work. I want to try the 100 gr but I was worried about stabilizing them as my barrel is only a 1 in 10 twist at 22 inches. At $36 a box its a little unnerving to keep throwing money at something without hearing from others that they have had success with that certain recipe.