.25-06 anyone?

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Just a shoutout to see what ya'll got for .25-06 loads and experience. I am picking up a HOWA 1500 barreled action in that tomorrow from my FFL and will be bedding it in a laminate bench rest/varmint/tactical style stock. I wanted a 6.5x55, but they don't have any manufactured and the guy suggested the .25-06 which seems to be a super fricking ctg!!! Can't wait to touch it off!! I have a ton of .30-06 brass available to convert. A friend suggested necking with 270 die first then 25 cal to ease into it. I have fireformed and such before, but never necked down quite that much. Neck thickness can be an issue I suspect.
 
I have a Ruger M77 in .25-06 that I like very much, in part because it was the first quality centerfire rifle I bought (many years ago). The best load I've been able to come up with so far is 56.0 gr of IMR 4831 under a Speer 100 gr spitzer. My chronograph tells me I'm getting around 3300 fps, and 5-shot groups are usually less than 1 MOA.

I have only ever used "real" .25-06 brass, so I can't comment on necking down .30-06, though as you know that's how the .25-06 came to be in the first place, so it must be do-able (with care).

It most definitely is a super cartridge, by the way.
 
I have a Ruger M77 in .25-06 that I like very much, in part because it was the first quality centerfire rifle I bought (many years ago). The best load I've been able to come up with so far is 56.0 gr of IMR 4831 under a Speer 100 gr spitzer. My chronograph tells me I'm getting around 3300 fps, and 5-shot groups are usually less than 1 MOA.

I have only ever used "real" .25-06 brass, so I can't comment on necking down .30-06, though as you know that's how the .25-06 came to be in the first place, so it must be do-able (with care).

It most definitely is a super cartridge, by the way.
I had a 25-06 built on an 03 action before it was a comercial ctg. It is one of my favorites, I now also have a #1 in the same caliber.
 
If you intend to form your own cases from .30-06 cases, a couple of things to consider:

1) Generous lube.

2) The notion of doing it is steps is a sound idea.

3) After sized, measure the neck wall thickness and consider the need for neck wall reaming. RCBS can supply the reamer, but you'll have to also acquire a "case forming die" to hold the case while you are reaming.

4) After sizing and reaming, consider the need for annealing. This is a process by which a specific application of heat reverses the embrittlement induced into the brass as a result of severe working. I've never formed .25-06, so I don't know if annealing is required, but I regularly make cases such as .308 x 1-1/2 (sometimes a/k/a .308 Barnes), where it definitely is.

Though the .25-06 started life as a wildcat, I believe factory ammo is now available from both Winchester and Remington. It won't be cheap, but I'd elect to buy some factory and use that for brass, rather than making the cases myself.
 
Yes, that word usage was quite brilliant and should be commended. Anyways, I figured I could reform the -06 cases, using a 270 die first, then the .25-06 next. But alas, you do have the issue with case neck thickness and I am not sure I want to deal with turning necks at this point. I could find all the really cheap Federal brass though and use that as the brass is thin to begin with! I think it was the Federal that was thinner. Anyways, buying the right brass is usually the better way to go. I will be looking around at shows and shops for ammo and brass on the cheap and see how it goes. Thank you for the steps involved though. It is ALWAYS good to know how to reform brass in the event you can't get it anymore.

On the .25-06 chambering, there are a number of new rifles chambered in it, which is a great thing for ammo availability. I think the Marlin bolt rifle is, and Blaser has it (not that anyone can afford one), and others from what I understand. Gotta pick up my action tomorrow. Never got to it today...
 
Hello from Owego, NY. First post on this site.

You may not need to two-step your reforming process. I have reformed a lot of 30-06 brass for my 25-06 by just using my 25-06 die in one step. I use a Hornady FL sizer with the eliptical expander and a sparse amount of Imperial Die Sizing Wax (best stuff that ever happened to handloaders). I also chuck up the 30-06 case in a drill and use a bore brush to polish the inside of the neck prior to reforming. FWIW, I favor the "Greek" brass, fortunately I get a lot of it free at the local range. As to neck turning - that will depend on your guns chamber. My 25-06 is a Ruger #1V and I don't need to neck turn the reformed brass. Your gun may have a tighter chamber. Fireforming removes the crease line from the 30-06 neck/shoulder transition and if the transition line bugs you it can be polished out with fine steel wool when it is in the drill. www.brassman.com has good deals on once-fired 25-06 brass if you don't want to reform. I have not found it necessary (yet)to anneal my 25-06 brass. I usually work in batches of 100 or so and find I wear out the primer pocket before having to anneal the neck.
 
Thanks! Good info for sure. Update on my build: The bolt is at machinist having knob machined off and threaded post, and a custom bolt knob machined in aluminum made. Cherry being laminated up for stock in the McMillan A5 style and laser engraved in the sides for the hell of it. I will probably put my business logo/name on the right side as I am going to do a horizontal rifle display case for Fryeburg Fair this coming year hopefully. Should be a great thing to draw people into my booth and spur on some conversation!!
 
IIRC reducing case necks 2 calibers or more require neck turning. Curlymaple wants to go from .308 to.257 or 4 calibers,.308,.284,.270 and .264.
 
If you intend to form your own cases from .30-06 cases, a couple of things to consider:

1) Generous lube.

2) The notion of doing it is steps is a sound idea.

3) After sized, measure the neck wall thickness and consider the need for neck wall reaming. RCBS can supply the reamer, but you'll have to also acquire a "case forming die" to hold the case while you are reaming.

4) After sizing and reaming, consider the need for annealing. This is a process by which a specific application of heat reverses the embrittlement induced into the brass as a result of severe working. I've never formed .25-06, so I don't know if annealing is required, but I regularly make cases such as .308 x 1-1/2 (sometimes a/k/a .308 Barnes), where it definitely is.

Though the .25-06 started life as a wildcat, I believe factory ammo is now available from both Winchester and Remington. It won't be cheap, but I'd elect to buy some factory and use that for brass, rather than making the cases myself.

I have made hundreds of 25-06 cases from both 30-06 & 270 Win. brass. I used to use motor honey, but now use Midway's spray lube, [lanolin] in all sizing, including wildcats. The only time you need to anneal is if you reduce the case length below the original factory point, like the Barnes.
I use Motor Mica or graphite as a case neck lube and trim to length before reloading. I get 10-12 reloads before neck failure.
 
Just got my die set (Hornady), some Rem brass, and some various bullets at Cabelas. Had gift cards, otherwise I probably would have ordered a Forster die set from Midway. Anyways, I rammed a .30-06 case and a .270 case up in there to see what happened (the .270 was by mistake actually) and what I assessed, is apart from trimming, the .270 cases come out WAY better! The .30-06 cases get a case neck donut. I looked at the case dimensions of all three and noticed that the .270 has the same neck angle as the .25-06. Too bad I do not have a ton of .270 cases!!! Anyways, the difference in neck thickness didn't seem too far off, say .002 difference maybe if I remember correctly? The .25-06 measured about .014 and the .270 measured .014 as well but the .30-06 measured .016 I think. That sound about right? Is .002 enough thickness to need to neck turn? Just curious. I have 100pcs of .25-06 brass, but it is nice to be able to make some brass myself from surplus I have around as opposed to using $36/100 new brass all the time. Can't wait to get the rifle built and shoot this stuff!!!
 
Just got my die set (Hornady), some Rem brass, and some various bullets at Cabelas. Had gift cards, otherwise I probably would have ordered a Forster die set from Midway. Anyways, I rammed a .30-06 case and a .270 case up in there to see what happened (the .270 was by mistake actually) and what I assessed, is apart from trimming, the .270 cases come out WAY better! The .30-06 cases get a case neck donut. I looked at the case dimensions of all three and noticed that the .270 has the same neck angle as the .25-06. Too bad I do not have a ton of .270 cases!!! Anyways, the difference in neck thickness didn't seem too far off, say .002 difference maybe if I remember correctly? The .25-06 measured about .014 and the .270 measured .014 as well but the .30-06 measured .016 I think. That sound about right? Is .002 enough thickness to need to neck turn? Just curious. I have 100pcs of .25-06 brass, but it is nice to be able to make some brass myself from surplus I have around as opposed to using $36/100 new brass all the time. Can't wait to get the rifle built and shoot this stuff!!!

I have not had to ream the necks of the finished brass. I did when making 6.5x55 brass out of 06 cases, but you will have to trim & chamfer.
H4831 was alway's my powder of choice.
 
I just picked up a cheapo LEE .270 die to size the necks halfway which seems to work pretty good. I measured the necks and the dimensions are the same as 25-06 brass. I can't really do much right now cause my bolt is still at the machinists being mod'ed. Once I have it back I have to work on bullet seating length and making sure the brass feeds good. I don't think I have any H4831. I have a bunch of other appropriate powders though. I can't wait to bed the action and build 'er up!! Cherry stock lamination is in PA being inletted and machined in McMillan A5 style right now.
 
Got the 270 die (LEE crap and removed the decapper assembly) from Cabelas and used that to size do intermediary, then on to the .25-06 die then trimmed the cases to length. Measured everything pretty careful and nothing seems too thick, bullets seat fine, action functions fine too. Only thing I see as any sort of issue is a small donut at the neck/taper juncture. I loaded them with 75gr bullets to a minimum load and we'll see what happens. Careful careful now!! I loaded some factory brass too with 75 and 100gr loads, since I got my bolt back from the machinist.
 
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