Ruger #1

[12point]

Sold two guns to the same guy and having trouble with one. Ruger #1 in 25-06 but can not get a group less than 3 inches. I sold him a Browning 25 WSSM and it would not shoot either. After 6 months of trying different loads I came up with one that works and is smoking, but this other has me dumb founded. Help!!!

[versifier]

What powders and bullets have you tried so far?
There are seven pet loads listed for .25-06 if you follow the link under "Reloading" at the top of the page that might give you an idea of where to go with it next, but I'm sure that you'll get some good feedback from our membership, too. I load for .250Sav and .257Roberts, so I'm not much help for you.

[12point]

Trying to stick with a 100 grain bullet. I have used Hodgon Varget, 4350 and Win 760 but no luck yet. Just loaded some Barnes Triple shock but have yet to shoot them. Wind here is gusting up to 45MPH through Friday.

[versifier]

I made a few calls and I did some checking with friends who load it and these are their recommendations:

One friend commented that a little extra bullet weight won't hurt anything and may stabilize better from the #1. All said to seat them as long as the throat will allow, which, depending on how it is throated, would tend to favor longer (and heavier) bullets. With any single shot, see how they shoot crimped (Lee Factory Crimp gets several votes) vs. uncrimped, and one also suggested mag primers for cold weather hunting.
Here's a list of all suggested bullets, regular and premium:
Rem 100gr C/L PSP (I'm not a fan of these in larger calibers, but the .25's do well)
Sierra 100gr GK SBT #1625
Sierra 117gr GK SBT #1630
Nosler 100gr PAR SPT
Nosler 115gr PAR SPT
Speer 115gr TB Bear Claw JSP

For powders, consider not only IMR4350, but also H380, RE19, and RE22.
Let us know how you are progressing.

[Oldbushman]

I've asked round as I only load for a 25-303 in the 25 class & I'm afraid I have'nt had any joy ! One thing i have found from a owner of a #1 is as Versifier has stated you want to seat your bullet as cloe to the lands a possible & some of these #1s have generous throats .

Dave

[klausg]

12 point-
I answered this, in your intro thread, but I'll put it here also. I used to own a Ruger M77 in .25-06, I traded it off when I moved up here to AK as it's a little light for most things up here. I never shot many 100 gr bullets, sticking mainly with 120 gr Nosler partitions and 90 gr Barnes solids. My rifle was very fond of near max charges of IMR 4350, in fact the load that I used so much that it is permanently engraved in my noggin, is at max, according to IMR. Here goes:

Nosler 120 gr Partition
Winchester brass
CCI 200
48.5 gr IMR 4350

I had those seated as far out as i could get away with; my rifle would keep 5 of those in a quarter all day, as long as I did my part. Of course, rifles are goofy, and every one is different. I generally start with one of the 4350's in anything based on the '06 case. Hope this helps. Oh yeah, I also played around a LOT with Hornady 75 gr, (I was on my velocity kick at the time); I never could get those to shoot worth a darn. Looking back I was probably trying to push them too fast, but who knows. I finally gave up on that particular bullet.

-Klaus

[12point]

Klaus, thanks for the info. My son and I went hunting got in Sat. night sorry did not reply sooner. I will give you loads a try and take some with me next weekend. I had one with me this weekend it liked but it is slow. It was 100 gr. Nosler Balistic tip over 44 grains Varget powder with bullet seated to an overall length of 3.125. 3 shots were 3/8 of an inch but he wants speed. Like I say though "Speed Kills".

[versifier]

Personally, I have never met a deer that was any less dead if the bullet that killed it was moving at a few hundred fps slower. Better a slower and more accurate shot through the heart than a fast one through the paunch. Hot loads stress actions, erode barrels, and generally (though there are exceptions) are nowhere near as accurate as more moderate charges. Some folks are never convinced though, so what can you do? If you are going to have to push the velocity, the Ballistic Tips or Sierra GK's are not the bullets to do it with. They do not hold together well at high velocities and can explode, leaving a large surface wounds and little or no penetration. If he's got to have speed, he's got to have a premium bullet that will perform when it's pushed hard. Nosler Partitions, Speer Grand Slams or Trophy Bonded Bear Claws, and Barnes Triple Shock X's (how did they work?) are the ones that will hold together. Heavier bullets will deliver more energy at longer ranges. I'd say his attitude is more limiting to his options than the rifle. I have better luck letting the rifle tell me what it likes best and pushing that at the appropriate speed, but it sounds like you don't have that option this time.

[12point]

The Barnes did not group good. The Nosler 100 Bal. tips with the Varget did super. He was cutting holes with each shot but because they shot a little lower he thinks speed is better. I found that the 25 WSSM like speed better than slow, I have one also. I normaly hunt with a custom Hart 300 Win mag but is has to loaded also does not like factory loads, but then again its a custom built this way. I told him we would more than likely have to change bullets to get more speed but who knows. I have loaded some 115 Berger VLD's and will check them this coming weekend. After deer season I need to get the rifle home so I can come up with a load a little quicker.

[spooksar]

Try a 120 gr bullet and IMR 4831with a near max. load [cant off hand remember the load]: but my No 1 in 25-06 shoots 5/8 MOA groups with it:

[12point]

spooksar, thanks for the info. Do you have any idea what bullet you used?

[dave22250]

12 Point,
I have a No. 1 in 25-06, and it will shoot, for the 100 grn. bullets it likes IMR 4831 with nosler BT.s or sierra 100 grns 117 grns sierras shoot well under 1 In. with IMR 4350, and the 75 grn hornady,s or sierra,s will shoot 1/2 In. or better with good speed 3665 fps. out of my gun very explosive on the groundhogs around here. Winchester primers seemed to work better with the heavier bullets and I use rem. 9 1/2s with the 75 grners.
I do love that No. 1, only thing I did was to it is replace the trigger and carefully tighten the forearm screw.to tight and it would string the bullets.

[versifier]

12Point,
Something had been trying to come to the surface for a while here, and I finally remembered. Just because the group printed lower, that does not necessarily mean that it was moving slower. Faster moving bullets spend less time in the barrel and exit it when it is rising from the recoil impulse sooner. Often, the lower the velocity, the higher the group prints at target ranges. It's not true in every case, but it is in many, so the POI is not a reliable way to estimate it. You should chrono the loads anyway, as this will let you calculate bullet drop at longer ranges much more accurately.