Re-22 in a 25-06?

[Savage Tactical]

I am a little interested in how this powder shoots. I have had good success with IMR 4350 an IMR 4831. I know these are considered the about the best you can get in a 25-06, but I would like to play around a little bit. I once read a article about the 25-06 where a guy swore by this powder. Does it offer a noticable increase in velocity and/or accuracy over these IMRs?

I am shooting a heavy barrel Savage 110FLP with a 24" barrel. I shoot mostly sierra bullets (117 SBT, 120 HPBT, and 90 HPBT).

[jhm]

Sav. Tact. :  With Rel.-22 in the 25-06 per: their manual 100gr spitzer 55.9 gr rel-22 gives vel. of3355 PSI cup 61,100 / then with 120 gr hpbt 52.5 rel-22 vel 3080 PSI cup 60,400,  if you cet a chanch write them alliant_reloading@atk.com and request their catalog which will give you info on their powders and recomended loads.    JIM

[Savage Tactical]

Thanks for the info jim. Those numbers are a little different than what is in the Sierra reloading manual. Those pressure limits seem very high; I thought the maximum pressure for 25-06 was 53,000 cup.

Also, I don't mean to be rude, but I was looking for more personal opinions and experience than text book data. Appreciated though.

[Guybo]

Savage Tactical.....i've personally tried the Re22 recently in my Remington Sendero 25.06 26" barrel.  I am pretty much doing what you say you want to do and messing around and trying different stuff.  I already have a couple of super loads worked up with the 4350/4831 which i'll share at the end of my post. I tried the re22 with a Speer 120grn spitzer and also a Hornady 117 grn btsp. So far i haven't been impressed at all with the accuracy in comparison to the 4350/4831 in my rifle, but we know all guns shoot differently.  As for velocity it wasn't that much of a difference with the re22 from my gun. I'm still going to put some more loads together and continue testing.  I'll also add my 25.06 is somewhat finicky about what you feed it.  One thing i did like about the alliant powder is that it filters really well. I also have some imr7828 that i want to try that is suppose to be somewhat equal to re22 in burn rate (very slow).  I know one guy who has pretty much standardizes all his reloading with alliant re22,25,19, and about the only imr he uses is the 7828 which is opposite of me, i like imr powders.  He has mostly magnums and quarterbores.  He has one 25.06 mountain rifle that will drive tacks with the re22 and 7828 with the heavier bullets 117/120grn range so i know it's worth a try if you're just looking for something different.  The re22 is really gonna have to step it up to compete with the 4350/4831 in my rifle so thats yet to be seen.  My pet loads are....

Nosler 115grn Partition
49 grns 4350
cci 200 primer
Rem brass
.010 off lands in my rifle

Speer 120 Spitzer
49.5 grns 4831
cci 200 Primer
Rem brass
.010 off lands in my rifle

These aren't max loads in my rifle but they are the most accurate.
                              Good Luck!      Mike

[jhm]

Savagage tact :  I have always felt alot safer to use the textbook data than just the data that someone could put out on the net, it whats kept me safe for all these years and not destroying anything in the process, be careful and double check all loads b-4 you use them again anybody can put anything in these posts, be safe and have fun.    JIM

[Savage Tactical]

I agree, reloading manuals are the only way to really trust loads. You mis-understand me, I wasn't looking for actual loads. I was instead trying to get people's opinions.

[BruceP]

I loaded RL22 in a 25-06 for my cousin several years back. The only bullets we tried were Nosler 100 gr. BT and Partitions. Both bullets shot under an inch at 100 yds. but the BT was a little more accurate. I don't remember the powder charge but I do remember it was the listed max in the free annual load guide at the time. My uncle has the gun now and he shoots the Hornady Custom factory loads with the 117 gr. bullet. They also shoot under an inch. The gun is a Browning A-bolt and it shoots just about anything well.
BruceP

[swecology]

Here's my side of it.  I shoot a .25-06 in a  Ruger M77MkII.  

After a few years of experimentation, the best combination I've found is a Winchester Large Rifle primer with H4831SC (117 gr. Hndy BTSP) for accuracy - 3/4" at 100 yds.  For a hunting round, I'll switch the primer to a Federal 210.  My groups don't enlarge that much, and my velocity is pushing 2990 fps.  Group size with this is .75 to .90 of an inch.  

R-22 seemed to be the answer, at first.  But I couldn't get the power curve of the energy on top of the accuracy curve.  Meaning that I had great accuracy at 26-2700 fps, but lost all accuracy when close to 3000 fps.  The switch to from R-22 to H4831SC with a Federal 210 primer (much hotter than WLR) seems to have solved this problem.

This winter (December Whitetail hunt in the Central Arizona Mountains) I'll keep the powder and primer, and switch the bullet from a 117 gr. Hndy BTSP to a 117 gr. Hndy SST.  I expect that to tighten up the grouping a little more also.  

I hope this helps.  BTW - except for the Federal 210 primer, all of the loads at the given velocitys can be found in the Hornady Reloading Manual.  They use a WLR in that.

Good Luck. :-)

P.S.  How did I figure this one out?  By shooting comparable loads with Sierra 117 gr. bullets and their data and doing a little interpretation.  I really wanted to use the Hornady line of bullets though, because they can be easily swapped for each load.  BTSP for SST for the new Interbond (supposed to be coming out in .257) without having to work out new loads for each.  Sierra, by contrast, only offers one style per weight.  Don't know about Nosler or Swift.  Speer didn't have anything in a 117 gr. , and the results from the 120's were abyssmal.