I am loading for a Rem 700 25-06. I have been using the hornady manual. The book says the max for a 117 sst is 56.1g of rl-22. I started with 48.1g of rl-22 and have worked up to 56.1. Everytime I go up with the powder the load gets more accurate. How many grains should I go past the maximum, and when will I know it is too much? Thanks for the help.

I say this not in jest so those who might think otherwise will know.

PM Hot Core and get his one on one advise.Other wise this thread might have the potential of becoming a dung slinger. roger

you could also try another powder one just a tad faster and one just a tad slower.

quote:

How many grains should I go past the maximum,

When you can feel the new primer installation is less tight than the new cases then you have gone too far.

increase your current load 1/2 grain and fire them. Then reload them and see how the primer feels when installed. If it's tight like the new cases then add another 1/2 grain.

Keep this up until the primers are less tight to install. When the happens you should back down two full grains.

You might be at this point now!

You can go past the maximum load all the way up to were your barrel splits. You may see improvements in accuracy all the way to that last shot. If you can’t figure out the answer to your own question, then the real answer is, don’t cruise off book. Get some more experience and reading under your belt before you start "tickling the dragon’s tail".

I have always shot a 25/06 a little on the warm side for best accuracy. But not too much.
You might try backing off a grain or so and try a magnum primer. Has worked for me on several occasions with a 25.

I would have to say that the book maximum is a valid place to stop with the barrel, lot of bullets - powder- and primers used in the lab test. You do not have those exact components, and may or may not be at a true maximum. Using all known visable or measurable pressure indicators if you feel that there is still upward room left, do so at your own risk. There are very few reloaders who at some point have not gone beyond what one book recomends.

quite often the groups will open up befor it goes bad. most reloading books should have a section on reading pressure signs. maybe you should have a look through your books.

How tight are your groups ?
I mean, if you are at .5 MOA and at the book max , it really makes no sence to keep going.
Unless you are shooting in a match or somthing.
The 25,06 is generaly a deer and antilope hunting rig.
It has plenty of power, for the purpose. Squeezing an extra few feet of velocity out of her is not going to make a difference in killing power, and if you are much under MOA you are as good as you need to be.
Super tight groups are nice, but not at the expence taking unnecisary risks.
...tj3006

Your load must be right up there with pressure signs, flatning primers, maybe marks on shell from ejector, any stiffness in bolt opening?
My books Lyman 48 list max load with 117gr sierras as 53.5gr,Alliant says 52gr and your at
much higher.for me you could be in danger zones
manitou

My last group with 56.1 was .87

Mitchell, I don’t know what to say.

There are a few things that stand out when reviewing 25-06 Remington loads between Hornday, Nosler, and Sierra’s manuals.

1 Their load differences are all over the boards.

2 Hornady has some of the highest maximum charge weights of all the manuals.

Loads for 115-117 grain bullets.

Hornady RL 22 Max. 56.1
Nosler No Listing
Sierra RE 22 Max. 50.5
Alliant Reloder 22 Max. 52.0 (website Info)

Maximum deviation of 5.6 grains.

On the other hand take a powder like IMR 4831.

Hornady IMR 4831 Max. 51.6
Nosler IMR 4831 Max. 52.0
Sierra IMR 4831 Max. 50.9
Hodgdon IMR 4831 Max. 53.0 (website Info)

Maximum deviation of 2.1 grains.

Mitchell, are you really ready to cruise off book loads by yourself at this time?

Try a different powder and see what you get, I’m not a big fan of Reloder 22 but MOA is not bad, not bad at all.

the bulet manufacturers books are all over the place because their bullets construction and bearing length are all over the place.
they also used different lots of powder different brass and primer combinations.
it's like making bread you use one kind of flour a 2% milk and your eggs are medium sized and your bread comes out heavy while mine comes out light and fluffy.

quote:

Originally posted by Lamar:
the bulet manufacturers books are all over the place because their bullets construction and bearing length are all over the place.
they also used different lots of powder different brass and primer combinations.
it's like making bread you use one kind of flour a 2% milk and your eggs are medium sized and your bread comes out heavy while mine comes out light and fluffy.

My point exactly Lamar, there is no consensus in published loading data. Some information is better (less confused) than other information (the RE 22 and IMR 4831 comparison).

Where does a newbe reloader gather his information to start developing a high pressure off book, non-published load?

The thing is that YOUR rifle isn't OUR rifle,
so any "Secret info" we might have, we know from experience really only applies to OUR rifle.

The first thing you as a "newbie" must learn is that each rifle is unique.

And that even if you have the fortune to own over time three essentially identical rifles you discover that they don't
always like the same things...

Components change the rifles change (even subtle changes)
and things don't remain the same.

you must make your own path

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