When I got my 700 sendero back in march I had the intent of shooting this as more of a varmint gun than anything I have 85 nolsers shooting under half an inch at 100yds. I am just curious if anyone would feel comfortable shooting at a white tale deer with this weight bullet. Any experience? I know that 100grs from a 25/06 will put them down no problem. The extra speed is what worries me the most about trying them. Thanks

like any other varmint bullet, if you stay out of the shoulders and wait for a broadside lung shot, you likely will get spectacular results.

If you try a quartering shot, or a shot that requires some penetration to get to the vitals (particularly at close range), you my have a mess on your hands.

Probably depends on the size of the deer and where you hit him/her. Some of the southern whitetails are no bigger than a good-sized dog, whereas western Canadian whitetail bucks are almost moose-like.

I have no experience with 85 Noslers, but do with 85gr Barnes X flatbase bullets. I had no trouble dropping 85# Namibian springboks at 300 yards, aiming on point of shoulder. A smallish deer should do the same.

I guess it also depends on which style Nosler you're using. EDIT: Oops, I now realize that Nosler does not make a .257" partition. So no, I wouldn't use that particular bullet.

Since Nosler considers the 85 grain BTs to be varmint bullets, so do I. The only .257" bore bullet in the 80 grain range that I would consider for all possible deer hunting scenarios would be the 80 grain Barnes TTSX.

Jeff

If you want a light weight bullet for deer out of your .25-06 then try the TTSX 80 grain bullet. I don't think I'd try a cup and core bullet in 85 grains on any animal other than varmints.

quote:

85gr 25/06 for deer? to light?

IMO....yes.....there's a lot of good 100 grain to 120 grain bullets that will improve your odds if you run into a real trophy and the angle isn't ideal......and with my luck, that's exactly what would happen!

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

85gr 25/06 for deer? to light?

IMO....yes.....there's a lot of good 100 grain to 120 grain bullets that will improve your odds if you run into a real trophy and the angle isn't ideal......and with my luck, that's exactly what would happen!

+1

I would highly recommend that you NOT try to shoot a deer with the 85 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip.

It is not that the bullet is too small for this use, it is simply too fragile. Years ago when Nosler first introduced that bullet it was a good choice for .257 caliber rifles. My dad killed deer, wild hogs, and even black bears with it in his .257 Wby Mag.

However, Nosler decided to "improve" the 85 grain BT and made it a dedicated "varmint" bullet. That thing is so violent in expansion currently that I will not even use them on coyotes. I have seen coyotes literaly torn in half with that bullet. I have also seen coyotes that had to be shot again after the 85 grain BT surface blew up on the shoulder and did not even penetrate into the vitals. Enough of that!

If you want to try a lightweight .257 caliber bullet you need to try the 80 grain Barnes Tipped TSX. My 25-06 shoots them quite well at 3600 fps. I shot an antelope with one last month in New Mexico and the bullet performance was perfect. (small hole in, small hole out, with a real mess inside) That buck was right at 300 yards and I do not think he even kicked, it was lights out!

ive done it to see if it worked and it did. I really cant see the reasoning behind it though. A 100 grain bullet shoots plenty flat enough and most of them are constructed to work on deer sized game.

thanks for the input. I got this rifle off a buddy who shot nothing but 80-90gr bullets out of it. So I started with 85gr nosler, I have a box off 100gr in the mail right now. As I stated in the OP I just wanted info if the bullet would be to fragile to feel comfortable on deer. I realize the speed/bullet combo would be boarder line at best a deer round, but I wanted to throw it out there. Thanks again for the input.

As long as your MV is at 2700 fps or below,then the bullet would work just fine...

for what you are planning to do tho sounds like you want the velocity also..

as said above, the TTSX Barnes in 80 grains.. or the Sierra 90 grain HP was also designed for that type of use...

Speer's 87 gn SP bullet is a Deer bullet, and shoots very well in a couple of 257 Roberts rifles I have, along with their 87 gn TNT, which is strictly a varmint bullet.

If you use the 85 Nosler Ballistic Tip to shoot a whitetail, don't count on the whitetail surviving, nor on its going very far. I would choose a different bullet for numerous reasons, however, none of those reasons are that this particular bullet will fail to kill a whitetail.

I happen to use a 115 gr Ballistic Tip in my .25-06 quite happily and successfully for whitetails, but most any bullet will do the job. Even a Barnes monometal will kill a whitetail if it is close enough that accuracy is irrelavent and you have enough time and shoe leather to track it down afterwards.

The Nosler BT and the Nosler Varmit BT are not the same bullet. The Varmit BT's have a very thin jacket for violent, explosive expansion, where the hunting BT's have a thicker jacket designed for rapid, but controled expansion on deer sized target. If you wish to use a .25 Nosler BT for deer, both the 100 and 115 grainers have a reputation for stacking them up like cord wood.

Should work out just fine. Aim small miss small

quote:

I guess it also depends on which style Nosler you're using. EDIT: Oops, I now realize that Nosler does not make a .257" partition. So no, I wouldn't use that particular bullet.

Where do you get your information from?

Nosler makes .257 caliber Partitions in the following bullet weights: 100, 115, and 120.

Fuzzbutt....you need to get your facts straight before making posts that make you look like an idiot!

In reading his post, it appears to me that he was referring to 85gr Noslers in 25cal, not all Noslers in 25cal.

Olarmy,......funzerbutt is a known pot stirrer. His smart ass responses deserve what they get. come to think of it I am not certain your post makes much sense either. Funzer's post specifically says that Nosler does not make .257" partition. It makes no reference to the bullet weight!

The topic of the thread is 85gr bullets for the 25/06.

It works but makes a mess. Runied meat does not make me happy. A 85 grain out of a 25-06 or a 257 WBY mag, in the shoulder you might as well just cut it off, because it will just be jelly.

Ed

25-06.......deer? 117 Grain Sierra SBT ahead of 49.0 grains of IMR 4350 or 53.1 grains of H4831! Substitute the Hornady 120 SpirePoint if you have some or can find some if you want too! DEADLIEST combos for killing deer cleanly, efficiently, repeatedly for over 30 years!! GOD'S gift to rifledom!! Charlie (GHD) Pastor at the church of GHD and the 25-06!