Does anyone have any load data for these round nose bullets? Ive got a box of them and would like to try them on a deer or a hog, but cant find any load data anywhere. I shot some over 17 gr of Trailboss, just as an experiment, and am very happy about the accuracy and lack of recoil. I used them on the hog we butchered this fall, and was very pleased with thier performance at point blank range. Im guessing my velocity is about 2000-2100fps?? Not sure. Id like to work up a load to get up around 2700-2800fps. If anybodys got a load Id really appreciate it.

Hornady lists the same loads for all three designs of their 117-grain bullets. Use any 117-grain data, just start low.



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OK. Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it.

The 117 gr. RN Hornady is designed for the 25-35 Win., it will most likely come apart when driven at 25-06 velocity..

Thanks for the heads up Ray. Ive got a box of them that Ive had for a really long time, and thought Id see how well they shot. Shoud I keep the velocity around 2500 then? What is the average velocity of the 25-35? Thanks.

I don't agree with Ray, it is an Interlock with same SD as their Interlock SPBT

I load them in my 257 AI for deer hunting in thick woods

Think it would be devastating on hogs

quote:

The 117 gr. RN Hornady is designed for the 25-35 Win., it will most likely come apart when driven at 25-06 velocity..

The several boxes of them I shot all held together just fine even up to top end loads. In the 2600 - 2800 range they hold together just fine. Especially in the velocity range the OP is looking to drive them.

Cannot find the exact load data I used but it was right around 46grs of IMR-4350 for just at 2800fps from my rifle.

My 4th Edition Hornady Manual lists a starting load for IMR-4350 of 43.6grs and a max of 47.1 grs Velocities are from 2700 - 2900fps from a Remington 700 1-10" 24" barrel. Same rifle I used these in.

quote:

The 117 gr. RN Hornady is designed for the 25-35 Win., it will most likely come apart when driven at 25-06 velocity..

Probably wrong. It was factory loaded in the .257 Weatherby for decades and apparently worked quite well at velocities 200 fps faster than the .25-06. It was used to kill a couple Cape Buffalo in Africa - IIRC Wally Taber killed one and Elgin Gates another.....



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The 117gr Hornady RN is an amazing bullet. AS CH says, it was supposedly designed for the 25/35, but also apparently works well in 257WM factory loads. I have used it quite a bit in 25/06's, 257AI's and always had stellar performance both in accuracy and terminal performance. the couple that I have recovered look like Hornady advertisement.

I have used it in the 25-35 for years at about 2200 to 2300 FPS and it performs to perfection every time..I have never used it in any caliber larger..Honady kept the round nose for that purpose meaning for us 25 rem. and 25-35 fans..

I don't see how it could perform well in a much faster caliber and still perform in a 25 Rem or 25-35,that goes against the accepted rule, but like I said, I have not tried the RN even in my 250-3000 Savage for that reason..I have shot lots of Hornady 117 gr. Spirepoints of various design in my Savage..

I use 48.5 grains of IMR 4350 and 117 grain hornady spbt in my .25 -06 - this load is quite accurate in my gun, and has accounted for 7 whitetails and 1 pronghorn in the last 6 years. Like TX Nimrod states, the data in the hornady manual is for all of their 117 grain bullets, so I'd expect this combo would work fine with the round nose bullets as well. I'd probably start a grain or two under this and work up until you found the sweet spot. H4831 might be worth a shot as well.
E Dawg

Just as a reference, my hornady manual(7th edition) lists minimum/maximum loads for .25-06, IMR 4350, and 117 grain bullets as 45.0-50.0 grains. For H4831 it is 49.3 - 54.7 grains. Happy loading!
E Dawg

Ray, don't want to start an argument. I'm sure they work great in your lever action guns. I could be wrong (I often am), but I don't think they are made specifically for them like Hornady's Flat Nose 170 gr 30 cal is made for the 30-30 or their bullets for the 25-20. These are just Interlock's with a round nose vs a spire point. You should try them in some of your faster guns. I believe you will be pleased with thier accuracy and punch.

No arguement here my friend, I found out long ago the arguements are counter productive, when it gets beyond intelligent conversation these days I just bow out, take my toys and go home..

Like I said I had not tried them in anything but my 25-35 therefore I can't say, I can only be suspecious...I came to that conclusion because Hornady told me they were designed for the 25-35 and the 150 and 170 gr. flat nose 30 cal. could not trusted in the .308, 30-06 and 300s ..If these 117 gr. bullets work for you then fine, its good to know..

That said I would wonder what would happen if you stuck one up a going away deers arse, would they then make the grade..I am sure about any bullet short of a cotton ball would penetrate a deer broadside..Just a question in my mind.

I always use a bullet that I'm confident will penetrate the game hunt lengthwise looking at me or going away. I probably will never use them as I have plenty of 117 spitzers for my 250 Savage and if I hunt the thick stuff then I would be using a 06 or 9.3x62..

Interesting thread, Maybe one day I will try them in the magazine box and compare them with other 117 gr. bullets.

Ive got a handfull loaded over 15 gr of Trail boss. Makes the 25-06 shoot like a 22magnum. I did use one of these when I butchered our hog this year, and a shot behind the ear achieved full penetration. The bar weighed close to 250 pounds. Im thinking a quieter alternative for the thick woods out to about 50 yards on deer and hogs. Ive shot them next to my full power loads of 100 gr SP over 50 grs of IMR4350, and they land about six inches low at 100 yards.

Page 139, Hornady #2:

"The 117 gr. Round Nose, however, shoots very accurately in the .257 WM and is the best for big game."



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I dont have a Hornady handbook, Ill have to check one out. Thanks guys.

Wish I could remember more of the details. Years ago I read of an extensive experiment one of the major bullet makers did regarding round nose vs spire points in brush. They had a box that they placed sticks upright in and shot at targets behind the sticks. Their conclusion was that spire points were more apt to go through the sticks and remain on course whereas the round nosed seemed to deflect more. They dismissed the often heard reports of 30-30 bullets being great in brush (that's been around forever). I personally pick spire points if for a rifle that allows such. Hornady Manual #3 on page 126 does say "their 117 grain round nose in 25-35 is a very deadly game bullet that not only will buck the brush well but will expand easily even at low remaining velocities". Any bullet through a deers' vitals is not going to make it's day.

Thats my point, if Hornady says the bullet is very deadly and will expand well in the 25-35 and at those remaining low velocities, then that bullet is going to come apart on a going away deer for instances..

The law of balistics is you cannot drive a bullet designed for 2200 FPS at 3200 FPS and expect it to work.

I recall a gent that reportedly used a 35 Rem bullet in his 35 Whelan and complete blew the off side leg off a deers body when the bullet literally exploded..That fellow was Jack O'Connor and he allowed the bullet ment for 2200 FPS wasn' up to the 2500 FPS or whatever of the 35 Whelan.

Again I say that I have not shot game with this bullet in any caliber other than a 25-35 where it performed perfectly..

Just because old Joe shot a deer broadside out of tree stand with his super mag does not make it a deer bullet.

But have at it if you must.

It doesn't matter if it is an Interlock or not. If you drive it at top 25-06 speeds, it is going to come apart in a hurry when impact speeds are beyond its design parameters.

I have tested lots of bullets over the years, and I did run these through the paces in a .257 JDJ handgun, a 25x30-30 AI carbine, a 257 Rbts AI rifle and a 25-06 just to see what they'd do at different impact velocities and from different twist rates as well.

From around 2450 fps down to around 1850 fps AT IMPACT, you get textbook expansion -- the classic mushroom, if you will. At higher impact velocities, that bullet loses integrity in a hurry.

For those who have had success with it from larger cartridges, keep in mind we are talking impact speeds. That bullet has a poor BC and loses velocity about as rapidly as a broken brick. Drive it at 3000 fps in a 25-06 and shoot a deer at 200 yards, and you'll be OK as the MV is down in the 2200 fps range.

Lastly, as to quoting the Hornady manual: I wouldn't recommend that as Hornady has had more mistakes in print than any other company I am aware of. Some were typos, some were oversights and some were just plain stupidity. WHen they produced the 7mm 120 grain Single SHot Pistol bullet, it was designed for optimum performance when launched from the likes of a 14" 7 TCU, 7-30 Waters or 7 BR and did well, I might add. Yet one of the manuals specified that it should be used at "2600-3300 fps" for best performance. How many 14" Contenders shoot 7mm/120s at that speed? When I called to inquire, a fellow named Steve argued with me and then said they listed most of the bullets at that velocity range "to avoid confusion." At another time, when they listed "Contender" as the launch platform for the 7mm BR, I aksed if they took any special precautions since that chambering was not safe in the Contender (and asked if they meant "Encore"). I was arrogantly told that the Contender and Encore were one and the same...

Hey thanks Bobby, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the good info. With that velocity window I have something to shoot for.

Fellas I really appreciate the input. Im afraid I may have misled or come off the wrong way to some of you though. I have a box of round nose bullets. I also have a 25-06 that I think the world of. I have always shot Win 120gr PEP ammo in it, and am totally satisfied. I have been handloading for a few years now, and finally decided to try something different in the ol '06. I shot 100gr Interlocks first, found a load with IMR 4350 that was very accurate, and am happy. Now to these 117 RN. Im not looking for something to "buck the brush" i think thats all a bunch of crap. I think if a bullet hits a stick, its going to change direction, not matter how fast, slow, heavy or light. Some may change more than others, but theyre all going to change enough for me to find a shot where I dont hit a stick. I also have a 16 year old step daughter, who likes to hunt, so I was toying with the idea of Trail Boss, to give a chance to do some shooting, with her 243, with out the recoil, so that she could become proficient. ( She has, look at my posts entitled first blood.) Now, I have a bunch of Trail Boss powder, and some .257 RN bullets. So I try them together. Right off, I have a 25-06 that shoots and sounds like a 22mag, and I get to thinking. See, I have a spot just behind the house, where thier arent any houses real close, but theyre not all that far away when you consider a high powered rifle. This is all pretty thick woods, so Im not likely to get a shot over 50 yards. So I get to thinking, what would these loads be like for hunting? So I try them on a hog we raised this year, hes about 250 pounds, shot him in the ear, bang flop, nice exit, everything. So Im wondering what kind of velocity am I getting with these bullets and 17 gr of Trail Boss? Is it comparable to Mr Atkins 25-35? Or is it closer to the 25-20? I havent shot a deer with them yet, and I wont until I test them at different ranges, but I thought it would make a fun conversation for everyone to opine in with experiences. Seems to me they would offer substantial penetration, even at the reduced velocity, and not carry as much muzzle blast across hill and dale. Course, theyre a lot of fun to shoot too! Not to mention very accurate. Sorry if I came off the wrong way in my original post, and hope I have managed to clear some things up, and not muddy the water any more. Thanks for all the replies, I enjoy reading them and appreciate the opinions. Hope to hear more from you all.
Matt

I have loaded a number of 117 round nosed Hornady bullets for a friend's 257 Weatherby. He has killed about 5 deer with the load. He did not tell me anything weird about performance, just that the deer died.

I was under the impression that the 100 grain Hornady and the 117 were what Weatherby used from the factory loading for a number of years.

I shoot the 117 in a 25-35. Have only killed a groundhog. I use the 100 grain hornady spire point in my 25-06. Think it is the perfect projectile for that round.