25-06

S

sprayfoam

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Hello everyone,

Will reloading 25-06 ammo reduce cost substantially?

I just bought a savage axis 25-06. I'm kind of kicking myself because of the cost of ammo. I bought a 25-06 because it seemed to be a good choice for an all purpose calibre. Before anyone says i should have bought two rifles...well i should have but couldnt because of my budget.

Now you're thinking why did i buy an expensive calibre?

Excellent question. That is why im thinking about hand loads already.

Will it make much of a difference on cost? Also, i notice reloading kits can be purchased under $200...should i be buying anything specific? Or will these low budget loaders do the trick?
 
handloading should reduce cost by 2/3, if not more. or it can be as much as cheap factory if you use premium components. either way you have a better product as the brass is now shaped perfectly to your chamber and will produce better accuracy if done correctly.
 
How much do you plan on shooting? Reloading will definitely lower the cost of your ammo, but not by as much as you will hope. I reload for .270 which pretty comparable in cost with 25-06.

As an example using your once fired brass:

1 pound of H4831 = $40 after tax
box of 100 110gr Hornady Vmax projectiles = $35 after tax
100 WLR Primers - $4.50

At 60 grains per load, your pound of powder will fill 115 cases or so.

your looking at $80/100 rounds or $0.80/round + your time. Cheap federal ammo goes on sale for $15/box of 20 from time to time. You'll save anywhere from $0.05/round on up to $2.00/round for very premium ammo.

Then you still need to factor in the cost of setting up to reload and your time to do it.

The savings on reloading pistol cartridges is much better and what got me into reloading in the first place. I reload rifle to maximize accuracy first, cost savings second.

-CZ
 
Thanks for the comments...

I'm not too sure about the true amount of use the rifle will see. First couple of boxes will be for fun and sighting in the factory scope.

I did buy it because i have a serious desire to hunt coyotes and deer. Deer will be a long way off yet (hopefully 2013 season) because i have to aquire more gear.

I thought it would just make economical sense to start reloading early in the game.
 
Consider changing it for a 243 Win or 270 Win

Consider getting a "dirt cheap cartridge" Axis
I can feel your pain and ff you're on a tight budget selling your 25-06 Rem and buying a 243 Win or 270 Win Savage Axis might be the best solution.
You can get dirt cheap 243 Win, 270 Win, 308 Win and 30-06 ammo anywhere.
Buying anything else (except for a 30-30 Win or a 223 Rem) means more (sometimes much more) expensive ammo.

Starting in reloading
A good quality complete RCBS reloading kit cost around 700$.
The first year that I started shooting seriously I bought around 400-500 rounds of 243 Win and just shot. I started reloading on my second year.

30 years ago, things were much simpler: you got a 303 British and simply shot surplus ammo.

Alex
 
If you are considering reloading.

For a starter get the LEE anniversary kit about $ 125.00 + tx.
Lee Die set about $30.00

RL-22 works great with Sierra Game King 120gr HPBT with Winchester Large rifle primers
and you're all set

If it turns out that you enjoy reloading well you can upgrade some of the original parts (reloading kit) as time goes by.

If on the other hand loading does not turn you on well cheap ammo is your game.

For my part< I collect my deer every season with my T/C Pro Hunter with the centrefire 25-06 barrel.
 
I know i would like reloading. I could see the enjoyment as tedious as it may be. I am considering the .243 though. It seem to me the factory loads are way more available. And still a capable deer calibre at medium range. Can anyone talk me out of selling the 25-06? I love its capabilities but dont like the cost. Would switching to a .243 be that much more economical?
 
sprayfoam said:
I know i would like reloading. I could see the enjoyment as tedious as it may be. I am considering the .243 though. It seem to me the factory loads are way more available. And still a capable deer calibre at medium range. Can anyone talk me out of selling the 25-06? I love its capabilities but dont like the cost. Would switching to a .243 be that much more economical?
Click to expand...

243 will definitely be more economical if you are only buying factory ammo. If you start reloading the cost difference will be negligible, the only real savings you will see in the .243 is in powder charge. primers and bullets will cost the same, brass you should already have from shooting your factory ammo. Brass for you to load can also be sourced from once fired 30-06 or .270 win cases and FL sized for your 25-06.

I don't own one, but I really like the ballistics of the 25-06 and would keep it if I were you. I think it is a very versatile cartridge, you have bullet choices between 75 and 120 grains. A good 120 grain bullet @3,000fps will work on anything you can hunt in Canada and faster/flatter 75 grain loads would be devastating on ground hogs or coyotes equally.

I would keep the 25-06 and buy an entry level press, I recommend the lee classic turret as a good first press. Get a lee 3 die set with the factory crimp die and lee collet neck sizing die. By neck sizing only your 1f brass you can cut reloading time almost in half(no lube or tumble required), extend your brass life and benefit from more accurate ammo for your gun.

This is just my opinion and worth exactly what you paid for it :)
 
Wow..that has me reconsidering my doubts. Do the ballistics change much because i have a 22" barrel? I read somewhere to get the most performance out of the 25-06 its recommended to have a 24" barrel. But why would savage sell them if they dont perform well.

I did have my eye on the lee 50th anniversary reloading kit. I may just have to do that...

Things i should have considered before buying a rifle on a budget. I asked the dealer if he has a return policy. My hopes arent too high though. Keeping the 25-06 seems to be the case.
 
sprayfoam said:
Wow..that has me reconsidering my doubts. Do the ballistics change much because i have a 22" barrel? I read somewhere to get the most performance out of the 25-06 its recommended to have a 24" barrel. But why would savage sell them if they dont perform well.

I did have my eye on the lee 50th anniversary reloading kit. I may just have to do that...

Things i should have considered before buying a rifle on a budget. I asked the dealer if he has a return policy. My hopes arent too high though. Keeping the 25-06 seems to be the case.
Click to expand...

I would not worry too much about the 22" barrel...the animals you hunt wont' notice. Once you start reloading the cost will be around the same as others...if you dont' reload then I would say 25-06 is not ideal unless you have a lot of choice where you live....I know there little or none where I live.
 
Reloading isn't about saving money. If you take into consideration what the reloading setup will cost you. Saving $2.00 per box of ammo, will take you forever, maybe longer to pay off your investment in the equipment.
Reloading is about a better end product. You usually can find a load that will give you far superior results to most any store bought ammo. Plus reloading itself, to me anyways, adds a whole new level of enjoyment to shooting.
 
Its a great cartridge, does a great job on everything from moose to coyotes.
As long as a good 115-120 grain bullet is placed well.
I have shot allot of biggame with it.

As far as the 22" barrel, it will definitely limit your performance.
But I doubt you will lose any game animal due to it.

Pick your rifle up, go out, and enjoy it!

Have fun!
 
I have a stevens 200 in 2506 and love it. It has a 22" barrel and my current load is a 75gr vmax at 3500fps and I still can add more powder. I've taken coyote deer and a black bear with it. It vaporizes crows and mistifies ground hogs. I started with factory winchester cxp1 90gr for varmints and cxp2 120gr for my bear. I dropped about a 300lb sow in her tracks with a quartering away behind the shoulder shot but was not impressed with bullet performance of the cxp2. a 5" entrance hole on the rib cage. Liquidfied 1 lung tore up the other and completely disintegrated the bullet.

I bought a lee 50th press and lee deluxe rifle dies and now load my own. I save about $10 a box by loading my own. I get to shoot more. Always have rounds on hand and the cost of all the other gear I added isn't so bad. I bought a chronograph and a tumbler and digital scale loading trays. Its enjoyable. I can lock myself in my office and tinker

You should keep the 2506. Its different from everyone else. It can do what the 270 can and it hits harder and has more reach then the 243. Its the perfect balance for an Ontario gun. I live in southern ontario so a 75gr vmax at 3500fps takes care of anything including coyotes without a big risk of overpenetrating and ricochets. Its about perfect for a deer round in a centerfire zone. Black bears over bait or a long shot across a berry patch don't have a chance. I find it light for moose but it will work when premium bullets are placed well. I know many people that have laid moose down with 130gr cup and core bullets from a 270
 
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