Update on the .25-06

I bought a Nikon Prostaff 3-9x scope.  I assume "Prostaff" means they are made in China since is was only about $170.  I have no complaints.  It's very clear.  I would kind of liked to have had a 4-12x, but I didn't see one I liked.  And, really, given my limited abilities, 9x is going to let me see clearly as far as I can expect to reliably hit anything.    

I sighted in with Remington factory 100-grain PSP bullets (exposed lead spire points).  My last 3 shots at 100 yards looked like this:

As you can tell, I don't like to spend too much on targets.  That was off an improvised rest, but it was pretty solid. 

I have dies, bullets and powder, but I haven't loaded anything yet since I needed to empty some brass.  I've got 117-grain Hornady bullets to try with Hodgdon's Hybrid100 powder -- never tried it before, but my new edition of Lee's Modern Reloading lists it at the top.  Instead of 87-grain bullets on the light end, I got some 75-grain Sierra hollow-points, which I will load over Hodgdon's good ol' 4895.  My cousin shoots nothing but 100-grain Sierras in his .25-06, and I think he uses H4895, but he's been shooting a .25-06 since Hector was a pup.  He's old and set in his ways, not to mention a dead shot.  I'm sure the Cong were nearly as relieved as he was when he got on the plane for home.

The recoil on these 100-grain factory rounds is negligible.  You get a little bounce.  If the 117-grainers are no worse, that maybe what I go with, depending on accuracy.  The heavier-for-caliber bullets are preferable for extending the range.  But I have to try the lighter bullets because they will be radical on coyotes if the rifle likes them.

Speaking of Lee, the dies I bought are Lee.  I got the neck-sizer die, a seating die and a collet crimp die.  Neck-sizing is really all you need -- in my opinion -- for a bolt-action, so long as you are using them in the same rifle all the time.  I use neck-sizing only for my NEF break-open .223, and I've never had any problems.  Plus, there is no need to lube the cases or worry about a case sticking in the die.  It's simpler, and I'm happier.

If you are reloading for a semi-auto, obviously, full-length sizing would be required.  Also, if I had two or more rifles in the same caliber, I'd probably feel better using a full-length die.    

So that's where we are for now.