FlatlanderAZ
Well-known member
I actually can’t even get blackjacks right now. I have 100 of them back ordered since March and I don’t expect to see them anytime soon.
These are the Berger Elite Hunter 133.
One gun to do it all .25 sst (Sherman short tactical)
- Thread starter FlatlanderAZ
- Start date
These are the Berger Elite Hunter 133.
@FlatlanderAZ - how's this rifle working out for you? I followed along on the initial build, but was curious how the field results are?
FlatlanderAZ
Well-known member
Sorry to leave you hanging. I don’t frequent these boards as much as I once did. The results have been exactly what we hoped for.
A buddy helped with load development that turned out great. Turns out that RL23 and 133 gn Berger Hybrids were the recipe with the best results.
In the first season we put it to work on 4 elk:
My bull at 153 yds. Closer than we had planned, but I wasn’t going to backup. First shot was lethal behind the shoulder, second shot for insurance.
Nash’s first elk 135 yds. 1 shot, high shoulder.
Hunter’s cow. 1 shot, 309 yds, high shoulder.
Some pics of the damage and blood trail (3 yds)
That is the entrance side.
My Dad and I’s forkhorn muley. 1 shot, 250 yds. Cut two ribs, interesting that the bullet did not exit.
My brother’s bull. 550 yds, 2 shots, no exit (placement was questionable).
This year we added the Omega 36M suppressor. So much better than shooting with a break. Game changer for hunting situations.
Nash was the first to go suppressed in the field with his WY antelope. 1 shot, 350 yds.
Later that week we took a neighbor kid who added another cow elk. 1 shot, frontal, no exit (fragments/petals under hide behind last rib).
Overall, it’s exactly what we wanted. 1 gun to do it all.
A buddy helped with load development that turned out great. Turns out that RL23 and 133 gn Berger Hybrids were the recipe with the best results.
In the first season we put it to work on 4 elk:
My bull at 153 yds. Closer than we had planned, but I wasn’t going to backup. First shot was lethal behind the shoulder, second shot for insurance.
Nash’s first elk 135 yds. 1 shot, high shoulder.
Hunter’s cow. 1 shot, 309 yds, high shoulder.
Some pics of the damage and blood trail (3 yds)
That is the entrance side.
My Dad and I’s forkhorn muley. 1 shot, 250 yds. Cut two ribs, interesting that the bullet did not exit.
My brother’s bull. 550 yds, 2 shots, no exit (placement was questionable).
This year we added the Omega 36M suppressor. So much better than shooting with a break. Game changer for hunting situations.
Nash was the first to go suppressed in the field with his WY antelope. 1 shot, 350 yds.
Later that week we took a neighbor kid who added another cow elk. 1 shot, frontal, no exit (fragments/petals under hide behind last rib).
Overall, it’s exactly what we wanted. 1 gun to do it all.
Wind Gypsy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2017
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- 3,127
Man, you really should have listened to folks and had those kids shoot something that stomped em a little harder in the shoulder. Those animals would have been so much deader..
You beat me to the snarkiness but I’m still going to say what I thought.
It’s a shame this wAsN’T a sIx PoInT FiVe. That surely would have made the difference.
Did you ever test out those 128gr Hammers?
Bet those wound channels would put a lot of bigger calibers with controlled expansion bullets to shame.
FlatlanderAZ
Well-known member
Nope. My buddy who has developed loads for several 25’s said my twist probably east fast enough. What we’ve got works great for what we are doing.
WHT_MTNMAN
Member
With all of the new high BC bullets I'm glad you went with the 25SST also. Mine has shot probably 50+ deer,elk,antelope in the last 5 years. It has shot all of those critters from 100-880 yards with extremely great success. Some quartering towards, some quartering away, broadside, in shoulder etc... We haven't lost an animal yet but occasionally some need a follow up shot if the vitals were not hit. Our same friend is just loading up the new 138 Atips for Oryx in NM at the end of the month. I'm hoping the A tips will perform better on marginal shots. I've shot the original 131 ace, 133 berger hunter and a lot of critters with the 135 berger.
The 25SST is my go to gun for everything so far. I'm sure I would pick my 300 RUM or something else for Moose, Grizzly or Bison, but for all of my needs and yours it is an awesome cartridge with huge performance out of a 25 cal with minimal recoil, easy to suppress and different than all of the 6.5s out there.
The 25SST is my go to gun for everything so far. I'm sure I would pick my 300 RUM or something else for Moose, Grizzly or Bison, but for all of my needs and yours it is an awesome cartridge with huge performance out of a 25 cal with minimal recoil, easy to suppress and different than all of the 6.5s out there.
ABC1000
New member
I do have a 25 SST that I’ve shot the last 3 plus years.
First of all, I have a 25 Creedmoor 28” barrel 8T and a 25 SST in 7.5 twist. I’ve shot thousands of the Berger 135 and 133s, and not near as many of the hornady 134 eld-m. All are fantastic bullets. I’ve never shot a 131 BJ ACE so I can’t speak to that.
My 25 SST is in a proof carbon 24” barrel and a MDT HNT26 chassis, so it is definitely a lightweight rifle. It shoots great mostly with the 133s as it is my hunting rifle so I don’t shoot many 135s out of it now that I’ve found my load.
I can’t go down the path to say if I could only have one rifle and say it would be a 25 SST. It definitely wouldn’t. It would be something completely boring like a 6.5 CM probably… but that’s not reality. If you want one good for you. You can find the Bergers in stock aplenty. The 134 eld-m from hornady surprisingly shoot amazing in both my rifles as well. How many guys end up shooting a half dozen bullets out of the same rifle??? I do only in my 22 calibers (22 BR, 22 CM sometimes, 22 ARC, 223 Rem all the time) but not on any of my other rifles so I don’t care about 12 options in a caliber if there are a couple amazing options that shoot great across the gambet.
The 25 SST is a fine carrridge. I don’t shoot the 133, 134 or 135 at 3,200 or 3,250 though I could. I think my accuracy node is just over 3,100 MV in the 25 SST. Hopefully that means that I’ll get a few hundred rounds down the tube before she’s shot out.
I’ll take a berger over a blackjack Ace any day of the week and I’ve never shot one… because they haven’t been available. I think Berger has shown preference to the 257. But even if they end up scrapping it, I have enough bullets for both my barrels and then some… I’m not worried about that.
It’s a fun cartridge, but isn’t a cure all… there isn’t one as long as I can afford to source and shoot two…
It’s pretty accurate but I have other more accurate loads (maybe cartridge, who knows?) it will hit hard for a 25 cal.
I don’t shoot the SST like I do my range guns so I’m not worried about barrel life.
If I had a 30 cal I wouldn’t shoot an elk with it… however, my 10 year old son might… or my wife… I wouldn’t have a problem with that from a shorter range… I had a near mishap in the last couple months of years with a 6.5 PRC with a berger 156 EOL. 400 yard shot snapped the cows front shoulder but no blood… luckily the herd was in the snow and we tracked her down a few hundred yards… it was out in the open which was fortunate, and she was going any farther, but we don’t have found her in the dark timbers… That stuff happens with the 30 cap magnums as well… but I assume not as much as with a 257.
I’m glad you like it. I really like mine though I’m always hot on something one year and trying something different the next… it’s a very fun round and I love shooting something that most people don’t even know what it is…
First of all, I have a 25 Creedmoor 28” barrel 8T and a 25 SST in 7.5 twist. I’ve shot thousands of the Berger 135 and 133s, and not near as many of the hornady 134 eld-m. All are fantastic bullets. I’ve never shot a 131 BJ ACE so I can’t speak to that.
My 25 SST is in a proof carbon 24” barrel and a MDT HNT26 chassis, so it is definitely a lightweight rifle. It shoots great mostly with the 133s as it is my hunting rifle so I don’t shoot many 135s out of it now that I’ve found my load.
I can’t go down the path to say if I could only have one rifle and say it would be a 25 SST. It definitely wouldn’t. It would be something completely boring like a 6.5 CM probably… but that’s not reality. If you want one good for you. You can find the Bergers in stock aplenty. The 134 eld-m from hornady surprisingly shoot amazing in both my rifles as well. How many guys end up shooting a half dozen bullets out of the same rifle??? I do only in my 22 calibers (22 BR, 22 CM sometimes, 22 ARC, 223 Rem all the time) but not on any of my other rifles so I don’t care about 12 options in a caliber if there are a couple amazing options that shoot great across the gambet.
The 25 SST is a fine carrridge. I don’t shoot the 133, 134 or 135 at 3,200 or 3,250 though I could. I think my accuracy node is just over 3,100 MV in the 25 SST. Hopefully that means that I’ll get a few hundred rounds down the tube before she’s shot out.
I’ll take a berger over a blackjack Ace any day of the week and I’ve never shot one… because they haven’t been available. I think Berger has shown preference to the 257. But even if they end up scrapping it, I have enough bullets for both my barrels and then some… I’m not worried about that.
It’s a fun cartridge, but isn’t a cure all… there isn’t one as long as I can afford to source and shoot two…
It’s pretty accurate but I have other more accurate loads (maybe cartridge, who knows?) it will hit hard for a 25 cal.
I don’t shoot the SST like I do my range guns so I’m not worried about barrel life.
If I had a 30 cal I wouldn’t shoot an elk with it… however, my 10 year old son might… or my wife… I wouldn’t have a problem with that from a shorter range… I had a near mishap in the last couple months of years with a 6.5 PRC with a berger 156 EOL. 400 yard shot snapped the cows front shoulder but no blood… luckily the herd was in the snow and we tracked her down a few hundred yards… it was out in the open which was fortunate, and she was going any farther, but we don’t have found her in the dark timbers… That stuff happens with the 30 cap magnums as well… but I assume not as much as with a 257.
I’m glad you like it. I really like mine though I’m always hot on something one year and trying something different the next… it’s a very fun round and I love shooting something that most people don’t even know what it is…
Sheltowee
Well-known member
What is the comparison between the 25SST and a 25-6.5PRC?
Wind Gypsy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2017
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Should be within a couple grains of case capacity so very similar. SST case is a little shorter so less likelihood of magazine constraints if using a more traditional short action magazine length. SST case geometry might hide pressure signs a bit more.
FlatlanderAZ
Well-known member
Just an update, more dead stuff. 10 yr old daughter, she weighted 70 lbs, with her first big game animal. 1 shot.
Fifteen year old got a ram. 543 yds. Very poor shot placement due to cross canyon wind we didn't account for properly. Died in sight.
Lucky dude got an antelope tag this year. 1 shot, 325 yds, standing and resting on the Swaro adapter on my tripod.
Daughter is 11 and weighs 85 lbs now. She got her elk. 360 yds, 1 shot.
My other son got a ram tag this year. We were ready for another long shot. Ended up being frontal at 130 yds.
I will come back and post updates periodically since so many people weighed in on this build.
Fifteen year old got a ram. 543 yds. Very poor shot placement due to cross canyon wind we didn't account for properly. Died in sight.
Lucky dude got an antelope tag this year. 1 shot, 325 yds, standing and resting on the Swaro adapter on my tripod.
Daughter is 11 and weighs 85 lbs now. She got her elk. 360 yds, 1 shot.
My other son got a ram tag this year. We were ready for another long shot. Ended up being frontal at 130 yds.
I will come back and post updates periodically since so many people weighed in on this build.
Wind Gypsy
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- Mar 12, 2017
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Geeez! 2 kids with dandy rams, heck yea!
Kimber7man
Well-known member
Wow, nice hunting family!
You wouldn't by chance happen to be friends with a guy named Lance would you??? grin
FlatlanderAZ
Well-known member
I would, in fact, be friends with Lance. I need to get in touch with him about a 300 WM load
FlatlanderAZ
Well-known member
Last update of 2025. Rifle did a decent job of picking up the slack on some less than optimal shot placement on this bull. Died in sight.
You can see in the second pic, first shot was a little low. It’s deceiving when it’s laying down like that, but it was right at the top of the belly hair, but behind the heart. Required a follow up, but he wasn’t going anywhere.
You can see in the second pic, first shot was a little low. It’s deceiving when it’s laying down like that, but it was right at the top of the belly hair, but behind the heart. Required a follow up, but he wasn’t going anywhere.
Attachments
What bullet did you end up using?
FlatlanderAZ
Well-known member
133 gn Berger hybrid hunters
3855WIN
Well-known member
Some of the very best blood trails I’ve ever seen have been from 257 WBY. One appeared to have been blood poured from a bucket on a chest shot.
3855WIN
Well-known member
My 257 WBY has killed a bull elk, a bighorn ram, a couple of mule deer, antelope, hogs, and several truck loads of whitetails.
I prefer my 300 WBY for elk, but the 257 works.
I prefer my 300 WBY for elk, but the 257 works.
