Weatherby 25 WBY RPM 117gr Hornady SST – Proven 20 Round Box

Description

Weatherby 25 WBY RPM 117gr Hornady SST is the deer and larger game option in the 25 Weatherby RPM lineup. The 117 grain Hornady SST leaves the muzzle at 3150 fps with a G1 ballistic coefficient of 0.390, working out to roughly 2578 ft-lbs. Weatherby catalogues it as H25RPM117SST, twenty rounds to the box, on reloadable brass.

• Why the Heavier Bullet Earns Its Place
• Weatherby 25 WBY RPM 117gr Hornady SST Specifications
• Honest Notes on the 25 RPM

Why the Heavier Bullet Earns Its Place

The Hornady SST is a lead core bullet with a polymer tip and a heavy interlocking jacket ring. The tip drives back on impact to start expansion immediately, while the interlock holds the jacket and core together so the bullet keeps penetrating rather than shedding weight. It is a well proven design that behaves predictably across a wide velocity band, which matters in a cartridge this fast.

Ten extra grains sounds trivial and is not. Against the 107 grain monolithic load, this bullet carries more sectional density and holds together better on heavy shoulder bone, which is what you want on elk sized game or a big mule deer taken at an awkward angle. The tradeoff is a lower ballistic coefficient, 0.390 against 0.510, so it drifts more in wind at long range.

At 3150 fps this 25 Weatherby RPM ammo is still shooting very flat by any normal standard. Zeroed at 200 yards it stays inside a few inches out past 300, and the rebated precision magnum case delivers that from a standard magnum bolt face on a shorter, lighter action than a belted magnum needs.

Weatherby 25 WBY RPM 117gr Hornady SST Specifications

Weatherby loads this on reloadable brass. The SST uses a lead core, so check local regulations if you hunt in a non lead zone; the 107 grain Hammer load is the lead free alternative in the same cartridge.

• Manufacturer part number: H25RPM117SST
• Line: Weatherby Select Plus
• Caliber: 25 Weatherby RPM
• Bullet weight: 117 grains
• Bullet type: Hornady SST, polymer tipped, interlocking jacket
• Muzzle velocity: 3150 fps
• Approximate muzzle energy: 2578 ft-lbs
• Ballistic coefficient G1: 0.390
• Case material: brass, reloadable
• Quantity: 20 rounds per box
• UPC: 747115463404

Honest Notes on the 25 RPM

Availability is the honest headline for any proprietary Weatherby cartridge. Factory ammunition comes from one source and the 25 RPM is young. If Weatherby 25 WBY RPM 117gr Hornady SST shoots well in your rifle, buy several boxes rather than assuming it will be on a shelf during the season. Keep the brass, because component cases are harder to find than loaded ammunition.

Pick the bullet for the animal. The 117 grain SST is the choice for deer, black bear and anything where you might have to drive through bone. If you are shooting antelope and open country mule deer and want the flattest trajectory and the least wind drift, the 107 grain Hammer load is the better tool and it is lead free as well.

Understand what a lead core polymer tip does at close range. At 3150 fps an SST impacting inside 100 yards expands violently and can produce more meat damage than people expect on a light framed animal. That is normal for the design, not a defect, but it is worth placing shots accordingly.

Barrel life runs shorter than a standard cartridge. A quarter bore at 3150 fps erodes a throat faster than a 25-06 does. Let it cool between strings, keep an honest round count, and budget for a rebarrel earlier than you would on a milder chambering.

For a flatter shooting lead free option the same cartridge is loaded with a 107 grain Hammer HBC bullet. Full published ballistics are on the Weatherby 25 RPM page.

Weatherby 25 WBY RPM 117gr Hornady SST suits deer, bear and open country hunters running a Weatherby Mark V or 307 chambered in 25 RPM who want a heavier, harder hitting bullet. MAG5 Firearms is a family owned FFL in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Boxes ship where state and local law allows.