I've got three .25's.
Two are .257Roberts and one a .257WbyMag.
My oldest .257Bob is a custom M98 with a "3" chamber (long throated chamber) hence it behaves very similarily to a friends .25/06 as regards velocity. Bullet performance from the "Roberts" essentially duplicates the .25/06 as my handloads have essentially equal performance to the factory loaded .25/06.
I had trouble with the first Nosler 100gr BallisticTips in the mid '80's. Later lot#'s were/are better by a little bit. Not enough that I can recommend using them. The single mule deer I shot with an 85gr Nosler BallisticTip dropped dead in it's tracks, but it was at 385yds, so not a real test of the bullet. I've had numerous blow-ups at short range when using the Nosler Ballistic Tips in .25caliber. Last year I shot a doe at ~75yds with a Nosler 115gr ballistic tip from my .257wby (muzzle velocity 3,350fps). It failed on a shoulder shot. Deer was knocked down, got up and ran while I was trying to get the crosshairs on another and got away. There were 1"x5" strips of deer meat hanging from bunch grass in front of where the deer was standing as well as the side of a dogwood tree above and behind where the deer was standing (clear open broadside shot).
So, I can't recommend any .25cal. Nosler BT for close in shooting.
(.30 and .338" BT's are a different story. Avoid using the .30's in the large magnums,however- ask me how I know!).
The Hornady 100gr PtSpt is another story. I've recovered several through the years that were classic mushrooms from just under the hide after heart/lung and spine shots. Likewise from the 117gr BTSP and RoundNose. The single most accurate bullet from my Vangard .257mag is the 117gr RN seated to 3.180" over 60gr of H4350. At 3,200fps it shoots monotonous 0.5" groups at 100yds. Nearly as accurate over 76.0gr of WC860 at 3,300fps.
The Sierra's are most accurate (usually), and perform similar to the Hornady's. Nothing wrong with the Sierra's (as usual). I've shot a LOT of deer with the 100gr flat base and boat-tails. Likewise the 120gr BTHP, which holds together very well and has never shown any tendency to slip the core. I've never used many of the 117gr Sierra's however; just haven't gotten around to them.
The Remington 100gr Corlokt does about as well as the Hornady InterLok, but expands a little more slowly. I've never recovered on fired from either of my .257Roberts from over 2 dozen deer shot with them. Never required a second shot either. However, as you noted, they aren't always very accurate. I had one box of 100 of the 120gr Corelokts before Remington ceased selling them in component. A sad day! The few deer I shot with them appeared to have been shot with something quite a bit bigger than a .25. Accuracy was decent, but nothing to rave about.
Avoid using the bullets lighter than 90grs. A coworker had to shoot a nice 225lb buck in the bed of his personal truck with his duty issue .357mag. in the parking lot of the Harris Co. Georgia Court House. He'd shot the deer in the neck with the Winchester 87gr PEP load. Deer revived about 2hrs later while he was at a bond hearing on an arrest he'd made the previous day, and had gotten paged to come to court while he was on his way home from hunting. Very Embarrasing ! Bullet hole in the truck was never repaired. Wasn't in a "critical" spot.......... The .25cal bullet had blown up on a vertebrae, left a large exit wound, but didn't lacerate any large blood vessels, so the deer didn't bleed out. Not that is until the 145gr .357 SilverTip broke it's neck.....
I hope you enjoy your .25 as much as I have mine.
