.25-20 WCF

[filmjunkie4ever]

I'm kinda late to the party where this little old cartridge is concerned, but I have found it to be a real gem, at least mine is.
I traded my cousin a Springfield 1903 custom and got an 1892 Winchester with a heavy 24" barrel and button magazine. It is a first year serial number and very well used but the barrel is a later model take-off. It came with a Marbles folding tang peep sight but I have swapped it out for the time being for a buckhorn rear sight.

With it I inherited about 60 rounds of handloaded Hornady 60 grain SPs on top of 10.5 grains of 2400. Once I got the buckhorn sights regulated, I shot a three shot 1 inch group at 50 yards no sweat.

I was able to buy a Lyman mould for casting bullets and I bought several boxes of the Hornady 60 grain SPs from MidwayUSA.

2400 is basically non-existent right now. I have some Ramshot Enforcer that is almost the same thing according to my burn rate chart.
My question is, should I expect a dramatic shift of impact with the cast lead bullets? With lube and gas check they are weighing about 75 grains versus the 60 grain jacketed bullets.

Any other .25-20 fans here?

 

[JD338]

Very cool rifle and cartridge.
My buddy has brass and loaded factory ammunition for it if you are interested.

JD338

 

[salmonchaser]

I shot my grand dads quite a bit as a kid. Great jack rabbit type gun. That is a beautiful piece you have there.

 

[FOTIS]

At some point I had the Trinity. 218 bee, 25-20, and 32-20. All Marlins 1894 cl

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

At some point I had the Trinity. 218 bee, 25-20, and 32-20. All Marlins 1894 cl

I think the for the days ahead, something that one can cast bullets for and only need to use 10 grains of powder to reload could be quite useful for small game. Heck I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a deer with it if it was close enough etc. The .25-20 is kind of like a reloadable .22 WMR but it shoots nearly twice the bullet to about the same speeds. Super fun in any case.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

I might be if the price is reasonable. I have quite a bit of brass but it comes pretty dear these days. Ammo as well.

Very cool rifle and cartridge.
My buddy has brass and loaded factory ammunition for it if you are interested.

JD338

 

[ColeHarry]

It's awesome that you were able to get it in a trade. As for the shift in impact with the cast lead bullets, you may experience some differences due to the change in weight and composition, but it's hard to predict exactly how much.

escape road​

 

[clearwater]

I'm kinda late to the party where this little old cartridge is concerned, but I have found it to be a real gem, at least mine is.
I traded my cousin a Springfield 1903 custom and got an 1892 Winchester with a heavy 24" barrel and button magazine. It is a first year serial number and very well used but the barrel is a later model take-off. It came with a Marbles folding tang peep sight but I have swapped it out for the time being for a buckhorn rear sight.

With it I inherited about 60 rounds of handloaded Hornady 60 grain SPs on top of 10.5 grains of 2400. Once I got the buckhorn sights regulated, I shot a three shot 1 inch group at 50 yards no sweat.

I was able to buy a Lyman mould for casting bullets and I bought several boxes of the Hornady 60 grain SPs from MidwayUSA.

2400 is basically non-existent right now. I have some Ramshot Enforcer that is almost the same thing according to my burn rate chart.
My question is, should I expect a dramatic shift of impact with the cast lead bullets? With lube and gas check they are weighing about 75 grains versus the 60 grain jacketed bullets.

Any other .25-20 fans here?

I have a few hundred 25 cal cast bullets I inherited and would like to find a good home for them. Maybe cost of shipping plus a little bit. Most are 95 grains and have not been lubed, sized, or gas checked. A few 80 grain and some 115 grain that are lubed plain base. They might be too heavy and their might be no data.

The Lyman 50 manual likes I4198, 1680 and 4227 for jacketed and the local store has all these, tho the 4227 is $65! For the cast they list the usual suspects of Unique and the Dots. Lyman cast manual shows Enforcer using 7 grains as the accuracy load for RCBS 85 grain cast. This may be the powder that will be cheapest and easiest to find for cast. The velocity is supersonic, but just.

I can't think of a funner round and rifle for big ole tough jack rabbits. They are not bad marinated to tenderize and barbecued.

 

[cloverleaf]

Interesting - this past week I helped with a "public sight in" at the club. One of the members of the club assisted a young man to get started shooting his great grandfathers rifle. I believe it was in 25-20, (but it may have been 25-35). In any event an old Win. (94 or 86- I didnt see close enough?) Story goes in the family, that the boys in the family take it on there first deer hunt. Was a real good feeling to see that young man start to shoot 1-2 inch groups, for him and for us! Cool cal. CL

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

The .

Interesting - this past week I helped with a "public sight in" at the club. One of the members of the club assisted a young man to get started shooting his great grandfathers rifle. I believe it was in 25-20, (but it may have been 25-35). In any event an old Win. (94 or 86- I didnt see close enough?) Story goes in the family, that the boys in the family take it on there first deer hunt. Was a real good feeling to see that young man start to shoot 1-2 inch groups, for him and for us! Cool cal. CL

The .25-20 came in the 1892 (and later models) while the .25-35 came in the 1894 (and later models). I have both a .25-20 and a .25-35! Both are fun and quite deadly calibers. I would hope the young man you saw was hunting with a .25-35 but I do know of plenty of deer that have been taken with the diminutive .25-20!

 

[cloverleaf]

Junkie- not trying high jack your thread- I'm guessing you are right - probably was a 25-35. You certainly have a cool rifle there. The idea of an "intermediate" caliber seems to have been lost for many years. The .22 Hornet for example. Capable and easier to shoot and for the time economical. The average farmer/ rancher didnt need/ afford a 30-06 for the proverbial fox in the hen house. Again, cool rifle. CL

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Junkie- not trying high jack your thread- I'm guessing you are right - probably was a 25-35. You certainly have a cool rifle there. The idea of an "intermediate" caliber seems to have been lost for many years. The .22 Hornet for example. Capable and easier to shoot and for the time economical. The average farmer/ rancher didnt need/ afford a 30-06 for the proverbial fox in the hen house. Again, cool rifle. CL

No harm done CL. I appreciate your comments, and in any case its great to hear there are still folks out there handing down these incredible rifles.

The .25-20 (much like the .22 Hornet you mentioned) is an incredibly useful round. Like a reloadable .22 WMR albeit flinging about twice the bullet to similar velocities. I could shoot mine all day!

The .25-35 was actually fairly popular around these parts, recoil is noticeably less than a .30-30 (especially in a carbine) and one still has a 200 yard varmint and deer rifle. The 117 grain handloads I shoot in my old 1894 with a 26” octagon barrel get around 2100 fps according to the Garmin. Milk jug tests show beautiful expansion at 100 yards and 76% weight retention after stopping in the 5th jug!

This old rifle (center) has been doing it since 1902!

 

[salmonchaser]

I had Great Uncles, related men of that generation, WW1 time frame who were never without a 25/35 on their saddles.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

I had Great Uncles, related men of that generation, WW1 time frame who were never without a 25/35 on their saddles.

I wish that with the current popularity of leverguns, rounds like the .25-35 would see a comeback in guns like the 1894 Winchester, Marlin 336, Henry, Rossi, etc.

My .25-35 is 1902 vintage, we also have a Savage 1899 that is 1903 vintage. Both are great guns. Would absolutely love to find a nice Model 64 in .25-35 to bring home!! Here’s a better pic of the 1894.

 

[salmonchaser]

In high school we would sometimes go deer hunting before class, on a farm of one of our classmates. One day buddy Sean shot a nice blacktail buck on our way back to his 1964 Impala. We were going to be late if we didn’t hustle. Quick gut job and all of us hung a drag rope on the deer and off we ran. Going to be close. As we were throwing the deer into the trunk Sean set his 25/35 on the roof rack. Five miles to school in record time. As we came sliding to a stop the wrestling coach had just walked out of the parking lot. He of course knew who the ass clowns were as we were all on his team. As the car slid to a stop Seans rifle came flying off the roof rack, I actually ducked behind the firewall. It clattered and spun right up to Coach Bashors feet. He calmly picked it up, nothing in the chamber but the magazine tube was full. While shaking his head he cycled the action, shucking the shells onto the ground. Hey coach, can I get my rifle back. No F****** way. He said. I think he still has it!

 

[NMachine]

The Jordan world record whitetail buck was taken in Wisconsin in 1914 with a .25-20.

 

[clearwater]

One of my Grandpas had a 25-35. It was his only rifle. Mostly for pests on his Montana homestead, but also have pictures of some bull elk he used it for. Cousin still has it.

 

[FOTIS]

Jordan world record whitetail buck

Google Image Result for http://www.northamericanwhitetail.com/files/2014/10/jordan_f2.jpg

 

[salmonchaser]

Wow

 

[cloverleaf]

The .25-35 was actually fairly popular around these parts, recoil is noticeably less than a .30-30 (especially in a carbine) and one still has a 200 yard varmint and deer rifle. The 117 grain handloads I shoot in my old 1894 with a 26” octagon barrel get around 2100 fps according to the Garmin. Milk jug tests show beautiful expansion at 100 yards and 76% weight retention after stopping in the 5th jug!

This old rifle (center) has been doing it since 1902!

That to me is the definition of eminently capable. To many people expect a TV show "bang flop" when they take a rifle hunting. A .257 cal. 117 bullet at those velocities will get the job done if you hunt close enough and follow up. And the best part....its just fun to shoot! CL