25/20 Reloaders

[3leggedturtle]

In general do you find better accuracy with Small Pistol primers or Small Rifle primers. Which brands have been the most accurate or least accurate. Gonna stick with Unique, 2400 and RE7 or H322. Think I will actually get to load, shoot and chrono some cast loads in both my 25/20 and 250 Savage, a week from today. Yes I have been picking people's brains and rereading everything I can about them on this and 20 other forumns and searches. I think it will come down to using my Lyman 3rd manual. Cant beat that old reliable ragged book.

[2ndovc]

I've been using Winchester small rifle primers with a 70 gr. lead RN GC bullet over 4.3 grains of Unique out of my Martini
Cadet rifle with excellent accuracy. For my .257 Roberts it's 100 Gr LRN GC bullet and IMR 3031. I'll have to go look up that load, can't remember off the top of my head. The rifle is a custom Arisaka.

jb

[ollogger]

My 92 is bad with cast with 3 powders so far, but real good with 4198 with
Hornady 60 gr or 75 gr Speer with Rem BR SRP
will try the 86gr. Ranch Dog in 25-35 if that works the 25-20 has a buyer waiting for it



ollogger

[Sixgun]

Loading and getting accuracy with the 25-20 is dependent on bullet fit to the throat/leade. If it don't fit, you will get patterns.

I'm a guy with close to a hundred moulds and working with the 25-20 has been the most frustrating work than anything I have ever loaded for in the last 40+ years.

A Remington 25 shoots anything I put in it..........accurately

Winchester 92's, 53's, and Marlins will shoot the Lyman 70 grainer ...........only if the front band is touching the leade. (1.630 OAL.

The 70 grain Speer shoots like a scoped varmint rifle. That's the bullet I used to win the Regional silhouette match with.

The 86 gr lead bullets shoot so-so.....3-5 in. at 100. Remington 86 jacketed bullets shoot excellent in the Marlin.

The best powder to use is 4227 or H-110....and I've tested a dozen powders with thousands of rounds. Keep the jacketed bullet around 1600 and the cast gas check about 14-1500.--------6

[3leggedturtle]

2ndovc; Like to see pics of the Arisaka

Ollogger; I'm nervous about accuracy, I bought M92 for cast. Shoots jacketed fine

Sixgun; Plan on no more than 1500fps or lower than 1100fps. Tho may try a cat sneeze load or 2 in them.

[Marvin S]

I would start with Rem small rifle primers.

[williamranks]

I haven't bought dies yet for 25-20.
Anyone using the RCBS neck sizing set?

[Marvin S]

I tried using one but it was not made right and only crushed the cases. I sent it back and it took two months to replace it. Have not tried it since then.

[2ndovc]

My Grandfather had this made. He was a HUGE fan of the .25 cal rifles. He had two Winchester model 70's along with this one. One in .257 Roberts and one in .250-3000. We still have the 250 Savage but the Roberts was stolen from my uncles home.




Shoots one ragged hole at 100 yds but the brass has to be trimmed after every loading. I've knocked off a ton of varmints with
this rifle but haven't connected with anything bigger than a 30# woodchuck. Going to have to fix that.

jb

[3leggedturtle]

Had an old Friend that loved to rechamber and rebarrel Arisaka's. SMLE's too. That pic looks like some of the ones he made, brings back lots of memories. Thanks

[2ndovc]

Had an old Friend that loved to rechamber and rebarrel Arisaka's. SMLE's too. That pic looks like some of the ones he made, brings back lots of memories. Thanks

My Dad gave it to me when I turned 21. Grandpa had taken several antelope with it but every time I take it deer hunting I don't
see anything. Going to have to work harder.

jb

[M. M. Wright]

2ndovc,
Have that chamber AI'd and never trim again. Works great on 243 too.

[Sixgun]

Oh, I forgot...always small rifle primers. Don't matter what brand.

Jason....Neck size....neck size a caliber down the neck.--------6

[Charles]

I have been casting and loading for the 25-20 WCF since the very early 60's and have found it quite easy to find a good accuracy and effective load. I have both a Winchester 92 and a Remington 25.

I have only used one load in both for many years. It is Lyman 257312 85 grain GC over 9/4227. I cast the bullets from linotype metal and size them .259.

I have always used small rifle primers and see no reason to change.

[Sixgun]

I have been casting and loading for the 25-20 WCF since the very early 60's and have found it quite easy to find a good accuracy and effective load. I have both a Winchester 92 and a Remington 25.

I have only used one load in both for many years. It is Lyman 257312 85 grain GC over 9/4227. I cast the bullets from linotype metal and size them .259.

Dang Charles! I've been looking for that mould for some years now for as you know, its long out of print. Yep on the 9/4227. It what I use on the 70 grain Lyman.---------------6

[Charles]

Sixgun....as far as I can see and measure, NEI 257-89-GC #19 is an exact clone of the aforementioned Lyman mold.

[Mike Armstrong]

2ndovc, I love that Arisaka sporter! Always preferred a plain, straight grained walnut stock without any doo-dads or checkering, I guess because the first sporters I had, a Savage 23 and a Remington 722, were plain like that. Never noticed that ebony forend tips or checkering helped when hunting....

I also use Remington small rifle primers on my .25-20 reloads. I have a 1920s vintage M92 round barreled 24" rifle that was my grandfather's; he "issued" it to his vaqueros when they thought they needed a rifle. I suspect it has been "fired in anger" more than once; his ranch was right on the CA/MX border in the 1920s and 30s. Land was seized by "eminent domain" in WWII (he made money on the compensation) and was part of the national Parachute Test Range, now BLM and Indian reservation land (he got his cowboys from that rez). Shoots cast bullets, as long as you keep em pretty hard. I got it from his "segundo" when he retired. Killed a passel of stuff with it, from ground squirrels to blacktails and piggies back when I was too young and ignorant to know better.

Also have a Savage bolt action 23B in near mint cond. except that it has been D&T'd for a scope, a Winchester 1885 single shot I made up of original parts on a Lowall action, and a Savage 219 single shot that also has a .410 barrel. So I shoot a lot of .25-20!

In case you missed it, there is a good article on handloading the .25-20 in the June 2013 "Handloader" magazine by John Barsness. He shoots a '92 and a Savage 23B (mine is a later model than his) and discusses a new way to renovate rough bores, which many .25-20s surely have.

[williamranks]

[quote=In case you missed it, there is a good article on handloading the .25-20 in the June 2013 "Handloader" magazine by John Barsness. He shoots a '92 and a Savage 23B (mine is a later model than his) and discusses a new way to renovate rough bores, which many .25-20s surely have.[/quote]

Ordered a copy from the publisher. $10 and they're mailing it.