25-20 general purpose load

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  • Last Post 10 March 2008
Lefty posted this 31 January 2007

I have a 25-20 TC Encore rifle that I have been using with jacketed bullets.  I use the rifle for general pest control and mostly for my own amusement.  I want to find a good all purpose cast bullet load.  I have little experience with plain base bullets but have been unable to find a GC mold of my liking.  So- any recommendations out there for a nearly full power load with an 85 gr plain base bullet?  Recommended bullets, powder,etc??

Thanks

Lefty  

sorry for the double send - operator error :(

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Ed Harris posted this 01 February 2007

Gaschecked design bullets will work OK without the GC up to about 1400 f.p.s. in a smooth barrel. In small cases such as the .32-20 with plainbased bullets I've had very good luck loading a nominal “caseful” of 4198 or RL-7 with slight compression. You can't cram enough of these powders into the case to get into any trouble and it is “nearly” a full power load, as you want.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Lefty posted this 01 February 2007

I have 4198 on hand so will give that a try. I have also used unique with success in larger cases such as the 30-30. Do you see any problem with a small charge (4.5 gr or so according to an old lyman manual) of unique with a plain base bullet?

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Dale53 posted this 05 February 2007

I have long used 14.5 grs of RL-7 with a 70 gr GC (Lyman 257420 linotype) bullet. This is a compressed load and chronographs just under 2200 fps from my “new issue” marlin lever action. This is NOT a load for a weak actioned rifle.

Another load that works well in my rifle is same bullet over 11.0 grs of RL-7. I have not chronographed that.

My squirrel load is same bullet over 4.0 grs of Unique. This is a superior squirrel load.

I have recently acquired a Lee Six Cavity Group buy 85 gr RF plain base bullet but have yet to use any. I'll report further when the weather moderates sometime this spring.

Dale53

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Lefty posted this 05 February 2007

Dale53

I lucked out and picked up an almost new 257464 mold (89 gr GC) today. I like the sound of your squirrel load with Unique and the full case of RL-7. I am also going to try Ed's recipe for 4198.

I will be interested to here how you do with a PB bullet.

Jim

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Dale53 posted this 06 February 2007

Lefty; 4198 is in the same burning rate range as RL-7. However, RL-7 is small grained and works through a powder measure very well. It also seems to work very well in most of the traditional black powder cases.

Naturally, use all due caution. I'll be trying RL-7 with my 85 gr plain base bullet. If you already have 4198, that will work just fine as Ed Harris suggests.

Dale53

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 14 September 2007

Hi... also, for a very careful cartridge assembler ( maybe desperate ) ... it is possible IF YOU HAVE A LOAD THAT HAS A CASEFUL OF POWDER ..... to use an upside down gas check ... then it does not need a base that takes gas checks. Make sure the check is held either by a compressed powder charge or use some accepted filler to make it a compressed charge load.  The check has to be against the bullet base, and stuck in the neck of the case. ( and held by the compressed charge ).

Be aware that you are in an area that might produce a ringed chamber neck, or if the check gets stuck halfway down the barrel, the next shot might bulge the barrel ( ring ) .

That said, I have shot reversed checks in the above manner for years and never had a bad thing happen ... yet.

For filler, I have used creme of wheat, and also a small wad of toilet paper crunched into the case.  Some have suggested a couple grains of very slow powder as a filler COMPRESSED just behind the bullet.  I have NOT tried that, but sounds promising.

FWIW, I used 4198 a lot in my .218 Bee ....  ( I had a M43 winchester, the magazine tended to jam when fox hunting:  I sold it for $25 ... thus breaking rule 1:: never sell a gun ... ).  The Bee, of course is a necked down 25-20 WCF, mostly.

regards, ken campbell, deltawerkes

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Molly posted this 15 September 2007

>For filler, I have used creme of wheat, and also a small wad of toilet paper crunched into the case.  Some have suggested a couple grains of very slow powder as a filler COMPRESSED just behind the bullet.  I have NOT tried that, but sounds promising.

I've used the slow powder filler quite successfully, though it started out as something else entirely:  I was trying to use some of that 20MM milsurp powder, in a 30-06 with 311291, and getting so much unburnt that it would fall back and clog the chamber to where I couldn't chamber another round.  Well, I remembered the old BP trick of using a little fast smokeless under the BP, and decided to see if I could adapt it here.  I started out with about 5g of 4227, got some reduction in unburnt, with no pressure signs.  Kept going up in 1g increments until I was nearing the Lyman max for 4227, with improving results all the way.  So I switched to 4198 for a kicker, and kept improving.  Kept going to slower 'kicker' powders as I reached the Lyman max for the powder under consideration.  Naturally, the weight of the kicker kept increasing and the 20mm stuff kept decreasing, until I realized that all I was doing was using the stuff for a compressible filler in an otherwise fairly normal load.  All in all, it worked pretty darn well, but as in any reloading outside the handbooks, start low and work up slowly.  That's been about ten years back though, and when I look for fillers nowadays,  I tend to use a tuft of Dacron and a neck full of Cream of Wheat. 

Hope you find this interesting.

Molly

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AMMOe posted this 02 October 2007

I use 2015 BR and a 72 grain GC bullet @ .259". I get 1840 ft/sec from my Martini and my 92 Winchester. ~Andy

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Lefty posted this 02 March 2008

Yesterday I started testing loads in the 25-20.  I am using an 86 gr GC bullet.  So far I have simply been trying to settle on a couple of powder for additional testing.  I have tried unique, 4227, 4198 and 1680.  The unique loads shot very poorly.  I am not sure I understand why.  4227 was a mediocre performer as well.  Next was 4198.  I was using a load whichfilled the case but did not need to be compressed.  Groups ran about 1.25” at 50 yards.  I want to try a slightly compressed load next.  Finally I through in some Accurate 1680 because it was sitting on the shelf.  My first attempts have been with about 9 gr of powder.  Accuracy has been just under an inch at 50 yards (10 shot groups).  I want to also increase this load just slightly but I actually doubt that it will help.  I will take a chronograph along to the range next trip.

I don't have R7 on hand but  may have to get some just to be sure I am not leaving smaller groups on the table.

More to follow.

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6pt-sika posted this 10 March 2008

I own a pair of 25-20's at the moment .

The first is a Marlin 1894CL that was made in the late 80's and the other is an original model 1894 that was made in 1903 .

For these two rifles I have a trio of moulds . The first in my possesion was the Lyman 257420 65 grain GC design . I worked up a load for use on squirrels with this one .

Later a guy on castboolits that lives aout 25 miles from me did a group buy for 259-85 grain FN GC 6 cavity mould and I got one of these . To be honest I have not really used this one alot . Nothing wrong with the bullet I have just not found a top punch that won't marr the nose to much in my 4500's .

After that I found a nice single cavity Lyman 257312 on ebay with a set of small handles attached . This thing cost me about $40 with shipping included . And I have worked up a nice pistol caliber silhouette load for this one .

 

Personally I feel that the Lyman 257312 is the better all around bullet and a much easier one to get to shoot , well at least for me in my rifles .

Another avenue that should open up in the next 6-12 months is my friend Ranch Dog's small mould buisness should have about an 80 grain 25 cal GC mould for the shooting public . And if his past efforts are any indication , this one should be just fine as well !

My favourite load right now with the Lyman 257312 is 5 grains of Unique . I use Hornady checks , CCI small rifle primers and straight wheel weights .

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6pt-sika posted this 10 March 2008

I forgot to add , my load of the Lyman 257312 and 5 grains of Unique should be in the 1450-1500 FPS range .

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CB posted this 10 March 2008

For your nose punch problem, if you can get ahold of a nose punch that is larger than what you need at a garage or estate sale and drill it out a bit then fill the cavity with JB Weld or other expoxy, then put a bullet in your 450 and smear a bit of vasoline and let the handle just rest on the bullet. Allow it to set up fully, do a bit of filing to trim and you will have a custom fitted nose punch that will not marr the bullet when sizing.

I have several nose punches that are done up this way and they work fine.

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