25-20 friendly lead slinger

[bandmiller2]

Anyone cast and shoot the 25-20.?? The boolets seem easier to cast than 22 and it takes but a pinch of powder to send them on their way. I rebarreled a Ruger #1 to 25-20,with a heavy cast slug just under the speed of sound its a very civilized woodchuck rifle. Frank C.

[Digital Dan]

What twist and who made the barrel?

[Scharfschuetze]

My civilized lead slinger in 25/20.

[Leslie Sapp]

My civilized lead slinger in 25/20.

23b: Definitely on my wish list. Can you get that thing loaded down to .22 long rifle velocities?

[Green Frog]

I've got an original high wall in 25-20 SS and am part way through building a low wall with a Green Mtn™ barrel on an original action in the same caliber. Does that count? For a bullet mould I have to use an old Ideal Perfection mould... no code number, it's just marked 25-20. Do they count? Oh yeah, I load them with an old Ideal 310 tool and a push through sizer. I guess you could say I'm kinda old school, but it is an old cartridge. ;-)

Froggie

[Mk42gunner]

Mine is a Model 26 Husqvarna. Neat little single shot bolt action.

My eyes are always open for one of the Savages like Scharf's, which is quite possibly the best looking Model 23b I have ever seen; or the ever elusive Winchester Model 43.

Robert

[runfiverun]

I only have 2 Winchester 92's made in 1924 and 1926, one is a carbine and one is a rifle.
I like the beat up, carved up, worn finish carbine better.
I think it might be because of the old lyman peep sight on it.
11.5 grs of accurates' 2230 and a sr mag primer make that little carbine go right along.

[wch]

NOE is offering an 85 grain mold in a group buy; I have several 25-20's and a 25-20SS and I am waiting for this mold ao that I can duplicate the original factory load with modern components.

[bandmiller2]

Dan, if I recall its 1-14 the barrel was cut rifled by a local (Ma.) barrel maker long gone. I bought two barrels both smooth and a joy to use the other I fit and chambered to 358 win. on a Savage 99.

[bandmiller2]

Runfive, my first real rifle was a winny 92 25-20 carbine with the Nichol steel barrel, wish I still had it swapped it and a win. pump 22 for a steam boiler to run my mill. When I was 13 I made a set of dies and reloaded, 60 gr flatnose and 2400 powder. Frank C.

[uscra112]

Stevens single-shots in .25-20 Stevens. (Only Winchester called it the Single Shot.) Two Model 44s and a Model 44 1/2. And another 44 1/2 in .25-21. These were the best small game cartridges in the period up to and through World War One. MOA accurate to 150 yards, mild report, deadly but not too destructive. 67 grain the best small game boolit, 86 grain for target shooting, 100 grain if you have a 12 twist barrel.

[Green Frog]

Stevens single-shots in .25-20 Stevens. (Only Winchester called it the Single Shot.) Two Model 44s and a Model 44 1/2. And another 44 1/2 in .25-21. These were the best small game cartridges in the period up to and through World War One. MOA accurate to 150 yards, mild report, deadly but not too destructive. 67 grain the best small game boolit, 86 grain for target shooting, 100 grain if you have a 12 twist barrel.

Oddly enough, my original 25-20 barrel is labeled "WCF" but it is chambered for the longer, thinner SS. I don't know whether some turn-of-the-last century workman got in a hurry or what(?) I've seen a few rifles that went the other way when somebody took the Stevens/single shot chamber and opened it up for 25-20 WCF. This gives a fairly excessive amount of freebore, but it seems like they still shoot OK.

Froggie

[Buckdane]

I haven't reloaded for my 25/20 yet. It is a special run TCA barrel for the Contender Carbine.
Sweet little carbine with either the wood or fiberglass stock on it.

[tg32-20]

I have loaded thousands of rounds for the 25-20 over the years. A Marlin 25-20 was the first rifle I shot as a kid and used it for many years. It is now getting a little tired but still shots really well. I also have a Contender barrel in 25-20 but it is the usual Contender barrel with the overly long throat and took a lot of work to get it to shoot good.

I have an original Ranch Dog mold in 25-20 that casts 85 gr. it is half PB and GC. The PB shoot ok but the GCs always shoot just a little better. The best mold I have found that works for me, in my guns, is the Lyman 257420. It is a 72 gr. with GC and shoots really well at all velocities I have tried it with.

tg32-20

[tg32-20]

Oh BTW

There is an amazing wealth of information regarding the 25-20 on the Marlin Owners website under 25-20 reloaders.

tg32-20

[runfiverun]

I have a rapine double cavity 72 gr plain base mold, it's super easy to cast with and shot better and better the faster I pushed it.
I don't size them, just cast and swirl lube with a fore-runner to 45/45/10 lube.

[beagle]

I'm running a Marlin M1894 with a 1-12 twist Douglas (I rebarrelled) and a 24" full magazine. PLeasant shooting little varmint./beagle