downside to a 25-20? Thinking of buying one

[jonp]

With my tax refund I'm thinking lever gun again. I found a nice Winchester 25-20 although I was thinking of a Rossi in 357 or 44-40. Is there any downside in the Winchester that would keep me from buying it other than the size of the boolit? Reloading, casting, load work-up problems?

[shooter93]

No down side at all except possibly brass. Not much around with the right headstamp but it is easily made from 32-20. I have a single shot rifle in the works and bought a 1,000 rounds of 25-20 brass when it was readily available. It's a good small game and plinking round. I also found a Hensley Gibbs mold for it.

[Blanket]

brass

[Mk42gunner]

Finding brass can be an issue, although it can be made by necking down .32-20, or taking the easy route and buying already converted brass from Grumpa; which is what I would have done if he offered it when I first got my .25-20.

Robert

[JeffinNZ]

brass

Yeap, brass. You could reform .32-20 but you'd need a step down die. Can see it going from .32 to .25 in one go.

[quack1]

Jeff- use the 25-20 seating die with the seating stem removed for the step down die. Anneal the necks before starting and lightly re- lube at each step. No problem going from 32-20 to 25-20.
middle case has been run in the 25-20 seating die
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll300/1quack1/32-20%20to%2025-20.jpg

[JeffinNZ]

Now that's clever.

[kiwi]

I have just suppled a customer with his second 1000 Lyman 257420 boolits he is getting good results on feral goats in his Winchester 92 it has become his favourite rifle,
I've been trying to find one, just missed out on a Savage 23 in 25/20 a few weeks ago, can probable load them for less than decent rimfire ammo.

[bob208]

the .25-20 is great I have 2 of them. but if you are not a collector. the .357 would be way better. brass is easier to find and would last longer as it is straight. plus you have all that .38spl. to use too. you can load it lite for just plain shooting and heavy for deer.

[Thin Man]

I have a Savage 23B in 25/20, absolutely love the caliber. Also have 3 molds: Lyman 257420 (65 RFGC), Lyman 257463 (75RNGC) and group buy (80-RFGC). My rifle much prefers the 65 grain boolit and have heard the same from others who have Winchester '92 rifles. I use the 80 grain in another 25 bore rifle and the 75 grain waits to find where it will shine, just hasn't happened yet. For pure fun it is really hard to improve on a 25/20. For game and pest shooting one has to remember the limited power of the caliber and respond accordingly.

Thin Man

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Downside? It isn't very powerful and the trajectory isn't very flat, but you know all about that. It is a very useful small game cartridge, and not game quite as small as you should confine a rimfire to. It is easy to reload, and if you want to use cast, it is easier to reload well than a .22 or anything with a short neck. There is a lot to be said, though, for a single-shot rifle which will permit use of pointed bullets.

I am sure the use of the seater die for reforming .32-20 is all you need. It worked well (though I normally used .25-20 brass) for my .255 Jeffery rook rifle, which is really just a shortened .25-20.

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