Winchester 25-35

[Pirate69]

Maybe I have not been observant; but I can't recall seeing very much on this rifle. Any owners out there?

[sharpshooter3040]

Yes I have 2 vintage 94's and one I built out of a Marlin 336 Action. All 3 are excellant cast Boolit shooters.

[6pt-sika]

I had a 1906 vintage Marlin 1893 in 25-36 Marlin which is for all intents and purposes the same thing . As a matter of fact you could shoot factory 25-35 ammo in the gun just fine .

At the present I have a nice old German Single Shot Stalking rifle in 6.5x52R which is nothing other then the 25-35 WIN .

Nice enough little rifle and it's shooting some 1962-1966 vintage Remington 25-35 ammo well enough at 100 yards to deer hunt with it :bigsmyl2:

[izzyjoe]

hey sharpshooter, i'm interested in 25-35 also. what barrel did you use, what twist is it. sorry for the hijack here.

[semtav]

Yes. my Brother has my Dads old 25-35 and I just bought one last winter.
took mine to an offhand silhouette match not long afer I got it. Hadn't even fired it. Was going to use it for the second match, but the weather was so cold,we just did one.
One of the guys just came to watch so I told him to shoot it. He won the match.

[9.3X62AL]

Win 94 in 25-35 WCF here. VERY accurate with castings to 1600 FPS, but 1-8" twist makes them get squirrelly if driven any faster. With the Hornady 117 grain RN and 27.0 grains of WW-760, it is the most accurate Model 94 I have ever fired. Period. Good for 2275 FPS from the 20" barrel.

[MT Gianni]

I spent an afternoon BS'ing with Howard Copenhaver, a retired now deceased outfitter who grew up in Ovando, MT. On the couch behind my back was a Grizzly bear rug that was shot with a 25-35. He was not a big man and never cared much for recoil, but when the bear came into camp he and the cartridge did their jobs.

[sharpshooter3040]

hey sharpshooter, i'm interested in 25-35 also. what barrel did you use, what twist is it. sorry for the hijack here.

I used an unknown blank I bought of Gun Broker. ( I think it was a Douglas). I cut a tapered half octagon on . I believe it was a 10 twist. It still shoots cast Boolits well. Turned out to be a real nice rifle. I have real good luck with the Adams & Bennet Barrels from Midway.



Doug

[Pirate69]

Great comments. I have a Winchester 25-35 that I want to shot some cast boolits in. Just have not gotten around to getting what is needed.

I have been trying to determine when this rifle was made. I can not find a serial number on it. See photo where it should be. Does not appear to have been removed. If you look at the hammer, I am told that that pattern (the V) was discontinued around serial number 50,000. Anyone have any thoughts?


http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Pirate69-photo/Winchester%2025-35/100_0345.jpg

http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Pirate69-photo/Winchester%2025-35/100_0344-1.jpg

http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Pirate69-photo/Winchester%2025-35/100_0385.jpg

http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Pirate69-photo/Winchester%2025-35/100_0378.jpg


http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Pirate69-photo/Winchester%2025-35/100_0369.jpg


http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Pirate69-photo/Winchester%2025-35/100_0354.jpg

[Marvin S]

Split top hammer ceased at about ser# 110,000, also a second model receiver.

[Pirate69]

Thanks Marvin,
I assume the split top hammer is the V-pattern. First model receivers stopped around SN 3,000 (?); so made 3,000 to 110,000? Good guess?

[Four Fingers of Death]

Might be a lunch box gun.

[Good Cheer]

Anybody have recommendations on a heavy mold for the 94?

[Four Fingers of Death]

That would be a nice round in the Encore I have. Probably do most of what I have to do. Trouble is, I must have 20-30 rifles that would do most of what I have to do :)

[6pt-sika]

Anybody have recommendations on a heavy mold for the 94?

Lyman 257325 thats a 115 grain RN GC bullet .

[9.3X62AL]

I shoot an NEI 114 grain flat-nose gas check design in the 94 x 25-35. Like those casters playing with the milsurp 6.5 x 55 Mausers, the fast twist rate will spoil accuracy at some point between 1500 and 1700 FPS. I don't think I would cast the NEI 114 as a soft-point and try hunting deer with the caliber.

The Hornady jacketed bullet is an entirely different animal, though. Run to 2100-2200 FPS, that pencil-length javelin softpoint of conventional cup-and-core construction gives reliable expansion and deep penetration. This good relationship between simple-design bullets and moderate velocities has been the secret of the 30-30 WCF's success for years, and the 25-35 shares many of its positive attributes.

As a varmint whacker, the 25-35 works VERY well with castings. The 114 grainers at 1600 FPS "range" very well, and whack jackrabbits decisively. I haven't had a shot at coyotes with the rifle (yet), but based on the comprehensive nature of the caliber's cast boolit work on the jacks--no worries. At all.

[44 flattop]

I've owned and used a 1939 Winchester model 64 in 25-35 for some 37 years now. I absolutely love that rifle.

I like using the RCBS 100grain GC mould which throws a 109gr bullet out of WW's and pure lead. I drive it up around 2100fps and get about 2" or a bit smaller five shot groups at 100 yards.

I've taken all sorts of game with it including deer. My Uncle, who gave it to me at age 14 took five elk with it back in the '50's using factory 117gr Winchester FN's.

It is just a fantastic caliber that has always been overlooked and underestimated. Just when Winchester brought it back out, they decide to close their doors. My opinion is that should Winchester not shut down, we would have seen a new rise in the popularity of the 25-35.

44

[9.3X62AL]

44 Flat Top--

Yer gonna do it, ain't ya? Yer gonna oblige me to cast some soft-point 114 grain NEIs and hunt deer with the 25-35. I'll test-drive them on coyotes first.

How on earth do you get ANY accuracy from that fast twist barrel using pure lead boolits? No can do here, so far. #257420 and #257312 get squirrelly past 1600 FPS, too.

[44 flattop]

I'm not using PURE lead, 9.3X62AL. I'm using WW's (about 75%) and pure lead (about 25%). The 100gr RCBS is a GC model and I size .259 using Horndy GC's. 22grs of 3031 is my load. I've used this particular load for near 30 years and haven't shot anything other load. It sure does a nice job and deer, and YES, I hope you take your out deer hunting this year!

The only time I had any trouble with accuracy from this rifle was with lighter cast bullets around 75grs down around 1600fps! Other than that, as long as I keep the velocity up and the bullets 100grs to 117grs, no problems. The bore is not particularly smooth though no real pitting. Just a little on the rough side that doesn't seem to affect accuracy any, though maybe that is why the heav(ier) bullets shoot so well inspite of the 1 in 8" twist.

Now doggone it, don't get me overthinking this whole thing, I like keeping things simple!

44

[NHlever]

Yes, I had one of the 25-35's on order when Winchester closed, and never got it. Who knows, we may see a nice one back someday!

[405]

Too many of these things- not enough time! Got a 1918 Win 1894 rifle in 25-35. Not gotten around to working on cast load for it. Did work up a medium 117 Hornady RN jbullet load. VERY accurate combo- probably more accurate than most all other Win 94s I have shot.

[9.3X62AL]

44 FT--

No, success is hard to argue with--and don't take wrenches to things that aren't broken. I'm just glad that the combo works for ya.