25-35 molds

[timmylee4074]

I went to the Reno gun show yesterday. I saw a Winchester in 25-35. I'm looking at it as my next "toy". I noticed that you can also get barrels for your Encore or G2.
If I do pick one up I'll want a Boolit mold or two.
Saw the Lyman 257420; that will be good for varmits but I need to find somthing elce for deer.
Thanks T

[John F.]

I have a 1910-vintage Winchester 1894 rifle in .25-35 that is a tack-driver.
You will probably really love yours, if you get it. However, I have to say that
the .25-35 is doing good to kill deer humanely with top quality jacketed bullets,
and the light, slender slugs don't leave a lot of room for error if the
bullet malfunctions. Casting is great, but with all respect, you might be better served to use jacketed bullets to help ensure quicker, more humane kills on deer with this particular cartridge.

Hope this helps,
John

[kywoodwrkr]

Contender had a 10 inch barrel also.
I have one.
Recoil is SHARP.:mrgreen:
Haven't shot anything except factory ammo as of yet.
In the future.
Have a Savage model 99 in 250 also.
Have mostly smaller moulds right now.
Good luck with the new toy.
DaveP kywoodwrkr

[Glen]

You mean like the H&G #122?

The fast twist of the .25-35 can make shooting cast bullets a challenge, if high velocity is your goal, but at more moderate speeds they can do fine.

[9.3X62AL]

Dittoes to Glen's text. I'm using NEI #21 (114 FN/GC) with good results at 1500-1600 FPS. Some samples of the RCBS 25-120-SP shot very well in my flatband Win 94, but the noses are too long to feed through the magazine if conventionally seated--and a little pointy to be lining up "point to primer" for my liking. Fed through the top, they did fine.

Dittoes also to John F and his comments about the use of this caliber on deer. For me, the j-words are the ONLY way to go. It is easy to build a reliable cup-and-core soft point for controlled expansion at 2200-2300 FPS. The Hornady 117 grainer comes to mind here.

[Grandpa Dolan]

Heh Tim, Dittos also on John and Als remarks on the use of this Cal on Deer. My dad had a 25-35. I remember him shooting a deer 5 or 6 times with jacketed bulets. That was back in the 1930s. My brother has that rifle. Now I have a winchester 94 in 25-35, with a 26 inch barrel that is an even 100 years old. I hit 8 rams at 200 Yds In Silhouetts last Sunday. (got lucky) and yes, one did not go down. Used a 257 120 SP grain very hard bullet at 2200 ft per Sec. I have a post on this down a ways. With Al s help I have got it to shoot that 120 grainer.Take time to play...Grandpa Dolan

[Marlin Junky]

I am inclined to believe a paper patched soft lead quarter inch boolit would be a superior deer getter than a metal jacketed one in the 25-35 or -36.

MJ

[9.3X62AL]

That might work, MJ. Has anyone paper-patched any of the 6.5 Swede slugs to see how PP works in those quick-twist barrels?

One other idea I had was to try Bruce B's soft-pointing regimen with 55 grain 22 caliber unalloyed lead donor slug for the nose, then pour 92/6/2 for the drive shank and "weld" them as per Bruce's procedure. At 1600 FPS, I think some expansion and penetration would occur to enable humane harvest of the dinky little blacktails and muleys that we have around here. Having 30-30, 30-06, 8 x 57, 9.3 x 62, and 45-70 rifles to hunt deer with using cast boolits.......it seems like better options do exist for me.

[45 2.1]

Has anyone paper-patched any of the 6.5 Swede slugs to see how PP works in those quick-twist barrels?

Yep, in the 6.5s and the 25-06. Much harder in the 25 calibers because you have to reduce the boolit about 0.006" in a 251 die, but the 6.5s benefit from useing all the 25 caliber slugs patched directly up. The results are about the same as cast. You can push any of them up to 1800 fps with very good accuracy and patched expansion is something to behold. Try the 50/50 alloy water dropped for the same results.

[9.3X62AL]

That idea occurred to me, too--the use of the 25 caliber slugs for paper-patching to 6.5mm. I've had good results doing that with .358 slugs in the 9.3mm, using Lyman #358430. My thought was to use the NEI #21, with the front drive band left unwrapped to function as a bore-rider.

One other question--since this bullet has a gas check shank......would you attach and crimp a GC to the shank prior to wrapping, or leave the shank unchecked and just wrap it as is?

[45 2.1]

That idea occurred to me, too--the use of the 25 caliber slugs for paper-patching to 6.5mm. I've had good results doing that with .358 slugs in the 9.3mm, using Lyman #358430. My thought was to use the NEI #21, with the front drive band left unwrapped to function as a bore-rider.

One other question--since this bullet has a gas check shank......would you attach and crimp a GC to the shank prior to wrapping, or leave the shank unchecked and just wrap it as is?

I usually use dead soft lead boolits to patch up. My use is for hunting small to medium game, where I want massive expansion, for these smaller calibers. For that use, the gas check is left off. If you want velocity and range, the GC and a harder alloy would be used.

[9.3X62AL]

My use would parallel yours, 45--paper and rats. I originally had no intention of using cast boolits in the Ruger Swede, but I sometimes can't resist the impulse to turn wrenches on things that aren't broken.

The more I think about soft-point 25 caliber castings for deer, the less I like the idea--given the larger calibers available to me.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

the cast load 25-36 Marlin I used worked great on deer and elk and antelope here in SW Idaho for six years. I don't make head sausage, so headshots are the rule.
Hunt with a bow in archery season a couple years and you learn how to close within 50 yards. The CB 25-35 is a hunting cartridge, not a cross-canyon shooting cartridge
You just have to be a better shot, and keep telling yourself it is NOT a 45-70.

Rich