25-35 Boolit Loads

[Good Cheer]

Searched for 25-35 boolit loads and it turned up nothing.
Who's had success with their 25-35 lever actions?
Target accuracy? Hunting results?
Powders? Alloys? Diameters?

[braddock]

https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-data-center and follow the instructions, 34 loads there and a wide range of powders but only 3 for cast bullets.

[Good Cheer]

Nobody is shooting cast in their 25-35?

[Outpost75]

Don't have the article handy. but The Fouling Shot had an article on loading .25-35 with cast maybe 10 years ago. I remember the writer was using the plainbased RCBS 25-20 bullet at about 1300-1400 fps and getting groups around an inch at 50 yards with 7 grains of #2400. Light charges of Bullseye 4-5 grains at subsonic velocities also worked well. Used 20 grains of 4198 with 105-grain GC as full charge load.

IIRC author started by using .25-20 data in .25-35 case as start load, then worked up for best grouping.

[Good Cheer]

That makes sense; same way as for the 25-20, amazing accuracy with light charges of Unique.

[Kai]

7 grains of Trailboss behind a NOE 260283 85gr fppb bullet is an accurate plinker. I found that my Winchester carbine and rifle in 25-35 do not perform very well at high velocities with cast bullets regardless the type/size of bullet.

As for the above mentioned IMR-4198 load of 20 grs with a 105gr bullet, the only published data I have seen using 4198 calls for 12-15grs with a 111gr cast bullet. 4198 does seem pretty forgiving though.

There is much published data. Do you have a specific bullet/powder in mind?

[Bad Ass Wallace]

My custom Martini 25/35 has a 1:10" twist barrel and I load 100gn RCBS G/C & P/C'd cast boolits with 16gn of 4227 for approx 1800fps.

https://i.imgur.com/2tDJ9vFh.jpg

[Good Cheer]

7 grains of Trailboss behind a NOE 260283 85gr fppb bullet is an accurate plinker. I found that my Winchester carbine and rifle in 25-35 do not perform very well at high velocities with cast bullets regardless the type/size of bullet.

As for the above mentioned IMR-4198 load of 20 grs with a 105gr bullet, the only published data I have seen using 4198 calls for 12-15grs with a 111gr cast bullet. 4198 does seem pretty forgiving though.

There is much published data. Do you have a specific bullet/powder in mind?

I'm interested in what other people have been doing, what they've found success with.

My 25-35 is an old Model '94 with a pristine bore. What I've cast with before is #257325, #257312 and a NOE plain base 70 grain round flat nose. I have a RCBS spire point coming that I'll send off to Erik for a HPFN conversion for use in the 25-35 and the 25-20 (those garden burrowing little spotted back boogers will never know what hit them:). Unique has always been my favorite but I'm working with AA#5 now... eh, we'll see.

[ascast]

I am in the same boat as OP. Finnaly got a 115 grn mold and a 120 grn. Have not cast either yet. Used to shoot jacketed in this weight with very good accuracy. As always need to be mindful of the bullet point. A couple makers have molds, but never in stock. I'm going to start out with IMR 4198 i think.

[beagle]

I built one on a 336 with a 1:10 twist and it shot well. Got a feeling you'll run into problems with lighter bullets as the earlier rifles had a real fast twist and were designed for a 117 grain bullet.
I have a bunch of data I used in mine I'm willing to share. PM me your e-mail address and I'll extract my data and send it as an Excel spreadsheet.
Remember mine was a 1:10 twist./beagle

[braddock]

Lee's 2nd edition 2016 reprint of his loading handbook, page 384 has one cast load for 90 grn bullet but it looks like light loads.

[44 flattop]

I've shot cast from my M64 for 50 years and a few months. I use an RCBS 110 grain bullet (I'd have to search for the mold) over a full-power load of 3031 with acceptable accuracy (sub 2 MOA).