25-20 single shot loads

[cast405]

Can anybody working with the 25-20 single shot share some of their favorite loads? I'm working with an original Win. low wall bertram brass but have just ordered some replacements from Rocky Mountain Cartridge.I'm using the RCBS 85gr plain base cast from w.w.

[Bent Ramrod]

Cast405,

I use 10-12 gr of IMR-4198 or 8.5 gr SR-4759 behind the Ideal 25720, which is 85-90 gr depending on alloy.

[Larry Gibson]

I use 2.5 gr Bullseye under a 257285HP (80 gr cast of WWs) which is a PB mould in my Savage 23B 25-20. Velocity is 1000 fps and accuracy hovers around 1" at 50 yards. I shoot lots of ground squirrels with this load. Thumps them much harder than a .22LR. For velocities over 1100 fps I use the GC'd 257420.

Larry Gibson

[miltfarrow]

I shoot a Low Wall in .25-20 SS. Only have shot it about 200 times so far but am really enjoying it. The load I got from an experienced shooter is 7.6 gr, 4227 IMR with both my 86 and 100 gr. bullets, both from old Ideal molds. Still learning what the rifle likes.

Does anyone know of a .25-20 SS load using AA#9? I have a lot of it. I shoot my Ruger No. 1 in 8.15x46 with a 205 gr. SAECO-Redding tapered bullet and use 12 gr AA#9 in warm weather and 15.9 gr. 4759 in cold weather. With the price of powder (and the liberal make up of the government), I'd appreciate hearing about a way to use my AA#9 in the .25-20 SS.

[pjogrinc]

I have a Win Hiwall in 25-20 SS with Close Coupled Double set triggers with frosted 28 inch #3 barrel, that I've been playing with for 3 months. It's too cold, 17 deg., to do any serious accuracy testing at the moment. But I am starting to collect a large collection of different bullet weights and styles to try seriously when it warms up.

My favorite/most accurate load is 7.0 gr of H4227 with 90 gr GC bullet. H4227 is discontinued per Hodgdons (Sept 2009 Customer service) due to low sales as commpared to IMR 4227 and when the stocks of H4227 are gone, only IMR 4227 will be available. They said to use the 2 directly interchangably.

The 25-20 SS case has 1 grain more water capacity than the 25-20 WCF, so 25-20 WCF data should produce slightly less pressure in the 25-20 SS.

Hodgdons said to use 25-20 WCF cast bullet load data ONLY!! Start at the minimum 25-20WCF data and work up. This was for my WIN. HIWALL!! Starting at the minimum load data and work up slowly should work in rifle action in good working order. 25-20 IS NOT a powerfull cartridge, so don't try an 'magnumize it'.

According to Buffalo Arms, there is a 'new' lot of 25-20 SS Bertram brass available that has considerable better quality and specs case to case. when I ordered my brass back in August 2009. As compared to BB brass that I've had over the last 20 years, this new brass is significantly better quality. Have not lost any yet and some cases have 10 - 14 reloads. I have not had any case problems yet, although I only neck resize my fired cases (to within
.070 inch of shoulder), no crimp and have not had a problem with case length growth. My bullets are seated to engage the rifling 0.050 inch, so the breech block closing is the final push and no case slop. Unfortunately, I don't thing you can do that with the pumps.

Good luck and we need to keep the 25-20 SS posting going with load and test result data.

[ence]

I use 2400 only in my low wall. How hard do I need my bullets to be? And what is a good lube?

[atr]

my load is 9.0 gr of H4227 with 89 gr -J
and
the same 9.0 grains with the 65 gr. GC Cast.
Im shooting a Savage model 23B bolt action

[gunther]

With the understanding that this is a very old thread; what is the best bullet diameter for a low wall in 25 20 ss? I'm using Missouri bullet company .259 ( Measured at .260) 80 grain bullets brinnel hardness number 18, over 7.5 gr 4227. And am getting a bit of tipping at 25 yards. Any thoughts?

[gnoahhh]

You need to measure your throat to see what your rifle wants.

18bhn sounds needlessly hard. I cast my 85's (out of an old Ideal mould) at 10-12 bhn and load them as-cast .260", pan lubed with Javelina Schuetzen. 7.0 gr. 4227 is good for me. Brass is a treasured supply of Jamison brass. Winchester Low Wall, tang sight, and around an inch at 50 yards.

[50target]

In the previous posts there has been some confusion about the OP's cartridge. The SS version is different than the WCF version although with similar case capacities. The deciding factor is gun and brass. A Win LW, Stevens 441/2 or similar actions with a motise breech block are stronger and can take a little more juice but then the brass becomes a factor. Not exactly plentiful or cheap when found. The old Stevens model 44 and other actions that don't have that stronger action, go slow and easy or you'll stress and bend the action pins and wind up with a loose fitting action which is not good. I have both calibers, the WCF in a Uberti Low Wall rebarreled to 25-20 WCF and a Stevens 44 in 25-20SS. They are totally different in how they behave with the same load. IMR 4227 has proven to behave very well in both. For a wealth of reloads for the WCF go to the Marlin Owners Forum site and reloading section for exhaustive reloading data. For the SS version go to the ASSRA ( American Single SHot Rifle Association ) reloading section. Go easy on the old guns with emphasis on accuracy and longevity for brass and gun. There are enough modern fire breathers for the warp drive folks. When you get that tiny cluster of holes in your target from a gun over 100 years old you won't care how fast it got there. You'll be too busy smiling.
Enjoy the journey.

[gunther]

Switching from small pistol to small rifle primers took care of the tipping (Keyholing), reduced group size a bit, and increased velocity.
What brand of dies have you all found that are available and reasonable? So far, available is questionable; nobody makes dies for a .260 bullet, and reasonable is a dream. I'm currently looking at using a Lee 25-20wcf 3 die set and neck sizing only. Looks like the sizing die may have too small a neck diameter, .273 vs .275, that might be polished out a bit.
Bertram cases came with a .276 OD neck that makes for a tight slip fit for .260 bullets. This cartridge chambers easily with the bullet touching the rifling. Fired cases have an OD of .282.
Got two boxes of Jamison brass off an auction site, pretty pricey. Dug out a tang sight, ordered screws, front one fit, but had to barter for the longer tang screw. Installed a taller front bead, too. Peeps will help group size. Once again, thanks for any replies.

[50target]

Reasonable? I'm afraid you picked the wrong caliber. Heard that you could use the 25-20 WCF dies but I suppose I wasn't bright enough. BTW the WCF shellholder doesn't work for the SS. You can get dies and shellholder from CH-4D or is it 4D-CH. Cost to me a few years back for the dies was 135$ direct. Some of the brass has been known to be thick in the neck. May need to check it.
It can be very satisfying to get those small groups, if you have the patience to get there.

[greybuff]

25-20 SS was a blackpowder cartridge caliber. Use it and have some fun......

[uscra112]

You need to measure your throat to see what your rifle wants.

18bhn sounds needlessly hard. I cast my 85's (out of an old Ideal mould) at 10-12 bhn and load them as-cast .260", pan lubed with Javelina Schuetzen. 7.0 gr. 4227 is good for me. Brass is a treasured supply of Jamison brass. Winchester Low Wall, tang sight, and around an inch at 50 yards.

Correct. Although I got better groups with AA#9 than I did with 4227. All three of my barrels liked the bullet sized .258". I lubed with NRA 50-50 or White Label. Didn't make any difference. Pistol primers.

For a Stevens 44, keep your loads to about 1400 fps. and you won't overstress the linkage. The usual breakdown is not the pins; it's that the holes in the link get worn/beaten loose. The fix is to ream the lever and breechblock to .1965" and the link to .1970", and use 5mm dowels for pins.

If you see any Jamison/Captech brass grab it at any price. I had one box of Bertram and threw it out. Rocky Mountain Cartridge was OK, but when I got 200 of the Captech I retired it. It's possible to reform .22 Lovell back to its' parent .25-20. It's also possible to mash .223 down into .25-20, but it's a brutal process. The details can be found on the ASSRA site. (There's even a video.)