Dale53
02-22-2006, 06:29 PM
Deputy Al;
Couldn't help noticing that you were having problems with your 25/20 Marlin. I bought one the first year that they "returned". I bought a Lyman 257420 GC mould and started to work. I couldn't get ANYTHING to shoot even half decent. I don't know why I hung in there but I was not about to let this thing beat me. I had this ridiculous idea that these rifles were made to shoot cast and I was gonna stick with it until it did.
I tried all of the old powders and recommendations without success. I then thought, looking at the case capacity, that RL-7 ought to work well. 4198, I am sure would do as well but it didn't measure very well. Rl-7 measures extremely well (from my old .222 bench rest days). At any rate, I worked up a load until this bullet was running just under 2200 fps. My bullet is linotype (doesn't use much metal and casts extremely well) and I figured I could run it as fast as a jacketed factory 60 gr even tho' it was about 70 grs with gc. I figured right. I load 14.5 grains. At about the same time I worked this load up, I realized I had 500 rounds of cast thru the bore. This load will stay in the 10 ring of a NRA fifty yard target at fifty yards (ten shot groups). The "X" count is not high but after all this is not supposed to be a target rifle.
Here is the wierd part - I, then decided to see how it would shoot with an intermediate load. 11.0 grs of RL-7 works just as well. Same accuracy just slower. I have not chronoed this load.
Gets even wierder - I needed a squirrel load. 4.0 grs of Unique and it is the best squirrel rifle you can imagine.
So, from not shooting anything, after 500 rounds it will shoot nearly anything at any reasonable velocity. This has become a true "woods rambler rifle".
Inspection of the interior of the barrel with the naked eye shows some sort of "flaw" about the area where the rear sight dovetail is. I have no longer any interest in pursuing this. The rifle shoots so well that I do NOT want another barrel.
Our local club sponsored a lever rifle match (my idea and my match :razz:). We held eight matches a year for three years. You could use ANY lever rifle. Some bought special rifles for this match (.218 Bees and Zippers. etc). It was a practical match including a speed "bear" stage and ran from 25 yards to 100 yards (fifty shot match). My little 25/20 won every match with cast bullets up against the "Big Boys" with their jacketed varmint calibers.
So, perservere. It may still do what you want.
Disclaimer: None of these loads were pressure tested. However, I did load the 14.5 gr (compressed load) in five cases one day (on the range) twenty times without losing a case or loosening a primer pocket. So, I believe that they were well within the strength of my rifle. I would, of course, suggest strongly, that you work up to this load in your rifle. Do NOT try this in a weak action rifle.
YMMV
Dale53
Couldn't help noticing that you were having problems with your 25/20 Marlin. I bought one the first year that they "returned". I bought a Lyman 257420 GC mould and started to work. I couldn't get ANYTHING to shoot even half decent. I don't know why I hung in there but I was not about to let this thing beat me. I had this ridiculous idea that these rifles were made to shoot cast and I was gonna stick with it until it did.
I tried all of the old powders and recommendations without success. I then thought, looking at the case capacity, that RL-7 ought to work well. 4198, I am sure would do as well but it didn't measure very well. Rl-7 measures extremely well (from my old .222 bench rest days). At any rate, I worked up a load until this bullet was running just under 2200 fps. My bullet is linotype (doesn't use much metal and casts extremely well) and I figured I could run it as fast as a jacketed factory 60 gr even tho' it was about 70 grs with gc. I figured right. I load 14.5 grains. At about the same time I worked this load up, I realized I had 500 rounds of cast thru the bore. This load will stay in the 10 ring of a NRA fifty yard target at fifty yards (ten shot groups). The "X" count is not high but after all this is not supposed to be a target rifle.
Here is the wierd part - I, then decided to see how it would shoot with an intermediate load. 11.0 grs of RL-7 works just as well. Same accuracy just slower. I have not chronoed this load.
Gets even wierder - I needed a squirrel load. 4.0 grs of Unique and it is the best squirrel rifle you can imagine.
So, from not shooting anything, after 500 rounds it will shoot nearly anything at any reasonable velocity. This has become a true "woods rambler rifle".
Inspection of the interior of the barrel with the naked eye shows some sort of "flaw" about the area where the rear sight dovetail is. I have no longer any interest in pursuing this. The rifle shoots so well that I do NOT want another barrel.
Our local club sponsored a lever rifle match (my idea and my match :razz:). We held eight matches a year for three years. You could use ANY lever rifle. Some bought special rifles for this match (.218 Bees and Zippers. etc). It was a practical match including a speed "bear" stage and ran from 25 yards to 100 yards (fifty shot match). My little 25/20 won every match with cast bullets up against the "Big Boys" with their jacketed varmint calibers.
So, perservere. It may still do what you want.
Disclaimer: None of these loads were pressure tested. However, I did load the 14.5 gr (compressed load) in five cases one day (on the range) twenty times without losing a case or loosening a primer pocket. So, I believe that they were well within the strength of my rifle. I would, of course, suggest strongly, that you work up to this load in your rifle. Do NOT try this in a weak action rifle.
YMMV
Dale53