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?
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?
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.
Nobody is shooting cast in their 25-35?
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.
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That makes sense; same way as for the 25-20, amazing accuracy with light charges of Unique.
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?
Last edited by Kai; 08-28-2023 at 02:57 PM.
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.
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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.
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.
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
diplomacy is being able to say, "nice doggie" until you find a big rock.....
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.
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).
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BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |