A new project popped into my head today.
I have set aside a nice 1909 action with some good looking scope mounts on it, it has had the floorplate release lever built up, and it sits in a very pretty thumbhole stock.
Thumbholes aren't my favorite but I suppose for some sort of bench gun, I will fare OK.

Now comes caliber choice. I believe I have a .25 caliber barrel blank around somewheres and for some odd reason, I have a 25-284 reamer.

Does anyone have any experience with this wildcat?
I have heard it to be more efficient than the 25-06, having a shorter powder column, and that it has the potential for a bit more velocity.

Does this combination sound acceptable?

-Spencer

Spencer that not a rare wildcat some people say that the 6-284 is too overbored and a lot of varmint shoters are experimenting with the 25-284.

The only thing holding it back from match competition is the lack of match bullets in .257 caliber. The 6-284 and 6.5-284 are doing so well in the long range matches because of the outstanding bullets available in 243 and 264.

The .25-284 is a splendid wildcat and will serve you nicely.

Personally I'd go to the .25-06....but it's just my thing. It'll feed well in the Argie and the money you spend on the chambering reamer, you'll save on loading dies.

I was debating the same thing, but after adding some figures up, a set of 25-284 dies vs a set of 25-06 dies and a 25-06 reamer, the 25-284 comes out significantly cheaper.

Its funny really how I even have this reamer as I cannot ever remember doing a 25-284.

The feeding issue is what got me a little bit woried, but I think that there is enough body taper to have to only some minor smoothing on the feed rails.

Now I need to find a 25 caliber blank.

-Spencer

What about the .257 Roberts AI?? I know NOT what you brought up but how much more case capacity in the .284 case??

I've got a Hart barreled M70 in the AI and the velocity is borderline .25-06 . I was surprised how fast it shoots 115's and 120's.

FN in MT

FN: Good point.

The thing about that though is that I already have a Model 70 in 257 Roberts AI.



-Spencer

I have a 25-284, after you build yours you will probably never shoot your 257 A.I again. If you need some good loading data for 90 and 100 gr bullets let me know I have a couple of good loads that shoot real well in mine. Mine has a 25 inch Montana rifleman SS barrel. All the deer I have shot with mine have been one shot kills. No tracking all fell over dead.

John

Hmmm. Deer.

What I really had in mind was a medium to long range varmint rifle, but now you have me thinking of a lighter contour barrel for that deer trip.

I would be more than greatful for some loading data.

-Spencer

Here you go.

55.0gr IMR 4831 W/100gr Sierra BTSP didn't group with a darn.
Second Load
53.0gr RL 19 W/100gr Sierra BTSP shot real well, less than 1 inch groups showed a lot of potential.
The third load.
60gr H-1000 W/ 100gr Sierra BTSP same as above lots of potential.
The Fourth load.
55.5gr RL-25 W/90gr Sierra BTSP Excellent load less then 1/2 inch groups
The other loads I tried didn't do so good.
52.0gr H-4350 W/100gr Sierra BTSP shot horrible
55.0gr AA 4350 W/90gr Sierra BTSP shot horrible
54.0gr IMR4350 W/100gr Sierra FBSP shot horrible
44.0gr Varget W/100gr Sierra BTSP and FBSP I wouldn't say horrible but they were fair.
No chronograph so I do not know what the velocity is on these loads. These loads showed no pressure in my rifle.

John

Thanks 323. Its nice to have some actual data instead of fudging some 25-06 loads.

-Spencer

One of these days I'm going to get around and find a good load using 115 or 117. I thought about trying the 110 AccuBonds from Nosler. But those 90 and 100 Sierras do so well on deer I have no reason to get in a hurry. For some reason my rifle will not shoot the 100gr Hornady's or Noslers worth a darn. Then all I tried was one load using IMR 4350 with the Nosler Ballistic tips and Hornady's. My friemd has had several 25-284 and that is all he use is IMR 4350.

John

Have been loading for and shooting a friend's .25-284 (on a commercial FN) since 1969. It's a good case-bore combination that may not be much different from a .25-06, but then, that's hardly faint praise.

It has absolutely no feeding problems, however I don't know how much, if any, the original gunsmith may have altered the feed rails. At any rate, good feeding with a Mauser-style magazine is apparently no big hill to climb.

For the last couple of summers, we've used 75 grain Sierra HP's propelled by VV N160 (happened to have a supply on hand) to take prairie dogs at 500+ yards. A slick 85 grain Ballistic Tip stoked by 4831 SC or maybe 7828 SC might be even better for distant dogs.

One stroke of the press and a properly lubed .284 case takes on a new .25 caliber persona. Case mouths tend to be a bit uneven, so trimming and chamfering are always necessary. If you wanted to spend some big buck for the Norma 6.5/284 brass, it would hardly know it had been sized, just going from .264" ID down to .257".

Fortunately there is body taper on this case and will make feeding that much easier.

I suppose another reason for this choice of caliber is that I have always wanted to try Hornady Brass and this give me an excuse to take home a box of 6.5-284.

Still haven't found that elusive 25 caliber barrel, so if anyone has a 25 cal blank laying around that they would like to trade, as I seem to have an abundance of non-25's, please shoot me a PM.

-Spencer

All I can say in the 25/284 arena, is that I have played with the 6.5 mm bore, and I was looking at a 6.5 x 284, but got to play with it, knowing someone who had one and they let me use it....

I did not build one because the 6.5 x 284 didn't give me much more, except hassles, over the 260 Remington..... ( or 25/06 with 100 grain bullets or less)

So in the smaller bores, a 308 sized case or a 284 case are pretty close to potential.....

That being said, tho, since the 25/284 is not all that common, and I like to be an uncommon kind of guy, I'd build that over a 25/06 any day....

I am seriously thinking of building a heavy barrel varmint rig in 25 caliber on a Ruger action....The place old 250 Savage and the 257 Roberts look pretty darn good for a varmint cartridge....But I could see ending up with a 25/284 also, just to be different... A 25/06 would never enter my mind....


which ever way you go, cheers and good luck....
seafire

I have one too, and really enjoy the cartridge alot.

I am having the best results with 54 grains of RL-22, TSX 100 grains, and Win. LR magnum primers.

My rifle is Mark X action, Douglas barrel, and I'm getting 0.5 inch for the first 2 shots, opening up to just under 1 inch on the third shot, at 200 yards.

I wouldn't trade mine for the world.

Garrett