Based on a search and my previous posts, I'd say there is about zero interest in this topic.

That's too bad. Although I've just started working with it, this seems to be an interesting cartridge even when it hasn't had the improvement thing done to it.

I'm using a TC Custom Shop 21" barrel on my Contender. While the factory Winchester and S&B ammo with 117 gr. bullets achieve the velocities advertised (2300 fps or so), I'm now experimenting with lighter bullets.

Specifically, I'm using the 75 gr. VMAX and BL(C)2 and achieving about 2800 fps. This is on par with the TCU series for this bullet weight. While it will obviously be effective on groundhogs I am expecting to use it on coyotes as well. We'll have to see how this bullet performs at these velocities.

I had intended to load a 100 gr. bullet that would have enough velocity to have a trajectory flat enough for varminting and enough energy (and hold together well enough) to be used on deer in a pinch. I've not yet found a bullet or load that I'd have confidence in so I am open to suggestions.

Sierra 100 grain HPBT on top of H-4895 From 25.0 grains to 28.0 grains and Winchester WLR primer.

You might give the Sierra 90gr HPBT a try! Its very accurate in my 257 Ackley and not nearly as explosive as you might think.
Ol' John

I thought I was the only fool with a Fox Ridge .25-35 barrel! I wonder how many carbine barrels they have made in the caliber?
My favorite bullet for this one is the Sierra 75 graing JHP.
I also have a NEI mold for it.
My barrel is 24". I had originaly planned to either Improve it or go with Francis Sells Tomcat, for my use however, the standard .25-35 has been fine.

Steve,

Thanks for the info. I actually looked at your page(s) months ago before buying the barrel.

Ol'John,

I was, as you supposed, thinking that the HP was pretty "explosive". I'll look into that.

Slim,

I was stationed at Goodfellow AFB for about 10 weeks in 1974. Shot a couple of quail and bought my first cap'n'ball pistol there. Still remember the sign on one "club" that said, "No dogs or soldiers." I thought it was a pretty nice place. Ate downtown in a restuarant that served a big steak, fries and beer to this 19 year old and made him feel right to home. Aside from a gun shop in the downtown (main street?) there was another place that seemed to be on the city limits that had LOTS of Colt Peacemakers. Both places were quite welcoming.

There are lots of different improved .25-35 cartridges for which to rechamber if I don't like this one. I figured I'd give it a chance as you have. It seems to me that pretty much all the carbine barrels are made by the custom shop or Ingram. I know that Bullberry and VVCG list it as a chambering but I've not yet seen a barrel in the cartridge by them.

I'll let all y'all know just how the VMAX works out.

See my posting in the other thread with the related subject in the "Small Calibers" board.

(Weaker) loading data and much info on the European 6,5x52 R can be gleaned from the two German reloading handbooks (RUAG-DNAG-RWS; DEVA).

Best regards,
Carcano

[ 03-19-2003, 01:20: Message edited by: carcano91 ]

Hobie--

I have no handgun or T/C experience with the 25-35, but have used two rifles in this caliber--a Savage 1899 takedown and a Win 1894.

Both rifles have VERY fast twists, 1-8" being the Winchester standard in this caliber. As such, the shorter/lighter varmint bullets display erratic accuracy in the fast twist. This "shorter/lighter" classification includes the Hornady 60 grain and Speer 75 grain flatnoses designed for the 25-20.

I ran across some older Remington 100 grain round nose bullets, probably designed for the 250 Savage. These shot very well--but the BEST bullets in this caliber are the Hornady 117 grain RN and the NEI 114 grain flatnose cast bullet.

The Hornady bullet's pet load is 27.0 grain of WW-760, which you should work up to in your barrel. The NEI cast bullet stays accurate up to 1600 FPS, but any faster than that and it gets REAL poetic.

Lotta this stuff depends on the twist. I'm shooting a real oddball, .25-35 Brown improved built as a lefthanded varminter on a Marlin 336 action with a 1-12 twist by a local gunsmith named Bouton Brown. I picked it up cheap used because the market for such an item was about limited to me.

It likes the 75 grainers pushed hard with H-335. I shoot spitzers in it as a two shooter. It does a pretty fair imitation of a .250-3000 with 90 grain HPBTs and the previously mentioned obsolete Rem 100 grain RN.

Don't like 100 grain spitzers much, but, curiously, it will just barely stablize 117 grain RNs ahead of all the AA-3100 I can stuff in the case. That would be my deer load of choice.

does that marlin have a factory barrel? if not, that may account for the different twist.

gabe

I have a 25/35, Win. M-94..and I kill a deer every year with it...I use factory WW 117 gr. FN or the 117 gr. Hornady RN...It has always worked fine for me up to 200 yards with iron sights...I also killed a number of elk with this rifle some 40 or so years ago..Again it worked fine, I kept the range to 100 yards or less and only shots behind the shoulder for the most part, the elk so shot made few tracks.

My dad killed a truck load of elk and deer with a 25/35 carbine and never lost one...Eventually because of the law, he went to a 250 Savage Mod. 99 for a long string of one shot kills...and that's a funny story.

Gives one the impression that bullet construction and shot placement might be of some benifit in the hunting fields.

I thought I'd come back to this topic with an update.

I loaded a bunch of the 75 gr. Hornady VMAX in misc. .25-35 cases of varying vintages on top of 34 gr. BL(C)2 and fired by the CC200. Prior to loading all the cases were full-length resized, polished and carefully inspected, trimmed, chamfered, and primer pockets cleaned. I should mention that these cases were purchased as "once fired", a generous description indeed for some, most of which went into the brass scrap bucket.

Test firing produced the following results:
1. Winchester factory 117 gr. "RN" got 2200 fps.
2. S&B factory 6.5x52R 117 gr. FN got 2000 fps.
3. My reloads as described above got 2837 fps average for 10 shots, at 10' from the muzzle, uncorrected.

Groups were, well, unimpressive. Not bad, just not outstanding. It was easy to get the Winchester factory load zeroed and the S&B load shot pretty close to POA despite the velocity difference. However, the reloads shot so high that the scope did not have enough elevation range to compensate. After running out of adjustment, the bullets were still striking 5 inches high at only 25 yards. Even shimming did not provide enough movement to satisfy me with the amount of shim material I felt comfortable with. Also, shimming that much would have made it impossible to zero with the factory loads (it finally dawned on me) should I desire to go back to them.

With such a light bullet going so fast, it just was not compatible with the way the barrel was set up. So...

I'm going to take out all the shims, remount the scope, rezero with the factory ammo (and use that in the interim) and try the suggested 90 gr. Sierra Game King (Bobby, do you really use a MK on game...?)

This brass varied widely, much more so than with other brass I've used, in neck tension. I think that neck tension is a big part of the variance in group location on target.

Included in this brass purchase was about 55 reformed .30-30 brass (RP brand). About 35 survived my inspection. Clearly, factory new brass, which IS available, is the way to go here.

In any case this will be one interesting barrel to work with. It groups, from sorted brass, very well. I quickly learned that groups of 3 or 4 shots here and there in that 1.5-2.5 inches were from similar brass.

Thanks for the help, I'll keep this topic updated.

See my previous post!

Hobie,
I am interested in your work.

I have a 1907 Sav 99 in 303 Sav with a rotten barrel and a perfect action that I got with an ancient box of ammo all for $78.

The 25-35 factory and book loads look wimpy, but the cartridge has real potential to fill my niche.

I want a gun that kicks so little that it is very accurate, makes so little noise that I don't damage my ears when hunting, and will kill something at long range.

The 25-35 has been there in my load books for all these years, and people have suggested it to me, but I was not ready until now. I am working up the enthusiasm to buy the reamer and dies.

Clark,

I've written up my "experiences" with the .25-35 at Shooting with Hobie (see the link in my signature). Ray Atkinson has written here of using his M94 .25-35 for deer on an annual (?) basis with the factory load.

Steve,

I've been following the on again off again discussion of the MK on game in some of the other forums and to be frank never thought of using a "match" bullet on game. Of course, I'd like to hear more details, you're pretty spare with the words here (guess you let your VERY extensive site do all the talking!

This is one cartridge I have NEVER seen in this area, but the gun shops sell ammo and I'm not buying it all so there must be guns out there...

Thanks to both of you for the input.