I want a 25 cal. contender carbine barrel. Any ideas where I could get one without a 6 month wait?
T.D.

Mike Sirois can make you one without the long wait....

mbmco@prodigy.net

I just ordered a 22" 257JDJ carbine barrel from SSK, they say 10 weeks for delivery on a blued barrel. Would have been sooner if it had been stainless as they send out the bluing. A friend ordered a barrel in stainless and was quoted 4 weeks for delivery and it arrived in 3 weeks. They did say that it might be sooner, but didn't want to guarantee that. Price is higher than most, but all I hear and have seen is that the quality is worth it. Dies are in stock at $68.00 for the JDJ calibers.

I just recieved a neet little 25 cal carbine barrel from Foxridge in about 8 weeks. It is a 21 inch tapered, matte blued in .257 tcu. It would have been faster if it were standard blue bull barrelled in a factory caliber instead of the custom caliber. I have been working on loads and fireforming cases today and it seems to be just what I had in mind. The 75 gr Horn HP is running at 3050 fps and the 87 at 2550 and the 100 at 2400. It otta be a fine varmint getter and a nice tree stand gun for deer. I would like a .257 JDJ sometime also, but I would get it in a 24 inch bull as the heavier barrels shoot a little better.
I also have a 30-30 AI coming soon in 22 inch bull configuration. Of course I told the wife that would be all the barrels I would need as those calibers would cover everything I would be hunting....YEA RIGHT!!!

Shortgun

[ 03-09-2003, 01:03: Message edited by: shortgun ]

I recently bought a second hand Custom Shop barrel in .25-35. Don't know yet what it will do but it should be interesting. I like experimenting with old rimmed cartridges in the Contender.

I think everyone should have a 25 cal. Contender barrel. I have been thinking about a 25/30-30. Does anyone know anything about this one? Maybe i'll just go with a Fox Ridge 25-20 barrel.

Bobg

F.Y.I., Just received my 257 JDJ 22" carbine barrel from SSK, was quoted 10 weeks, but it shipped complete with dies and load sheet in 4 weeks and 3 days. Barrel looks great, now to prep some fireform loads and head to the range...

Call VVCG and ask for a .25 Classic. I'm working extensively with this cartridge and find it to be quite efficient. It's formed from 30-30 Winchester and shares the same case length as the .30 Herrett. I'm getting 70gr bullets about 3100fps at max and 90gr bullets near 2850. Dies can be had from the Todd Kindler at the Woodchuck Den.

Tell'em I sent ya.

Dan Bowers

I think a .25X50R Bellm would be a screamer! My 14" 6.5X50R Bellm is easily doing 2500+fps with 120 grain Speers, and 1MOA at that! What I like about it, is I can push it to rifle pressures, in the contender frame without worrying about stretching my frame. Only brass I lost was because I rushed opening a couple fired brass, and not enough lube. Other than that, I've run some loads way up there, and primer pockets don't even stretch, where I've easily opened .221 and .223 primer pockets.

T.D.

I've been having a lot of fun for the past year or so with a carbine barrel I got from Ed Kirkpatrik. It is an old guy - a 25-35 Ingram Improved. Now it doesn't look much like a 25-35. Rather, it looks like a 7-30 Waters necked to 25 caliber with a 30 degree shoulder. Custom dies too. I made brass from 30-30 and it did very well with that, but later I decided to make up some cases from 375 Win brass. That worked like gang busters as the cases are a little thicker than 30-30 and are quite a bit stronger. I have been able to push the pressure up a little more with them. This barrel is 22" and easily gets 2900 f/s from Hornady 75 gr. Vmax bullets. It also shoots 5/8" 5-shot groups.

I'd recommend using the 375 Win brass for anything you decide to get that may be based on a 30-30 size case.

Don Shearer

25/35 Imp. or that 25 Classic both sound like winners to me. I have several wildcats based on the 30-30 already, but none in 25 cal.
The only Virgin Valley barrel I have is a rechamber of a 222 to 219DW, so I think I'll give them a call to see if any of the 25 Classic or 25/35 barrels are in stock.
Thanks. You guys are all great.
T.D.

Don,

Just FYI, but I got 2837 fps with the Hornady .257 75 gr. VMAX in my .25-35 with the Hogdon Manual's max load of 34 gr. of BL-C(2). The load was not terribly accurate in mixed brass but if one segregates cases it shines.

Unfortunately it required a lot of shimming to get my Weaver ring and base mounted scope to get this load on target. Then the factory load was 10" low at 50 yards. Unacceptable to me, I'm wondering if anyone else has any suggestions.

This is a wonderful, light recoiling cartridge (on par with the .257 TCU). I've got some of the Hornady 117 gr. RNs and Remington 86 gr. .25-20 bullets enroute for experimentation.

T.D. - Last week I got an inventory list from VV Dave at Virgin Valley Guns. He has a 21" Bull barrel, matte blue in 25 Classic on it. It is from a Wilson blank selling for $250.00. It might still be there...

Thanks for the heads up. I just now emailed them that if they have it I'll take it.
I didn't think to ask if they sell dies for it also. When the let me know if they have it, I'll ask.
Thanks again,
Todd

Hobie,

I mispoke, my 25-35 Ingram Improved is 20" rather 22. It also is not a bull barrel. Rather, it tapers from the .810" to .665" at the muzzle. I too had difficulty getting the scope base to point at the right altitude from the taper. Also, I didn't want to shim it that much, so I took a standard Leuplod base and went to work on the under side of it with a Dremel tool and made it fit the taper. It now fits well and the scope adjustments are right in the middle of their traverse distance.

But that is one fun gun to shoot and it has enough poop to take out a coyote with plenty to spare as well as having enough for deer size at short range. I consider it to be my coyoter.

Don Shearer

Had it out again today. With Winchester factory or S&B 6.5x52R factory, no problems. 1� inch groups at 100 yards. However, with the 75 gr. VMAX at 2800+, 10" high at 50 yards and don't even know where they went (except into the backstop) at 100.