bought an unchambered 25 cal contender 24" barrel with a a blank extractor at a good price... What direction should I go where i won't spend all my money on dies? I don't want to spend more than a hundred on dies and a hundred to get it chambered..... 25 fireball, 256 mag, 256 max, 25 hornet, 257 tcu, 257 kimber, 25x222 mag, 25-20, 25-35, 25-35 IMP, 250-3000 ..... I will be harder to convince on the chamberings available through ed's or the custom shop. Other than that I am pretty open. As soon as I get it in my hands and check the twist, I may decide on a heavy bullet long throated 25-20, 25 hornet or 25 fireball to fling 117 gr at about a thousand fps for paper, squirrels and gophers. I just want a fun, different cartridge to play with....

.250/3000 Ackley is the most bang for the buck here, Although the .257 Ackley itself is a tad sweeter.

On that rig I like a rimmed round

How about this. I think this might work.
a 257-444 or 257 AI-444


use 257 Roberts dies and reamer. add a rimmed recess and use factory ammo in a pinch.

use 444 brass and shell holder.

get a new extractor and it is not a wildcat anymore for resale.

Deer to prarie dogs.

Just wondering if this is a Texas Contender barrel like I have been seeing on auctionarms. Been watching those myself. Really interested in what you think of it, if this is where it came from? I am considering one of the 357 bores and maybe a 44 (both for wildcats). Hope it works out for you.

Safe shooting
Doug

Doug

Yes it is one of the barrels from rostov on auctionarms. I will let you know about the quality. i wish he had a 338 unchambered contender barrel...been wanting a 338 spectre or a 338 whisper or a 338x223...

I think the 257 Roberts is pushing the limits of the contender or G2 frame... i may use your idea and do a rimmed 250 Savage or maybe even a rimmed 25 BR.

Some of this will be settled when i see the twist but I assume it is 1-10

the Roberts case is 2.233"
I did not know that would be too big.
If so the savage is a good alternate.
Have fun!

It seems that 250 and 300 savage are the limit and many disagree with that but SSK chambers both in a Contender but none of the slightly larger ones such as 257 Roberts and or 243 or 308. Factory loads or equivilent handloads in the savages have never caused me any problems.

This cobbled up thought may not meet your criteria, but I'll give it a fling and see if it gets shot down....

How about a .25 Donaldson Wasp? Would surely be the only one on your block, and should be very acurate too.

Dies could be pieced together with a bit of fiddling around. For instance, used .219 Don Wasp dies are fairly easily found items....not at every gun show or shop, but not impossible, either. Cut the die off at about the middle of the shoulder, and you have a body/shoulder "bump" die. A cut off .25-06 die will make a good neck-sizer. A little thinking/experimenting will come up with a die which can serve as a bullet-seater. Cases are easily made from .30-30, or by some approach such as trimming/fire-forming .225 Winchester cases.

For that matter, you could just make a .25/.225 Winchester to start with. It would have more capacity than the .25 Don Wasp and might not be quite as accurate, but it would be easier to putz together dies for. And of course it could end up MORE accurate and at a higher velocity.

Sounds like a fun project to me. Can you give a little more info on the fellow & source you got the barrel from? I might like to try some of that myself...

Good luck,

AC

The seller goes by rostov on auctionarms.com and is located in Bowie, TX. I have purchased several items from him and they are accurately described and he always has a lot of unusual odds and ends listed. thanks for your input on my wildcat pursuit.

#1). Mr. Brown, eabco.com, has been working with the .219 Don Wasp and full length improved Zipper for years. He offers brass. Has a falling block in both pistol and rifle that has won top matches. Might be worth your time to have his counsel as you "zero in."
#2). Mike Bellm, bellmtcs.com, has been doing contenders for years. He mentions one round, brass out of Europe, Rimmed and slightly longer than .222 Rem Magnum. No problem for contender action... My preference for all around varmint is the .25/35 Ack Imp. Unbelieveable performance reported. I asked Mr. A by letter if this was in Win Single Shot rifles and he said "no"... got it in 94s right along... Marlins. etc. Luck.

25x.303 or 25x30-40 roger

I would do a 25 /30-30 IMP

www.duanesguns.com

Do a 25 Souper!!
Aloha, Mark

Use a 307 case for a rimmed 25 Souper or use my chamber specs and have a rimmed 257DGR.

Truthfully, I just don't see a wildcat cartridge die set being available for $100 or less anymore. RCBS still sells die sets for anything that they have an existing design for (but no longer do new custom designs), but even the most common of them (like 25-35 AI or 25 Souper) cost over $100 now. Even a set of 256 dies is over $100 on their website. Only way to get a set of dies for the price you want to pay is to get lucky at a garage sale or gunshow or maybe on Ebay and find something that would work for you.

There are lots of possibilities as there are 25 caliber wildcats on most rimmed cartridges like 25/35 AI, 256, 25 Hornet, you can do a 257 Roberts rimmed by reforming 7x57R Mauser brass or cut down 9.3x74 brass and form it to a 25/06 rimmed case. Also several 25 caliber wildcats on the 30/40 Krag and 303 British brass. There is also the 5.6x50R brass that was briefly mentioned by iiranger (this brass has the same case head but is just a little longer than the 222 Magnum) that can be used to make a rimmed version of the 257 Kimber. Lots of options, just pick the case that gives the powder capacity you want.

.257 STW...................... LOL

Thanks guys...Lots of wisdom and a bit of humor here.

25x39 would be fun to shoot

.25X.307AI, about all the Contender frame will stand, but a really nice performer.

Parent .307, .25X.307AI case, .243 for contrast.


Sight in target.


Kim at Chase Mountain Custom did the chamber work, modified the dies, got it all set up and ready to go. Great guy to work with.
www.chasemountaincustom.com

.250-3000 AI, you won't be disappointed! Lou