Stumbled opon a scoped Savage Sporter in 25-20 this weekend, at the gun show. Was $275. Needless to say, I have it, along with the original owners RCBS dies. Got a mess of bits and pieces coming from Midway that will have me cranking out the ammo for this critter. Now I'm wondering.......

What's your best loads for 25-20? I've searched this site for past entries and have a few recipies that are interesting. I'm looking for more, cause I've got load developement ahead of me.

Have a Lyman #257420 mold coming (67 gr bullet gas check). Of the powders I have laying around to work with are Bullseye, Red Dot, 2400, H110, 4198. (Have absolutely tons of Bullsey and Red Dot - so am particularly interested in anything constructive I could do with those in this caliber.)

So chime in; what do you feed your 25-20? Feel free to list other componants than those mentioned too. Any special advice for loading this critter? I've been reloading forever, but never a bizarre caliber like this little long necked thing.

quote:

what do you feed your 25-20?

My M-92 winchester is once again delighted to have a supply of the original winchester 60 grain OPE (or hollow point) bullets.....substitute Hornady jacketed 60 grain flat points if you like!!!

Push them down the barrel with 10.3 grains of 2400 for 2,300 FPS

or 11.8 grains H-4227 for 2,300 FPS

or AA-1680...13 grains for 2,200 FPS

It's a fine little fox, crow, small varmint cartridge!

I've shot a couple thousand of those 257420GC heat treated bullets over 13-IMR4198 in my Marlin. 5 gr. 2400 is a mild load that works fine, just kind of dirty, you can go up to 11 gr. according to my old Lyman Red Dot 3.5 for 1320fps - 4.5 gr. max for 1560
Unique 4.5-6.0max for 1805fps
They don't list Bullseye or 110 for this bullet
Don't know if you've loaded cast before, but you sure want to bell the case mouths. These thin cases don't take much to buckle.

I also have a real nice Savage 23. Fun rifle and cartridge! I've been using Rem 86gr SP's and 9.0grs IMR 4227. With Meister cast 86gr, 5.0grs of Unique .

My Savage 23 love 10 grs. of 1680 and either the Remington 86 FP or the Speer 75 gr FP. I have never tried the fast pistol powders, but 2400 works well if you use small pistol primers.

Great Stuff, Folks! Just what I'm looking for.

But Remington720 introduces another wrinkle - PRIMERS.

From what I saw in my mid '70's era Lyman book; I was just thinking standard rifle primers for everything. Now...maybe not....any opinions?

I started using small pistol primers with 2400 when I learned that in a .357 mag standard pistol primers worked better than magnum primers with 2400. With slower powders like 1680 I use small rifle primers.

I've been using AA1680 in my Remington Model 25 with an 86 grain plain base cast bullet. Can't recall the amount of powder right now, but I like AA1680 in everything I've tried it in.

If you want to go to a faster powder, nothing beats Blue Dot.

Hundreds, maybe thousands of rounds down the tube of my Sporter with lots of meat to show for it. H4227, regular primers, 60, 75, 86 gr bullets.

Be careful sizing. Those thin necks are delicate.

For 40yrs I have considered putting a scope on mine. Just never followed through since I don't shoot it at anything more than 75yds away.

I have a lot of load data that I've collected for the 25-20. Shoot me aPM with an e-mail address and I'll send it to you.

Thanky for the e-mail, Kelbro!

Plenty to pour thru.

(Put my first rounds thru the old girl this afternoon. Six grains of Unique and the 69 grain lead bullet looks promising. 2400 under the Sierra 75gr Hollow point did mighty good too. Red Dot is defying any attempt at accuracy)