Oh, how I have been frustrated with this cartridge over the last five or six years. The rifle is a M-70 featherweight, that is SO beautiful to look at, but sucked at shooting. Over the years, it has been bedded, trigger-job, rubbed and sobbed over, because it was so cute. It was just a two inch rifle,pure and simple, but it was SO DOGGONE sweet to handle so it stayed in my safe. Two weeks ago I sat looking at about 200 rds. of once fired brass. I decided to inside ream .257" the fired brass. I then F.L. sized, trimmed and flash-hole de-burred. I loaded the 80gr. Barnes TTSX, seated-0.035", over 42.0 gr H-4895,BR2 primer. It was SUPURB for accuracy. Five shots, 0.34" Once fouled BBL, cold BBL to cold BBL. Cronographed 3507 fps, 12fps ES. SO happy, I almost "shit" myself!! This little rifle is so SWEET and slick that I can't wait to "pop" one of those little age 62 or over WT's we have here in E. Wa. The WSSM's are FANTASTIC, but you MUST Dr. the CRAPPY brass. It is THICK, load it shoot one shot, then INSIDE ream. I figure this little M-70 Featherweight .25 wssm, once a nightmare is now a DREAM.

the Cartridge is one of the neatest looking shells I've seen. Very glad it's working for you!

I picked up a 25 WSSM not long ago but haven't had a chance to warm up the barrel yet.

I'll keep this little piece of info in the back of my mind should I run into trouble.

A friend of mine swears by his .25 WSSM. It is one of those "one hole guns". It's really not a "magnum", per se, as its performance is about the same as the 25-06. The short, fat, powder column is a good configuration that produces consistent burns and that makes it special.

And you don't have to worry about your buddy borrowing your ammo!

Yep these do have a donut at base of neck and inside reaming makes them much better. I have three different barrel weights of Model 70s in 25 WSSM and they are all fantastic shooters. My Stealth II is about as accurate as you could ever want. For a factory gun to shoot like these is amazing. Great little deer cartridge too.

I found out after getting my Browning A-Bolt 25 WSSM that the neck was WAAY too thick also. I wound up neck turning my brass down to .010 neck thickness and getting a Wilson neck sizing die with a few different size bushings. I prep and load the brass just like benchrest, including using a shoulder bump die. I get consistent sub MOA groups and my brass lasts 10-12 firings. I've never had a case split or neck separation yet, but I don't trust my brass past 12 firings. I get good groups and the rounds feed great.

P.S. if you ever tired of your featherweight, I'll take it . I wish I would have gotten a featherweight while they were available. They are next to impossible to find now.

Interesting comment on neck turning. I recently came into one of the Shadows and have yet to reload for it.

I have loaded for 2 brownings, a FLD and the varmint. Both are sub MOA with Sirrea 90 grain HPBT and 110 grain Accubonds. Nothing special, size, trim, load, shoot, repeat.

I have a few Winchester/USRA 70s in 25 WSSM and have been loading for this cartridge since 12/04. After a rough start, I have had much better success using resized Federal 223 or 243 WSSM brass than with the heavier/thicker Winchester/Olin brass.

quote:

Originally posted by winchester poor:
This cal is a death ray on SW GA whitetails and coyotes, I may be lucky but I bought a mod 70 coyote lite in .25wssm the year they came out, it has accounted for 20+ bucks ans 2 big ole does. My gun loves the 120 gr PEP super X but the last 3 years Ive used 110 gr black box accubonds. The deer may do a little dance or rodeo buck but I have not had to track any. I have a leup 4.5 x 14 vxlll with the varmint reticule and its a great combo ,points and shoots like a mod 12 ,16 ga nickle steel shotgun. each year I check my zreo and cold barrel first shot has been in the black diamond on a 3 in target stick on for 3-4 years running. It will not do anything the 25-06 wont do but it works well.I shot a deer at 325 yards this morning for the freezer, bang flop shot. very best very best

I have been shooting the 25 WSSM quite a bit since 10/04. Although the Winchester/Olin factory ammo has worked well in my rifles, both factory and after-market barrel, I do 100% of my reloading with resized Federal 223 and 243 WSSM brass. Some of my resized Federal 25 WSSM cases have been loaded at, or very close to, maximum recommended pressures x12. I have 200 or 300 cases in cycle for each of my 3 Winchester/USRA 70 varmint rifles and 100 cases in cycle for each of my 2 medium game rifles. I have had very few case failures, mostly split necks with a couple of shoulder cracks, probably less than 2%.