I must have been sleeping when this was introduced. Just heard of it today. Anyone have experience with it?

https://www.americanhunter.org...ut-the-25-45-sharps/

I've researched it a bit, seems like 2800 fps with the 87 grain bullets is more the norm. I went 6X45 because of the better selection of 6mm bullets. However, I'd bet a guy could kill a lot of game with the .25-45. There is a lot of info on the .25 TCU, I imagine the .25-45 will be very similar.

I contemplated it, still am a bit, but likely would go with the 6x45 as well, just more practical bullet options. Still a neat little cartridge, and it has the benefit of being somewhat "factory" if that matters to someone. So proper headstamp, standardized dies, etc

I have no experience with the.25-45sharps. I have been looking for a .223 based cartridge that would have better killing power than the .223 and stay with the lighter ar-15 platform. The .300blackout doesn't have the velocity or range to interest me. I was nearly convinced to go to the 6x45 but have never been a 6mm fan.

I think the .25-45sharps will fit my needs perfectly. I wanted something that can use the .223 boltface, mags and brass. Also simple reloading is a must. The only extra step is to neck up .223 brass. Get a barrel and dies and be done.

The .25-45 shoots flat enough to keep me happy. Will have much more killing power than a .223 on deer sized game and keep life simple. I'm excited to try this one out.

Bob, I have some of the GS Custom 90-grain monometal flat points inbound for the .25-35 Tomcat lever gun, after ready Ray Atkinson's experience with this South African bullet. I'll bet it would be a daisy in the .25-45 Sharps. Now where did I put that stripped lower I've been sitting on for years?

Not sure where you put that stripped lower Bill, but I've been seeing Anderson's for as low as $29.99 lately. Every red-blooded American should buy a bakers dozen at that price.

I've just about decided that the 25-45 is what I should get as a swap-out upper for the AR15 presently in 5.56. No real need to have two complete rifles when I'd be able to have a quick change for the one that I'd want to use at the time. A friend uses the Sierra HP GameMaster on deer with a 250 Sav, so provided I don't push the range limit, that set-up should do quite well.

This cartridge should put coyotes down with much more authority than the .223 does. It should be devastating with 70 grain bullets on coyotes.

Sharps has their 16" barrels on sale right now.

True Sporting arms has these barrels on sale right now. I just picked up a 20" barrel with free shipping for $90.

These are black hole weaponry barrels. 75% off. The normal price for my barrel is $360. They are changing systems for 2018 and closing out all old stock

Dang! If I knew my way around AR builds. Ordered one anyway. Have a stripped lower around here somewhere ...

It has been difficult finding good reloading data on the .25-45 sharps. I settled on a load using the 90 grain Sierra gameking bthp that is giving me just a shade over 2,900 fps in my 20" ar-15 with no signs of pressure. I think this will be a great coyote load and not bad for deer. I plan on trying out the 80 grain ttsx in the future.

I used to shoot a 7mm TCU and 6mm TCU in Contender pistols back in 1981 or so. Didn't Thompson also chamber a 25 TCU? It looks like exactly the same cartridge.

People have probably been making wildcats on the .223 case since it first appeared. But as popularity of ARs gained steadily in the 1980s and early part of the 1990s they tried everything that would fit into the .223 case in the AR15. I believe the most successful of those wildcats were various permutations of 6mm-223 and .25-223. The 6mm-223 became very popular among target shooters in the form of the 6x45. It was developed in the 1960s and had proven itself with some respectable wins in the 1970s. So when people began looking for alternative calibers for AR15s the 6x45 was a natural choice. The .25-223 that became most popular was the .25 Ugalde or .25 Thompson/Center Ugalde (TCU), standardized in 1987. By the 1990s, the 6mm-223s and .25-223s were good options to fill the growing need for a deer class AR15. Olympic Arms and others were offering factory made ARs in those calibers. But in 1994 the AR market took a nosedive with passage of the Assault Weapons Ban (AWB). Commercial incentives to develop and improve alternative cartridges for AR15s disappeared.

Not so today. What changed was two things - first, the expiration of the AWB in 2004, and second, the introduction of millions of young Americans to the M16/M4 in the various middle east and near eastern conflicts. Since 2004 popularity of AR15s has grown steadily and the desire and need for alternative chamberings has grown right along with it.

Now we come to the Sharps .25-45. It appeared in 2014 but is nothing more than a rediscovery of the .25-223 wildcat of 30 years ago. Had it predated the 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, and .300 Blackout it would surely have become more popular than it is. Nevertheless, it is a very good cartridge and requires only a new barrel to alter an AR15 to .25-45 Sharps. It uses standard .223/5.56mm bolts and magazines. It shares those attributes with the .300 Blackout and for that reason I consider the .300 Blackout the closest competitor to the .25x45 Sharps. The .300 Blackout was developed for close quarters use in suppressed weapons. The .25x45 was developed as a predator and deer hunting cartridge and is fitting to those tasks.

quote:

It shares those attributes with the .300 Blackout and for that reason I consider the .300 Blackout the closest competitor to the .25x45 Sharps. The .300 Blackout was developed for close quarters use in suppressed weapons. The .25x45 was developed as a predator and deer hunting cartridge and is fitting to those tasks.

Myself I didn't develop any interest in the 300 Blackout, just seemed too sedate for me and I don't have much interest in close quarters suppressed. I already have a 7.62x39 in an AR and the old 30/30 Win that out performs the Blackout so I did a 6x45 which is very comparable to the 25x45.
Used it on 3 deer ranges from 120 to 315 yards with great performance. 85 grain bullet over 2800 fps is no slouch.
I will build a 25x45 next on an AR. 85-90 grain bullet at 2900 should be attainable.
The fun with the AR15's is how easy rifle builds are. .223, 300 Blackout, 6x45, 6.5x45, 25x45 and more share same bolt, magazines etc with no issues. The 7.62x39 in an AR15 needs a different bolt and magazines but is an excellent performer and really fun to play with.