Finished up, for now, playing with my 25-35's
I found several hundred old Herters 117 grn semi-pointed bullets. I drilled out piece of steel to let the nose stick through enough to file a flat nose on them. They look and work perfect, at 115 grns.
Seated in a 25-35 they come to the base of the neck.
I have found IMR 4320 to give the best vel. and accuracy combo.
My first loads were shot in an 1980's re-barreled 94, 3/4 magazine. 1-10 twist
I stopped at 28 grains of 4320, Hornady lists 28.1 in their book.
My dies make for a very tight seating of the bullet, a good thing as there is no crimp grove.
The 115's clocked a respectable 2370 fps @ 20 ft from the muzzle.
Same load in a Marlin 336 with a 22", a fellow made it as a cast bullet gun, but it hated cast bullets.
It loves the 115 heters bullets, shot very well, and gave 2420 fps
My original 100+ yr old 25-35 94, was what the win catalogs called an "Eastern Carbine" 20" barrel, button Mag. 1-8 twist
It did not want to go above 26 grns of 4320 with the same bullets. It gave just under 2300 fps
All loads showed roughly the same expansion and penetration in my wet sand/sawdust catch medium.
Next up, my two 25-35 imp, with the same bullets.
First, a Marlin 336 with a 24" barrel and half mag. It was my first of these rifles, and was everything I wanted. Light, easy to carry, shouldered and shot well with the peep sight I put on it. It was to be a fun, carry in the woods for a walk gun. The only issue..... it was more powerful then I expected. Yes I could load it down, but I went to the 25-35's not improved instead.
Anyway, 34 grns of 4320 and the 115 Herters in the Marlin gave me 2740 fps average. One more grain gave a hint of stickyness opening the lever.
My last, a Sav 99 that was an old .303 sav with a sewer pipe for rifling. My now dead pal was a wizard at making liners, with 3 steps in them. He did one for me in the savage, in 25-35 IMP. I got to keep the neat old octogon to round profiled barrel of the original.
35 grains of 4320 and the Herters gave an average of 2830 fps in it's 26", 1-10 twist barrel. It showed no pressure issues, so I stopped there. What could be gained or needed over 2800 fps.
I dont know if Lee will make custom factory crimp dies or not. That is where I will go next in this project.

Ive used IMR 3031 in my 25-35 with good results. I have chronoed it in the past but do not recall right now. FWIW - kills deer dead with Hdy Ilock RN.

Pressures seemed to jump to quickly for me with 3031, at least the lot number I had did ( 8 lbs). It works well in straight cases for me though.

Back40, a 99 in .25-35 Improved ought to be the nuts for every deer that ever walked in north America -- and the antelope, too.
I played briefly with the Frances Sell wildcat -- the .25-35 Tomcat -- and it gave similar performance.
Our old friend Ray Atkinson ought to come along here soon as he has favored the .25-35 for longer than many here have been alive.

I have most of a box of old Rem 100 grn corlok roundnose bullets. I'm sure the same as loaded originally in the 257 R.
The Sav will push them to just shy of 3100 fps with no high pressure signs.

Must be a misprint, or referencing a 257 Robts? you can't get 3100 fps with any bullet in a 25-35..2300 is pushing that caliber in any action..The only bullets that fit the Win 94 or sav 99 twists are a GS Customes 85 gr HP at 2600 fps or the 117 gr. flat WW factory or round nose Hornadys. There is a 60 gr? but its a 25-20 bullet and they scatter like shotgun pellets in a Win or Sav 25-35 twist.

My hunting load for years was factory ammo 117 gr WW or Rem Corelokts and they worked on deer and elk when properly applied at 100 or so yards.

Later with reloads with H380 and finally Lever Revolution powder, the best ever..and Hornady 117s as that's about all that's left.

IMO the 25-35 is a deceent 100 yard elk rifle and a 200 yard deer gun, if one can shoot well. I still hunt whitetail with mine, it still works with 27 grs of H380 and 2 grs of nostalgia.


No need to flatten the corelokts, round nose, they have stood the test of time in the 25-35 and 30-30 without a problem.. Still in productiion and sold world wide with that RN bullets by Rem. I have 21 boxes of them stashed away in my shop, plus hundreds of handloads in new brass, and a dozen boxes or so of Hornady 117 gr RN..I think there about to be discontinued or so I was told?

You didnt read it right. 3100 was a 100 grn bullet in a 26" barreled sav 99, in 25-35 IMP.

I thought that might be the case but you tossed me a curve with the mention of the 257Robts, old grey matter has a flat every other day.