25-20 ammo

M

Matt74

Regular
GunNutz
Rating - 100%
235   0   0
Location
Ottawa
Hi Guys,

Looking for some 25-20 ammo. To my understanding, a few companies still make it, but it's not easy to find around here. Anyone know of any places that sell it? Also interested in knowing who makes it. I know Winchester is still available,and I think Remington makes it. Any others?

Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Cool, yup I see they sell the Winchester ammo. May pick up a couple to try out. Not sure how they shoot. I saw some pics of the Remington stuff online in the US, but haven't seen it here.
Once I get the reloading gear, I'm going to try to find some of Speer's 75-grain JFP bullets. I hear it's the way to go and gets good results. Supposed to be more accurate than the Hornady 60-grain JSP, and Remington's 86-grain JSP.

Thanks,
matt
 
LeBaron's still has it in their catalog (page 88 of the fall supplement). They used to be my source but they haven't restocked in Mississauga since I cleaned them out. Check the Ottawa store, they might have some gathering dust.
 
The 25/20 is a very inexpensive cart. to reload....factory ammo is just the opposite......to reload, it only takes a few grs. of powder, cast bullets are best in the 25/20 and very inexpensive, no need to use condom bullets in the 25/20.
 
ben hunchak said:
The 25/20 is a very inexpensive cart. to reload....factory ammo is just the opposite......to reload, it only takes a few grs. of powder, cast bullets are best in the 25/20 and very inexpensive, no need to use condom bullets in the 25/20.
Click to expand...


Thanks guys. I'll drop into Lebarons and see what they say.

Ben, that's intersting what you say above about cast being best in the 25-20,b/c I have a friend who finds the opposite. He reloads for all his old WInnies, cast, but found that after the first couple cast shots from his 25-20, it's all down hill...I assume the small bore leads up quickly...he, by far, gets best results from jacketed.
I do plan on reloading, just don't have the budget for all the gear yet so I thought I'd geta box or 2 to try out the gun and do some shooting first this fall...then I'd have some brass too.

Matt
 
johnone said:
.25/20 AMMUNITION;
Yes we have it in stock check here >>>>
http://www.marstar.ca/ammo-etc/am-rifle.shtm

If you are reloading this caliber it can work out almost as cheap as .22 bought in the store....

Have been reloading this caliber for years, if I can help drop me a note.
john@marstar.ca

John
Click to expand...

Thanks John,

I'll be contacting you in the very near future to pick up a couple boxes. Appreciate it.

Thanks for offering to help for reloading. I haven't got all the gear yet to get started up there, but may likely drop you a line when I do for some pointers.

Cheers,
matt
 
Cast bullets work great in the 25/20, as a matter of fact .25 cal. cast bullets were considered the most accurate target bullets of all at one time....this goes back to their use by the likes of Pope, Farrow, etc........Cast bullets must be sized to the bore size or .001" over and cast hard enough for the velocity used. They must also have ample lube grooves and a good lube that does not remain with the bullet down range.
 
ben hunchak said:
Cast bullets work great in the 25/20, as a matter of fact .25 cal. cast bullets were considered the most accurate target bullets of all at one time....this goes back to their use by the likes of Pope, Farrow, etc........Cast bullets must be sized to the bore size or .001" over and cast hard enough for the velocity used. They must also have ample lube grooves and a good lube that does not remain with the bullet down range.
Click to expand...


Hi Ben,

Well that's good to know. I don't have reloading equipment yet to get into reloading, so figured I'd just get a couple boxes to play with in the meantime, which would also give me plenty of brass later to use.
I just learned to reload a few weeks ago at a friends place. He reloads for his 25-20, but found he always had poor luck grouping with the cast. That said, I'm not sure what size bullet he was using, and that may very well have something to do with the results he was getting. I'm going to see if I can get him to chime in on this post, b/c I'm just going by memory of what he told me, and my memory is pretty poor sometimes!
What type of bullet do you suggest? Like I said, I heard that Speer's 75 grains were good. Are you familiar with them? But, then again, I guess I'd have to make sure they were the same as my bore size or .001" larger. Maybe I'd have to have them made specially for the exact fit. I'll have to get my bore checked out.
Matt
 
With the jacketed bullets, they are only made in .257", cast can be sized to any size(within reason), I use .258". Welcome to the world of reloading, I'm sure you will find an accurate load either way...the suggestion to use cast bullets was a way to save alot over factory loads as i have seen them go for over $30 for 50.I think I can reload them for about(just a guess) $5 for 50!!
 
Ben, I'm the fellow Matt was talking about. I've been using cast sized to .258" in my bore, which slugs to .257" and I am totally stymied. I get leading at all velocities and I've tried the range from 1,100 fps up to 1,800 fps. The bore is excellent with strong, sharp rifling but after the first bullet, they start wobbling and spreading out into a large pattern. I've totally given up on cast for my .25-20. I should mention that I am using plain base bullets (no gas check).
 
Win38-55:
Couple of things to try.
First use a good copper solvent and remove all copper fouling from the bore. Copper fouling tends to grab lead and then you get lead fouling build up over the copper. End result is a bullet of reduced diameter which allows gas cutting and more leading yet.

Second get a piece of pure lead of appropriate size. Try some pencil lead as used for fishing in 1/4 diameter. You can expand the diameter a bit by tapping on the end of it with a light hammer to be sure it's actually larger than bore diameter before you start slugging. Oil the bore and using a brass or steel rod tap the slug into ht e bore and then hand push through the bore and capture the slug on a cloth so it doesn't get dinged. Measure it with micrometer to get actual bore diameter. Use a cast bullet 1-2 thou larger. While pushing the slug through the bore did you notice any spots where resistance to the push suddenly became easier, (which might indicate an uneven bore diameter and that can cause problems)?

What weight bullet are you using? Could it be too heavy for the twist in your barrel?

Does the bullet have a gas check installed? Is the bullet a bevel base , plain flat lead base or stepped for a gas check which hasn't been installed? Bevel base bullets aren't necessarily the best choice and not having a gas check on a bullet made for one is problematic.

Finally what are you using for lube on the bullet? A good quality lubricant solves a lot of inaccuracy and leading problems.

If the bore is sharp and clean you should be able to find the right combination for your rifle without too much work. As Ben mentioned, the little 25's are known as good shooters with cast bullets.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom