25.20 3f or 2f

[Cemetery]

So I think I fully crossed over to the darkside, because now I want to load everything with black magic.   

I recently loaded up 20 rounds of 25.20, filled to the rim with BOOM, with 2f, and wholly cow was that barrel filthy.   

Anyway, when dealing with smaller calibers, what's the consensus with black magic? 

2f or 3f?

GOEX or SWISS?

[Jubal Starbuck]

Cemetery,
     I would definitely go with 3fg in the .25-20, and I would also try some Swiss in it.  I don't own a .25-20 anymore, but I shoot a couple of '92 winchesters ( a rifle and a SRC) in .32-20.  I had a '92 in .25-20 that was really slick, but bore was poor, so I let somebody talk me out of it.  Let us know how well it worked for ya.

Regards;

Jubal Starbuck

[Dick Dastardly]

Go with FFFg and use a high grade Holy Black.  Schuetzen or Swiss come to mind.  I wish I had a Big Lube bullet to offer, but I've never developed one in .25 Caliber.  Maybe this will be an incentive. . .

DD-DLoS

P.S.  That would come after the RB project.

[fourfingersofdeath]

I haven't used black with the 25/20, but it is hard enough getting cast to work with smokless I have found in that calibre.

[w44wcf]

Cemetery,
THe original .25-20 load was 17 grs. of b.p. as this vintage cut from an early Winchester Catalog shows. Velocity was listed at 1,300 f.p.s.  with an 86 gr. multigroove bullet.


No doubt in my mind as to the type of b.p. to use...SWISS. For best accuracy in a bottle neck case, minimum compression should be used (less than .10") 16 grs. of Swiss FFFG under the 25720 86 gr. bullet uses .08" compression and runs 1,320 f.p.s. in the 20" barrel of my '92 Winchester.

Here's a pic of the Ideal bullet. It is a copy of the original Winchester bullet.  The "Bullshop" sells .25-20 bullets made from an original Winchester mold. http://bullshop.gunloads.com/  I have purchased those bullets (86 gr.) lubed with his NASA lube for b.p.


Regarding the different bullet weights, an early catalog had this to say:
"For hunting purposes, many shooters prefer the 67 and 77 gr. bullets with which a higher velocity and flatter trajectory can be obtained, as owing to the shorter bullet the powder charge is increased making the length overall the same as the cartridge with the 86 gr. bullet."

Have fun.
w44wcf

[Doc O]

I'll take one Dick for my Marlin pump.

Doc