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The search for a good .25-35 cast bullet and load is nearly ended. Shot test loads this morning, and 20 grains of H4895 printed a nearly touching three-shot group. The bullets are 117 gr. FNGC from Daniel at The Bull Shop. Since I have no chronograph, I can’t supply the velocity.
I’ll test a few more loads between 19.7 and 20.3 to see if they will snuggle into a touching group.
I have not tried cast bullets in the 25-35 before. Good luck with your load development. I did use some of the RCBS bullets you sent me awhile back in a 32-40 and they shot well. Seating depth made a critical difference.
Brad
FromTheWoods, did you happen to try H-380? That powder worked real well for me, but then again that was with the 117 grain jacketed round nose bullet. I don’t see why it would not work ok with your lead bullet also. Give it a try and see what happens. RRM
Brad-
Glad to hear you had success with those bullets.
Did you use them in the regular length .32-40 cases? Would you mind sharing the OAL with me. Sometime this year I plan to test cast gas-checked loads in the .32-40. If those RCBS bullets work, that would be dandy.
RRM-
I did load a test batch of the jacketed 117 grain with H380. When I shot them, conditions were poor for testing–I should have waited for another day. I noticed the H380 cartridges had more umph to them than the H4895. Makes sense since the top speed for H4895 is listed at 2168 ft/s and the H380’s lowest speed is above that at 2172. From what I can find in old manuals and on the internet, somewhere in 2005 or so Hodgdon lowered their maximum charge of H4895 for the .25-35 117gr. bullet. It feels as if my current load of 22.0 gr. is a bit weak, but I’ll not buck the current data. I will test jackets again with H380.
I’m new to gas-checked bullets–much to learn. I’m not certain, but it might be that the 20.0 grain load of H4895 is close to the maximum velocity the rifle will shoot accurately. Groups at .21.0 gr. opened up. H380 might drive them too fast?–Worth a try to find out. RL-7 has performed well in some of our Winchester calibers, so I’m searching for data that incorporates this powder.
I plan to be in the woods this Fall, hunting with the .25-35.
Shot another test batch with H4895. 20.0 grs. performed well. 20.2 grainers were excellent–three verticle holes=one hole approximately .60 in height, no target paper between them.
At 20.4 grs. groups became larger.
Last test will be 20.0 to 20.2. I’m hoping 20.1 shots will touch each other on the target. That would give me a little window for powder thrower inconsistencies. I load on a 550B. It throws H4895 with fair consistency; I’d prefer to stay at 20.2 / 20.1.
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