25-35 Winchester

[Ranger Lanham]

I saw that winchester was ounce again chambering this round and wanted to know what you all thought about it as a short range 100yds or less deer gun. Being from West Virginia most of my shots on game are in that range anyways. Also is there anyone who chambers factory ammo for this round? I know the gun would probably be ok on turkeys. I personally use the 10 gauge for those though....Ha....Ha....Anyways I'd appreciate you thoughts. Airborne All The Way!.......Lanham

[Critch]

I've been eyeballing one of these, I like quarterbores. And I don't presently own any lever action rifles.

It would be nice short range deer rifle. Winchester factory loads a 117 grain round nose for it.

[Ranger Lanham]

I also like quarter bore's as I own a 25/06 and love it. I figure that a handy little slab sidded lever gun in a quarter bore would make a fine rifle.

[M.T. Pockets]

Sorry I can't offer any help, but I wanted to post my support for the classic old rounds like this one. I knew an old timer who hunted with one in Northern MN and took several deer. He eventually got himself a .308, which he admitted was a superior deer rifle to the .25-35, but he took some monster deer with that old rifle up in the swamps.

It seems to me the former world record Jordan buck was taken with a .25-35.

[Lone Star]

It will work, but is limited by the available appropriate bullets. I've taken a number of deer with the ballistically-similar .25 Bullberry in a handgun. The Bullberry is a necked-down .30-30 so it has more capacity than the .25-35, but in a 14" barrel it has about the same power as a .25-35 in a rifle.

I used the Nosler 100 Ballistic Tip on several medium sized Alaskan deer with great results, all at 100 yards or less. The M94 needs RN or FN bullets, and the only proven one is the 117 Hornady for reloaders; I have no experience with the Winchester bullet, but the Hornady is a bit hard for .25-35 velocities. It was factory loaded in the .257 Weatherby, giving you an idea of how tough it is. A softer bullet would kill faster in thick country.

I once used a 10" .25-35 T/C barrel to take a deer with the 85-grain Ballistic Tip bullet. Fine results there too. :)

[Rocky Raab]

I can't recall wher I read it or who wrote it, but some gun writer or other called the .25-35 "the most useless cartridge ever created."

His point was that it is too much for varmints and too little for deer, besides being ballistically crippled.

I think that may have been too harsh by a good bit. In the woods, it'd be a completely adequate deer round with even less recoil than the 30-30. It wouldn't be overly destructive on fur, I bet.

Not something you'd saddle with a monster scope, but with a good aperture sight and a fat ivory bead up front, it'd be primo for close-in running shots - or a treestand gun for a scrape hunter.

Besides...it's a quarterbore!

[PJgunner]

Originally posted by Rocky Raab
I can't recall wher I read it or who wrote it, but some gun writer or other called the .25-35 "the most useless cartridge ever created."

His point was that it is too much for varmints and too little for deer, besides being ballistically crippled.

I think that may have been too harsh by a good bit. In the woods, it'd be a completely adequate deer round with even less recoil than the 30-30. It wouldn't be overly destructive on fur, I bet.

Not something you'd saddle with a monster scope, but with a good aperture sight and a fat ivory bead up front, it'd be primo for close-in running shots - or a treestand gun for a scrape hunter.

Besides...it's a quarterbore!

Rocky. I think it was probably Elmer keith. :rolleyes: I recall him making some severe disparaging remarks about the cartridge in either KEITH the autobiography he hated or HELL! I WAS THERE.

I don't know if it still is, but in 1949, when as an 11 year old kid. the 25-35 was already outlawed for deer in California. They had a 1,000 foot pound rule at 100 yards and at the time the 25-35 only did 995 foot pounds. I had a 30-30. :cool: We hunted a private spread and most of the people that lived on that place hunted with a 25-35 and got their meat as well.
I have an old (1911 I believe) Model 94 right now that some jack ass cut the barrel down to 20". It was originally a 26" special order with half magazine. I do dearly would love to get my hands on that idiot. He aslo screwed up the front sight and I had to make up a proper one. Good little shooter though. As I drew a tag for javalina, that just might be the way to go. Time to load up some ammo.
Paul B.

[skeet]

I just saw a really nice 94 takedown rifle at a gunshow last weekend. Came real close to buying it but the price was 2200 bucks. Kinda high for a gun I would want to carry in the woods hunting...especially as it will appreciate in value if kept in the condition it is in. (sigh) guess i will just have to live without it. (sigh):confused:

[Rocky Raab]

PJ, I was trying to be nice. It was that jackass Layne Simpson. But don't tell anybody.

[Jack]

The 25-35 is kinda intrigueing....
Biggest problem I can see with it is limited ammo availability. I believe Winchester still sells ammo for it, but you won't find it many places.
As a handloading proposition, Hornady makes a 117 RN, which I think is the only commonly (and not very commonly) made bullet that is compatible with tube magazines. If Hornady discontinues that bullet, finding bullets could be difficult. At reasonable prices, anyway.

[sladek]

I want the Win .38-55.........

[8X56MS]

I was just browsing through PO Ackley's book. He touts the 25-35 AI as a fine cartridge. His specs show that cartridge with a 125 grain bullet, being close to the .250 Savage

[Critch]

I'm having a brain cramp right now, all we have is decaffinated coffee here. Anyway, I think that Hornady or Nosler one makes a soft point bullet (some sort of neoprene rubber) for tube feed rifles, it was written up in one of the recent gun mags. If they were to make this bullet in a .25 caliber it could really change the ballistics of the 25-35WCF. From the article I, read, it looks llike it did some major improvement on the 30-30 and .444

[Jack]

Hornady makes that new bullet. So far, I believe only in .30,.35, and maybe .44.
Wish they'd make it for the 375 Winchester, but, that's not likely.

[Lone Star]

According to the Hornady website, LEVERevolution ammunition is available in .30-30, .35 Remington, .444 Marlin, .45-70 and .450 Marlin. These bullets are not available to handloaders.

[William Iorg]

I shoot a 24" TC Contender and the new 20" M-94AE.
With the 100 grain spitzers and the 117 grain Hornady round nose bullet Alliant Reloder 10 and 15 are top performers. With lighter bullets such as the 75 gr Sierra JHP I recieve very good accuracy from IMR 4320.

Several of us have sent e-mail to Speer asking them to make a 100 grain flat nose for the new Winchester. Ken Waters in one of his last Pet Loads articles called for a new 100 grain .25 caliber bullet. Waters felt this would add new life to the .25-35 and I agree.
Speer has been nice in their replies but has told all of us they believe there is no market for the bullet. This is probably the "chicken or the egg" argument. With a new 100 grain bullet I dont think the cartridge will attract attention of some who would not ordinarily consider it.

[snoopy(cda)]

why hasn't winchester necked the 307 down to 25? this would certanly be more interesting than the 25-35. and might be the fastest lever cartridge available, no? a nice deer/coyote package.

[Rocky Raab]

Talk about roads retravelled!

I love the quarterbores, and in my reading have learned that many, many rounds were altered to .257-bore over the years. Some of the more popular rounds for break-open or single shot rifles (which work best with rimmed rounds) included the 25 Krag, the 25-303, and several "improved" versions of the 25-35.

Rimless favorites included Neidner's .25-06 of course, but also the original 250-3000, the .25-20, Roy's own 257 Weatherby, and my own favorite, the 25-308. All but the latter were formalized from wildcats to factory rounds. There were others that hardly lasted longer than their chambering reamers: 25-300 H&H for example.

[California Hunter]

We own two of them, a traditional lever action model 94 and an octigan barrel (very long though I have never measured it) which were carried by my great grandfather. We never, ever use them for deer hunting because they are so underpowered by todays standards. If you are going to purchase a lever action carry gun, I suggest the 30-30 which is considerably superior all the way around. I am not being intentionaly negative, but the 25-35 shoots a 117 grain bullet 2,300 fps out the barrel and is under 2,000 fps at 100 yards. In its time, very, very impressive, but by todays standards, too far down the feeding chain to be considered a serious "deer rifle".

[William Iorg]

What is really needed for the new Model 94's is a 100 grain flat point bullet. I have been shooting Remington spiters single shot in my new Winchester. These are accurate and at speeds up to 2560 fps have enough energy for close in deer hunting.
A bullet of good shape such as a scaled down Speer flat nose would expand the capability of the little cartridge.
As it is now it is a fine coyote gun for called in critters.

[PJgunner]

Originally posted by Rocky Raab
PJ, I was trying to be nice. It was that jackass Layne Simpson. But don't tell anybody.

Rocky. Methinks we agree on the jackass.:D
Paul B.

[quigleysharps4570]

Originally posted by California Hunter
We never, ever use them for deer hunting because they are so underpowered by todays standards.

I figure those old timers had to be better hunters. The set-ups I'm seeing today has taken away that.

[PJgunner]

Originally posted by California Hunter
We own two of them, a traditional lever action model 94 and an octigan barrel (very long though I have never measured it) which were carried by my great grandfather. We never, ever use them for deer hunting because they are so underpowered by todays standards. If you are going to purchase a lever action carry gun, I suggest the 30-30 which is considerably superior all the way around. I am not being intentionaly negative, but the 25-35 shoots a 117 grain bullet 2,300 fps out the barrel and is under 2,000 fps at 100 yards. In its time, very, very impressive, but by todays standards, too far down the feeding chain to be considered a serious "deer rifle".

CH. That long barrel is probably 26". I left California back in 1970, and at that time the 25-35 swas illegal ffor deer due to it's not having exactly 1000 Ft. Lbs. of energy at 100 yards. Just out if curiosity, did they ever change it to allow it's use for deer? I did know a few old timers that lived back in the hills of Lake County that used the 25-35 exclusively for deer. They felt the 30-30 was too much gun. :rolleyes: I went on my first deer hunt with those fellows back in 1949 and they helped mew get my first deer with my overpowered 30-30. :D :cool: Those old boys really knew how to hunt.
Paul B.