Quarter Bore Lovers

Good ol' Bob and .25-20 interest me, but the rest of the quarter bores are of no real use.


(Don't get mad at that comment - it's based on what I own and what I do with them.)
 
Doyle said:
I've never been a fan of the 25-06 due to the need for a long barrel. I really like the handling characteristics of a shorter barrel (I'm not a bench shooter). Even though my little .260 isn't a true quarter bore, I don't think I would ever need anything else close to that size.
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Well the .25-06 is perfectly at home in 22" barrels, though mine is 26" long. That was a choice I made when I built the rifle, since it was to be a range and pronghorn rifle. However if I were to build one for a woods rifle I would not feel handicapped by a 22" barrel and the loss of 100-150 fps. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't make any difference.
 
Taylorce, it isn't really the loss of fps that would steer me away from a short barreled 25-06. Its the muzzle flash/blast.
 
25-35 is the sweetest lever action round ever made---IMO :D The 250-3000 in Savage 99 is probably a bit more practical today, as it is legal for hunting in Colorado and the 25-35 is not.

25-06 is a great medium game round. The one we have is a good shooter and has taken several critters---one shot each. I am going to think seriously about elk and black bear this fall, and use the 25-06 for that.
 
257RobertsAckleyimprovedrimmed1885fallingblockrifltbuiltinOct2012andused10-25-2012.jpg


I have reamers in 25/35, 250 Sav, 250 Krag Ackley, 257 Roberts, and 25-06.

But in 2012 I borrowed a 257 Roberts Ackley reamer, took the 30-30 barrel of a new Uberti 1885 without firing it, put on a #3 Shilen Select match barrel. I made scope mount / bipod tube support.

I broke this mule buck's shoulder at 100 yards with 115 gr Nos Bal Tip 3050 fps muzzle.

At butcher shop the guy said that they don't see bucks that long that drag the nose, normally only elk do that.

Getting that buck into my vehicle was my major accomplishment for 2012.
I tied a rope around his neck and the other end to my vehicle. When I pulled up on the rope in the middle, he inched forward.
 
I hunt with a couple hundred year old Winchester 25-35s but I sure would not convert to that caliber simply because of a lack of available brass. I have close to 1000 pieces of 25-35 brass so I am fine. I even sold 20 this year to someone that desperately needed them but converting to that caliber makes NO sence.
 
:-) Nice deer,Clark!

I'm laughing,OK.No offense intended.Clark,you are usually crazy with the "Outer Limits" loads you suggest.
I'm afraid I must confess to being right there with you with my 257 AI.
I,too get 3050 with the 115 Ballistic Tip.Folks,the load is not in the book.
Now,I will confess,without having anything go wrong...something about getting old convinced me to reduce my load a couple of grains to 3050.For years I shot them at 3150.
Before I owned a chronograph,I ran across a gentleman with an Oehler at the range.I asked if I could get a velocity.He said sure!.I was using 100 gr Sierra BT's at the time.The guy got all excited.Wanted to know what the heck I was shooting.I hesitate to say it,but 3400 fps.I forget the variation,but remarkably low.
What happened,in both cases,as I was working up incremental increases in powder charge,at some place unpublished,the groups shrunk.Both of those loads were inside the orange center diamond on the target at 300 yds.Out of a light hunting rifle that weighs 7 lbs total,with 6x42 Leupold scope.
I built two of those rifles,and that was our load through 8 lbs of powder.
Both were headspaced to the slightest feel on the GO gage.
After the 8 lbs of powder,I could still just feel the gage.No perceptable setback.
The brass ,after several loadings,eventually would fail to split necks.Primer pockets remained tight.
As soon as I got a few split necks,I scrapped that lot of 100 cases,and fireformed new.
I gave that load up when the 115 grain Nosler was introduced(It has been a while)
I will not mention the powders,and I do not recommend anyone try to go there.

No,I do not think I'm special.I danced on the edge for a time.Little margin for error,and maybe some luck.A lot of care in the rifle build,and in the crafting of the ammo.8 lb cans,500 lots brass,etc.
And,frankly,I was probably lucky .

What I did right,is listened in my head when I thought"You know,you have gotten away with this for years.Call it good,and back off a few grains.

Good idea.
 
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Colorado Redneck said:
25-35 is the sweetest lever action round ever made---IMO The 250-3000 in Savage 99 is probably a bit more practical today, as it is legal for hunting in Colorado and the 25-35 is not.
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The .25-35 is legal for hunting in Colorado, why would you say it isn't? First it meets the minimum bore and grain requirements for all Colorado big game species. So now you only have to meet the ft-lbs requirements of 1000 ft-lbs at 100 yards as rated by manufacturer. Winchester says their 117 grain .25-35 load produces a MV of 2230 fps, at 100 yards and 4000 feet elevation you have 1039 ft-lbs of energy at 100 yards. This makes the round perfectly legal for elk and moose as far as Colorado is concerned.
 
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Well, the two 25-06 rifles I bought, both shot OK for accuracy, but didn't like the amount of powder needed to reload them. So, I had both rifles rebarreled to a smaller cartridge.

But, I do like the quarter bores, owning four 257 roberts rifles and a 250 Savage rifle. They are a little more pleasant to shoot paper with from benchrest than the 25-06.

Could have bought a new Weatherby Vanguard rifle in 257 weatherby a couple of months ago for a very very low price. I was ready to jump all over the rifle that was in the stores clearance rack, till I asked the clerk what the rifle's cartridge was.
 
Am I the only guy with a Ruger #1V in 25-06? Fantastic gun, fantastic cartridge, fantastic accuracy with my handloads. 150 yards off the hood of my pickup.

Clark - Nice deer!



 
My favorite rifle is my Ruger Ultralight 257 Roberts. It's not a tack driver by any stretch, but for a walkabout whitetail rifle it is without peer. The look, feel and trim dimensions of the rifle just work for me. It's the perfect marriage ergonomically and proportionately. Modest charges of 4350 pushing 115 Partitions is pure DRT poison.

I have been tempted by the 257 Weatherby and indeed one day may buy one. I just don't live in an area where I can wring one out good.

Yep, I qualify as a quarter bore lover.
 
Got two of em. 25-06 Remington Mountain Rifle having a nice factory chocolate stained walnut stock with a new Timney trigger install. (rifle was discontinued) __And a 256 magnum Marlin. Model 62 lever. <Old but it still shoots straight & true. "Just ask the the last deer I shot with it."
 
Not a rifle but a 10" Octagon Barrel 25-35 scoped TC. A sweet little cartridge, mild recoil but a little noisy from a Contender.
 
I also have one of those Zastava Mausers in .25-06 with a VX-II in Warne rings and mounts. It's basically my wolf and caribou gun.

After a little load development I found that Norma 204 was magic fairy dust when combined with 100gr Nosler BTs. It shoots 5-shot groups with the holes touching each other with this recipe. Norma MRP is just as good with the NBT and VV-N165 and Sierra MKs were a good back up load.

My only gripe is the trigger which I'm changing eventually.
 
taylorce1 if you don't mind what stock is on the 250-3000 Savage?

The reason I ask is I'm looking for a replacement stock for my Savage 110 heavy barrel gun.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
 
Here's a modern take on the caliber--I'm still developing loads but I know she'll be a 1 hole shooter eventually when I find the right load.



 
taylorce1 if you don't mind what stock is on the 250-3000 Savage?

The reason I ask is I'm looking for a replacement stock for my Savage 110 heavy barrel gun.
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The stock on the Stevens 200 is an old B&C Carbelite stock. As far as I know they no longer make this stock. The closest rifle stock to it now would be the B&C Medalist.
 
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