25 caliber missing??

[M700]

Sure enjoy hunting with my .25-06, it's brought me several mule deer. Three using the very accurate 115 gr Berger VLD.

My youngest son is starting to use the old .257 Weatherby that my grandfather had built back in the late 1940's. It's been a good old rifle - and we're updating it a bit.

Why the .257 bore isn't more popular in competition? Beats me.

 

[Flybuster]

Shooters: If you were to design the perfect .257 caliber long range bullet what would it be? A hybrid, VLD or HPBT? How many grains?

 

[NateG]

Not a .25 caliber shooter... but why not just scale the heaviest of the target bullets to that size. (the target 115 6mm, 140 6.5, and 180 7mm are all pretty much the same shape)

So, that would be, leaving off some constants that don't matter here...
w/.257^3 = 140 / .264^3
w = 140 * (.257/.264)^3
w = 129.15
So, if you took a 140grain 6.5mm and scaled it to .25 caliber, you'd get about a 130 grain bullet. I'd think that would be a pretty good start.

That said, it sure does seem like an awful lot of work when there's the 6mm just below and the 6.5 just above... but far be it from me to criticize tinkering. Good luck on the project if you end up going for it.

 

[NateG]

Here are some other common bullets scaled to .257:
120gr 6.5mm: 111gr

6mm:
115 -> 136
105 -> 124
68 -> 80.5

7mm
180 -> 133.5
168 -> 124.5

30:
110 -> 64
155 -> 90
168 -> 97.5
210 -> 122

basically, the heaviest target bullets scaled to .257 will be about 130-135 grains
mid-heavy are about 120-125gr.
varmint bullets are about 80gr

 

[Erik Cortina]

Ever hear of Wildcat bullets? I think they're out of business now, but they produced a variety of hand swaged bullets in the 25 caliber...

Flybuster, before you spend any tooling money, re-read your post again, I've highlighted the key words for you.

On another note, would it not be cheaper to rebarrel? ;D

 

[Flybuster]

Not a .25 caliber shooter... but why not just scale the heaviest of the target bullets to that size. (the target 115 6mm, 140 6.5, and 180 7mm are all pretty much the same shape)

So, that would be, leaving off some constants that don't matter here...
w/.257^3 = 140 / .264^3
w = 140 * (.257/.264)^3
w = 129.15
So, if you took a 140grain 6.5mm and scaled it to .25 caliber, you'd get about a 130 grain bullet. I'd think that would be a pretty good start.

That said, it sure does seem like an awful lot of work when there's the 6mm just below and the 6.5 just above... but far be it from me to criticize tinkering. Good luck on the project if you end up going for it.
Here are some other common bullets scaled to .257:
120gr 6.5mm: 111gr

6mm:
115 -> 136
105 -> 124
68 -> 80.5

7mm
180 -> 133.5
168 -> 124.5

30:
110 -> 64
155 -> 90
168 -> 97.5
210 -> 122

basically, the heaviest target bullets scaled to .257 will be about 130-135 grains
mid-heavy are about 120-125gr.
varmint bullets are about 80gr

Really appreciate those figures you calculated. It looks like 124-133.5 weight range really would be optimal, that's good because a 1-10" should work depending on the actual length of the bullet. That's some really good food for thought.

"Ever hear of Wildcat bullets? I think they're out of business now, but they produced a variety of hand swaged bullets in the 25 caliber..."

Flybuster, before you spend any tooling money, re-read your post again, I've highlighted the key words for you.

On another note, would it not be cheaper to rebarrel?

Oh you outsiders will never understand! ;D

Custom Bulletmaking is obviously not a lucrative career; I'm actually interested in working in bullet/ammo manufacturing once I'm out of school.

 

[SongdogHunter]

BIB makes some excellent match grade 257 bullets.

+1

My .257 Ackley and 25x47L like them

SDH

 

[TheSnake]

My .257 Ackley and 25x47L like them
SDH

Ok SDH, tell me about the 25x47L. What grain bullets you shooting and what speed are you getting? What dies, powder and barrel? I am planning my next build and thought about a 6x47L but didn't think about a 25.

 

[bowslngr]

Guys,
There is a much cheaper route -- one that I have already taken successfully. First, the barrel. I had PacNor make me a 1:8 twist barrel and installed it on an old Browning LA (of course there are probably better action options).

Then, I got ahold of Corbin and had them make me up a resizing die that allows me to resize 6.5mm bullets to .257. Think about it, you only have to squeeze a 6.5mm down by 0.007" to get it to .257. I had them make it to resize 140 grain Amaxs, but have found that it works perfect for 142 SMKs, 140 Berger VLDs and others as well.

If I recall, the dies cost me something like $200, and I can resize 100 bullets in about 10 minutes. No need to make the whole bullet, just have to make it slightly smaller.

 

[SongdogHunter]

Ok SDH, tell me about the 25x47L. What grain bullets you shooting and what speed are you getting? What dies, powder and barrel? I am planning my next build and thought about a 6x47L but didn't think about a 25.

I shoot 100 grain NBT and 110 grain BIB bullets through it. Nearly same velocity as my .257 ackley (3100+FPS) with less powder.



I shoot it out of a Browning B78 which will be sold soon as I'm building the same thing on a Ruger #1



For dies I had Hornady build me a custom Dies. The Browning will be sold with brass and dies.

SDH

 

[Flybuster]

Guys,
There is a much cheaper route -- one that I have already taken successfully. First, the barrel. I had PacNor make me a 1:8 twist barrel and installed it on an old Browning LA (of course there are probably better action options).

Then, I got ahold of Corbin and had them make me up a resizing die that allows me to resize 6.5mm bullets to .257. Think about it, you only have to squeeze a 6.5mm down by 0.007" to get it to .257. I had them make it to resize 140 grain Amaxs, but have found that it works perfect for 142 SMKs, 140 Berger VLDs and others as well.

If I recall, the dies cost me something like $200, and I can resize 100 bullets in about 10 minutes. No need to make the whole bullet, just have to make it slightly smaller.

Interesting....Do you use a standard reloading press with the squeeze die? Hows the accuracy of squeezed down bullets?

 

[TheSnake]

Guys,
There is a much cheaper route -- one that I have already taken successfully. First, the barrel. I had PacNor make me a 1:8 twist barrel and installed it on an old Browning LA (of course there are probably better action options).

Then, I got ahold of Corbin and had them make me up a resizing die that allows me to resize 6.5mm bullets to .257. Think about it, you only have to squeeze a 6.5mm down by 0.007" to get it to .257. I had them make it to resize 140 grain Amaxs, but have found that it works perfect for 142 SMKs, 140 Berger VLDs and others as well.

If I recall, the dies cost me something like $200, and I can resize 100 bullets in about 10 minutes. No need to make the whole bullet, just have to make it slightly smaller.

I took a look at the data on the site and they only advise reducing a bullet by .005 or unacceptable results can occur. How does the .007 reduction do for you? Can you post a picture of two bullets, one before and one after sizing?

 

[Flybuster]

Guys,
There is a much cheaper route -- one that I have already taken successfully. First, the barrel. I had PacNor make me a 1:8 twist barrel and installed it on an old Browning LA (of course there are probably better action options).

Then, I got ahold of Corbin and had them make me up a resizing die that allows me to resize 6.5mm bullets to .257. Think about it, you only have to squeeze a 6.5mm down by 0.007" to get it to .257. I had them make it to resize 140 grain Amaxs, but have found that it works perfect for 142 SMKs, 140 Berger VLDs and others as well.

If I recall, the dies cost me something like $200, and I can resize 100 bullets in about 10 minutes. No need to make the whole bullet, just have to make it slightly smaller.

Can you post a picture of this die?

This is just like a cast bullet resizer.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jU8gNOpZvI[/youtube]

 

[bowslngr]

Will see if I can figure out how to post a pic. Knew how to do it once upon a time, but have forgotten.

Anyway, yes. It is a standard size die that you screw into a standard reloading press. Mine press is a Rockchucker. The die comes in two parts. The first is the resizer, which is about 2 inches long and screws into your press. The second is a mandrel that snaps into same place a shell holder does on your ram.

All you do is lube the bullet with a small amount of resizing lube on your fingers and position the bullet on top of the mandrel. On the up-stroke of the ram, the mandrel forces the bullet through the resizer and it pops out the top.

The model number of the die is BRD-1-RC, and these dies can be used to resize bullets by a maximum of .006-.007" -- just right for going from .264 to .257 in one step.

I had to send them 5 test bullets when I ordered my dies so that they could ensure they got it right and to ensure they get the shape of the mandrel correct. They make mandrels for rebated or boattail bases as well as flat based. On some boattailed bullets, a flat based mandrel works well. Minne came with the flat based mandrel, so I guess they concluded that it was OK for the Amaxs I intended on resizing.

The bullets come out look identical to the factory 6.5mm Amax except they are slightly narrower (obviously), and they are about 0.025" longer.

Are they accurate (enough)? -- well, they do what I want them to. In my rebarrelled Browning (25-06, 24" light varmint contour) I can shoot about 1.5" five shot groups at 300 yards. That is a lot better than the rifle would do before I rebarrelled it, so I am happy.

Hope this helps.

 

[bowslngr]

I should add that there is a .006-007" limit for a reason. I have found that I cannot resize very thick jacketed bullets (for example, Nosler accubonds) or copper solids. There is just no way I can apply enough force, and I found that in attempting to do so the base of my accubonds became distorted (flat based mandrel).

 

[bowslngr]

Here is a pic. Factory bullet on left, resized bullet on right. The resized one is a little tarnished because I resized it about four months ago and it has been sitting in a box on my reloading bench since then (I did several hundred of them then and have not shot them up yet)

Sorry for the crappy cell phone pic.

 

[Flybuster]

I should add that there is a .006-007" limit for a reason. I have found that I cannot resize very thick jacketed bullets (for example, Nosler accubonds) or copper solids. There is just no way I can apply enough force, and I found that in attempting to do so the base of my accubonds became distorted (flat based mandrel).

Sounds like they work great, 1.5" at 300 is going to work. Thanks for the tip, answers and pic.

Have you tried sizing down a 6.5 130 grain? How do you think it would do?

 

[bowslngr]

In addition to the stuff I posted above, I have resized 130 Berger VLD-Hs, 140 GameKings, 123 Amaxs and 123 Scenars. All seem to come out perfect but I have not played around with loading them yet.

 

[Centex Bill]

I am the dude who started this thread. I like the 257 bore and have 7 different cast bullet molds ranging from 65 gr to 120 gr. Since I have a unused stainless blank in 257 and a spare Savage action, I am contemplating building a 25BR. Why?? I want a cast bigger than the 25/20 to push the heavier bullets and one smaller than 250 Savage. The only choices I have found was the 25/35 (not a bolt gun option) and the 25BR (6mmBR necked up). The 25/20 holds about 17grs of water, the 25/35 -36 grs of water and the 6mmbr- 38 grs of water and the 250 Savage 46 grs of water. I can cobble together some dies to load the 25 BR. Barrel is 1/10 twist. The upper velocity range I generally shot cast is about 2100fps.

I would appreciate your ideas and opinions on this build.

Additionally, my eyes have been opened to new possibilities with jacketed bullets with the information shared on this thread.

Bill

 

[Romulus]

Just making the rounds updating old threads where guys express interest in High BC 25 Caliber Bullets.

We have gone to considerable lengths to get high BC 25 cal bullets, blanks, and reamers to hit the market all at once so guys can pickup a 25x47, 25 Creed, or whatever they desire with the least amount of trouble.

There are some new threads discussing the 131 gr ACE (0.330 G7 / 0.645 G1 BC) on Accurate Shooter and Long Range Hunting so you may want to follow those.

Feel free to PM or ask me any questions you may have after visiting the website www.blackjackbullets.com and facebook.com/blackjackbulletco where we have posted a lot of ballistic comparisons and load velocity windows for the cartridges we've tested.

Thanks!