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25-20 load for 50gr lead...

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2018 7:38 am
by cedestech
Not trying to reinvent the wheel but looking for some other powder options then Trailboss. Short story, wife has a rifle that appears to love a 50gr hollow point hard lead bullet. The ogive is long on it and I think it works good with the chamber leade.

Haven't chronied but it has responded with tighter groups the faster it goes but am just about maxed out on Trailboss (loading about 95% case capacity, 4.3gr, TB says 100% OK but don't compress and I like a little wiggle room)

Anywho, loads I can find are obviously with 60gr jacketed and way too fast for lead. I load tons of jacketed for multiple calibers for years but don't really load lead.

Anyone have suggestion that isn't a complete WAG?

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Re: 25-20 load for 50gr lead...

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2018 10:19 am
by snaketail2
My experience is usually "non-typical", meaning that what I've experienced doesn't match anyone else's experience.
So:
A. Winchester right? - cause if she is shooting a Marlin they be micro grooved and not real friendly to lead.
B. Might as well use black powder - and station her downwind of everyone else.
C. LilGun likes to go fast, so forget this one. 4227 is OK, but is a bit hot too. 4198 might be the answer, but with that small of a powder load you'll want to use a filler material (or just use black powder).
D. Or, do like Joe told me - quit messing with the .25-20 and get a .22 mag.

My Marlin currently has a scope on it and and I'm working up jacketed 60gr loads with LilGun. Initial results say the chickens are gonna suffer, but there will be no significant drop between chickens and rams. Lead loads - to much rainbow trajectory for me.

Of course my results are usually "non-typical". You results will surely vary from mine.

Michael

Re: 25-20 load for 50gr lead...

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2018 6:40 pm
by cedestech
No it's a 20" barrel 1894CB. It's an experiment. She likes light guns with no recoil. I could load full bore on 60gr hornady but if I can get lead to work with just a bit more energy then 22mag it'll be the ticket. She wants PC ram percentage to go up from 80ish to 95+%.

Re: 25-20 load for 50gr lead...

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2018 7:02 pm
by edgehit
Wow! That’s a tiny bullet. You’re in SWAG territory with a cast 50. TB is about the same burn rate as Titegroup so 4.3gr is a stout load and likely approaching 1500 FPS. You’ll lead the barrel long before you generate enough V to damage targets. I think you’re going to find TB load is about as good as it gets. Did you try match primers? They make a difference. You need a chronograph to avoid leading because in the tiny case you’re going to go from workable velocity to leading in 0.2gr. If it were my rifle I’d try the following:

3.5g w231 or HP38. It’ll shoot like a 22. Likely 1300 FPS. May not take rams.
4.5g WSF. Likely 1450 FPS
7.0 LilGun. This may be too much powder. It’s a mild load with 75gr Speer. But with cast lead may not produce enough pressure to generate V to lead the barrel.

I would try it. LilGun is a “do it all” powder. I use it a lot and get good accuracy. It’s not position sensitive. And meters well.

Re: 25-20 load for 50gr lead...

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2018 7:26 pm
by edgehit
Emit,
On second thought ditch the 50’s. Are you certain they’re going to carry enough momentum to 100 meters to reliably take rams? Their horrible BC will blow around in the wind and shed V like crazy. BC is likely less than 0.1 :shock:

I tried some Bullshop 65gr cast 3 years ago. They shot 2” at 100m with 3.5gr HP38 and WSP primers. I know that group would have tightened up with Federal SP match. I melted all the lube out of the bands using a heat gun on paper towel. Then rolled them around a bit to get wax on them. I bought 500 of them. They’re incredibly well cast, but expensive.

I’m playing with Hornady 60’s and HP38 now and seeing sub 1” at 50yd groups at 3.5gr. These report like 22 shorts. No recoil or report. I had to check my barrel the first time I tested it to be sure my barrel was clear. Very clean burning. It may be my C-T load and whack Rams with 75gr lasers.

JBM Ballistic calculator says this load will need 8.6 moa elevation from chicken setting. Basically replicates a 22lr but with 50% move mass.

Re: 25-20 load for 50gr lead...

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2018 8:27 pm
by cedestech
These are actually 55gr not 50. My mistake.

It's an experiment, I have 500+ Hornady 60gr bullets ready to go but want these to work...

I have a couple weeks coming up I should be able to get some good load development time in. I'm going to experiment.

Re: 25-20 load for 50gr lead...

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2018 2:39 pm
by GTS
Just saw this on another forum. Might have some useful info.

https://www.marlinowners.com/forum/32-4 ... -20-a.html

Re: 25-20 load for 50gr lead...

Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2018 2:50 pm
by cedestech
Oh I already gave up on the 55gr lead. Was trying to get just north of 22Mag energy with it being as soft as possible for the wife. This gun was having none of it. Actually thought it wasn't going to shoot till I tried H322 in it and it all of a sudden came to life. It's holding 1-1.5" at the rams with the 60 gr Hornady flap nose. Wife shoot buckhorn sights and it looks like no adjustment from C to R. lol