.25-20 Winchester (25-20 WCF)
Prior to the introduction of the
.22 Hornet in
1930, a Winchester Model 92 in .25-20 was considered to be just the ticket
for varmint shooting. Introduced during the mid 1890'2, the .25-20 is one
of the few cartridges to survive the transition from black to smokeless powder.
This fine, mild mannered little cartridge simply refuses to die. In addition
to the Winchester and Marlin lever action rifles, the Winchester Model 43
bolt action was available in this chambering from 1949 until it was discontinued
in 1957. During the 1950's, Sako also chambered a few L46 rifles for the
.25-20, mostly for the Australian market.
Even during the ages of supper-zappers, there definitely is a market for
rifles in .25-20 among American shooters. Kimber once chambered a few of
its Model 84 rifles for this cartridge, and Browning produced a few Winchester
Model 92 reproductions in .25-20. The only standard production rifle presently
available in .25-20 is the excellent little Marlin Model 1895CL.
The.25-20 has put its share of venison in larders during its day, but it
is no deer cartridge by any stretch. It is, however, a fine turkey cartridge
and destroys very little of the eating part of a big gobbler. If the .25-20
is suitable for hunting any four legged creature larger than the groundhog,
it is probably a potent enough cartridge for javalina.
The only readily available jacketed bullets suitable for handloading the
.25-20 for the lever action rifles with tubular magazines, are the 60 grain
Hornady and the 75 grain Speer. Both
are of flat nose form, but the cannelure on the Speer makes it a better choice
for lever action . Other bullets of spitzer form can be used in bolt action
rifles but should never be used in rifles with tubular magazines. Actually,
the owner of a rifle in .25-20 can live happily ever after with cast bullets,
and a number of molds are available from several sources. H4227 is an excellent
powder for the .25-20 WCF.
Source: Hodgdon Data Manual, 26th Edition
Historical Notes:
The 25-20 Winchester Center Fire was developed for the short action of the
Winchester Model 1892 lever action rifle. It is the repeating version of
the older 25-20 single shot, but is based on the
32-20 necked
down. There is a difference in opinion as to when it was actually introduced.
Some authorities say 1893, others 1895. In any event, it was quickly adopted
by a majority of the gun manufacturers and achieved considerable popularity.
The Winchester lever action 1892 and modernized Model 65, the Remington slide
action Model 25, Marlin slide action 27 and lever action 94, and the Savage
bolt action repeater Model 23, were all available in 25-20 WCF. Marlin has
re-introduced the 25-20 WCF in their Model 1894CL lever action. Winchester
also loaded this same chambering with a slightly different bullet shape and
headstamped it 25-20 Marlin.
General Comments:
Prior to the 22
Hornet and the
218 Bee, the
25-20 WCF was one of the most popular small game and varmint cartridges.
It was also advertised as being suitable for deer and similar animals. No
doubt it has killed plenty of deer, but it is not a satisfactory big game
cartridge by any standard. Today it is universally outlawed for big game
hunting. On smaller animals, the 60 grain bullet is quite effective for 100
to 150 yard varmint shooting. The 86 grain soft point or lead bullet does
a fine job on rabbit or turkey to 125 yards. A great many rifles were made
in this caliber and are still in use by trappers, ranchers and farmers. Under
certain conditions, the 25-20 repeater is still a useful small game number.
It will probably be around for a good many more years. The 60 grain bullet
can't be improved by handloading, but the 86 grain can be stepped up to over
1700 fps.
Ownership of a Winchester Model 1892 lever action and later a Winchester
Low Wall single shot in this caliber allowed ample opportunity to test its
potential for small game and varmint hunting. It will do the job, but has
serious range limitations due in part to bullet design. The 60 grain high
velocity load achieves its maximum expansion at a range of between 50 and
70 yards. Beyond that good bullet placement is essential if the animal is
not going to crawl off and die a lingering death. At ranges out to 50 yards
the bullet expansion will ruin most of the edible meat on small game. The
86 grain bullet is a better load for meat hunting although lower velocity
requires good distance judgment at ranges beyond 75 yards.
On the other hand, the 25-20 is one of those cartridges that can be improved
to a satisfying degree by handloading. The 86 grain bullet can be loaded
to deliver around 1700 fps, but the 60 grain bullet can't be improved much
over the factory load. The 25-20 is also capable of very good accuracy when
fired in a single shot or bolt action rifle. Both Winchester and Remington
continue to offer this caliber with only the 86 grain bullet.
Source: Cartridges of the World
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