Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats .25/223

Anyone have experience with a 25/223, or a 25/7.92x39. I'm toying with the idea of re-barreling a Mimi Mauser or a CZ 527. Wondering what kind of velocity you may get with a 75 or 100 grain bullet. Thanks --- Mel

Mel,

I thought about that one for a bit but didn't pull the trigger...

I thought on it as well. Was told 25 Kimber was a good chambering.

Mel,

It's hard to believe that it's not been done. Of course, there's the .25/.222 Copperhead. and the 6.35x47 or .25x47mm mentioned in Handloader #85. The only reference I could find in the Handloader's Manual of Cart Conv. states a velocity of 2272 f.p.s. with a 75 gr bullet in the 6.35. I hardly believe that's what you are looking for. I think you'd be better off with the .25 Boomer.

See:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...25088/25_on_a_7_62_X_39_case#Post3725088

I would think that would make a great walking varminter or plinker, but would also think it questionable for deer sized game. JMHO...

GH

Sounds somewhat like the .25 Kimber. If I remember right, thats a .25x.222 rem mag with the shoulder punched forward, sort of a "Gibbs-like" treatment.

Never seen it. From what I've read, it sounded like case forming, false shoulders, fire forming, all that was kind of a hassle but it was the path to the max .25 possible on that case head.

If you do it, report back. Sounds interesting!

Tom

Look up erich from these boards. He's done a 25-204. Sounds like a 257 Kimber without the fireforming, also one could use readily available 204 brass. I've been contemplating one for awhile now.... just too many irons in the fire at the moment.

why not a 25 TCU???

Thanks for all the replies, I'll keep reseaching. BTW whats a 25 TCU based on? --- Mel

Mel, I don't know for sure that there is ACTUALLY a .25 TCU. "TCU" stands for Thompson Center Ugalde. The "Ugalde" is a reference to a gunsmith named Wes Ugalde (of Reno, Nevada, IIRC) who made a name for himself necking out the .223 Rem and giving it a 40* shoulder. At one time Thompson/Center chambered factory contenders in: 6mm, 6.5mm, and 7mm TCU. But I think they've all gone into obscurity. Mostly they were used for handgun silhouette when it was all the rage. But that; too, has lost most of it's popularity. I believe Elgin Gates' death and internal politics and friction in the IHMSA pretty much killed it.

I own T/C contender bbls in 6.5 TCU and 7mm TCU. And have always lusted after a rifle in 6.5 TCU or 6.5x47. (I have dies for both...)

The 6.5 TCU never made it as a Silhouette round... And the 25 even less so. The 6mm TCU was deemed a "Varmint" round but was never popular and soon discontinued. Hope this helps.

GH

The tcu series is alive and well amoung speciality pistol folk. 7tcu being the most popular. I have had one of each..6mm, 6,5mm .257 and the 7mm TCU. I only have the 25 cal. version left as it is my favorite. I have it in both a 14 in pistol and a 21 in carbine. It is a great little carry/ woods bummer rifle. The old 75 gr X bullet is a pretty darn good deer dumper. I use 85 gr hornadys for fox and yotes and 100 gr NBT's mostly for deer .
The 257TCU is a .223 case necked to 25 cal and a 40* shoulder and is the balistic twin the the 25-204 or 25/222mag (ie 25 Kimber) In a bolt gun it really isn't that far behind the 250 savage..75 grainers will run about 2800 plus and 85 grain at 2700. I get a little over 2500 with the 100 gr NBT.

Neat little cartridge that I like a lot
BTW The newest issue of Handloader(#264) has an article on building a rifle in 7MMTCU. He says he get 2600 plus out of 115/120 gr bullets in that rifle.

Lonerider

Thanks Grasshopper & Lonerider. That sound like what I'm looking for, not sure if it will ever get done, as I said in my original post I'm toying with the idea. I have both the CZ and Mimi Mauser in .223, the CZ shoot pretty well and I haven't shot the Mauser yet, only had it a couple days. I sometimes can't leave well enough alone so one of them may end up a 25TCU. Again thanks for all the responses. --- Mel

Better would be the 204 case, necked up as it already has an improved shoulder..

instead tho for that action, I'd consider a 25 BR.. it will have similar capacity...and a simple .473 bolt face.

but then a 6 BR would give you more bullet options..

You might want to PM Ward here at the campfire, he's running a 25-223.

My 25-204 is a really nice little deer rifle with 100gr Partitions running 2800fps out of a 22" barrel 75's are running 3150fps. It's a straight neck up for the 204, no fire forming needed. The problem is my COL is 2.40" and that is starting to get into the powder capacity alot any shorter and it would start slowing down alot. It might be a little tight in the Mini Mauser or CZ.

The 25 Ulgade (25 TCU) would be a nice little round if you cand get it to feed well.

erich

the 25/204 is available from Gary Reeder if you like TC's, he calls it the 25 Raptor. MGM also chambers for the .25TCU.

i shoot a couple of .25TCU's, neat little round. 26.0gr H335 with Sierra 90's makes mine very happy.

Dean Grenell did a write-up of the.25TCU in Gun World way back in Aug '88, have a copy xerox-ed if you'd like some data, but will need your snail mail addy. don't have it scanned.

Gerald

I had a neat little Remington 700 BDL in .25/.223. My nephew has it now. Using mainly Rx-7, I shot 75 grain Hornadys at 3000 fps. Also used the 87 grain Speer TNT but never clocked any of them.

As a varmint rifle it was outstanding. I also whacked a couple of South Texas does on a culling operation with it. Not the best choice, but with carefully aimed shots they were both 1 shot kills. It was pure murder on crows.

Its an efficient little cartridge and brass is very easy to find.

Whitetail Gun Shop whipped up their 25 Whitetail on the 7.62x39 case. Near .250 Savage ballistics, with even less noise and fuss. Give 'em a call.
http://local.yahoo.com/info-12058740-whitetail-gun-shop-jersey-shore

Yes the TCU's are alive and well I picked up a 6mm TCU bullberry barrel 21" for my childrens first deer rifle on a contender. 70-75gr's going right around 2900fps.

I had one of these built, Kevin from Weaver rifles did the work, he has the reamers. I have had it for several months but have not had a chance to play with it yet. I had it built because I like the quarter bore and picked up Redding three die set at a good price.

Kevin Weaver mentioned he thought the caliber was really neat and said he may build a rifle for himself in this caliber, you may see if he did it.

25/223, 25 Souper, 25 Souper Imp., 250 ack imp, 25-06, next may be a 25/284,

I would think the 204 case-based conversions are the slickest thing going now if you want the small case. They seem to make so much sense from a practical standpoint.

I think that a 25/204 for the AR platform would have made more sense than the 6.8SPC. Likewise, a 30/204 seems like it would have been a good idea as well.

RL 7 + 75 Sierra HP runs just a shade under 3000 fps in a 25TCU with a 24" barrel. It is a great round that's easy to load. Mine supposedly has the improved shoulder but there's so little shoulder left after necking up a 223 case that there is absolutely no practical difference in the TCU and 25-223. I'd try other loads but the Sierra HP and RL7 work too well to consider any other loads.