I have used the .25-20 since my grandfather gave me a '92 rifle in 1952 (still have it but don't shoot it any more since I can't see the irons....).
Made a "shooter" out of a trashed Winchester 1885 "Winder Musket" by relining the barrel to .25-20 and finding a Lowall CF block, plus adding various other missing bits--gun is made up of pieces of 7 rifles plus aftermarket and home-made parts. But it looks OK and shoots great; it has a 28" barrel with Marbles tang peep and Lyman 17! front sight (I CAN see those).
Also have a near mint Savage 23B (must be one of the last ones made--very late) that I bought in Vermont. It was already tapped and drilled for a Weaver "N" mount so I put a Redfield 2 3/4" fixed scope on it and it is one of my favorite rifles. Also have a .25-20 barrel (relined bore) for my Savage 220 16 guage single shot. So you could say I DO like .25-20s.
The Remington 25 (or better, the 25R) is kinda the Holy Grail of .25-20s. Never found one I could afford....
I've killed a small blacktail buck with the .25-20 (bad idea), a 180# (dressed) wild sow (took 9 shots but I was trying to "shoot around" my two dogs hanging on her) and two big German Shepherds that had just destroyed about $1000 (1956 dollars) worth of purebred Corriedales. Plus LOTS of 'chucks, jackrabbits, and ground squirrels.
Only thing I DON'T like about the .25-20 is that a the lower velocities (the quieter velocities) it is a real "bouncer"--sometimes the ricochet makes as much racket as the report. Makes ranchers nervous, so I use the .22 WMR now when near a ranchhouse!
