Why a 225 Winchester? Copyright 2019 - Stephen Redgwell
That's the question my friends always ask. "Not again! Why not get a 22-250?"
Let's just say that I do not care to walk the path followed by everyone else. I want rifles and cartridges that interest me, not the ones offered by mainstream firearms companies. Certainly not the rifles and cartridges that my friends like!
I always tell them, "Hey, I'm not you!"
I have nothing against the 22-250, Creedmoors of any type, Nosler or Barnes bullets, or the company that Bill Ruger built. They're all marvelous things, but they aren't my things.
- I'm not a Remington 700 fanboy. The truth be told, few North American firearms interest me, except as platforms on which to build. - Leupold, Zeiss, Schmidt and Bender and Nightforce are all nice scopes, but are overpriced. I'm happy with Bushnell or Burris. - I prefer blue jeans to LL Bean. - I drive a pickup, not a BMW. - Last fall, I passed on not one, but two whitetails, because I was enjoying the walk. - I make my own bullets - jacketed and cast. - I build my own rifles from parts.
I walk my own path.
Back to the 225 Winchester build.You might be reading this, wondering what the heck is a 225 Winchester? If you don't know, please use your Google Foo and find out more about about it. The only thing I ask is to remember that I've always wanted one. As well, that progress has allowed me to correct some shortcomings from 1964.
I've wanted a Model 70 in 225 Winchester since I was a kid. I read all the stories and ads in Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, etc. Winchester accurate! A modern design! I'd be popping groundhogs at 400 yards in no time! I could keep them out of the oat fields. I was naive enough to believe everything those gun writers and ad men told me. Winchester had their hooks in me from an early age and wasn't letting go.
Winchester called the 225 'semi-rimmed'. That's silly. It's rimmed. Calling it semi-rimmed was like calling a summer day partially cloudy. Didn't they mean partially sunny? My friends said I must be a reincarnated Brit. I would stick out my tongue and exclaim, "No need to be rude!"
Rimmed cartridges are cool. The cases have appealing shapes. I like the long, droopy necks and shoulders. The elegant, soft lines. And the flanges are perfect for single shots, another long time interest. Rolling blocks, Farquarsons and High walls. There was so much to like about rims!
My friends shook their heads and told me rims weren't practical, and single shots weren't of much value in today's world either. Older cartridges like the 303 British, 30-30 Winchester, etc. were archaic. Advances in powder chemistry demanded a more efficient container. The brass was too thin. Jiminy Jillikers! Rims? They were right out of the Middle Ages!
They were telling me that I wasn't practical, but apparently they were. Time to drink the Kool Aid! I needed a magnum rifle, imported German scope and a cupboard full of Nosler Partitions!
Bah! The world needs things that are pleasing to the eye. Beauty is very much a practical thing.
Another step in my journey happened about 20 years ago when my best friend bought a Farquharson single shot, chambered in 225 Winchester. I wanted that rifle badly and told my buddy if he ever wanted to sell it, phone me first.
The clincher happened a few years ago when another old friend, John, one of my boyhood mentors, passed away. I was left 225 (yes, you read that right) 225 Winchester cases, dies and some other reloading tools. I got a phone call asking me to drop by his house. His son gave me a box full of the aforementioned reloading stuff, and a message from his dad. It said that he couldn't provide the rifle, but he could give me the rest. Stop procrastinating! I had always talked about it, but never bought one. Don't let life pass you by!
That was 2012. By then, 225 Winchesters were hard to come by, so I built my own. I improved on what Winchester started in the early 1960s.
I chose a barrel with the proper twist. The originals had 1 in 14 twists that were only adequate for 55 grain bullets. I ordered a 1 in 9 from Shilen. Now I could take advantage of heavier bullets and advances in propellant technology. Remember I said that I made my own bullets? That meant I could shoot home made 60 and 65 grain projectiles.
Three years ago, Boyds started making a new, adjustable stock – the AT-ONE. I added it to the box that had a donor Savage action, a trigger, bolt lug, bolt handle and other parts needed to make my 225. It took me a couple of years to collect everything and build it, but it's here now.
The only thing left to do is to shoot it, and invite the spirit of my old mentor, John, to come along. No doubt, he'll be smiling down on me when I go.
Rimmed cartridges have been in my ken for a while.
However, I do not use Google Fool,
Best,
Chuck
I thought everybody used 'the Google'. Despite problems with several single shot rifles that shot rimmed cartridges, I kept at it. I now have a fully functional single shot 30-30 and a couple others. I think the only SS that shot well from the get go was my 45-70 No1.
Originally Posted by websterparish47
Had a friend who had a Win. Mdl 70 in 225 Winchester that had belonged to his father. Only centerfire rifle he owned. Worked fine on Louisiana deer.
I never actually saw or held a Model 70 225 Win until the mid 1970s. I was at a gun show and this guy had a bunch of rifles for sale at his table. It had a few minor nicks, but looked like it was new from the factory. He was asking $150 for it, but I didn't have the money.
I thought of using the 225 for deer. Shot from a 225, a Barnes bullet would be the ticket.
Thought about doing one 10 or 15 years ago. Never made sense in a bolt but an 1885 would have been nice. Brass was tough to find even back then with old boxes of loaded stuff the only thing I ever saw. I think the guy in Ohio was buying most of the brass from Winchester though and had some for sale. Between finding an action and brass just never got around to doing it.
Occassionally , I have seen M70's for sale in .225 here. Thought about it........breifly. The cartridge interests me still , but time and other projects will get in the way.
The 22-250 isn't practical. If it was, the US military would have muckled on to it and built an AR to fit.
It's one of those cartridges that missed the boat, and had to be AIed to be meaningful. Even the US military sent Remington packing. One general was observed shaking his fist and yelling, "Come back when you have a clue!" Harsh...
Remington sunk millions into the 22-250. I believe that the 22-250 is what ruined the company. When they legitimized it, they signed their corporate death warrant. They produced rifles and ammunition in quantity, but they never could convince enough people to give up their 220 Swifts, 222s, 22 Hornets and other 22 CFs in favour of the 22-250. The final straw was when the 223 ascended, and drove a stake into the heart of the company. Their fortunes began to wane.
In order to remain viable and to ward off bankruptcy, they bought H&R, Dakota Arms, Marlin, Bushmaster, Parker, Barnes and more. They even closed some down to reduce the competition, but alas, it did not help. Remington continued its fall, spiraling into oblivion.
My god, what would Eliphalet Remington say if he was here to see his namesake now? Probably something like this.
Caution, Charleton Heston uses naughty language in this clip.
The years passed and Remington fell into disrepair. Now you have the Freedom Group.
The 22-250 isn't practical. If it was, the US military would have muckled on to it and built an AR to fit.
It's one of those cartridges that missed the boat, and had to be AIed to be meaningful. Even the US military sent Remington packing. One general was observed shaking his fist and yelling, "Come back when you have an clue!" Harsh...
Remington sunk millions into the 22-250. I believe that the 22-250 is what ruined the company. When they legitimized it, they signed their corporate death warrant. They produced rifles and ammunition in quantity, but they never could convince enough people to give up their 220 Swifts, 222s, 22 Hornets and other 22 CFs in favour of the 22-250. The final straw was when the 223 ascended, and drove a stake into the heart of the company. Their fortune began to wane.
In order to remain viable and to ward off bankruptcy, they bought H&R, Dakota Arms, Marlin, Bushmaster, Parker, Barnes and more. They even closed some down to reduce the competition, but alas, it did not help. Remington continued its fall, spiraling into oblivion.
My god, what would Eliphalet Remington say if he was here to see his namesake now? Probably something like this.
Caution, Charleton Heston uses naughty language in this clip.
The years passed and Remington fell into disrepair. Now you have the Freedom Group.
Life Member SCI Life Member DSC Member New Mexico Shooting Sports Association
Take your responsibilities seriously, never yourself-Ken Howell
I've wanted a .225 Win for many years. The gun auction here had a model 70 two weeks ago. It went for $775 which wasn't all that bad but it was more than I could swing. I've relegated myself to watching for model 670's in 225 on GB.
Love my M70 225. It's a tack driver. And Steve, its 14" twist shoots 63gr Sierras into smaller groups than any other bullet that I've tried. Haven't worked up the courage to try it on deer, yet.
Thanks for all the responses. I have asked Miss Gatehouse's 1st grade class to write a letter to Remington, chastising them for being so slow to learn and mean.
- WRT the 225's demise, there were several factors. They wanted to stop production of the 220 Swift - the top selling 22 CF at the time. The 225 was Winchester's idea of a replacement - Strike One!
- Remington legitimized the 22-250 in 1965. They started manufacturing the rifle and cartridge, which kicked the hell out of the 225 Win. Anybody who was anybody was already shooting the 22-250 wildcat. Strike Two!
- Winchester announced that there would be three bullet weights available - 50, 55 and 60 grains. But only the 55 gr. was marketed. No doubt because Winchester discovered the 1 in 14 twist wouldn't stabilize the longer, heavier 60 gr. bullet. No one really knows what happened to the 50 grainer. A guess, but they had started producing what turned out to be a "too slow" twist barrel, so the 60 was out. I'm not really sure why subsequent runs weren't made with 1 in 10 twist barrels. At any rate...Strike Three!