Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots .256 win in 14" TC

Wondering if an 85gr Nosler BT from a 14" TC would be doable on deer inside 50 yards.
Got a custom made bbl from an old coworker (he made).

Also have a TC Custom shop rifle bbl (gunshow find).

But Id rather run this rig as a handgun.

Have one bag of WW brass and 4 boxes of factory ammo.

Hookeye,

I would think that the .256 would be marginal for deer... But realisitically, if one chose his shots well, and keep the range under 50 or 60 yds, it's probably doable. I have a .25/35 Winchester carbine barrel, and I wouldn't even use that. But then, I don't consider myself that precise of a shot. Besides, I have dozens of rifles that are better performers, and I'll never get to hunting with most of them. But I guess everyone on the 'fire is a better shot than I am...

Pose this question over at Specialtypistols.com, you'll get a dissertation.

75 grain Hornady v-max is the first bullet I would try.

I used a 70 grain Sierra blitzking in a 25-20, and it exited on a broad side shot.

This would be for doe only under 50 yards.
Pistol wears a 4X.

Not really a fan of EER. But I shoot em OK.
An Aimpoint w 2 moa dot would make it stoopid easy to shoot well.
Had a clone on my 14" .35 rem.

Not to hijack this thread but I am interested in your info about the 25-20. I may be coming into a bolt action rifle in 25-20 and wondered if at close range how it would do.

Similar topic, dont consider any thread variation to be a hi jack.

Let er rip

I have a Rem m25R, pump action carbine 25-20 with a 17" barrel, neat gun little take down piece from 1928 that I was working with. I had read that it is one of the weaker actions that the 25-20 was released in so I took it fairly easy on the 80+ year old carbine. I was set up with the 75 grain Speer flatnose bullet but that is a very hard bullet that didn't mushroom or disrupt at all at the velocity that I was loading them.

Here's a generic example of the m25R from the web:



I was looking for bullet options that would expand, and tried the 70 blitzking with the polymer tips filed off. They were slightly less accurate than the Speer, but hit exactly 1/2" higher with .4-.5 grains more of 4198 for the 70 grain Sierra. I was still getting under 1" groups at 50 yards with either bullet.

I had heard of people using the 75 grain Hornady vamx on deer from a 25-20, but that bullet profile wasn't going to work for the Remington action, so I went with the Sierra.

I liked the idea of the 25-20 as a "meat in the pot" gun and carried it for small game with the 75 grain Speer and went with the 70 blitzking when I wanted expansion.

I still would like to hunt turkey with the little 4lb carbine, but will have to go out of state for that.

Anecdotal evidence but the Jordan Buck was shot with a .25-20

I've had a 256 Win Mag on a 92 Winchester since mid-1960's and had a 256 10" barrel on a contender. The largest animal I've shot at was a red fox. I'd be interested in your findings. The Winchester shot the factory ammo very well. The other bullet I shot a lot was a 60 gr Hornady flat point designed for the 25-20. I've also shot at targets with a Speer 75 grain flat point bullets. I've not been able to shoot much longer bullets accurately - due to twist rate, I suspect. 87 grain Hornady bullets shot about a 4" group at 40 yards and the bullet holes looked like the bullets went sideways.

I wonder how softer lead bullets designed for the cowboy action crowd would do?

Years ago, after selling a custom Martini Cadet in .256, I put the remaining factory ammo I had up for sale. A guy in Texas bought it for his grandkids, who were using it on the smaller Texas whitetails out of a Marlin Model 62 lever action. When I questioned him, he told me that those little 60 grain hollowpoints at roughly 2800 fps were doing the job consistently.

I think you'll find that any of the 75 grain bullets pushed at about 2400 fps will do the job fine as long as you pick your shots.

its gonna be a weird fun summer, 219 D Wasp in rifle and .256 win in Contender.
Now only if we had groundhogs...........

Actually, I saw one out in town today. Never looked for em there before.
Odd I looked and spotted him atop a mound w bush.