Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Help with .25-35 loads?

A friend brought me a '94 SRC in .25-35...accuracy complaints. Cleaned it good, inspected the bore/muzzle, checks out pretty good,maybe a little cleaning rod wear at the muzzle. Shot it and it's a dog, 1 3/4" at 50 yards. I have a limited supply of 117 gr Hornady RN's, and was going to try some handloads, but due to the scarcity of bullets, I was looking for suggestions in the way of proven performing handloads to cut down on using up limited supplies while testing.

As there seems to be some issue with the muzzle, I would start there with a recrown at the least before messing with loads. It doesn't take much abnormality at the crown to affect accuracy.

As for loads, my limited use of the 117 gr Hornady bullets has been mostly in the 250 Savage. What little I have used them has been in the 25 Remington which is basically a rimless 25/35. I used IMR 3031, 4064, and Varget at near max loads per the Hornady manual. From a couple of Remington 8s, a Standard Arms Model G, and a Remington 14 I got 2.5"-3.5" groups at 100 yards depending on the day and gun. I didn't get much expansion with them on a couple deer I shot so switched to 100 gr spitzers.

I do have a 25/35 but it is a Savage 99 and I use the mentioned 100 gr spitzers with it. I use 3031 and 4064 with these bullets. I found load data in the pistol section of the annual Hodgdon magazine.