Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Looking for some 25-35 Contender info

My youngest son just picked up a 25-35 barrel for our Contender and was wondering if any of you have any experience loading for one. Really just looking for a good informal target load. Thanks!

You might do well to PM Rocky Raab or perhaps he will chime in on this thread.
He has done quite a bit of load work for Contenders, and I would be shocked if he didn't have some great info on the .25-35

Sorry to shock you, TM. Haven't ever loaded for it.

I did reply by email, though.

Yes you did! Thanks for getting back to me!

Hodgdon has data online for the .25-35 pistol

Every TC chamber seems to be a law unto itself- regardless of the cartridge. Depending on you individual chamber you may encounter sticky extraction � especially with the 117-grain bullets � prior to reaching published maximum loads. The tc has a weak extraction system.
I have found my best overall performance � accuracy and extraction � using 100-grain bullets.
My preference for bullets in the standard 25-35 WCF TC barrel is for the 75-garin bullets � I like the 75-grain Sierra bullet.

What powders did you like for the 100 gr. loads? That is the bullet my son wants to shoot in it.

The Hodgdon data is pretty meager. I was hoping to find some additional insight.

Rocky I didn't recall if it was on your webpage or not, and I can't pull it up from the office.

I am surprised that you haven't toyed with the .25-35
I've always wanted to give one a go, but have never found the right barrel for my tastes. I don't want to lay out the money for a MGM or Bullberry if I decide I don't care for it.

I did work with the .256 Winmag, but was smart enough to borrow the barrel from somebody. It was disappointing. So was the .219 Zipper. I can't help thinking the .25-35 combines the most disappointing aspects of BOTH of those rounds. No wonder all three are obsolete.

Sorry, for the delay, my mind is not on the game tonight.
I like the Alliant Reloder 10 and 15 powders for both the standard 25-35 and the 25-35 Improved.
21.0 grains of Reloder 10 will top 2,175 fps from the 20� barrel Winchester and will top 2,200 fps from the 24� Contender. This is not a cranky load extraction wise in the Contender. This is an excellent load for the bulk 100-grain Remington JSP bullets.
22.0 grains of Hodgdon Benchmark is another very good load accuracy wise using the 100-grain bulk Remington bullets. This load will give 2,080 fps in the 20� barrel and top 2,150 fps from the 24� barrel.
From the TC carbine it is not difficult to shoot 5-shot 1� groups as measured by the Target Tool function of RCBS Load. I will tell you I am not the best shot at my gun club and I am not a bragging rights bench rest shot but I am pleased with the accuracy of our 24� TC barrel in 25-35 and I don�t hesitate to sit down and shoot in front of others. I have 8-24X scopes on both Contender barrels and I believe the weight helps more that the magnification. The TC carbines are light and can be difficult to shoot from the benc. Both barrels are bull barrels.

If you decide to load the standard 25-35 Contender warmer than published load data, or if you intend to shoot maximum published load data, buy a spare extractor now, you will need it.

I have shot high pressure 25-35 loads in the Contender with the extractor removed - using a wood dowel to extract the cases. The high pressure loads, above published 25-35 data but not �Nukeleod Reaction� loads, pop right out of the Contender chamber using a wood dowel. These same loads extract with no trouble from my Winchester Model 94AE and Greg Mushials Marlin 336.
With standard 25-35 the limitation is the contender extraction system and I assure you it will frustrate you.
You will however, kill deer easily using the 100-grain bullets in the standard 25-35 at Contender velocities.
My bullet of choice for varmints is the 75-grain Sierra JHP and for deer it is the 100-grain JHP Speer.

Rocky, if you look at the 25-35 go with a slow twist barrel and no bullet heavier than 100-grains. Shooting with Greg clearly demonstrated the accuracy advantage of the slow twist barrel.
For the 256 form you brass from 357 Maximum brass and stay away from the Marlin.

I hear you. My other thought is that I have a really dandy shooter in my 7-30 barrel.. so other than tinkering it would serve no new purpose.

That is the reason for a 25 Bullberry or Francis Sell�s 25-35 Tomcat. The mild improvement aiding extraction.
The 25-35 in a modern lever action rifle is a different cartridge. You can load for velocity with all bullet weights, easily shoot surprising groups at 100 yards and have adequate killing power, at least for our average size West Texas whitetail deer.

We shouldn't have any extraction issues as we don't plan to hot-rod it at all. If we can bust clay pigeons set on the hillside with it we will be happy! I know there are "better" cartridges out there (read that as easier to come by!) but it is fun to play with something "different" that also has a "vintage" feel to it.

This is my son's last year to be able to shoot a doe during general season and the more he thinks about it, the more he REALLY wants to try and get close enough to whack one with the 25-35 out of the Contender.

At close range we shouldn't have any trouble getting the 100 gr. Ballistic Tip to do its job on a young deer.