I'm lusting for a 25 cal shortaction. I have a lefty 700 action and everything but the barrel, but what do I barrel it for?
250-3000?
250-3000AI?
25-08?
25-08AI?
What do I do?
I love the 308 family, so good, so easy.
I also love the 250 Savage, so classy, so good.
I already have everything to load 250 Savage, including a lot of brass, and bullets.
I will also have a 358 lever to cover my other needs.
I also have a 45/70 to cover my other, other needs.
Not to mention 22's, a 223, a 50 cal frontstuffer, and a 12 gauge, plus some handguns.
There's also a 20 gauge s/s, some 300 Savage 99's, a 243 Savage 99, and a 30-30 Savage 99 available for my use. But I gotta have a 25! What to do, what to do?

257 WSM?

I just finished a 257 Bob on a Rem 600, have yet to shoot it.

25 Souper for shorter barrels and 25-284 for longer barrels.

The 25 Souper will do everything that a 250AI will do, given equal pressures and the same bullets, but I found that the 25 Souper would feed better in my Ruger 77 RSI.

Despite having a herd of 250-3000 rifles, I like the 25 Souper and 25-284 more. If I was going to build a light 20" stalking rifle on a SA Remington 7/600/660/700, I'd go with the 25 Souper. If I was going to build a heavier 24" longer range, open country, rifle, I'd go with the 25-284 and never look back. If limited to a single bolt action rifle to shoot everything from pdogs to deer, I'd go with the 25-284 and never look back or 2nd guess my choice.

Jeff

I'm not familiar with the 25-284. Is it faster than the 25-08 out of a 20 inch tube, or would it just be louder?
I figure 250 to 300 yard shots would be the most I'll ever see or try, if ever even that.
I'm going for a Model 7-ish package.

More case capacity = more velocity potential.

That said, I think that 22" probably as short as I'd go with a 25-284, so if the barrel length = 20", the recommended .257" bore cartridge = 25 Souper.

Jeff

Thanks much.
Is it possible to neck brass down from 30 to 25? I know up from 243 would be no problem.
I gotta consider both of these. My Marlin to be, in 358, will be my stalking, thick stuff rifle. The Remington will be for other, more open, uses. Maybe 2 inches more wouldn't be so bad on the barrel.
How do you make 284-25 brass? Who makes dies for it? Can Lee make them?

I prefer to neck up, rather than neck down, if possible, so I used Winchester/Olin 243 brass to make by 25 Souper cartridges.

Everybody and their Mother make 25-284 reloading stuff. I use Winchester/Olin 284 brass to make all of my 284-based wildcat cartridges. You could use Norma 6.5-284 brass also, but I haven't, so can't comment on it.

Jeff

Don't make this complicated. The .250-3000 is easy to load for and you already have everything. It's going to be more efficient than any of the other choices discussed and better suited to your proposed 20-inch barrel length. (A 20-inch .25-.284? Think 20-inch .25-06.)

The only other choice I'd consider would be a .257 Roberts.

For a model "7ish" package....25 souper

With such a short barrel, be sure the rate of twist is correct to stabilize your larger bullets.

Pick up a used Kimber 84M and re-barrel it. Now wouldn't that be neat in 250-3000? That little bit of extra box length would mean long loaded ctgs. Merry Christmad!

I have my hopes high on a 250 Savage AI in a SS 700 action, SS 21" Lilja rem mt barrel contour, Ti stock, ~6 lbs:

85gr Barnes and 100gr TSX. I hope it will be ready in a few more months xing my fingers.

Uh, you did note corelokt's original post, didn't you?


This would lead one to believe that:

• He already possesses an action on which he intends to build.
• He is LEFT-HANDED.

Why are you suggesting that he buy a RIGHT-HANDED Kimber?

What are the velocities for these with 120gn pills?
20" 250-3000
22" 250-3000

20" 250-3000AI
22" 250-3000AI

20" 25 Souper
22" 25 Souper
24" 25 Souper

22" 25-284
24" 25-284
Knowing this for choosing a 300 yard-able rifle would help.

And the Roberts!, thats just further clouding the waters, don't know much except it was a newton parent case, like the 250, right?

The .25-.284 is going to approximate the .25-06. I can't comment on the .25 Souper or .250-3000 AI, but I've never been much of a fan of anything over 100 grains in my .250-3000s. The 120-grain slugs take up too much case capacity for my taste. (I can drive the 100-grain slugs in the neighborhood of 2900 FPS from my 24" Shilen-barreled Model 700 -- also a lefty.)

Nooooo. It was based on the 7x57mm necked to .257 diameter.

I definetly want to be able to go up to 120gn bullets. Just sucks I have all sorts of 250 supplies and no 250 right now. A 284-25 sounds real sharp, does the 257Rob compare with it?
Can 250Sav dies be opened up to work with Ackly improved rounds?
AARRGGHH!
AACCKK!
URG!

As long as your twist can accomodate them, you should be able to reasonably wring 2650-2700 FPS out of 120-grain slugs in a .250-3000. I just think there are better choices for launching that weight. A .257 Roberts should be able to reasonably do it at 2800 FPS.

The cost and trouble to ream .250-3000 dies to .257 Roberts can't quite be justified over buying a new set. Of course you're in a good place to turn that stuff over should you decide to go with something other than .250-3000.

The reason that I like the 25 Souper in a shorter barrels SA rifle is that the case length, 51mm, allows you to load 120 grain bullets without any chance of encountering OAL issues. Plus, the 25 Souper feeds like a 243, 260, or 308 and I have had trouble with a couple of rifles feeding the 40-degree shouldered AIs, with the 250AI being the 1 that gave me the most trouble and followed closely by the 257AI.

If you want an easier solution, the 260 will do almost as well on varmints and will allow you to shoot heavier bullets, if you want to.

Jeff

257 Roberts! No feeding issues, easy brass, and no discernable difference in the field.

This is my answer, but Bricktop beat me to it!!!!

BMT

I played with a few cartridges around 25 cal but used none of them so take my advice with a grain of salt. I have used the 243WIN and 6mmREM quite a bit. They are both easy to reload, feed and find brass. If I were making the choice, I'd go for the 25-08 for the "unusual" factor. The 257Bob is the "classic" choice. So do you want cool and unusual or classic?

RH

The .250-3000 and .257 Roberts fit all of those criteria.

Got to agree with Bricktop, those are my two favorites. From what I've seen with them on whitetails, there is no need to go above 100 grain unless you plan on game bigger than deer. There have been plenty of reports on the web about 100 Partitions and TSXs dropping elk easily with both cartridges. Given qicker than normal twists both would handle the 120s, but the standard 10" twist works better with the 100 and below.

I have a Brown Prcesion Rem 600 in 250-3000 with a 20" barrel, electroless nickle plated. Great gun and I wouldn't change a thing.

just build the 250 before you blow a nut

if you want to change it later you can. just a labor charge. besides, it exudes class like no other 25 (other than the roy which ads some blonde and big $$%^^ to the fun)

woofer

Agreed ..... It also depends on how much velocity you need/want.

I could live with a 250AI in a short action or a 3" 257R in a long action.

.... at least with the stock 250Savage, you could open it up later if needed.