Author Topic: rechamber suggestions 256 win barrel? (Read 1347 times)

pharmuse · « **on:** May 12, 2005, 10:29:46 AM »

Looking to rechamber one of the 256 win mag "midway specials". Looks like alot have been sold and was wondering what you all were doing with them. Leaning towards the 25 Bullberry, but looking for real life info (inherant accuracy, velocity, availability of dies, cost of dies, ease of reloading) on all the others available. Specifically the 25 classic, some of the reeder customs, 257 jdj, 250 savage.........all are very similar on paper, just looking for first hand experiences. Any info would be appreciated.

fyrepowrx · « **Reply #1 on:** May 12, 2005, 12:06:03 PM »

we must like the same stuff...i bought one of those just for rechambering too. At $175, i just could not pass it up.

i have quarterbores in darn near all the .25's...currenty i shoot the 25/20, .256 WinMag, 25/35, .25 TCU & .25 Bullberry. i Have owned 1 .257JDJ, and am soon going to be trying out the .256 max. I decided to have my .256 Midway special reamed out to that one. After all if you have most of them, you need the rest.. If i had to have only 1...i would stomp & throw a fit, and and i would personally settle on the TCU, but for the most part the Bullberry would be a better choice.

More "whompability" as one graybeard member called it.

If you have the Wildcat Cartridges book there is a great article in there about the Bullberry; however i doubt a deer would know the difference between it or the JDJ... Case capacity of the Bullberry was good enough to throw 87 grainers at just under 2689 with 35grains of IMR4064. On my load data sheet that SSK sent me , it shows in the JDJ that 87 grain bullets will do 2591 when using 37 grains of W748.

As to accuracy, my Virgin Valley .25 TCU is best, but the Bullberry aint bad, when i turn the scope up & try real hard not to screw it up i can always keep them in an inch at 100, with most groups at about 7/8" with the Hornady 87 spire point or the Nosler 100 BT. Neither of my barrels like the 75 grain loads as well, but i have not really tried to work with the light bullets much so they might if i experimented more. Hope this helps...if you want a copy of the stuff SSK sent with my last .257JDJ let me know & i can fax it or mail it to you.
Good shootin!

pharmuse · « **Reply #2 on:** May 13, 2005, 02:14:00 AM »

Thanks for the input. That is the practical experience I'm hoping to get from the forum.

Fyrepowrx, sending PM w/ fax #. Thanks again.

pharmuse · « **Reply #3 on:** May 13, 2005, 02:29:35 AM »

Guess I'm an idiot, been working for 20 min to send a PM and can't figure it out. Fax number (304) 965-2424.

fyrepowrx · « **Reply #4 on:** May 13, 2005, 05:00:44 AM »

No problem...most of the time i cant get the PM's to work either...makes you hate the word "invalid session" dont it? i will fax tomorrow morning, i didnt think to bring it to the office today.

fyrepowrx · « **Reply #5 on:** May 14, 2005, 07:47:30 AM »

Pharmuse;

i faxed loading data on both the Bullberry & the JDJ on Saturday, let e me know if it did not come through & i will re-send.

Good shootin!

pharmuse · « **Reply #6 on:** May 15, 2005, 10:41:42 AM »

Rec'v fax info, thanks much.

pharmuse · « **Reply #7 on:** May 16, 2005, 04:18:29 PM »

Thanks again for the info. Where did the article on the 25 bullberry come from? Would you be able to send a copy of that article as well. I was able to read pieces of it and the author was talking about how the 30-30's made thick necks, but couldn't read teh rest. I have alot of 7-30 Waters brass and wondering if it would be a better choice to reform than the 30-30's.

fyrepowrx · « **Reply #8 on:** May 16, 2005, 05:44:17 PM »

That one is from Wildcat Cartridges, Volume 2...i will shoot you a copy of it as well...a good article, in fact it was that one that first got me interested in the .25 Bullberry (like i really need an excuse to get another barrel!) Anyway its a good article, i forget the authors name at the moment , but you will find it useful.

Big Gun · « **Reply #9 on:** May 17, 2005, 01:28:10 AM »

I wanted a 25 cal Contender barrel as well, but wanted more power than the 25 TCU, and wanted to be able to shoot factory ammo. I ended up with the 25-35, not a bad cartridge and flexible enough that with handloading I can use for varmits or deer. Mine is a 10" Bullberry - thus very portable. Check the loading manuals for info on this cartridge, it has been around forever, factory ammo is still made, brass is readily available, brass can also be formed fairly easily. Good luck, and let us know what you decide.

fyrepowrx · « **Reply #10 on:** May 19, 2005, 12:25:54 PM »

Pharmuse;

i finally got that article to scan on the .25 Bullberry, had trouble with that one due to the size of the book..will send this evening for your review. Let me know if it does not come across well.

pharmuse · « **Reply #11 on:** May 20, 2005, 01:29:05 AM »

Rec'd info, thanks AGAIN! I'm not interested for myself, but the idea of the 256 win MAX is pretty entertaining.

haroldclark · « **Reply #12 on:** May 21, 2005, 06:34:09 PM »

What type of barrel configuration is the 256 Win Mag? How long is it?

I have a buddy that has a Bullberry 250 Savage AI and he runs a 100 grain bullet out of a 20" barrel at 2600 fps.(so he thinks). We shoot out to 500 meters and the accuracy is impressive.

Harold Clark

fyrepowrx · « **Reply #13 on:** May 22, 2005, 04:26:52 AM »

Those "Midway Specials" are blued super-14's. I see they hiked the price back up to $250 again...

haroldclark · « **Reply #14 on:** May 22, 2005, 05:41:39 AM »

Thanks for the update fyrepwrx.

The 256 Win mag is about my speed these days. I have one of the octagonal barrel incher in 256 Win mag. I shoot cast bullets in it and it is a real pea shooter.

I have checked out the 256 in longer barrels (longer than 14") to see what it would do for me at the games I play.

I have to get my 25-06 rebarreled. After over 3700 rounds of mostly full throttle jacteted varmit loads and a couple thousand cast loadings, the throat is absolutely shot out.

I know that you said you have a 350 Rem Mag on another post. I have considered making it a 35 Whelen or a 358 Winchester out of the 25, but I take two asprin and take a nap and that thought goes away for a while.

I have a buddy that rebarreled his 22-250 Ruger #1 to a 35 Whelan and we shoot cast bullets in it. I cast the 200 Grain gas checked bullets and he loads it with 30 grains of IMR 4227. We shoot it out to 500 meters at rams. We set the rams back off the rail a bit so they will go down with cast bullet hits. Thats more fun that we can stand, sometimes. Of course, the wind factor that is almost always present requires some hellacious allowances for drift.

Nice talking to you.

Harold Clark

pharmuse · « **Reply #15 on:** May 24, 2005, 02:19:58 PM »

Still haven't made a decision. Anyone have any more practical experience with the 250 savage ackley improved in a 14" barrel. Dies and brass are easy to get for that. Just looking for more "field" information on any 25's. Will primarily be used for deer hunting, not all caught up on speed, but it is nice. I really like shooting those "ity-bity" groups that leave the rifle shooters at the range with their jaws to the ground.

Moe · « **Reply #16 on:** May 24, 2005, 06:23:51 PM »

I had a 15" 25 BB That was super accurate, but the cartridge was boring and funny looking. Then I got an Encore in 256 Super Mag. Man was that accurate also with 75's. Got bored with the power level and had it rechambered to 257JDJ. Now that is a super round. Very accurate also. In fact I just ordered a Contender barrel 20 inchs in 257 JDJ. I like having a rim on the case. I have a 6tcu thats great also. Kind of hard to extract. David White makes a 250 AI on 307 brass so it has a rim. Give him a call. He has a lot of info.

fyrepowrx · « **Reply #17 on:** May 24, 2005, 06:37:44 PM »

I dont think i have ever heard of a complaint about an SSK product, so you cant go wrong there... never tried the 250AI personally, although i shoot a Model 70 carbine in the standard .250 and it is superb...long as you dont hot-load it, should be fine, and like you said brass is pretty easy to come by. Those 100 grain Winchester factory silvertip loads have taken both the deer i have shot with my .250 and they shoot great and expand well...

i hope to start up a loading project with the .25 Classic soon, if so i will let you know how that works. i traded for a 15" VV in that caliber a couple of weeks back and hope to get it scoped, loaded, and into action.

Moe...ya know that .257 carbine sounds like a dandy...thought about trying that one in a carbine some day, but this .25 Classic looks pretty interesting too...lemme know how that carbine shoots. Is it a new SSK, or a rechamber of an existing barrel?

Moe · « **Reply #18 on:** May 25, 2005, 10:07:24 AM »

Its a new barrel, been about two weeks since they got my check now. I do have an Encore rechambered in 257JDJ also. Its 16.5 inches long and set up as a carbine also.

Steelbanger · « **Reply #19 on:** May 25, 2005, 11:34:32 AM »

Maybe I missed something but are these T/C barrels? And are they using the old 14" twist? I had a 10" bull some years back and it wouldn't stabilize anything over 87 grains. 100 grainers wouldn't tumble but there was no hint of good grouping, and forget the heavier choices. That old barrel really did like 75 gr. hollow points though.

And that's my 2Â¢ worth.

Moe · « **Reply #20 on:** May 25, 2005, 04:26:41 PM »

Minbe were/are 10 twist.

fyrepowrx · « **Reply #21 on:** May 25, 2005, 05:30:24 PM »

i think my TC factory .25's (25/20, .256, 25/35) are twisted 1 in 10.

Some of the other .25's have varying twists, my VV .256 Mag is 1 in 10 , the VV .257 TCU & .25 Classic are 1 in 12, and the .25 "Whisper" i just bought is 1 in 9. Have no idea what the .25 Bullberry is. Dont think i ever shot anything over 100 grains in it, but it likes those well..i always assumed it was a 1 in 10..

I have never ordered anything out of the ordinary from Bullberry, anybody know if they will do special twists / chamber throats, etc?

now that i think back, 15 years ago or so i had a 10" Octagon .256 that wouldnt shoot worth a crap, i wonder how long ago they used a slower twist? I used to have a page bookmarked somewhere that gave old & new twist rates in TC barrels, but couldnt find it.