25GT revisited 11/2023

[High Desert duck]

With out the Blackjacks is the 25GT still worth pursuing?

If you are going with the Bergers I would have a new reamer made. The pressure issue I have been fighting may stem from a neck diameter issue. I Talked to a rifle builder and he was having the same problem with his 25x47 rifles after the 131s ran out. New reamer problem went away. apparently the theory is that the BJ and the Berger are at opposite ends of the tolerance and the Berger is thick enough to cause a small increase in neck diameter.
it could also have been brass flow thickening the neck that just happened to appear at the same time as I switched to the Bergers. I may try neck turning or maybe having the neck of the chamber opened up.

 

[357Max]

If you are going with the Bergers I would have a new reamer made. The pressure issue I have been fighting may stem from a neck diameter issue. I Talked to a rifle builder and he was having the same problem with his 25x47 rifles after the 131s ran out. New reamer problem went away. apparently the theory is that the BJ and the Berger are at opposite ends of the tolerance and the Berger is thick enough to cause a small increase in neck diameter.
it could also have been brass flow thickening the neck that just happened to appear at the same time as I switched to the Bergers. I may try neck turning or maybe having the neck of the chamber opened up.

It's a real shame to see such a good bullet die on the vine. I tried the Berger's and they did not shoot as well as the BJ's in my Black Jack reamed 25C. Decided to pull the barrel & play with 22 GT.

 

[nrspence]

It's a real shame to see such a good bullet die on the vine. I tried the Berger's and they did not shoot as well as the BJ's in my Black Jack reamed 25C. Decided to pull the barrel & play with 22 GT.

I am surprised no one has bought the rights to start building that bullet. I hear Sierra was making them for BJ.

 

[Rumblestrip]

I believe Hornady is releasing a modern 25 cal bullet if they haven’t done so already.

 

[owyheerat]

I believe Hornady is releasing a modern 25 cal bullet if they haven’t done so already.

New 25 cal from Hornady

I'm stocked up on Bergers, but some may want to get in line for a cheaper alternative.

www.snipershide.com

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

Debating on switching to this for a season since 135 bergers are much easier to get. How is the recoil and barrel life compared to 6GT running about 2900?

 

[High Desert duck]

Debating on switching to this for a season since 135 bergers are much easier to get. How is the recoil and barrel life compared to 6GT running about 2900?

I really haven’t done much with it over the last year. I was having problems getting the velocity I was using with the ace after switching to the bergers. The current theory I’m working on is that the longer bearing surface of the Berger is causing increased pressure. I had to drop the velocity to 2700 ish to get rid of pressure signs. I just haven’t had an empty receiver in a while to work on it.
I would say the recoil is just barely heavier than the 6. Very manageable, in my 22# configuration it was easy to spot shots off a barricade at 200. Barrel life seems to be very good. I pulled the barrel after a 2 day match last year at 2300 rounds and it is burning .002-.003 per 100 rounds.

 

[Kiwi303]

Anyone running 134 elds in the 25GT?

looking at getting one built, seems the right balance of recoil, case fill and velocity for what I do

 

[High Desert duck]

Anyone running 134 elds in the 25GT?

looking at getting one built, seems the right balance of recoil, case fill and velocity for what I do

I am about to try some out. I’ll post up results

 

[High Desert duck]

Anyone running 134 elds in the 25GT?

looking at getting one built, seems the right balance of recoil, case fill and velocity for what I do

Tried the 134s today. I shot a ladder looking at velocities and pressure limits. 36.9 and 37.2 were just over 100% capacity. (Very light crunch on bullet seating) round was super consistent had no problem keeping them all on an 8x12 plate at 500. Could spot trace easily up until 36 grains. Minimal recoil in 21# rifle with ACE Brake. All and all very similar velocities to the black jack bullets. Never saw any bad pressure signs maybe slightly flat primers. At 36.6 the blackjacks did 2780, the bergers (with pressure do 2722, and the Hornady do 2740.


GAP brass
Cci 450
H4350
CBTO 1.914
OAL 2.647
34.5 2596
34.8 2624
35.1 2628
35.4 2659
35.7 2672
36.0 2691
36.3 2717
36.6 2740
36.9 2754
37.2 2798

 

[nrspence]

Tried the 134s today. I shot a ladder looking at velocities and pressure limits. 36.9 and 37.2 were just over 100% capacity. (Very light crunch on bullet seating) round was super consistent had no problem keeping them all on an 8x12 plate at 500. Could spot trace easily up until 36 grains. Minimal recoil in 21# rifle with ACE Brake. All and all very similar velocities to the black jack bullets. Never saw any bad pressure signs maybe slightly flat primers. At 36.6 the blackjacks did 2780, the bergers (with pressure do 2722, and the Hornady do 2740.


GAP brass
Cci 450
H4350
CBTO 1.914
OAL 2.647
34.5 2596
34.8 2624
35.1 2628
35.4 2659
35.7 2672
36.0 2691
36.3 2717
36.6 2740
36.9 2754
37.2 2798

View attachment 8278150

What do you think? Are you going to start running the 25gt in comps again?

 

[High Desert duck]

What do you think? Are you going to start running the 25gt in comps again?

I am going to give the Hornady a shot a local comp coming up. I have a lot of bergers and I might give them a shot at a speed that doesn’t show pressure. (2650ish)
Nationals I’ll run the 6CM it’s treating me pretty well.

 

[High Desert duck]

Still struggling with the bergers. I screwed the barrel back on yesterday. The barrel was pulled with 2025 rounds on it.
Started the test with ammo that had been loaded in June 2023. I have a friend that gave me 20 131s the check the load with. All the rounds in this test were pulled down from a batch in 6/23 and reloaded with the same brass and powder to specs.
All brass is 5x fired GAP, CCI 450, H4350, trimmed to 1.718. During seating everything felt roughly the same for neck tension.

1st string 5 shots (my buddy runs almost this exact load in a barrel made with my reamer without any problems.)
36.8 grains , Berger 135, CBTO 1.945, OAL 2672, .026 Jam. It ran at 2728fps SD 9.7
Brass Showed pressure - ejector swipe and a little brass flow on 2 pieces.

2nd string 5 shots. Bullet seated deeper.
36.8 grains, Berger 135, CBTO 1.913, OAL 2647, .005 jump. Average 2732fps, SD 9.1,
Brass Showed pressure - ejector swipe and a little brass flow on 1 piece.

3rd string 5 shots original blackjack load
36.7 grains, Blackjack ACE 131, CBTO 1.913, OAL 2.675, .030 jump. Average 2781 SD 9.5,
No pressure signs, running same speed as the load did 2 years ago.

4th string Hornady 134 ladder
Hornady 134 ELD-M, CBTO 1.915, OAL 2.679, .065 jump.
See above. No pressure sign’s throughout ladder. Very similar to what I saw with the blackjacks.

5th string Berger 135 ladder.
Berger 135, CBTO 1.913, OAL 2.647, .005 jump.
34.2. 2560
34.5. 2602
34.8. 2629
35.1. 2631
35.4. 2652
35.7. 2660 ejector swipe
36.0. 2677
36.3. Xxxx
36.6. Xxxx
36.9. Xxxx

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Any more data with 134 eldms and varget or equivalent?
I'm kicking this around for NRL Hunter matches but I'd need to get that bullet up around 2840 to make power factor.

In my 6 gt with 112s H4350 was slow and inconsistent, varget and N150 will get me to 2950 with single digit SDs

 

[Niles Coyote]

I am breaking in a new Benchmark TS customs 28". This would be rounds 66-75 through the bore. Range was too busy for target pics at 700 but vertical was under 2/10th for 10. I'm jumping the 134's .050. Brand new hornady brass expanded to .2545"

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

I am breaking in a new Benchmark TS customs 28". This would be rounds 66-75 through the bore. Range was too busy for target pics at 700 but vertical was under 2/10th for 10. I'm jumping the 134's .050. Brand new hornady brass expanded to .2545"

Wow that's slooooow
Are you looking for pressure yet?

 

[Niles Coyote]

Wow that's slooooow
Are you looking for pressure yet?

Not yet and probably won't. I'll be quite content if I end up in the mid to low 2600's.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Not yet and probably won't. I'll be quite content if I end up in the mid to low 2600's.

Sounds like if I'm needing to hit mid 2800s for match requirements I'd better go with a bigger case..

 

[sierracharlie338]

Sounds like if I'm needing to hit mid 2800s for match requirements I'd better go with a bigger case..

25 creed with a 26 inch tube seems to get that done

 

[Rumblestrip]

Based on this video from Kenny, it sounds like 35ish grains of Varget is what you need for 2800fps with the Hornady 134’s

 

[WasNH4X]

25 creed with a 26 inch tube seems to get that done

"Shooting Buddy" is waiting for his from bug holes chambering a 1.25 x28" . Will be interesting to watch his 75 yr old ass ring it out to the max. I'm expecting a call from him any day now ,to come over see and " here shoot this thang 4X "

 

[sierracharlie338]

"Shooting Buddy" is waiting for his from bug holes chambering a 1.25 x28" . Will be interesting to watch his 75 yr old ass ring it out to the max. I'm expecting a call from him any day now ,to come over see and " here shoot this thang 4X "

Post up the numbers if you can talk them out of him

 

[WasNH4X]

Post up the numbers if you can talk them out of him

Oh, I'll known what they are fo sho ....will be watching the Lab Radar screen while he finds the max .Like I said, it WILL be interesting

Edit : The fucker broke me from shooting his 7 AI............" Nope ,not shootin that kicking SOB AGAIN until you put a brake on it. Whitt Machine tamed that bitch right on down.