25 GT, is it the new 257 Roberts?

[The Guide]

I'm researching the 25 GT as a hunting cartridge. I see guys having good success with easy load accuracy and precision using the heavy 257 bullets. I saw brass on the G.A. Precision website and it got me looking at the possibility of using it as a hunting round. Something soft on the shoulder but built for the heavyweight bullets. Basically what a 257 Roberts would have been if it was designed today.

Would the 25 GT be that much better than the 6 GT? Is the 6 GT with the 109 ELDM the easy button? Is the 22 GT with the 88 ELDM heads and tails above the 6 and the 25 and should be the answer? I'm just thinking about something other than a Creedmoor or a lil magnum cartridge for a rifle with a 20" barrel that can still shoot across canyon when needed.

Jay

Already have a 223, a 6 ARC, a 6 CM, a 243, a 260...

 

[AZ_Hunter]

Wouldn’t a 25 CM make more sense since you have a 6mm CM? Just thinking about brass availability/compatibility of necking up.

I like the idea of all the 25 based cats with the new heavy for caliber bullets. I have always had a soft spot for the quarter bore for some reason.

 

[The Guide]

Wouldn’t a 25 CM make more sense since you have a 6mm CM? Just thinking about brass availability/compatibility of necking up.

I like the idea of all the 25 based cats with the new heavy for caliber bullets. I have always had a soft spot for the quarter bore for some reason.

I'm trying to keep it so that I have headstamped brass and like I said, something other than a Creedmoor case or a little magnum. A 25 CM or a 25 SST cartridge or a 257 Weatherby would be easier but I want a cartridge that is simple to load for and has modern design for accuracy.

Jay

 

[willfrye027]

25 GT sounds fun.

My 25 creedmoors have been the best shooting rifles and the easiest to load of anything I’ve loaded for. You could load a 25 creedmoor mild, and have excellent barrel and brass life. Or hot rod it and be on the heels of 6.5prc ballistics, I don’t see a compelling reason to go GT unless you just want to, which is also fair.

 

[eoperator]

Seems like you have the mild cartridges covered, why not .25/6.5prc

 

[sierracharlie338]

I have a 20 inch 6GT coming because it was on sale and it will primarily be a hunting rifle. If that wasn’t the case, I would def build a 25GT. My first deer rifle was a 257 Roberts and so I’ve always loved the 25s. All that said, my 25 creed is an absolute hammer that out performs my expectations. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the modern 25s and fast twist barrels.

 

[The Guide]

I bought a Remington 722 in 257 Roberts AI a couple years ago. It is a neat rifle with a beautiful wood stock and iron sights. I sent the bolt in and got it a different extractor installed since the original one sucked and chewed up the rims on all the brass. It came with some handloads with 85 NBT that shoot well. It is not something I want to mess with a whole bunch since it is a little piece of old school history.

I would like to find something in a 25 that can shoot the heavy bullets that is a little unique but still has headstamped brass with a modern case design that sips powder. There are a bunch of great cartridges that cover some aspects of what I'm looking for but not all. I do have some 25WSSM brass and ammo that I found last year. Maybe that is the answer? A mini magnum? Wonder if I could get it to work in a Howa Mini Action? Those WSSM cases are almost the size of a Grendel case. More to think about.

Jay

 

[wind gypsy]

IMO it’s attractive for 26" barreled gamer guns who want minimal recoil and max BC and see benefit to lower velocity on trace/shot spotting but less so for a short barrel hunting rifle that will have slow velocities.

If you don’t want to 25 creed.. I’m a x47 fanboy https://alphamunitions.com/product/25x47/

But yeah, dont see much of a benefit vs 6 creed for hunting.

 

[The Guide]

IMO it’s attractive for 26" barreled gamer guns who want minimal recoil and max BC and see benefit to lower velocity on trace/shot spotting but less so for a short barrel hunting rifle that will have slow velocities.

If you don’t want to 25 creed.. I’m a x47 fanboy https://alphamunitions.com/product/25x47/

But yeah, dont see much of a benefit vs 6 creed for hunting.

I forgot about the x47 group. Also easy to load and generally shoot very well. Good call sir!

Jay

 

[Wapitiaddict]

25sst is super easy to load for. It would give you more horsepower than you already have without much more recoil.

 

[The Guide]

25sst is super easy to load for. It would give you more horsepower than you already have without much more recoil.

Ya but in a magnum bolt face. My interest is a standard bolt face and a soft recoiling cartridge.

Jay

 

[Wapitiaddict]

Ya but in a magnum bolt face. My interest is a standard bolt face and a soft recoiling cartridge.

Jay

Gotcha. My vote would be the 25GT then.

 

[khuber84]

I built a 25gt for prs this spring. With 135s top end was 2770 from a 28in barrel. I tried varget, H4350, rl15.5, never could get em to shoot consistently small. Switched to 131 blackjacks, and they shot better, at 2720 with varg. The barrel never would shoot like my 6gt, 25cm 65cm match rigs, junked it and sold the brass.

This fall I had a 28in 25x47 cut, and it shoots very well with 135s and H4350 at 2770 (39.5gr) with practically no load dev, 10 shot groups half minute at 400y. I'm close to being out of case capacity, might be able to get 40.5gr in the case with a drop tube to avoid powder crunch, but if I want more speed will likely switch to varget or RL15.5. The difference in recoil of my 25x47 and 25cm is minimal, but these are heavy match rifles. The ballistics of the 25s at 2750 are a wash with the 6s using their high bc stuff at 2850-2900. Recoil is less with the 6s as well. 6s are easier to shoot, usually easier to tune a load.

My 6gt match barrels have gone 2500 rounds before I pull them(still shooting small), high rates of fire, 10-12rds 90-120 seconds in matches and practice. Normal shooting I bet they would go 3000 with maintaining sub moa groups.

 

[Gstew1930]

Zero experience with it but the 25 Saw seems real interesting to me

 

[The Guide]

I built a 25gt for prs this spring. With 135s top end was 2770 from a 28in barrel. I tried varget, H4350, rl15.5, never could get em to shoot consistently small. Switched to 131 blackjacks, and they shot better, at 2720 with varg. The barrel never would shoot like my 6gt, 25cm 65cm match rigs, junked it and sold the brass.

This fall I had a 28in 25x47 cut, and it shoots very well with 135s and H4350 at 2770 (39.5gr) with practically no load dev, 10 shot groups half minute at 400y. I'm close to being out of case capacity, might be able to get 40.5gr in the case with a drop tube to avoid powder crunch, but if I want more speed will likely switch to varget or RL15.5. The difference in recoil of my 25x47 and 25cm is minimal, but these are heavy match rifles. The ballistics of the 25s at 2750 are a wash with the 6s using their high bc stuff at 2850-2900. Recoil is less with the 6s as well. 6s are easier to shoot, usually easier to tune a load.

My 6gt match barrels have gone 2500 rounds before I pull them(still shooting small), high rates of fire, 10-12rds 90-120 seconds in matches and practice. Normal shooting I bet they would go 3000 with maintaining sub moa groups.

I have a 257 Roberts Improved in a Remington 722 with an original barrel. Wont shoot heavies and the heaviest bullets it will shoot are similar in weight to the heaviest bullets from a 6mm. The heaviest 257 bullets aren't much heavier than mid range 264 bullets which are easily loaded and shot in most 6.5 short action cases. I think the best case for the heavy bullets might be a fast twist 25-06 but that is a lot more powder and recoil than even the 6.5 PRC that easily uses the heavy 264 cal bullets. It is a tough life being a quarter bore cartridge.

Jay

 

[sierracharlie338]

It is a tough life being a quarter bore cartridge.

Jay

Not for those of us that just enjoy the 25s. I rebarreled my Roberts to a AI with a 7twist because I enjoy it so much and it was my first deer rifle. Now shooting heavies out of it. And still thoroughly enjoying the 25cm I must admit. A fast twist 25-06 definitely sounds like fun too. Hell just about any 25 tickles my fancy

 

[The Guide]

Not for those of us that just enjoy the 25s. I rebarreled my Roberts to a AI with a 7twist because I enjoy it so much and it was my first deer rifle. Now shooting heavies out of it. And still thoroughly enjoying the 25cm I must admit. A fast twist 25-06 definitely sounds like fun too. Hell just about any 25 tickles my fancy

They just don't seem to get the factory support that they should. If a manufacturer made a fast twist 257 AI or 25 CM and got it SAAMI approved, we would see popularity swell.

Jay

 

[sierracharlie338]

They just don't seem to get the factory support that they should. If a manufacturer made a fast twist 257 AI or 25 CM and got it SAAMI approved, we would see popularity swell.

Jay

Definitely agree. Since Hornady is now making headstamp brass and added the new Atips, I would assume the 25cm will be SAAMI approved in the near future which means factory ammo soon after. At least we can hope lol.

 

[khuber84]

They just don't seem to get the factory support that they should. If a manufacturer made a fast twist 257 AI or 25 CM and got it SAAMI approved, we would see popularity swell.

Jay

Pretty sure 25cm is saami approved. I know Hornady submitted, I've saw photos of their properly headstamped brass.

 

[B23]

Pretty sure 25cm is saami approved. I know Hornady submitted, I've saw photos of their properly headstamped brass.

I'd be rather surprised if we don't start seeing some factory rifles come chambered in 25 Creedmoor as well as factory Hornady 25CM ammo.

I think a 25 PRC with factory support would quickly become a very popular cartridge if Hornady ever decided to pursue it.