Hello all, I'm a new member but have been following this thread and finally joined because of this thread.

I ordered a sharps 25-45 18" barrel and the dies from them as well. I put it together on Friday and tested it this weekend.

I ordered three boxes of the 87gr hot cores, considering you guys seem to have luck with them. I was also given a partial box of sierra 90gr gameking hpbt by the farmer I work for, as he could not get them to shoot at all in his 25-06. Figuring I might as well use these "bad" bullets up while testing the new setup out and finding an proximate safe load. The results are as follows:

Brass: Lake City 12 once fired
Primer: CCI #41
Bullet: Sierra 90gr hpbt
Powder: Alliant 1200R
COL: 2.260"
Brass Trim Length: 1.750"

First, I just loaded up one round at each powder charge from 22.0-25.0gr. All seemed well, so I went up to 25.3gr. This is as high I dare to go until I can borrow my father's oehler chronograph.

It was a terribly windy day, so I was impressed when a 5 shot group @ 25.3gr grouped just under 3/4" (measured outside-to-outside).
Sorry I'm not much help without velocity measurements, but I'll be sure to post them later. There is still plenty of room in the case to go higher, and all charge weights from 22.0-25.3 fed and ejected fine. This is in a carbine lower.

P.S. I observed two things with the "25-45 Sharps" version:

1. SAAMI spec is 60,000PSI (compared to 55,000 with 223 Remington) SAAMI pressure data
2. My 1x fired lake city that has only been resized in a redding 25-45 full length die and not yet fired in a 25-45 chamber WILL chamber in a 5.56 NATO chamber. Just a word to the wise to be careful. I myself wondered so I had to try for myself... I removed the firing pin first to ensure safety and inserted one round in the mag and let the bolt go forward. It looks like it pushed the shoulder area back bulging it. The bolt did NOT lock into battery, but I was able to drop the hammer. If the firing pin were in it, this would have been double bad- shoving a .257 bullet down a .224 bore, and also having an out of battery condition. I'll have to try this on my other ARs. Not sure they should be able to fire when so far out of battery. I'll look into it.

I received my barrel from Brent today and got her all assembled & even had a chance to test fire 7 rds before dark...



The load I was shooting consisted of

100gr Privi-Partizan .257
23gr AA2200
CCI 400 SRP

distance was 40 yds... and I was by no means really trying to shoot well (it ws pouring rain) & I was cleaning the barrel after every shot...



All rounds locked the bolt back, no problems what so ever...

As I develop loads I will post em up...

Nice!  Makes me want another.

Some stats on the gun...

Anderson Upper
320pf 16" Med-light contour 25-223AR ("long throat") barrel
13.5" Diamondhead VRS handguard
A2 style .308 flashhider n crush washer
YHM low pro gasblock
YHM midlength gas tube
AIM NIB BDG BCG
Wilson Combat Accu-Rizer scope mount
Weaver 1-3x20

Anderson Lower
PSA lower parts kit with Wolf trigger spring kit
A2 Stock
Standard A2 rifle buffer
Garand sling





Made it to the range with some loads
5 shot groups - 90yds (can't quite get 100 at this range)



100gr Privi-Partizan .257
AA2200 24-25.6gr (did not shoot the 25.6 load *too hot , as load before it showed pressure signs and vertical stringing of group)
CCI No 450 SRP
Brass trim to 1.698"
2.301 COL (using ASC Mags)



85 gr Nosler Solid Base BT no 43004 .257
AA2200 25-26gr ( 26 gr had ejector swipes)
CCI No 450 SRP
Brass trim to 1.698"
2.301 COL (using ASC Mags)





Very pleased with the results. Fair to say the gun shoots better than I. I think groups would be improved with a higher magnification optic....

Had one round that wouldn't chamber... but I think it is an error on sizing on my part.

A word of advise if you are using the redding s-die, do not try to resize /  "resized" 223/556 brass. Start with fresh once fired 223/556 brass to form your new cases. I resized already resized 223/556 brass and it wouldn't chamber due to a ridge that developed just above the neck. if i used once fired and resized strait to 25-223AR with the redding s-die with the 25 cal sizing button, the brass was gtg.

I had this very problem, and never did diagnose what caused it.  I suspect it was that I used already resized brass then expanded the neck to .25 cal, trimmed, sized, etc, etc.  Next time I make up brass for this round, I'll try a few this way and see if I can replicate the issue and see if in fact that was my problem.

THANKS for the heads up!

I did some OCW tests of both the Hornady 87gr and the 100gr HotCor with 1200R. After testing 24.0-25.0 and not being really impressed, I tested from 25.0 to 26.2gr in 0.1gr increments (I stopped at 26.0 for the 100gr HotCor). My top OCW seems to be 25.9gr for both bullets.

My gut says this should be too hot, but I haven't seen any worrying pressure signs yet. Regardless, BE CAREFUL.

I plan to do another chrono test with 25.9gr with each bullet before I publish my results, just in case my chrono was having issues that are giving me false hope.

Kevwil,

You weren't impressed with accuracy, velocity, or both? It's been raining every day here that I've had free to shoot, but I'm hoping to get to it this weekend. I have a 300wsm to test out as well... But that's a different story.

For those just starting out with this caliber and new barrels;

Working with the 25/223 and the 7.62x40WT taught me that barrels do have a break in period.  On both it seemed as if I hit a golden mark once I fired about 100 rounds.  The performance with velocity and accuracy showed a remarkable improvement after those first 100 rounds.

Velocity - see my earlier post. Accuracy has surpassed my expectations, 0.5-0.75 MOA will probably be the norm with this rifle, if I get the load right.

Fired them both for the first time today.  I still haven't had enough free time to load new rounds but I found a few I had left that were 100gr Sierra Game Kings over 22.0gr of H4198.

Both guns cycled fine but my chronograph didn't get any readings.  I guess the cloud cover was too heavy for it to work.  We haven't had a sunny day here in a week...

Hopefully I'll have some chronograph results soon.  I'm curious about the 100gr loads but I'm most interested in the 80-90gr bullets from these short barrels.

I had the same issue. But its been a couple years since I made up the brass but not loaded most of it. Recently I ran all the "double shoulder" brass (loaded and empty) through the Hornady sizer without the decap stem. Fixed the problem nicely. Now I can get more shooting done.

I finally have some data from the 12.5" barrels.  What I found was that they lost approximately 200fps over their 16.5" counterparts with the same load.

Here's what I got:

75gr V-Max...........23.0gr H4198....2528fps....225fps loss
75gr V-Max...........23.5gr H4198....2582fps....261fps loss
87gr Speer HC......23.0gr H4198....2426fps....235fps loss
87gr Speer HC......23.5gr H4198....2504fps....221fps loss
100gr SGK............22.0gr H4198....2318fps....176fps loss

None of these were my max loads in the 16.5" guns, and my 16.5" guns don't have the extended throat (the 12.5" guns do) so I expect at least 100-150fps more velocity from them before I'm done but this should give everyone a point of reference for velocity loss in the short barrel.  I think the 87gr Hot-Cor going 2600 to 2650fps from a 12.5" gun has a lot of promise.

ETA:  Another note, the guns were undergassed.  Ejecting very weak and had the occasional failure to eject that is common from low carrier speed.  I will probably be looking at opening up the gas port a bit once I get more trigger time with them.  320pf, what were these drilled to?  What are the 16.5" barrels drilled to?

Hi Altair,

Carbine length gas ports are drilled to 0.072". The ballistic modeling agrees with your assessment that the 87g Speer Hot-Cor should hit about 2600-2650 fps. This however, is for the standard chamber throat-length. Messing around with the modeling parameters, it looks like you might get as much as 2700 fps. I do not have enough reloading data with the long "spec-2" throat, however to confirm this.

As far as being under gassed, you are correct. There is 4" less dwell time with a 12.5" compared to your 16.5" barrels. So the pressure pulse/ gas volume is less in the 12.5" barrels. The carbine length gas port, however was originally set up for 14.5" barrels, so you are only 2" short relative to the design spec.


Since is sounds like the guns are mostly ejecting the spent round, I would wait, however,  before I opened up the gas port.  First, the upper receivers are new, there will be less friction once they are broken in after about 100 rounds.  Second, the modeling software indicates that the loads you listed are only generating about 44000-47000 CUP (50000-55000 psi). At full pressure loads (~52000 CUP-62000 psi), the gas pulse will still be short but the gas volume will be greater. So, I am thinking that the gun will run once you get the upper broken in and the loads worked up.

Great results! Keep us posted.

Don't worry, opening the gas port is always my last modification since it is not reversible.  I just suspected that they were drilled the same as my 16.5" barrels and my experience with .223/5.56 has been that short barreled guns usually require a bit more aggressive gas port size to function reliably.  It is harder on the system, which is one of the down sides to SBRs, but I'm willing to accept a bit more wear for a 100% reliable gun.

That said, I won't touch anything until I'm using full pressure loads and have a decent break in on the guns.  

I made it to the range today, and I am pleased with the results!

I picked up a Weaver Grand Slam Tactical 3-10x40 mil / mil  scope, a Nikon 20 MOA base, and some BC caps... Great scope for the $. The mil / mil scope made it so I was dead on in 2 shots....

This is going to be my go to coyote / varmint load

Nosler 25/85 SBBT No 43004
25.6 gr AA 2000
CCI no 450
1.698" Brass trim length
2.301 COL" (ASC Mags)

.48" CTC group



Go to Deer / Hog load...

100 gr Hornady SP
25.1 gr AA2200
CCI no 450
1.698" Brass trim length
2.301 COL" (ASC Mags)

.65" CTC group



Also shot a couple loads of these

Nosler 25/85 SBBT No 43004
Varget 25.1gr  &  25.4gr ( both are a very compressed load, any more and the bullet creeps out) No signs of pressure, will need to check velocity, to see if its worth pursuing Varget....
CCI no 450
1.698" Brass trim length
2.301 COL" (ASC Mags)

Rocketrepairguy, are you shooting the Spec II chamber or the original?

Spec II

I went back and re-read your previous posts and saw you were using the long throat. You are getting 1.6 grains more AA2200 than I can get to safely in my barrel.  Do you have a velocity reading to go with hour Hornady 100gr load?  Trying to decide if The gain in velocity is worth Lengthening the throat.

Hopefully after Christmas I'll have a chronograph

I'll be off for a few days, but before Christmas I wanted to thank 320pf and Graycard for the effort they put into the development of the 25-223.  I have been mildly interested in the AR15 platform for many years, but I would not own one today if I had not found this thread on the 25-223.  These two gents have done a lot of work, and spent much money, and then shared their results with the shooting world, and I thank them for that effort.  True, I did end up with the 25-45 Sharps, for several reasons, but that would not have happened if I had not become aware of the 25-223 through this thread.  I can't think of a more suitable cartridge in the AR15 for bigger varmits and small deer, and I think we will see continuing development along the lines of smaller, gentler rounds more suited to our crowded world.  Thanks again, guys!

Nice.

I have lots of testing to do, but my new goal is to hit 2500 with 117 RN.  The Spec II chamber with the ASC mags is the way to go.

I ran some loads over the chronograph... Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph (used with Android phone; worked great)

Description: PrviPartizan 0.257
Notes 1: PrviPartizan 0.257 PSP B-047 100 0.948
Notes 2: AA 2200 24.6 gr
CCI no 450
1.698" Brass trim length
2.301 COL" (ASC Mags
Distance to Chrono (FT): 15.0
Ballistic Coefficient: 0.320
Bullet Weight (gr): 100.00
Temp: 53 °F
BP: 30.15 inHG
Shots
#     FPS\FT-LBS
3     2512\1401
2     2518\1408
1     2505\1394
Average: 2511.67
StdDev: 6.51
Min: 2505
Max: 2518
Spread: 13
True MV: 2511.67
Shots/sec: 0.23
Group Size (IN): UNK

Description: Hornady 0.257
Notes 1: Hornady 0.257 SP 2540 100 0.987
Notes 2: AA 2200 25.1gr
CCI no 450
1.698" Brass trim length
2.301 COL" (ASC Mags
Distance to Chrono (FT): 15.0
Ballistic Coefficient: 0.357
Bullet Weight (gr): 100.00
Temp: 53 °F
BP: 30.15 inHG
Shots
#     FPS\FT-LBS
3     2594\1494
2     2608\1511
1     2573\1470
Average: 2591.67
StdDev: 17.62
Min: 2573
Max: 2608
Spread: 35
True MV: 2591.67
Shots/sec: 0.21
Group Size (IN): .65

Description: Nosler 0.257
Notes 1: Nosler 0.257 BalTip 25/85 85 1.000
Notes 2: AA 2200 25.6 gr
CCI no 450
1.698" Brass trim length
2.301 COL" (ASC Mags)
Distance to Chrono (FT): 15
Ballistic Coefficient: 0.331
Bullet Weight (gr): 85.0
Temp: 53 °F
BP: 30.15 inHG
Shots
#     FPS
3     2724
2     2755
1     2738
Average: 2739.00
StdDev: 15.52
Min: 2724
Max: 2755
Spread: 31
True MV: 2739.00
Shots/sec: 0.16
Group Size (IN): 0.48

Are you sure your ballistic tips are 100 gr? That's a very high powder charge and velocity for that bullet weight and length. The 100 BT is very long, that looks more like 85gr BT data.

Barring that, the data seems about right for a 16" barrel.

You are correct I will re add once I get the data corrected...(FIXED)

I emailed Sharps Rifle Company and this is what they gave me:


Thanks so much for your interest in the .25-45 Sharps cartridge.

Here are a few  MAXIMUM loads that will get you started. PLEASE DO NOT EXCEED THESE LOADS!

Load #1 - CCI 400 small rifle primer and Sierra 70 grain Blitzking .257 bullet, Powder H335 - Maximum load 30.0 grains - expected velocity of 3100 fps (needs a powder drop tube)

Load #2 - CCI 400 small rifle primer and Sierra 75 grain Hollow Pnt .257 bullet, Powder Western X-terminator - Maximum load 30.0 grains - expected velocity of 3100 fps (needs a powder drop tube)

Load #3 - CCI 400 small rifle primer and Speer HotCor 87 grain .257 bullet, Powder H322 - Maximum load 26.0 grains - expected velocity of 2850 fps

Load #4 - CCI 400 small rifle primer and Speer HotCor 87 grain .257 bullet, Powder H335 - Maximum load 28.0 grains - expected velocity of 2900 fps

Load #5 - CCI 400 small rifle primer and Speer HotCor 87 grain .257 bullet, Powder Western X-terminator - Maximum load 28.5 grains - expected velocity of 2950 fps

The Ramshot X-Terminator powder comes the closest of all of the commercial powders we've tested to the velocities achieved with our factory loadings in which we use factory OEM powders.?


Good luck in 2015 and keep us apprised on your progress.

Sincerely,  SRC Customer Service Dept

I have nothing to gain, but I've been very happy in my dealings with them. I called before I ordered my barrel and dies for my 25-45 and they were very helpful. I ordered on a Friday, and received the dies on Monday. The barrel came a few days later- must be drop shipped.

CCI 400's are one of the thinner primers.  A lot of people will say that they are fine, but they have been known to cause slam-fires in certain conditions:

* Drop the bolt with the muzzle down.

* Hot day

There's a reason why CCI makes the CCI 41.  If you are shooting from a bench, and have a bolt carrier that cycles on the slower end of speeds, you should be fine.

I personally avoid them, and many of the hi-power guys will pine in and tell you about the slam fires they have personally witnessed on the line at matches.

Read this:  Primers and Pressure

Thanks for the heads up...
That being said, I've fired thousands of CCI 400s through my ARs and never had an issue. I posted the info as I received it- perhaps that's all Sharps could source for the test. I myself also prefer #41s just for the fact they seem to have harder cups and handle pressure better. I don't care for Win SR as they seem to be smaller in diameter so they don't hold in the pockets as well.

Got to fur test my  25-223AR (85gr Nosler SBBT at 2750)

Perfect hunt, she came in after the first cottontail distress series... about 150 yd shot. It wasn't fur friendly shot placement

Looks like the bullet opened up pretty fast. The more dead coyotes, ther better!!

Nice kill rocket, See if you can dig up some sierra SP bullets for the yotes they wont expand as violently as those BT's
Either the 87gr or 90gr from sierra will be much nicer on fur.  ( assume)


I use the 85 exclusively on groundhogs for the splat factor

Couple Loads I worked up to....

Note 16.5" barrel "Spec II" chamber & ASC mags these are MAX loads

Also I have started deburring the flash holes & this has made the velocities MUCH more consistent.

Description: Hornady 0.257 AA 2200 26.5 gr
Notes 1: Hornady 0.257 SP 2530 87 0.907
Notes 2: COL 2.950
Distance to Chrono (FT): 0.00
Ballistic Coefficient: 0.322
Bullet Weight (gr): 87.00
Temp: 52 °F
BP: 29.89 inHG
Shots
#     FPS\FT-LBS PF
3     2801\1516\244
2     2818\1534\245
1     2789\1503\243
Average: 2802.67
StdDev: 14.57
Min: 2789
Max: 2818
Spread: 29
True MV: 2802.67
Shots/sec: 0.09
Group Size (IN): 0.00


01-17-2015 02:40:09 PM
Description: Sierra 0.257 AA 2200 28.2
Notes 1: Sierra 0.257 HP 1600 75 0.751
Notes 2:
Distance to Chrono (FT): 0.00
Ballistic Coefficient: 0.186
Bullet Weight (gr): 75.00
Temp: 52 °F
BP: 29.89 inHG
Shots
#     FPS\FT-LBS PF
3     2852\1355\214
2     2850\1353\214
1     2845\1348\213
Average: 2849.00
StdDev: 3.61
Min: 2845
Max: 2852
Spread: 7
True MV: 2849.00
Shots/sec: 0.19
Group Size (IN): 0.00

More critters...

Nice

Just want to say I commend you guys on your work. This beats that 25-45 Sharps all day long.  

First set called for about 30 min with rabbit distress on the icotech... Caught movement about 1500 yds to my north on the skline. It was a Deer & a coyote staring each other down. Yote wouldn't come in, so I packed up & headed to one last set for the eve about a mile away.

Spot is a couple woodlots separated by a cut corn field and a couple nearby homesteads... go to the end of one finger of woods set our icotec & mojo decoy. Turn around walk to a big oak tree & plop down & chamber a round. Hit play & in less than a min I catch movement... 4 coyotes enter the field from my right!!  Call is in its pause in between series... coyotes stop. Call starts back up after about 30 sec & this big male stops about 75 yds. settled the crosshairs & let the 25-223AR claim it's 4th yote'

25/85gr Nosler BT at 2750'





I threw some lead at the other three but they must have been shot at before cause they were GONE!

Tonight the wind was howling 25 mph from the NW. Big front coming through Indiana today... But, we decide to go out anyway. We make our first set ( a bust ) set up on some hay-bales that bordered a couple wood lots. We alternated between a foxpro wildfire & a icotech gc 500 on rabbit distress for approx 40 min... no dice.

Walk back to truck... get to truck. I say hey that drainage in ft of us looks good & its out of the wind a bit, lets give it a try. So we walk down to a group of small trees in the field I set out the icotech & mojo decoy, Jones sets out the foxpro & another unkown motorized decoy approx 50 yds from the first to the west.

I run 4 or 5 cottontail distress series' on the icotech... nothing... the foxpro was having some issues. Then it started working. About 30 second in to the call a coyote appears on the ridge around 250 yds out. I then hit the icotech cottontail, and boom here she comes. She made it to 40 yds & Donald & I double tapped her  

I immediately hit pup distress & not 40 seconds later - boom, male shows up on same ridge. But, he was not moving without a visual. We hit a few distress cotton tail calls,  but nada he was hung up & even layed down... So I told Jones, I'm gonna try him there. I estimated 250 -  that was too far, miss! he runs 20 yds & stops ... bang - miss again! He's on a dead run now to the east...I lead him two full mils in the scope & bang, heard the bullet hit " whoop " & a cartwheel!! Best shot I've ever made lol... 195 yds on a dead run!

This thing flat kills coyotes!

Good weather, calm wind, about 25 degrees. Started off today around 1400. I went and hit several good looking spots (10) or so... Using only rabbit distress and coyote vocalizations. Spent approx 30-40 min each stand. Felt like I got in real clean on all the sets. Just wasn't getting a response.

Then I went to a familiar spot & look what was on the way in...



I mean everywhere! (it had snowed & these were fresh)

So I crept in and placed the caller & decoy about 40 yds into the field, & back to my stand.



I hit the cottontail distress, it played out through its sequence... I played it again after a 5 min wait... MOVEMENT and FAST here comes a yote' charging the decoy! He gets to about 10 yds from call and bolts! I get him in the scope and bang right up the rear, Flop!



Then I go to pup distress, it plays out about 30 seconds... I wait about 5-10 min... nothing, I hit pup distress again. plays out... nothing. So I'm about to get up & I catch movement in the corn stalks. Another yote' about 125 yds or so! I make a little noise getting the gun on her but she cant tell what I am and just locks up   :cool: I settle down & squeeze the trigger. Flop!

I would say the .25 is working out for you.  Thanks for the advice, I'll be testing the caller this coming week.  I'm no coyote hunter but I'll go after anything that messes with my deer!

Just follow the sign, play the wind, & "rabbits are food"

Well finally got first blood on my .25-223.

I built this rifle 3 years ago for my youngest daughter to hunt with.  She came out a couple times, but lost interest in hunting.

My cousin down in TX invited me to kill some hogs on his place.

The rifle had a 1-4x Redfield scope on it.  I wanted some night vision, had a bunch of Cabelas bucks and ordered an ATN X-Sight.

Didn't see any hogs at night, but did video the kill of one in daylight .

Here is my AAR:

Well Just got back from the hunt a few hours ago.

Had a great time catching up with my cousin.  My 2 college aged sons and my nephew came along.  On the good news for my cousin there weren't any hogs coming on his property.  Not a track at the feeders all week.  We spent one night until about 2 am watching a couple of them with night vision but only saw deer and rabbits.  So my cousin called his cousin (who's father had joined the Army with my dad in '54)  He had over 400 acres a couple miles away in a river bottom.  Said he had hogs coming in all the time, come on over and kill them, although they had shot 2 the night before in the area they always see them.  So we went over about 6 PM and set up in an area they call the Bone Yard, had a nice stinky dead cow in it.  Saw some eyes reflecting in the IR lights across the field but couldn't positively identify them as hogs so I didn't shoot.  Heard grunting and snorting on 3 sides of us, but couldn't see them to take a shot.  But it was enough to set the hook on us.  

We came back the following night and split up.  My older son went into the woods behind the Bone Yard,  while my nephew and younger son  set up on one side of a mesquite thicket and I set up on the other side.  About 7:30 PM I saw a big spotted sow and a bunch of piglets go by on the other side of the fence on the neighbors property.  I didn't take a shot because I thought they might come out where the boys were. They disappeared but about 8:15 just as the sun was going down one black hog came under the fence on my side of the thicket.  He was headed away from where everyone else was so I took a shot, he circled around and I kept shooting.  My 2nd shot hit him on the run, then I missed a few.  By that time my younger son and nephew had moved enough through the mesquite to join in on the shooting.  The pig was still running around and my nephew hit it in the hind quarter breaking his hip.  After a bunch of squealing he finally died.

Here is the video of my hog kill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPVj6eZBkUs&feature=youtu.be

Here he is dead:

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And here is where he ended up the following day:

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As I cooked him up on the smoker the boys decided to head back out one last time.  In the mean time my cousin had talked to his cousin and he said shoot them on the other side of the fence and drag them back over.

The boys were back in place a little after 6 and the spotted sow and some piglets came by.  My nephew had brought his .270 Encore instead of his AR15 and hammered the big sow.  My boys were a little to far away and the piglets ran off before my nephew could reload his Encore.  But they came back and the boys each scored a little piglet.  They waited another hour but the rest of the piglets never came back.

Here is the sow and piglets:

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Here is one of the piglets with my knife sheath on it:

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All in all a great week.  We killed some pigs, drank some beer, spent some time on my cousins range (not while drinking beer), ate well and made some great memories.

What load were you using on your hog?

87 gr Hornaday Spirepoint with 26.2 grains of H335.

Even though the cross hairs were on his chest for the first shot there was no bullet holes in the front half of the pig when we skinned him out.  If you watch the video closely on the 2nd shot as he is running you can see of puff of dust way back.  His left hip was pretty well mutilated, didn't find a bullet or an exit wound.

Does anyone reload the 25/223AR with a Dillon 550b?  I am trying to figure out what powder funnel to use. Dillon says they don't have one and I have to buy a 6PPC and have it reamed out by a machinist.

"We don't have a funnel suitable for this case.  You would have to order the 6 PPC powder funnel and have a machine shop open the neck a bit."

Help?

Hi SC,

You might want to look into the powder funnel used for the .25 WSSM.  The case length for the 25WSSM is 1.670".  The 25-223Ar case length is 1.7.  It might wook?????

Let us know how this works out.

320pf

This thread has died off. I'll do the honors of restarting it.

I know AA2200 seems to be the go-to powder for you guys with the 25-223. I only have one pound and it's reserved for my 17 Hornet. Instead, I've been getting great results with Alliant 1200R. I finally got around to chronographing some loads. They are as follows:

Rifle: Sharps 25-45 18" barrel on home assembled upper/lower

Load 1

Speer 87gr hot-core
25.9gr Alliant 1200R
1x fired Lake City 12
CCI #41 primer
Overall length 2.260"
Cases trimmed to 1.745"

Velocity
2789
2817
2789
XXX bad read
2788

Load 2

90gr Sierra hpbt game king
25.3gr 1200R
cci #41
1x fired Lake City 12
Overall length 2.260"
Cases trimmed to 1.745"

Velocity
2750
2734
2725
2732
2722
ES 28
M 2732
SD 10

I also did a little test with the 117gr Sierra spbt (#1630) just to see if it would work in the 25-45 Sharps (it does).

18" barrel 25-45, results are as follows:

Powder: Alliant 1200R
Cases: 1X Lake City 12, trimmed @ 1.745"
Primer: TULA SRM (kvb-5.56M)
COL: 2.260"

23.0gr = 2379fps
23.2gr = 2396fps
23.4gr = 2421fps
23.6gr = 2445fps *too hot*

I did not shoot these loads for accuracy. My prior loads (87 Speer, 90 sierra) are both around 3/4" loads. I'll load some more up around 23.4gr and see how they shoot. The SD for 23.4gr was 10!

The chronograph is an Oehler 35P with 4 feet between each of the 3 screens. Temp was around 75°.

I got some reloader 10x loaded into some 25-45, going to shoot them this Saturday.

My Black Hole 25X45 upper built by RPG will ship tomorrow. My dies came in from CH4D last week after a wait  of almost seven days.

. I hope I can get to it quickly but three brothers are coming along with it at the same time. The 'smiths banker is smiling and mu checking account is kicking cans.

Greg