Well, today was the day to try the .25-20 barrel.

As mentioned above, this is chambered for the .25-20 Single Shot cartridge. When it came out, it was simply called the .25-20. Winchester liked it and wanted something like it to chamber in their Model 1873 and 1892. Trouble was, this round is too long for those actions. Not to worry, Winchester shortened it and made it a little fatter. The result was the .25-20 Winchester that we know so well. After that, the Stevens cartridge was known as the .25-20 Single Shot. Winchester far outsold Stevens, so the dominant cartridge became the .25-20 Win.; the .25-20 SS sank into oblivion. Ballistically they are about the same.

For a first try I decided on 11.5 grains of H4198, a CCI 400 primer, and a Sierra 75 grain HP bullet. Overall length was 2.175". I loaded ten of these rounds using new Jamison brass.

At my range I set a target at 50 yards and bore sighted the rifle as best I could. The .25-20 barrel has a traditional blade front sight. That is more difficult for me to shoot than having a globe aperture front sight like the Lyman I put on the .38-55 barrel.

Nevertheless, I snuggled behind the rifle and let three rounds fly. I got a nice little group just a few inches below the bullseye.

The rifle obviously wants to behave!

I screwed the tang peep sight about a turn on its shaft and proceeded to fire a 5-shot group at the same 50 yard target.

This thing clearly wants to perform! Here's the full target showing both groups mentioned above. I laid a penny beside the first group for perspective. The diameter of a U.S. penny is .750"

Yes, I know this thing wants to shoot well! What I need is a nice globe front sight like what I put on the .38-55 barrel. I have one, but the trouble is, Stevens used a larger dovetail than our now-standard 3/8". I need to find something to fit.

At this point I had two cartridges left. I thought about plinking a rock sitting just past the 100 yard target stand. Then I thought I should be more serious and shoot these two remaining cartridges for group at 100 yards.

To index a blade front sight it sometimes helps to have a square target. All I had was a diamond shaped target we use for scope sighted rifles. It's made to have its points coincide with scope cross hairs. I put it at 100 yards tilted 45 degrees so it would be a square. Here it is still stapled at the 100 yard target, with my two shots just below.

And here they are with a penny for comparison. Just two shots, but the rifle certainly wants to return superb accuracy.

Finally, a few glamour shots.

I think I like this rifle!

Curl