.225 caliber
- Thread starter ryan9166
- Start date
Nodak7mm
New member
Well what ya got is basically rimmed 220 Swift.. Kinda obscure by todays standards. You will have to reload, find the brass and the rest is easy to find.
If the gun was in decent shape and I liked it, I would not hesitate to grab it. First thing I would do is run and get 500 new cases. A quick check show that Graf and Sons has 225 Winnie brass at 22$ per 50.
Do a google, ton of info out there..
Rod
If the gun was in decent shape and I liked it, I would not hesitate to grab it. First thing I would do is run and get 500 new cases. A quick check show that Graf and Sons has 225 Winnie brass at 22$ per 50.
Do a google, ton of info out there..
Rod
Rustydust
Active member
Quote:
Well what ya got is basically rimmed 220 Swift..
Well...not quite right. It is a semi rimmed just like the Swift is. As a matter of fact, brass can be made for it by shortening Swift brass. Even uses the same shell holder.
As far as performance goes, it is very close to the 22/250 in power. If I had a chance to buy a nice clean gun in 225 Win for a good price I would. They are kind of an oddball these days, but a good shooter they were. I knew of one old codger that thought the 225 was THE varmint round, and had several factory and custom rifles chambered for it.
Good luck with your new gun. I am betting that you will like it!
Well what ya got is basically rimmed 220 Swift..
Well...not quite right. It is a semi rimmed just like the Swift is. As a matter of fact, brass can be made for it by shortening Swift brass. Even uses the same shell holder.
As far as performance goes, it is very close to the 22/250 in power. If I had a chance to buy a nice clean gun in 225 Win for a good price I would. They are kind of an oddball these days, but a good shooter they were. I knew of one old codger that thought the 225 was THE varmint round, and had several factory and custom rifles chambered for it.
Good luck with your new gun. I am betting that you will like it!
Jack Roberts
Moderator - Deceased
And in case anybody is wondering, it shoots .224 diameter bullets, just like the 220, 221, 222, 223, and 224.
Jack
Jack
IDBob
New member
Here is what the reloading bench site has to say about it.
.225 Winchester
If there is any cartridge the chaps at Winchester would like to forget, it is probably the .225 Winchester. Had it's obituary appeared in the "New Haven Gazette" back in the 1960's, it might have read something like this: "Born in 1964 as a replacement for the .220 Swift, Died a victim of the .22-250."
Cartridge historians have long assumed that the design of the .225 cartridge was inspired by the .219 Zipper Improved. After all, the two cartridges look quite similar and the .225 even has a hint of rim at the rear of its case. The truth of the matter is, however, Winchester engineers had two time the .219 Wasp was still going strong in benchrest shooting circles and the .22-250 was the most popular high velocity twenty-two among serious varmint shooters. So, they designed a longer version of the Wasp, one capable of producing .22-250 velocities. And for the production purposes, the shoulder was decreased by about 5 degrees. The fact that the .225 ended up looking a bit like the .219 Zipper Improved was mere coincidence.
It is doubtful that Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, and a pack of thoroughbred blood hounds could detect any difference in performance between the .225 Winchester and the .22-250, but the much older wildcat had such a head start, its domestication by Remington left the .225 gasping for air like a carp out of water. Still, the .225 Winchester is a great varmint cartridge and capable of incredible accuracy in a good rifle. The Winchester .225 factory load of 1960's vintage was some of the most accurate ammunition ever loaded, often clustering five shots into less than a minute of angle in a heavy barrel Model 70's.
If you own a rifle in .225 Winchester, simply load it with a good 55 grain bullet over H380, H4895, IMR-4895, IMR-4064, or RL-12, head for the varmint fields, and never look back.
Source: Hodgdon Data Manual, 26th Edition
Historical Notes:
The 225 Winchester was officially announced in June 1964. Both the standard and the heavier varmint version of the Model 70 bolt action were offered for this round. The 225 replaced the older 220 Swift in the Winchester line up. It was a rimmed case with an unusually large rim for this type of cartridge. The 220 Swift never achieved great popularity and neither did its replacement, the 225. The last Winchester catalog to list the cartridge as a caliber available for the Model 70 rifle was in 1972. No other manufacturer picked it up as a standard chambering because the already popular 22-250 was standardized by Remington less than a year later, and it was just common sense to adopt it instead. Winchester still loads 225 ammunition but this cartridge did not have a very long life, being obsolete in only 8 years.
General Comments:
The 225 is a fine varmint cartridge with performance similar to the 224 Weatherby or the 22-250 Remington. But the 22-250 was already established as a popular wildcat with an outstanding reputation, and it was inevitable that it would dominate the field. Those who purchased 225 Winchester rifles have no need to feel bad or trade them off for anything else because the 225 cartridge is just as accurate and will do anything that the more popular 22-250 will do.
It simply turned out to be a design or idea whose time had not yet arrived. As a matter of fact, it might be well to hang on to your 255 because not a great many were sold and eventually some gun writer will rediscover it as the greatest 22 varmint cartridge conceived by the mind of man, and at that point all your shooting friends will wish they had one too.
The 225 has an edge over the 222 and 223 Remington for long range varmint shooting because the increased muzzle velocity. At one time, Winchester was supposed to furnish a 50 grain loading at 3800 fps and a 60 grain at 3500 fps, along with the standard 55 grain at 3650 fps (now reduced to 3570 fps), but these loads never materialized. For handloaders, this cartridge is nothing more than a slightly modified 30-30. Neck down a 30-30 to 22 caliber, shorten the case slightly, turn the rim to '06 dimensions and slightly improve and you have the 225 Winchester.
Source: Cartridges of the World
.225 Winchester
If there is any cartridge the chaps at Winchester would like to forget, it is probably the .225 Winchester. Had it's obituary appeared in the "New Haven Gazette" back in the 1960's, it might have read something like this: "Born in 1964 as a replacement for the .220 Swift, Died a victim of the .22-250."
Cartridge historians have long assumed that the design of the .225 cartridge was inspired by the .219 Zipper Improved. After all, the two cartridges look quite similar and the .225 even has a hint of rim at the rear of its case. The truth of the matter is, however, Winchester engineers had two time the .219 Wasp was still going strong in benchrest shooting circles and the .22-250 was the most popular high velocity twenty-two among serious varmint shooters. So, they designed a longer version of the Wasp, one capable of producing .22-250 velocities. And for the production purposes, the shoulder was decreased by about 5 degrees. The fact that the .225 ended up looking a bit like the .219 Zipper Improved was mere coincidence.
It is doubtful that Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, and a pack of thoroughbred blood hounds could detect any difference in performance between the .225 Winchester and the .22-250, but the much older wildcat had such a head start, its domestication by Remington left the .225 gasping for air like a carp out of water. Still, the .225 Winchester is a great varmint cartridge and capable of incredible accuracy in a good rifle. The Winchester .225 factory load of 1960's vintage was some of the most accurate ammunition ever loaded, often clustering five shots into less than a minute of angle in a heavy barrel Model 70's.
If you own a rifle in .225 Winchester, simply load it with a good 55 grain bullet over H380, H4895, IMR-4895, IMR-4064, or RL-12, head for the varmint fields, and never look back.
Source: Hodgdon Data Manual, 26th Edition
Historical Notes:
The 225 Winchester was officially announced in June 1964. Both the standard and the heavier varmint version of the Model 70 bolt action were offered for this round. The 225 replaced the older 220 Swift in the Winchester line up. It was a rimmed case with an unusually large rim for this type of cartridge. The 220 Swift never achieved great popularity and neither did its replacement, the 225. The last Winchester catalog to list the cartridge as a caliber available for the Model 70 rifle was in 1972. No other manufacturer picked it up as a standard chambering because the already popular 22-250 was standardized by Remington less than a year later, and it was just common sense to adopt it instead. Winchester still loads 225 ammunition but this cartridge did not have a very long life, being obsolete in only 8 years.
General Comments:
The 225 is a fine varmint cartridge with performance similar to the 224 Weatherby or the 22-250 Remington. But the 22-250 was already established as a popular wildcat with an outstanding reputation, and it was inevitable that it would dominate the field. Those who purchased 225 Winchester rifles have no need to feel bad or trade them off for anything else because the 225 cartridge is just as accurate and will do anything that the more popular 22-250 will do.
It simply turned out to be a design or idea whose time had not yet arrived. As a matter of fact, it might be well to hang on to your 255 because not a great many were sold and eventually some gun writer will rediscover it as the greatest 22 varmint cartridge conceived by the mind of man, and at that point all your shooting friends will wish they had one too.
The 225 has an edge over the 222 and 223 Remington for long range varmint shooting because the increased muzzle velocity. At one time, Winchester was supposed to furnish a 50 grain loading at 3800 fps and a 60 grain at 3500 fps, along with the standard 55 grain at 3650 fps (now reduced to 3570 fps), but these loads never materialized. For handloaders, this cartridge is nothing more than a slightly modified 30-30. Neck down a 30-30 to 22 caliber, shorten the case slightly, turn the rim to '06 dimensions and slightly improve and you have the 225 Winchester.
Source: Cartridges of the World
Thanks guys... actuallly on the gun my grandfather had a gun shop. Was up digging around last night and found the rifle. Looks as though it was never shot, dont really know if I want to. But looking for a predator rifle, this has a bull barrel on it as well. Not sure what I want to do, really hate to abuse something that I got from him.
Ryan
Ryan
Quote:
Thanks guys... actuallly on the gun my grandfather had a gun shop. Was up digging around last night and found the rifle. Looks as though it was never shot, dont really know if I want to. But looking for a predator rifle, this has a bull barrel on it as well. Not sure what I want to do, really hate to abuse something that I got from him.
Ryan
So don't abuse it.
But shoot it for sure.
I think that is what your Grandfather would have wanted.
Thanks guys... actuallly on the gun my grandfather had a gun shop. Was up digging around last night and found the rifle. Looks as though it was never shot, dont really know if I want to. But looking for a predator rifle, this has a bull barrel on it as well. Not sure what I want to do, really hate to abuse something that I got from him.
Ryan
So don't abuse it.
But shoot it for sure.
I think that is what your Grandfather would have wanted.
shooter44n45
New member
I picked up a .225 Winchester model 670 back in 1993. It was sitting in a pawnshop and had never been fired from what I could tell, the scope wasnt even mounted securely.
I found ammo at gun shows and it ran $19.95 per box back then so that got me started in reloading. Winchester still makes brass and loaded ammo, you can find it at midway. The round is a ballistic twin to a .22-250 not the .220 swift. Factory velocities are a bit lower than what I can get out of my reloads. Its a finicky round to load, it definately has a sweet spot but when you find it, its a real tack driver. Factory ammo always shot under MOA for me and the soft points really blew things apart. Mine seems to prefer Hornady match bulltes in the BTHP flavor. Its still my number one varmint rifle, at least until I finish my .204 build. I wouldnt mollest that rifle too bad, they didnt make an over abundance of them in the model 70 and one day that gun will be climbing up in price. Get some dies, and components and enjoy a piece of Winchester history.
I found ammo at gun shows and it ran $19.95 per box back then so that got me started in reloading. Winchester still makes brass and loaded ammo, you can find it at midway. The round is a ballistic twin to a .22-250 not the .220 swift. Factory velocities are a bit lower than what I can get out of my reloads. Its a finicky round to load, it definately has a sweet spot but when you find it, its a real tack driver. Factory ammo always shot under MOA for me and the soft points really blew things apart. Mine seems to prefer Hornady match bulltes in the BTHP flavor. Its still my number one varmint rifle, at least until I finish my .204 build. I wouldnt mollest that rifle too bad, they didnt make an over abundance of them in the model 70 and one day that gun will be climbing up in price. Get some dies, and components and enjoy a piece of Winchester history.
The cool thing is that my Pap had a gun shop and did tons of reloading. Have all the equiptment to reload and then some. Problem is he stopped reloading when I was about 8 or 9, sat with him every time he did it.... but that was a little while ago and I now know nothing about rifles or reloading. I am a total shotgun guy looking to get into rifles a little bit.
Years ago I had one and it was a standard model, quite accurate. Shot a lot of crows with it, back then it was legal to shoot them with a rifle in Wisconsin. When fox pelts weren't worth anything shot fox with it. Few coyotes in the mid 60s where I was at. Replace it with the 22-250.
Diesel_Demon
Member
I have a Model 70 in 225 win. It is a nice rifle and gets just a bit less velocity than a 22-250.
When I was a kid the neighbor had one and I was not happy until I owned one myself
When I was a kid the neighbor had one and I was not happy until I owned one myself