Anyone have any experience with a .25 Gibbs? Fireformed brass years ago using 30-06 and have had trouble with neck splits. Tried 25-06 brass but can't get them to headspace(?). Bullets are into the lands but the firing pin strike is just seating the bullets deeper. Should I try .270 brass instead? Thanks for any help or suggestions!
Gibbs fans?
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sageadvice
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Hey Gene, i just got back all unpacked from visiting the family and friends down in the bay area. Hope everybody had a Merry Christmas and has a Happy New Year!
As far as the Gibbs is concerned, i've been a "looker" at additional wildcat 25's for a long time but have only taken bucks with the 250-3000, the Roberts, 25-06, and a .257 Weatherby. I thought the blast was a bit excessive in the Weatherby and had trouble getting it to shoot my handloads but was very impressed with it's results in putting blacktails in la-la land. So, no experience at all with the Gibbs but it does look to be a screamer if you can get the problem(s) worked out.
Here's a link i found that may help with your question concerning head space.
http://www.customriflesandcartridges.com/25Gibbsarticle.htm
Glad to see someone else besides the few who like different guns other than the usual normal corn flakes and milk.
Joey
As far as the Gibbs is concerned, i've been a "looker" at additional wildcat 25's for a long time but have only taken bucks with the 250-3000, the Roberts, 25-06, and a .257 Weatherby. I thought the blast was a bit excessive in the Weatherby and had trouble getting it to shoot my handloads but was very impressed with it's results in putting blacktails in la-la land. So, no experience at all with the Gibbs but it does look to be a screamer if you can get the problem(s) worked out.
Here's a link i found that may help with your question concerning head space.
http://www.customriflesandcartridges.com/25Gibbsarticle.htm
Glad to see someone else besides the few who like different guns other than the usual normal corn flakes and milk.
Joey
RELH
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Have you tried annealing the case necks to prevent the neck splits? Also have you tried to "fire form" the 25-06 brass to the chamber? Fire forming the brass can be done with cheap hard cast bullets and fast burning pistol powder for a correct fit to the chamber.
RELH
RELH
i have a 7mm gibbs and i also have the book about the gibbs cartridges. gibbs suggested sizing them down in a 270 win. die far enough to resize the neck of the case about .25 and finishing the job with the 25 gibbs die. the sizing die had to be adjusted so the resulting bulge on the case neck served as a temporary shoulder to establish proper headspace.
i have always used 11 grains unique powder , topped with cream of wheat and plugged with toilet paper. if you would like i could copy the pages on the 25 gibbs and mail or fax them to you.ce61 ps i also agree with relh that annealing would help as it sounds like the brass is to hard and annealing woud soften it up.
i have always used 11 grains unique powder , topped with cream of wheat and plugged with toilet paper. if you would like i could copy the pages on the 25 gibbs and mail or fax them to you.ce61 ps i also agree with relh that annealing would help as it sounds like the brass is to hard and annealing woud soften it up.
Thanks for all the input guys! Should have given more info in my original post. I do have the Gibbs book and have read it several times. When we worked up the original brass we used 30-06 brass. Ran it in a .270 die then the .25 Gibbs die. The neck bulge created by necking down provides the headspace. May not have worded that correct but you get the idea. Don't remember the exact powder or how much but it was as suggested in the Gibbs book (locked in my safe now or I'd look it up). Had pretty good luck but as the brass got older the necks started cracking without even being fired. Have now lost almost all of the original brass to the neck splits. Annealed some of it this summer and haven't lost any more of them. Wish I'd have known about that sooner. In the Gibbs book they tell you to take 25-06 ammo and pull the bullet till it touches the lands as another method. Well I bought some 25-06 brass and loaded out to the lands. When the firing pin strikes the primer it just drives the bullet deeper into the case. Did have one go off,wasn't pretty. I'll leave it at that. Bottom line is I have 100 or so cases loaded up and am looking for an easy answer to my problem. Know the obvious, pull the bullets and do the pistol powder trick or get some .270 brass and go from there. Was wondering if the Lee factory crimp die would help? Really wanted to take my bighorn with this rifle but it stopped grouping for me just before the hunt so shelved the idea. Want to work up some loads for it but the brass thing dampens my spirits. Once again thanks for the help. Gene
sageadvice
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Gene, In reading the link that i posted above, i see the authors data in his loadings of 117 grainrs...3400+ fps. That is indeed smoking, especially over the crispy 3000 or so fps from the parent 25-06 case.
I'm interested to hear what results you have found with your loadings? and,
Do you think the Authors claim of the Gibbs being 100 fps faster than similarly loaded 25-06 Ackley Imp loadings is fairly accurate? If so, that puts the Ackley improved version at +3300 fps with 117 grain pills. Maybe not the fastest but IMO, plenty fast enough! Thanks!
Joey
I'm interested to hear what results you have found with your loadings? and,
Do you think the Authors claim of the Gibbs being 100 fps faster than similarly loaded 25-06 Ackley Imp loadings is fairly accurate? If so, that puts the Ackley improved version at +3300 fps with 117 grain pills. Maybe not the fastest but IMO, plenty fast enough! Thanks!
Joey
Hey Joey never shot it through a chronograph. Rocky Gibbs wanted to be the only one cutting and polishing chambers of his wildcats. Felt the chamber polish to be very important and if not done correctly accuracy and speed would suffer. I think his speeds are exaggerated. The load we used was 59 grains of H4831 pushing a Sierra 117 bt. They were very old bullets and I checked with Sierra and they said same as the Gamekings. Loaded for this early in my loading career and know I can improve on the group with the knowledge gained over the last 10+ years. If only I can get some brass formed! Don't get me wrong it has always grouped well, up until last month that is. I have spent many hours reading about this caliber from various sources including other forums. One guy had a very long barrel and his speed was unbelievable. When I get rolling with it I will chrono it to see where I am. My dad killed two big Utah mulies with it and they didn't need any tracking. I do like the look of the cartridge and would like to use it on an animal some day. Glad you had a good Christmas and welcome back!
Gene
Gene
sageadvice
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ce61, Being i have and hunt with a .280AI, i'm curious about your findings with your much similar 7mm Gibbs. Can you tell us of your firearm, the results you're getting with your loads, and any problems you've had with it in general?
Thanks, Joey
Thanks, Joey
sage, my 7mm gibbs is a sako action with a 26" obermeyer barrel. i have shot 140's, ave. about 1moa sometimes a little better, never chrono'd the 140's. started shooting long range targets with the buddies and switched to sierra smk 168, been using h4198 and thought about 2900fps, but was surprized to ave. 3047.fireforming brass with pistol powder and filler and haven't screwed up many cases, the shoulder is rounded, but forms up nicely with the first loaded round. haven't been playing much with it lately, i built a 6.5x284 for myself and 2 more for the buddies. also have all the stuff to put together a 6mmbr, except the barrel and am waiting for that for 4 months. ce61
sageadvice
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ce61, Thank You Much! Shoothing those longer bullets, i'm thinking you probably went with a faster than 10-1 twist??
a 25" 10-1 is on mine and now that you mention it, i did have some trouble getting a accurate heavy load worked up for a moose hunt in Alaska. Mine didn't care much to group tightly with pills over 150grs, finally figured it was the barrel twist. Our trip got shut down by our host at the last minute, never gave it a second thought and dropped back to 140's and in that range she'll probably stay.
joey
a 25" 10-1 is on mine and now that you mention it, i did have some trouble getting a accurate heavy load worked up for a moose hunt in Alaska. Mine didn't care much to group tightly with pills over 150grs, finally figured it was the barrel twist. Our trip got shut down by our host at the last minute, never gave it a second thought and dropped back to 140's and in that range she'll probably stay.
joey
sageadvice
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Larry, I didn't have the need to get past IMR 4350 to find a sweet load for my particular gun.
I had been made a gift of a couple boxes of Nosler combined tech 140gr bullets and during the hottest part of summer, worked up to a max loading of 60 1/2 grains of 4350. Thru my mentors crono, we got a average of just over 3300 fps from the 25" barrel. This is a HOT load but shoot very well in my gun. Please anyone, work up from well below as it's over Noslers listed max.
I have somewhere published manual data of a .280AI load using VV560 powder and 140grainers that run 3400+. I was then having a hard time getting that VitaVourie?? Powder in small quantities if at all.
I gave some further info about the gun down below near the end on the "25-06AI yea or nay" thread.
Joey
I had been made a gift of a couple boxes of Nosler combined tech 140gr bullets and during the hottest part of summer, worked up to a max loading of 60 1/2 grains of 4350. Thru my mentors crono, we got a average of just over 3300 fps from the 25" barrel. This is a HOT load but shoot very well in my gun. Please anyone, work up from well below as it's over Noslers listed max.
I have somewhere published manual data of a .280AI load using VV560 powder and 140grainers that run 3400+. I was then having a hard time getting that VitaVourie?? Powder in small quantities if at all.
I gave some further info about the gun down below near the end on the "25-06AI yea or nay" thread.
Joey
