.25-45 Sharps - A New Cartridge for the AR-15 Platform

[gitano]

I find it curious that you don't care for the .25 caliber, Paul. I have always been drawn to it for some reason. It's just that much bigger 'thump' than the .243. I have a friend that bought (against my advice), a .243 for his son's first "caribou rifle". (I of course recommended what I always do for "first rifles" - .the 308 Win.) The first caribou hunt they went on, his son shot one "a bit far back". According to him, they chased it for over an hour, and it ultimately got away. Wounded. Of course, the real issue is "a bit far back", but when you shoot a big game animal "a bit far back", the bigger the bullet the better the chances of recovery. Who knows if a .25-06 would have resulted in a different outcome.

Anyway, I went looking at Green Mountain Barrels, and they don't have any barrels with twist rates faster than 1:10. That twist rate is "iffy" when it comes to gyroscopic stability for the 87-grain Ballistic Tip or Combined Technology Ballistic Silvertip bullets. The "factory" barrel that Sharps (the ammo manufacturer) provides, has a 1:9 twist. (And a $250 price tag.) Also, I can't get that 87-grain bullet much over 2800 f/s out of an 18" barrel using QuickLOAD UNLESS I run the max pressure right up TO THE MAX for the .223 case - 62,000+ PSI. I don't like running ARs at the SAAMI max. Beats the hell out of the actions.

Given the .257 Roberts and the .25-06 (plus their AI versions), I don't think this cartridge has any 'socially redeeming value' outside of the AR platform. I also think it MIGHT be a little finicky to load for since they are expecting you to load to max pressures to get the "factory" performance. Quite a bit of the 'shine' has come off this cartridge for me. If a 1:9 twist, .25 caliber barrel 'falls into my hands', I may make a barrel for an AR-15, but otherwise, I don't think I'll 'work' to get my hands on one.

Paul