The .25-35 Winchester Center Fire (WCF) was introduced in 1895 in the Model 1894 Winchester lever-action, along with the .30 WCF, better known as the .30-30. Both cartridges also appeared in later variations of 1894, called the Model 55 and 64, along with other manufacturers’ lever-actions. The .30-30 became one of the most popular hunting rounds of all time, but the .25-35 Winchester apparently hung right in there until the 1920s, when higher velocity bolt-action cartridges took over the “small bore” market.
While significantly more powerful than the .25-20 Winchester, the .25-35 Winchester Center Fire can be used to hunt small deer at 200 yards and medium-sized deer at 100 yards, though some consider it better suited to small predators such as coyotes instead. It was a popular round used in the Winchester Model 1885 High Wall single-shot rifle. In standard loadings in a 20-inch barrel, the cartridge retains only about 800 to 900 fps at 100 yards, or about what its sister cartridge the .30-30 has at about 200 yards. Hornady's LEVERevolution load for the .25-35 Winchester, tested in a 24-inch barrel, lists about 900 fps at 200 yards; and the manufacturer claims the load is suited for deer and antelope.
Original factory ammo featured 117-grain soft-point and full metal jacket bullets at a listed 1,960 feet per second, but a 1925 “Super Speed” load with an 87-grain bullet supposedly got 2,700 fps, pretty close to the .250-3000 Savage. The 1954 Gun Digest was the last edition listing Winchester lever actions chambered in .25-35. Winchester ammunition has been continuously available since 1895, though since around World War II the only load has been the 117-grain round-nose soft point. Published muzzle velocity reached its peak at 2,300 fps in the early 1970s, when most factory ammunition was still tested in 26-inch barrels but is now 2,230.
About
The .30-30 Winchester Ammo, also known as the .30 Winchester Center Fire Ammo, was first designed and marketed commercially in 1895 in the United States. The .30-30 Winchester Ammo was designed for smokeless powder for the first small-bore sporting rifles. After approximately sixty years of production, the .243 Winchester Ammo surpassed the .30-30 Winchester Ammo in the small-bore cartridge category, but the .30-30 Winchester Ammo remains widely in use even today. Even though the .30-30 Winchester Ammo isn't recommended for long-range shots, it has a soft recoil that allows for accurate shots to be taken in short to mid ranges. However, the .243 Winchester Ammo provides a stronger power and muzzle energy than the .30-30 Winchester Ammo while delivering the same mild recoil to the shooter. The .30-30 Winchester Ammo has an overall length of 64.8mm, and the bullet diameter of this bullet is 7.8mm. The 150-grain bullet variant of the .30-30 Winchester Ammo can travel at a velocity of 2,390 feet per second while creating an energy level of 1,903 ft.lbf.
Manufacturer
The .30-30 Winchester Ammo was designed and manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1895 in the US.
Uses
In Canada and the US, hunters have successfully used the .30-30 Winchester ammo for hunting moose, caribou, and pronghorn. The cartridge has also been used for hunting down the deer family.