.225 Winchester

Infobox Firearm Cartridge
name= .225 Winchester


caption=
origin= USA
type= Rifle
service=
used_by=
wars=
designer= Winchester
design_date=1964
manufacturer=
production_date=
number=
variants=
is_SI_specs=
parent= .219 Donaldson Wasp
case type=rimmed, tapered, bottleneck
bullet=.224
neck=.260
shoulder=.406
base=.423
rim_dia=.473
rim_thick=.049
case_length=1.930
length=2.50
rifling=1-12"
primer=Small rifle
is_SI_ballistics=
bw1=40
btype1=SP
vel1=4020
en1=1436
bw2=50
btype2=SP
vel2=3768
en2=1577
bw3=55
btype3=SP
vel3=3643
en3=1621
bw4=60
btype4=SP
vel4=3428
en4=1566
bw5=
btype5=
vel5=
en5=
test_barrel_length=24"
balsrc= Hodgdon [http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp .225 Win data Hodgdon] ]

The .225 Winchester cartridge was created in 1964 by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Based upon the .219 Donaldson Wasp cartridge, it is a semi-rimmed cartridge, which was an oddity for a cartridge introduced at the time. It was intended as a replacement for the .220 Swift cartridge, which despite being a very powerful varmint round, had a reputation for wearing out rifle barrels prematurely. The .225 Winchester was initially chambered in factory rifles by Winchester (Models 70 and 670) and Savage (Model 340). All commercially produced rifles chambered in .225 Winchester were turn-bolt operated actions.

The round never achieved great popularity and was soon eclipsed by the .22-250 Remington, which was introduced commercially the following year. The .22-250 Remington was already a popular wildcat, a non-official custom cartridge, and, as such, many more people were familiar with the round. Winchester ceased production of any rifles chambered in .225 Winchester in 1971. Very limited production of loaded ammunition and brass cases are continued by Winchester. Reloading dies for the round are still produced by Hornady and RCBS.

Ironically, the .220 Swift, which the .225 Winchester was intended to replace, has remained popular and has experienced a renaissance in recent years. The .223 Remington (also designed in 1964) and its variants have largely supplanted this round, being very similar in caliber and overall performance. A rimmed cartridge, the .225 Winchester was far less suited for use in autoloading rifles than the .223. With the military adopting a .223 variant as the 5.56 NATO cartridge, and the increasing popularity of autoloaders, the demise of the .225 was effectively a foregone conclusion.

ee also

* .224 Weatherby Magnum
* 5 mm caliber other cartridges in .22 caliber
* List of rifle cartridges

References

* [http://www.stevespages.com/jpg/cd225winchester.jpgCartridge dimensions]
* [http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/PerCaliber2Guide/Rifle/Standarddata(Rifle)/22Cal(5.56mm)/225%20Winchester%20pages%20194%20and%20195.pdf .225 Win data at Accurate Powder]
* [http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/225w.html .225 Winchester at the Reload Bench]

External links

* [http://www.chuckhawks.com/225Winchester.htm .225 Winchester] at Chuck Hawks