For some reason, I think I am going to say 25-20.

Neither the 32-20 nor 25-20 are legal for deer here in my state. The 25-20 is plenty for small game. I also found one or two of them before I found a 32-20.

 

Ballistics04,

I have both and just sold a 25-20 antique 1892 WIN made in 1896! I still have an antique single shot in 25-20. I plan to shot it tomorrow.

25-20:

You can make 25-20 brass from 32-20 brass using your 25-20 dies. However, the process is difficult requiring only about 1/8" increments and even then you will loose around 20% of the cases. In the end, you will have a slightly under length case. Additionally, finding a flat point jacketed bullet in 25 cal is also difficult. However, if you cast the Lyman GC design has proven to be good in the 25-20. I found that the old lever gun only shot light weight bullets reasonablly well at lower velocity and pressures. Heavier bullets 80gr + were not accurate at all. I was not willing to push the pressure up on the old girl. However, the single shot is a different matter. There are seveal 70-75 gr 25 cal jacketed bullets that are low cost. In the single shot I can get the velocity up in the 2,000-2,100 fps range without issues and they shoot very well.

32-20:

Brass is plentiful and low cost. You have many options in jacketed, pre cast bullets, and molds.
I shoot a modern 1892 Win with a 115 gr plain base cast bullet using Rem 1 1/2 primer and 14.8gr of AA-1680 at 1,750 fps. It works very well. I won the last regional AAA class NRA Pistol Cartridge Lever Silhouette match I entered with it!

For me, there is more fun with far less work with the 32-20. With my cast bullets and the above load the variable cost for 50ea. loaded rounds is only $4.04! Hard to find target quality 22lr ammo for that price these days.

I looked for a few years, saving along the way, to find a good 32-20 at a reasonable price. Keep looking, they are out there. The Browning 53, Marlin CL, and Win 1892 are all good.

Here is a link to one of the best articles I have found about the 32-20 and reloading for it.

32-20 WCF

 

Thanks for the detailed info and the link, and congrats on winning that match!

 

I would say it is a toss up.
32-20 Brass is available from Starline. No forming good to go and proper head stamp. Hornady sells bullets. Lots of lead out there too.
25-20 at this time there is no new made brass available. I watch the brass at gunshows for whatever I can find. Speer and Hornady sell bullets when they feel like it. Plenty of lead for it. Remington does runs of loaded ammo ($60-75 for 50) but does not seem to care about components.
I like my 25-20 and if I did not have a 32-20 pistol I would not worry about forming brass.
A lot of moulds for either. About the same for dies.

 

I have the 32-20 and enjoy it. Don't see any real advantage to getting a 25-20. As others mentioned, the brass has to be made from 32-20 which is a pain. I would shoot cast bullets out of either, but for my 32-20 I use an old Lee mold throwing a 120 grain bullet for 30 cal that as cast works in the 32-20. Lube it with Lee Liquid Alox and it shoots very well. Commercial cast out there. To be frank, I find the 22 mag does the same thing for my uses. I also have a Rossi 357 which does the same thing also.

I guess at one time Winchester claimed these were adequate calibers for both deer and small game. Back when the 32-20was introduced with black powder loadings it was a very good small game number as BP tended to foul out smaller bores. Deer were taken with them and the Jordan buck was taken with a 25-20, however if you read the story about the Jordan buck, had there not been snow they would likely have lost it as the anchoring shot was a spine shot. It ran a ways after the initial hit. They used to arm kids with these guns and 410 slugs when I was younger, but they would sit on a trail and shoot up close. There are better deer rifles and as one pretty much needs to handload either and 30-30 can be loaded down or 38 specials shot in a 357. Personally I think the 357 makes a lot more sense. I tend to either grab the Rossi 357 or the Henry 22 mag when I carry either of these. Usually on a tractor or 4 wheeler. A good 22 mag, like my Henry Frontier is hard to beat for that use. For deer there are much better choices. We don't generally get by with just one rifle anymore.

DEP

 

I have a 32-20 and it is FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN. I use the 218 Bee for varments. The 25-20 is on the List.

 

I have had both but sold the 25-20's. I found the 32-20 is easier to find a good load for with cast bullets. The 25-20 was pickier on what load it liked. Both are easy and accurate if you plan on using jacketed bullets but the cost is much higher.

 

I think the .32-20 would be a little more versatile, both are great choices though.

I have a rifle in .32-20 with two Ruger revolvers also chambered to match ( a Blackhawk & Vaquero )

I would also like to have a .25-20, but since I also have a rifle in .218 Bee, I could justify the expense of adding a .25-20 to the stable in my mind

 

Thanks for all the replies and feedback! It's pretty clear that a 32-20 would be a better choice based on availability of components.

I'm not looking for another deer rifle. My Marlins (30-30, 32 Special, 35 Rem, 375 Win, 45-70) and my 30-06 rifles are all I need for deer and big game.

I thought about a Marlin in 357 or 44 mag but I live in the communist republic of NY and some gun shops won't sell pistol ammo to someone without a pistol permit, even though it is 100% LEGAL. Of course, I would reload those cartridges anyway, but I'd rather spare myself the aggravation.

I'm considering a 32-20 because I don't have a caliber between 22LR and 30-30. I want an in-between caliber in a lever action rifle, and it would mainly be used for woodchucks and coyotes.

Thanks again, your input is greatly appreciated!

 

I have a 25-20 Savage bolt rifle and a 32-20 Colt revolver that I reload for. It's been years since I've found any new 25-20 brass, and I stocked up on Hornady's 60 grain flat point last year when they finally got around to making some again. The 32-20 is no problem at all getting components.

I too wanted a small game / plinking lever rifle in 32 caliber. I looked at lots of expensive, worn Winchesters and Marlins, and the occasional modern Marlin in 32-20, but could never justify the prices. I started looking at the Henry Big Boy Steel in 327 Federal Magnum and found a "used" one that came out of an estate sale for $500. I couldn't be happier. I bought Starline 327 Federal and 32 H&R Mag brass and some Winchester 32 S&W Long. I'm using all the same cast and jacketed bullets I already had for the 32-20. I'm still working up loads. I had it out yesterday with some 90 grain Sierras at just under 1800 fps. I had the range officer ask what I was shooting when I was trying out 32 S&W Longs. They are sooo quiet! You shoot, it goes "small bang", then you wait for it, wait for it, then hear a small thwack. I didn't have the chronograph, but I'm thinking 22 LR velocities.

Mike

 

I have owned many of both 25/20 & 32/20. Presently two of each. I like both, load for both and cast bullets for both. I would have to go with the 32/20 if I were to pick one. The 32/20 seems to be more forgiving than 25/20s. I went through a lot of rifles over the years to come up with my keepers. I went through a lot more 25/20s to find good shooters and it had nothing to do with bores. I also found that both have shot better in rifle versions. As I only have original old guns I found them all, even the ones I traded off to shoot cast much better than jackets. This doesn't include the latest Marlins and Jap Win repros, have no experience with them. I've never had one of the Jap guns but did have the new Marlin 1894s but shot very little before I traded them off.

 

I like them both but only have a 25 20 Winchester 1892. No wrong answer here. Buy the best one you find first.

 

From a practical standpoint, the 32-20 is the way to go. Components are readily available. For the 25-20, brass is a scarce commodity. Jacketed bullets are available from Hornady, but they are not as readily available as 32-20 projectiles. I have a couple of 32-20 handguns and a Marlin lever action rifle, and I also have a Stevens Sportster bolt action in 25-20.

I would think that the 32-20 would be a bit more versatile, in addition to being easier to load for.

 

I’m with the guys above, I have both, you can’t go wrong with ether. Go with the nicest gun you find. I have single shots and levers and 1 pump in 32-20. Fun little cartridges!

 

I bought a Marlin 1894CL in .25-20 on GunBroker.

I liked the fact that it is a somewhat obscure cartridge, a small caliber, and has minimal recoil.
I was able to get some new Remingtom ammo and have components. I've formed some cases out of .32-20 brass, but have yet to reload for it.

I would like to get an 1894CL in .32-20.

Whichever one you get, there is good reloading info in "Ken Waters' Pet Loads" manual.

 

Thanks, and nice looking rifle!

 

I've had both and took up to white tail deer with both. Of course they were carefully placed shots. Then I've done the same with a .22 LR when it was legal in Michigan long ago.


Now go for the 32-20 but then click this link also for a companion revolver. https://www.ammoland.com/2018/03/1873-cattleman-revolver/#axzz5y6BoL5hN

 

Thank you swany :tee:

 

There is something attractive about using one of the older cartridges. I have enjoyed the 32-20 and it had the advantage of using a 30 cal mold I already had. the Lee mold cost me under $20 when I bought it. Some have used the flat nose version of the same bullet. As the bore is 312 they have to be as cast. Mine is a Marlin 94 CL. Now, older ones will have a larger variation of bore diameters and might be trickier to load for. I was given a couple of boxes of Remington 100 grain 32-20 factory loads and I started to shoot them up for brass, but they were so inaccurate I could not sight them in. I also had a box of Remington jacketed that shot way different than my handloads. Even if you find factory loads they may not work well. I also got a pistol mold that threw a 100 grain bullet similar to the factory loads and went back to my old reliable Lee mold using 120 grain bullets. Originally the 115 grain was factory loaded in the 32-20 and was popular. Lyman still makes the mold but it is now getting spendy.

I do not load real hot for my 32-20. Maybe 1500 at most. As I have shot small game with it I do not want m-1 carbine performance. For wood chucks you might find the hotter loads more interesting and one can use 32 cal pistol bullets in one. Again they don't have to be loaded very hot. Another alternative is the Henry that is now chambered for the 327 magnum. As one will likely handload anyway that might be an alternative that gives you a new rifle instead of a used one or an antique. I use a 120 grain bullet in my 357 loaded to about the same levels as my 32-20 and enjoy it also. After the novelty wears off on the 32-20 the 357 performs as well with handloads and can be had in new rifles also.

DEP

 

Thanks for the info! I've never heard of the 327 Magnum.

 

I have also read (on this forum) that the .357 magnum can be hand loaded to perform similarly to the 32-20 as well as the 327.
.357 is a very versatile cartridge and perhaps my favorite!

 

The 357 rifle gives an advantage in that it can also use 38 special cartridges. I prefer to use magnum cases when handloading my 357 rifle due to chamber issues that may not really be an issue, but I prefer just using the longer case only. I like to use a 120 hard cast in mine and it works fine on small game. My lever action ahs a receiver sight and is basically a max range 150 yard rifle.

I have been in a debate about the 357/32-20 in use. The 357 is a better deer cartridge but as I see no reason to use mine for deer (I have a nice 35 Remington) I like to use it loaded to 32-20 use levels. I use the 32-20, the 357 and the 22 mag interchangeably. I would say the Rossi 92 is about my favorite rifle to carry for some reason. The Henry 22 mag and the Marlin 94CL are nice rifles also. Depends on my mood. I have it, spent the money to get dies and cases for the 32-20 and will keep it, but I have no more satisfaction using it than the 357 or 22mag. 22 Mag is nice because I don't have to mess around reloading it. Once the novelty wears off there is nothing great about either the 32-20 or 25-20. Both went obsolete for a reason. Too big for rabbits too small for deer.

DEP

 

I couldn't come close to telling you how many guns I've owned. I didn't really get interested in the older calibers until I was 16 or so. I had been in the magnum stage and into new stuff. The most elusive guns to me were 25/20 & 32/20 pumps. I have never owned a nice one. Every time I saw a nice Marlin 27 it would be 22wrf or 25rf. In fact 25/20 & 32/20 rifles in general are hard to find in good condition. They seem to be beaters or collectors items, no in between.

 

A friend of mine has a Marlin 27 in 25.20. ive been trying to talk him out of it!

 

25-20 harder to reload, ammo twice as expensive, brass has to be formed bullets pretty much have to be cast because jacketed stuff never in stock. only reason i got into it is lgs didn't know what they had when they sold me a nice antique shooter in good shape for $200.
I'm still always looking out for a browning 53 or an 1894cl in 32-20 if I can find one at reasonable cost.

 

I disagree with that. The 25/20 & 32/20 are useful cartridges on small game and varmits. The newer HV cartridges are better from some standpoints. The main one being range when used with a scope. I have shot a lot of small game with 25/20 & 32/20 and neither do meat damage as bad as a 22hp. Like the 30/30 many turn up their nose at them because they want a flat shooting cartridge that requires less skill to shoot because of trajectory. Animals like coyotes, ***** and groundhogs can be bagged with a 22 but it better be a perfect shot to head. A 25/20 or 32/20 has a lot more thump on such critters for other than head shots. The 32/20 comes close to 32mg when hand loaded. There use to be useful rimfires that have been put out of business by modern HV cartridges. A lot of them are more powerful than needed for the intended use.

 

The 22 mag is now offered in a variety of bullet types so it is not as destructive on game as the old HP's used to be. The HP still works on varmints. I have shot small game with the 32-20 and 38 specials which offer no expansion and do a fair job, but a 22 would have worked as well. Actually some claimed the rim fires killed of the 32-20 and 25-20. The excellent old 22WRF with its 45 grain bullet at a moderate speed was a very good cartridge in its day. The 32-20 was a black powder development which made sense in its day as BP did not work so well for small bores. The 25-20 was a smokeless development for the 92 as I understand it. The 218 Bee came out as a way to try to adapt to the newer desires. An individual from Alaska loved the 25-20 as it would take fur bearers very well without a lot of pelt damage, as would a 32-20.


When I make the comment about too small for deer and too big for rabbits it is an observation about the market as existed at the times. I use them on small game and carry them for coyotes and enjoy the 357 and 32-20. In many ways the 22 mag fits that bill. However we are a small cross section of the market. I really have no desire to mess around with an AR type rifle, but it has a large following.

DEP

 

I have had a couple of 32-20's in the past.
Both Model 53's, one Winchester and one Browning clone.
Both were good shooters, and I enjoyed them, but I never really used them that much, for a couple of reasons. One is that I found that for the game I was interested in shooting, the 25-20 did as good a job of killing, and meat damage was a little less.
The other was that neither of the 53's ever matched my Savage 23B or my Winchester 1892 for accuracy overall, even with careful load development. The bore and chamber in the Winchester 53 was in pretty good shape and the Browning 53 was new, so pretty much perfect.
I dont know if the extra barrel length in the two 25-20's was a factor, 25 inches for the 23B and 26 inches for the 1892, but either one would (and still will) shoot pretty much same hole groups at 50 yards with a wide variety of bullet weights and powder choices.
So for myself at least, I favor the 25-20, and as I have been acquiring proper bullets and cases for it for 30 years now, The lack of components that seems to be the norm today doesn't affect me at all. I have several thousand cases from Winchester and Remington, and
I probably have 3 or 4 thousand appropriate bullets,both jacketed and cast, from every manufacturer you could imagine. I have been testing
out a new one I found last year from GT Bullets. A 55 grain cast Hollow point that is exceedingly accurate at velocities from 1100 to 1500 fps. My 23B places 5 of these in less than an inch at 75 yds ( Vintage Weaver K2.5 mounted). I have used this bullet on squirrel, rabbit, and possums with the 23B , and Armadillos, and a coyote with the 1892 so far with all clean and immediate one shot kills. The latter 2 animals with a load running above 1500 fps, the others at a more sedate 1100 fps.
I admit I am biased in favor of the 25-20.
It is my all time favorite small game getter, and I find myself using it in place of my numerous 22's more and more.

 

The old Savage 23 series and Sporter before them were good rifles. In my search for 22Hornets, 25/20 and 32/20 I owned several of them. Many times the Savage would outshoot Wins & Marlins. They don't have the class of a lever gun so they aren't that popular.

 

The 32/20 and 25/20 were very popular calibers in Appalacian region. They got the job done on most anything that popped up. The ammo use to be cheaper than the bigger CFs. You don't see near the 38/40 and 44/40s as the smaller chamberings. They were simply more than needed. Average people didn't have a rack full of guns. They didn't shoot up a lot of ammo for fun. These people did harvest game. At different times it was depended on to feed the family. Lots of places a Winchester was their food stamps. There are cartridges better suited for deer but short range stand hunting they will kill them dead

I took a Win 53 25/20 with me and was going to use it last afternoon of season. Buddie's didn't want me to use it. They were worried I would wound a deer and we would spend remaining time tracking it. I told them I would be going double or nothing, head shot or miss.
We weren't out very long and three does ran up and stopped. One in the head and it dropped instantly, 25yds, I could have done the same thing with a 22lr. That's how the old timers did it. They didn't shoot until it was a sure thing. More harvest than sport. I had kin that took deer every year with 25rf single shots.

 

Well both! Duh!

 

I had the same itch- 32-20 or 25-20??!?!?!? So I had to buy a well-worn 1894 Marlin on gunbroker. Barrel didn't look too great, put a skinner front and rear sight on the thing. Shot lights out. Went to a gunshow and what did I see but a Marlin 1894 CL, in like-new condition! It had to come home with me. This spring I figured why not look for a Buckeye special? Found one and yes, they do shoot every bit as good as my rifles do, with the same loads! Summer comes along and I found a 25-20 with a rotten barrel. Had it re-lined and could not get that rifle to shoot. At all. Changed sights, 4 types of powders until I did some thinking of why it wouldn't shoot. The 1:14 twist wouldn't stabilize the 86 grain bullet. I ordered some new Hornady 60 gr fp, with the accuracy load from the Lyman reloading manual. Man Alive does that rifle shoot! I sourced 500 more of the Hornady bullets, and was able to purchase a vintage mold for a 67 grain flat base. The first 20 are waiting to be loaded tomorrow.
The calibers are different animals.
Was there a savage animal tearing through my yard- the 32-20 would be used to great and immediate effect. My handloads in that rifle are just spectacular and have been from the first load. I think the 25-20 will get there eventually now, but it was a slow and very long journey to accuracy.