A high-speed, fast-twisted 0.25-caliber rifle cartridge, the Weatherby 25 RPM is a genuine “both-ways” cartridge that provides a “one gun” solution
by Richard Mann
Rifle cartridge development has mostly been driven by the need for more reach. Early on, additional reach was obtained with faster velocities, but since the introduction of the 6.5 Creedmoor, we’ve been finding additional reach with fast-twist barrels that can stabilize higher ballistic coefficient (BC) bullets. With their new 25 RPM rifle cartridge, Weatherby combined faster velocities with a fast-twist barrel to produce what is arguably the best ballistic performing 0.25-caliber rifle cartridge to date.
Quarter-Bore History
Historically, 0.25-caliber rifle cartridges are what many hunters consider “both-ways” cartridges because their bullet diameter and the bullet weights they could shoot allowed them to perform very well for varmints and big game. Up until near the end of the 20th Century, a dual-purpose rifle/cartridge was very appealing to many hunters because most hunters had only one rifle. But as rifles became more specialized, hunters began acquiring rifles for specific purposes, and varmint rifles, predator rifles, and big game rifles became a thing. This specialization eroded the popularity of 0.25-caliber rifle cartridges. Prior to 2025, the last 0.25-caliber rifle cartridge approved by SAAMI was the 25-06 Remington in 1969.
I’ve always been a fan of 0.25-caliber rifle cartridges, and about a decade ago, I necked the 6.5 Creedmoor down to 0.25-caliber. I’ve used it a great deal for coyotes and deer, and I tried to get Hornady to legitimize it back then. Finally, in 2025, they did, and the 25 Creedmoor became the first new SAAMI approved 0.25-caliber rifle cartridge in more than 50 years. With the ability to push lightweight bullets beyond 3400 fps and a high BC 128-grain bullet to around 2850 fps, it makes for a fantastic dual purpose rifle cartridge. With their new 25 RPM, Weatherby also included a fast 1:7.5 twist, but they also pushed the velocity to about 250 fps faster than the 25 Creed. What’s cool about the 25 RPM is that it is technically not a “magnum” cartridge.
Though there is no accepted definition of a “magnum” cartridge, historically, they either have had a belt around the base of the cartridge case like the 257 Weatherby Magnum or they’ve had a rim diameter larger than 0.473-inch, which is the rim diameter of the 308 Winchester and 30-06 Springfield family of cartridges. More velocity requires more gun powder and/or higher pressures. The 25 RPM operates at 65,000 psi, which is the same pressure as the 270 Winchester, but to get more gunpowder in the case, Weatherby went back to 1963 like they did with their other RPM cartridges.
The Rebated Rim Cartridge
In 1963, Winchester introduced the 284 Winchester. The 284 Winchester utilized a newly designed cartridge case that had the same rim diameter as a 308 Winchester, but the case body was 0.500 inches in diameter as opposed to 0.470. It was called a rebated rim case. The case’s base-to-shoulder length was also about 0.20-inch longer, and this gave the 284 an additional powder capacity of about 15% when compared to other short-action rifle cartridges based on the 308 Winchester.
Though the 284 Winchester had a short lifespan, it developed a cult-like following, and because of its unique shape, it would serve as the parent case or inspiration for a lot of other cartridges to include the now almost forgotten 30 Remington AR and the straight-walled 450 Bushmaster. All Weatherby’s RPM cartridges are based on a lengthened version of the 284 Winchester case.
More Velocity & Faster Twist
The 25 RPM needs a long action just like the 257 Weatherby Magnum; however, since the 25 RPM is smaller in diameter, it does not require the larger and heavier nine-lug Weatherby Mark V action. Since it can use the more diminutive six-lug Mark V action, a 25 RPM rifle will be lighter than a 257 Weatherby rifle. With a 100-grain bullet, the 25 RPM has a muzzle velocity that’s about 100 fps slower than the 257 Weatherby, yet since it has a fast twist rate, it can handle heavier, higher BC bullets than the 257 Weatherby. This means that at extreme distance, with some bullets, the 25 RPM can shoot even flatter.
Ballistically speaking, the 25 RPM is a lot faster than the 25 Creedmoor, a little bit faster than the 25-06 Remington, and a little bit slower than the 257 Weatherby Magnum. Inside 300 yards, for a hunter, the differences in these four cartridges — regarding getting hits and killing effectiveness — is mostly theoretical paper ballistics. Hunters using any of these would not be able to discern much difference. So, why bother? What’s the point of the 25 RPM?
What’s it For?
The answer to this question is really quite simple, and given the prices of high-quality modern rifles, the 25 RPM makes a lot of sense for the modern hunter. Ballistically, the 25 RPM checks a lot of boxes, and while the 25 Creedmoor might be sufficient for most hunters, the 25 RPM gives you a bit more reach without the recoil and slow twist limitations of the 257 Weatherby Magnum. The real appeal of the 25 RPM is the same thing that has made all 0.25-caliber rifle cartridges likeable.
In the last several years, we’ve been seeing the rise of the high-end, expensive hunting rifle. These rifles are often fitted with carbon fiber barrels, carbon fiber stocks, and even titanium actions. Hunters want extreme precision from very lightweight rifles. The problem is that the combination of extreme precision and light weight rifles is expensive. I recently tested a 25 Creedmoor Glacier Ti rifle from Proof Research that cost more than seven grand. If hunters want a high-end varmint and predator rifle and a high-end big game rifle, they might spend more on these two rifles than they’ll spend on groceries for a year! This makes a one-rifle answer — a high-end, expensive, both-ways rifle — much more appealing, and this dual-purpose application has always been the forte of the quarter-bore.
A man with a very precise-shooting and lightweight rifle chambered for the 25 RPM has a rifle that will give him a great deal of reach, with bullet options for groundhogs, coyotes, deer, and even elk. He can have one very good and, if desired, expensive rifle that will do most anything he needs to do.
Neophobia
Unfortunately, many hunters and shooters are afflicted with a mental condition known as neophobia. Neophobia is the fear of anything new, and it is often manifested by shooters and hunters who cannot accept that a new cartridge might offer some benefit over their favorite cartridge or the one they have invested in and swear by. When Weatherby announced the 25 RPM, social media lit up with the naysayers damning the cartridge with proclamations common to those suffering from the disease. They said it was an answer to a question no one was asking, which really did nothing but place their opinions in a box no one cared to look in.
Of course, none of these naysayers had ever killed an animal with a 25 RPM, shot a rifle chambered for a 25 RPM, or even held a 25 RPM cartridge in their hands. They just blatantly looked progress in the face and denounced it as unnecessary. I, on the other hand, have had a good bit of experience with the 25 RPM. I’ve been shooting a Weatherby Backcountry Guide Ti rifle chambered for it since October of 2025. I used the rifle to take two deer last season at 300 and about 420 yards, and in addition to shooting all but one of the factory loads for the rifle, I’ve done a good bit of handloading for the cartridge.
The Verdict
Is the 25 RPM the best rifle cartridge to ever come along? Nope. But there is no such thing as the “best rifle cartridge.” Is the 25 RPM a hunting rifle cartridge everyone needs to buy? Nope. Most hunters can do most of anything they need to do with rifle cartridges that have been with us for a hundred years or more. Will the 25 RPM set sales records? Nope. Probably not, because most hunters want multiple rifles perfectly adapted to individual pursuits.
There is, though, a subset of rifle hunters who are still interested in that one-rifle answer. It’s why the 250 Savage became so popular; it’s why the 257 Roberts refuses to die; it’s why the 25-06 Remington gained the popularity and trust it has. It’s the same reason the 257 Weatherby Mangum is so revered. It’s also why I wildcatted what’s now known as the 25 Creedmoor a decade ago. The 0.25-caliber rifle cartridges are the king of the dual-threat cartridges, and now with the 25 Creedmoor and 25 RPM, we have fast-twist 0.25-caliber options that have eclipsed the dual-threat appeal and now offer the triple-threat charm of long-range precision.
I have my 25 RPM, and if the idea of one rifle that will let you do a lot of things is attractive, maybe you should get one, too.
- The 25 RPM: Weatherby’s New Quarter-Bore - June 22, 2026
- Cooper Laid the Foundation… - June 9, 2026
- Silencer Central’s Banish 30 V2: A General Purpose Suppressor - May 29, 2026
