Those old Winchester M94's are plenty strong. Not a solid breach single shot, or bolt action, but plenty strong for what they were intended.
The issue with the cartridge is with the cases. The .25/35 evolved at the time smokeless powder was new. With black-powder, cases needed to be tapered with the relatively weak extraction system of the lever-actions. With higher pressures, the cases are forced back against the bolt and can tightly lock up the action if taken too far. The cases are relatively "thin" and as such will take a "set" to the bolt-face and chamber at a lower pressure and cause difficult/impossible extraction at a lower pressure than later/stronger case designs.
If you are "working" up a load, when you get to the point that the action is "sticky" to operate, you are at maximum. Reduce to point where the "stickyness" is tolerable or goes away.... (The new (circa 2009) Marlin .338MarlinExpress cartridge operates at the upper limit of "tolerance" by the Marlin M336 action. Factory ammo operates at this "stickyness" level, but is a stronger case design as well as barrel-threads and heat-treating of the reciever).
Even at ~2,200fps, the Hornady 117gr RN is designed to operate at this speed. It will expand down to around 1,600fps. As such, this is sufficient for this gun to perform as intended out to about 150-200yds which is as far as most shooters are capable of putting them into the vital area of a deer. The .25/35 is an excellent little cartrigde and when understood and properly utilized is a wonderful little deer shooter. The 87gr flat-nose may give a little better performance on deer if you shoot them in the heart/lungs with broadside shots, but for raking or lengthwise hits, the 117 will be much better. The 75's are much better for varmints... I'd avoid them unless if used for rodents. Also, some of the early Winchester M94 .25/35's had a two leaf sight. One is for the 117, the other for the 75-87's. There is a considerable difference in bullet impact with single sights.....Hence the general admonition to stick with the factory 117's speeds.
Winchester made a run of the .25/35 in the last year before they went out of business. (2008?). They were in the "Legacy" version w/24"bbl and excellent wood. If I ever run across one, I'll grab it up...
I've used the 117gr Hornady Spt from both the .257Roberts at ~2,800fps and the .257Wby at ~3,200fps. It kills deer like "lightning" from both and is suprisingly flat shooting, of course due to the velocities of these two cartridges. It is an "Interlok" bullet, so it doesn't "blow up" or come apart even at the speed of the Weatherby.
The 6.5's and 7mm's of the early 20th century operated at the same speeds as the .25/35 w/117's; and with 155-160gr bullets from the 6.5 and 170-175gr bullets from the 7mm's racked up an enviable record on large dangerous game.... The early 20th century hunters had different expectations and hunted, rather than shot....(vs. long range shooting of deer >200yds).
However, due to "prejudices and preferences", the .30/30 was the "darling" cartridge and following WWI, the .30/06 was the long range shooters choice, in a bolt action of course.... but, the .30/30 has an even better reputation in my "neck of the woods" now than it has had in the previous 50yrs.... Compared to the now popular .223 for shooting deer, it is a "heavy weight" heavy hitter.
Funny how perceptions change.......
Enjoy your .25/35.... The only one I've ever shot was in a T/C Contender w/14"bbl. Recoil was modest even in such a relatively lightweight gun.
