New caliber, or press?

J

jkc

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I found a great deal on an encore barrel in .204 ruger. Now on the other hand I just got my 25/06. I purchased it with the intent that it becomes my everything gun.

It would be nice to have the small, fast and flat shooting .204. I don't think there is really an overlap problem between these two calibers. I could stand to do the job of both with the gun I already own.

I can not buy both. Its going to have to be one or the other. So what would you do? Get the new caliber, or buy a press and start making some cheaper more accurate ammo for the gun you already own? I'm 50/50 on this one.
 
... if you wanna shoot little things way out where you can barely see them get the 204. Used it on coyotes with great success as well.
 
IMO buy the press.
the .25-06 is incredibly versatile, but only if you have the option of reloading for it. otherwise ammo selection is quite limited. IMO you would not be realizing its full potential unless you reload.

theres nothing the .204 can do that the .25-06 cant, except shoot tiny bullets a few hundred fps faster.
despite being a few hundred FPS slower, a 75 grain v-max or 90 grain PEP from a .25-06 will detonate groundhogs much more dramatically than a .204 can ever hope to :)
 
Hand loading...thanks for the advice. I am starting to lean that way. It seems to make more sense.

Its really the answer I knew was right in my gut. I think I just needed some re-assurance.
 
Close to 30 years ago I was getting more and more involved in rifles. I was trying to buy more and more guns, and shot strictly factory ammo. Then I traded into a press and never looked back.

In the time since, I think about the years I essentially "wasted" wanging away with factory ammo. Expensive, not to mention the pleasure a person gets from handloading. Trust me (us), it will take your enjoyment of rifles and shooting to a whole new level and you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner!
 
If it was me I would buy the .204 barrel and put it to the side. Then I would save my pennies and start hand loading for both. Reason is that...the barrel probably wont go down in price and if its a great deal i can afford to leave it sit for a year or so. If the situation ocurs that you need the money you can sell it and get your moneyback.

Its a win win situation...the 204 for varmints and the .25 for hunting.They can overlap but at least with the.204 you can watch the target being hit as where you cant with the .25. Just my .02 cents worth here...buy the barrel then save the funds and you have 2 calibers to work with,,,,
 
change the name of the press to ammo factory and then evaluate your decision. Look down the road 10 years and that ammo factory may be the most valuable thing in your collection. start building it now and then ad all the calibres you like like.
 
dizzy said:
change the name of the press to ammo factory and then evaluate your decision. Look down the road 10 years and that ammo factory may be the most valuable thing in your collection. start building it now and then ad all the calibres you like like.
Click to expand...

Huh ..What???You should rephrase your statement as its misleading. You dont build it until you have calibres to load for..the OP wants advice so here is mine once again...buy the 204 barrel and put it to the side. Then save the pennies and load for both.Even if you sell the .204 barrel at a later date,you wont lose on it...consider it a investment.

Unlesss the world will end on Dec2012 at 11:11 am universal time...its a money maker. Now next thing to do is invest in some good reloading equipment...IE..RCBS...there life is simple..
 
jkc said:
I found a great deal on an encore barrel in .204 ruger. Now on the other hand I just got my 25/06. I purchased it with the intent that it becomes my everything gun.

It would be nice to have the small, fast and flat shooting .204. I don't think there is really an overlap problem between these two calibers. I could stand to do the job of both with the gun I already own.

I can not buy both. Its going to have to be one or the other. So what would you do? Get the new caliber, or buy a press and start making some cheaper more accurate ammo for the gun you already own? I'm 50/50 on this one.
Click to expand...

You can easily get set up for reloading for under $200.00 with Lee equipment. You do NOT need to spend hundreds of dollars on RCBS, Lyman, Hornady or Redding to load good ammo.

Get the 204 barrel save up and spend the $200 on a Lee Breech lock kit, dies, powder primers and bullets. Try the reloading route. IF you wear out or break the LEE gear or simply feel the need for cast iron, buy RCBS, Hornady, Lyman or Redding.

You will have the best of both worlds, a 204 setup and a reloading setup.
 
woolly said:
You can easily get set up for reloading for under $200.00 with Lee equipment. You do NOT need to spend hundreds of dollars on RCBS, Lyman, Hornady or Redding to load good ammo.

Get the 204 barrel save up and spend the $200 on a Lee Breech lock kit, dies, powder primers and bullets. Try the reloading route. IF you wear out or break the LEE gear or simply feel the need for cast iron, buy RCBS, Hornady, Lyman or Redding.

You will have the best of both worlds, a 204 setup and a reloading setup.
Click to expand...


whats the best place to buy reloading equipment in Canada?
the fact that everything costs 2x as much as in the US despite the dollar being par is pissing me off.
 
jkc said:
I found a great deal on an encore barrel in .204 ruger. Now on the other hand I just got my 25/06. I purchased it with the intent that it becomes my everything gun.

It would be nice to have the small, fast and flat shooting .204. I don't think there is really an overlap problem between these two calibers. I could stand to do the job of both with the gun I already own.

I can not buy both. Its going to have to be one or the other. So what would you do? Get the new caliber, or buy a press and start making some cheaper more accurate ammo for the gun you already own? I'm 50/50 on this one.
Click to expand...

New rifles and barrels will come and go. Having your own loading set up , you will likely have for the balance of your shooting life. I'd get the loading set up investment worked out first. FS
 
icehunter121 said:
If it was me I would buy the .204 barrel and put it to the side. Then I would save my pennies and start hand loading for both. Reason is that...the barrel probably wont go down in price and if its a great deal i can afford to leave it sit for a year or so. If the situation ocurs that you need the money you can sell it and get your moneyback.

Its a win win situation...the 204 for varmints and the .25 for hunting.They can overlap but at least with the.204 you can watch the target being hit as where you cant with the .25. Just my .02 cents worth here...buy the barrel then save the funds and you have 2 calibers to work with,,,,
Click to expand...

No point in having a barrel you can't afford to feed. Maybe you have a buddy that can let you use his reloading gear. Like my dad some times says" There is always more good deals than there is money" FS
 
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