Frustrated by not being able to get ammo or cases for the 204 I ordered 222 Magnum cases from Midway. After receiving the cases I tried several methods for forming cases that I hac used in the past. My best solution turned out to be just running the lubed deuce magnum case into the FL size die. Bingo, ready to load and fireform. Sooted one of the cases and chambered it to check if the false shoulder actually contacts. It did make contact, which tells me that the headspace will be good.

I was trying things like necking up to 6.5 MM and then back down, in otder to have more shoulder. But, that process was going to add several more die passes to complete and without the actual forming dies, it appeared that I would have a lot of shouder colapses. Once again the K.I.S.S. principle worked best for me.

Now I have to decide whether to fireform with bullseye and cornmeal or just load and hunt with these fireforming cases. What's your experience with the 204?

A17Shooter

I have never been happy with Bullseye or what ever powder and cornmeal. Being that I load for a lot of TC Contender barrels I have always had the best performance with actual loads. Many of which I actulally seat the bullet to lightly engage the lands and fire a low end charge so as not to generate too high of a pressure. I have been amazed at many of the groups fired using this process as some have been very hard to duplicate after the case is formed. IMO stick with standard loads.

In fact at this moment I am forming 100 rimmed .35 Remington from 30-40 Krag brass getting ready to work up loads for this years trip to Minnesota in November. It feels like I'm cheating with the Contender in a shotgun only area as the deer are used to shotguns it seems. They stay about 150 yards out and away. Last year used a .308 Bellm with 150gr Nosler BTs, 4 for 4 helping fill tags (legal when Party hunting). Stupid deer didn't know what hit them.