Since I have a 204 barrel on order, I was thinking about recommendations on reload dies...

I am getting to be all thumbs on putting 40 grain 22 caliber bullets... what is going to happen if I try to do smaller bullets????

I don't know who makes those dies, with the little window to put the bullet thru on the seating die... but do they make one for a 204 also????

Normally when I load for a caliber, I get a set of RCBS dies, a set of Lee Deluxe Dies, and usually their RGB dies also....

IN a few calibers, I have skipped the RCBS dies and went to the Redding dies...with neck sizer included...

cheers
seafire

Vickerman and RCBS comp dies have the little window. Both cna be swtiched to accept different bullet diameters and make ammo with about zero run out. I load all my 17s and 20s with these dies, very wise investment for small calibers.

40gr 204
powder Min Max Velo
Varget 26.0 28.1(c) 3647
Bl-C(2) 28.5 30.0 3774
h335 25.0 26.8 3738
h4895 26.0 27.7(C) 3741
Benchmark 24.0 25.7 3646
H322 23.0 25.1 3639

The 35gr Berger is super accurate out of my 20-222Imp. The loads above are out of the Hodgen manual. Please reduce all loads at least 10%percent and only use in modern firearms. (LOL had to do it) Should give you a good place to start. N-133 and N135 should also be wonderful in that case. Data for the 222mag cut back 10percent should put you in the ball park. You will now need a 20 Vartarg (20-221Imp). Do not even get started on 17s I have three, plans for #4 this summer and a 14-221 in the works. YOu have been warned you are going into very dangerous waters.

http://www.gmwvickerman.com/

I have one and love it for those small bullets.
Havent checked if he has the 204 yet
Lyle

The Hornaday seaters also work pretty nice for the skinny calibers.............

I usually buy Redding's three die sets for my reloading. When I got my .204 the were out of stock. So I got a standard 2 die set and purchased their neck sizing bushing die. I haven't spent a lot of time poking holes in paper, but my loads are working great in the groundhog fields. I'm shooting Hornady Brass, CCI primers, 40grn V-Max and Varget powder. Good Luck!

Seafire/B17G: I have a dedicated set of dies for EACH of my 204's. I have one set of RCBS dies (no Reddings available at that time) in 204 Ruger and two other sets of Redding's. I also have ONE new (unused as of yet) Redding neck sizing only die for the 204 Ruger.
All three of my dies sets make VERY concentric (and consistently so) loaded ammunition. The runouts run from .002" to .004" with most runout readings being between .002" and .0025".
Lucky - I guess.
I of course started out with RCBS dies and used them for 2+ decades exclusively - then about 20 years ago I began using Redding dies and stuck with them unless they were NOT available when I needed dies for a new Rifle. The RCBS dies I have been using (buying new) sporadically over the last several years have been excellent and make very concentric bullets for me.
Best of luck with whichever brand you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I'm using RCBS, they work just fine. Those little bullets are indeed somewhat of a pain in the ass at times.