anyone have a reamer for one of these for rent or sale? thanks!

I suppose I could use a standard floating pilot 222 reamer with a .25 pilot, followed up by a .257 neck reamer with an appropriate leade, but I don't have those either ... I guess the copperhead never really took root as 4d and elk ridge don't have it.

Oddly enough, I think I have a .25-222 or .25-223 reamer, along with a similar one in 6mm. Don't know exactly what they are, but if they are of interest, I can go check some dimensions.

Postscript: Got me curious enough I went out and got them and measured. They are a hybrid between .222 and .223. Have the same body, of course as both. But, have the 23 degree shoulder of the .222, and have the shorter neck of the .223. My book showing the .25-222 copperhead shows it with a longer neck than this has. Copperhead .34 long neck, my reamer has .25 long. (I can't measure to thousandths on a reamer, too hard to tell where angles change exactly).

Post-Postscript: Got me interested enough to order a 6.5mm carbide reamer. I've got a spare set of .222 dies, I'll see if I can open up the neck, add a .25 expander, and make the cartridge. With an inexpensive sizer die and the reamer on hand, no real reason not to make a rifle to try the cartridge out. I've got a couple 10 twist .257 barrel blanks in the shop that I can use, now just have to look for an action.

Thanks for making the effort Dave. I think I found a solution for the 25 project, but I am interested in your 6mm reamer for a second project if there is an easy die source. 1/4" neck is just fine for a 6mm. Whoever put your reamers together was thinking: the 222 dies should work as you have already figured.

The solution I found will get me to an in-between place on the 25: use a 256 Win Mag reamer (which I have) and make brass from 223 (so I don't have to modify the bolt face or magazine) which is easy enough to do, Redding makes the form/trim die, and I have a set of 256 dies that will work for loading. It's nothing more than a rimless 256 Win Mag. Apparently the AR15 crowd pioneered this solution. The 223 case is stronger than the 357 Mag so you get something between the 25-20 improved and the 25 copperhead .. and since I don't plan to shoot any deer with this rifle, it's going to be a good solution. Will be a ranch rifle for use on pests with mostly cast bullets. I figure a 1:12 is the right twist, as I will use 87gr bullets, a step up from the normal 60gr load in the 256.

There is a new semi-factory round called the 25-45 which is a 25-223. Lee makes the dies and 4D has the reamer. I didn't go this route as my (Sav 340) magazine is set up for the 222 case. I think that new ctg is probably the practical solution for those who don't face the same constraint. Apparently, it gets 3000 fps with the 87gr bullet, same as the great 250-3000 factory load (which is a mild load).

Let me know where you end up with your 25 project. Will it be a 45mm case or shorter? Is the 6mm not perhaps a 6x45?

Russ Gould, may i ask what your plans for a Copperhead are?

Converting a Sav 340 222 to a 256 Win Mag Rimless ... nobody has a 25 copperhead reamer and I already have a 256 WM reamer and dies.

My first thought was a 25-20 but that's trickier from a magazine perspective due to the rim and the coned breech. So I switched my plans to the copperhead .. but that reamer is hard to find and it calls for custom dies which together with a custom reamer, takes years to source and would exceed the cost of the rifle.

So digging around on the net I came across this rimless Win Mag idea.

The magazine works for the 256 WM Rimless without any tweaking.

It will be a light ranch carbine, for coyotes, fox, bobcat, crows, skunks and the like. If I can find a Williams aperture sight I may not even put a scope on it. I enjoy a good peep, takes me back to my competitive shooting days.

Laminated stock, not expensive, Boyds.

Not a deer rifle, I like to use heavier calibers on deer.

Plan to shoot 87gr cast gc bullets, we don't shoot further than 100 around here.

So those are my plans. I enjoy this oddball stuff. My other everyday rifles (for now) are a 41 mag bolt action w Skinner forward mounted aperture, a 25-20WCF on a Stevens 44 with a tang sight, a 19 Badger on a Win 1885 with a humongous scope on it, a 400 Purdey Martini with express sights, a 24ga sxs Paradox with a folding leaf, and a 375 JDJ Rimless on a Mauser 93 with a bolt-mounted peep.

Russ Gould you have a PM.