I'm kinda leaning in that direction, SSDave, for the reasons that you mention.  I'm building this rifle for schuetzen shooting so my main concern is accuracy.
Phil

I have an original high-wall with a #3 round barrel in .25-20 SS and am building a low-wall with a smaller octagon barrel in the same chambering.  Since the high-wall is tang sighted rather than scoped, I don't see the problem that Brent did.   

If you are going to scope your high-wall, Phil, having the even shorter .25 WCF/ .25-20 Rptr cases will just make that problem worse, IF it is a problem for you at all.  That said, if I were starting again from scratch and didn't have all of my brass, dies, etc., I would probably go with the repeater case just for brass availability as ssdave said; the SS stuff is just too hard to get right.

Ballistically, I don't think there will be that much difference with smokeless, at least by the books...again, my experience is all with the SS version and sadly not enough of that!  Anyway, FWIW, them's my thoughts, HTH!   

Froggie

pmcfall,

I'd go along with the idea that your first 25-20 should be the Repeater cartridge.  Shells, dies, etc., range from easy to get to dirt cheap, depending on where you look for stuff.

Be warned, though, that small .25's (and even medium ones, too!) can get addictive!  The victim, after using whatever .25 he has for a while, begins to doubt the conventional wisdom that they are all basically the same as far as shooting qualities go.  Besides, the .25-20 SS looks a lot sexier than the squatty .25-20R, and wouldn't the gang at the range gawp if he showed up with a box of straight-cased .25-21's to shoot!  Soon, the tortured soul begins poring over CH-4D and Huntington's catalogs, rummaging through his collection of shell holders to see if he "already" has one that fits.  As the grip of the obsession continues to tighten, he invests in more and more powders and primer brands as he tries, with each shell and each loading, to shade the group made by the last load that teeny fraction of an inch that will show the new shell is, actually, the King of the small .25's.  (And don't get me started about bullet mould designs!)

Ultimately, emotionally codependent upon a shelf full of dies and moulds, ammunition boxes full of shells and loaded ammo, a safe full of .25-cal rifles and a notebook full of load and shooting data, our unfortunate has no recourse but to find a support group to ease him of his woes.  Like this one, for instance.

Don't ask me how I know this .

I appreciate all the suggestions which were just what I was looking for.  I probably want to stay with the traditional calibers so I probably won't go the Hornet route.  The WCF likely makes the most sense.
Phil