Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Found the node...

Some .204 Rugers don't shoot with the "standard" 1:12" barrel, especially if the twist drifted off during rifling to something slower. They really come alive with lead free bullets:

Barnes 26 grain Varmint Grenade - good for 1:12" twists but shoot astounding well in anything faster. I use a 1:12", 1:9" or 1:8.5" twist.

Nosler's 20 Caliber BT Lead Free 32 grain bullet shoots well in the 1:9" twist or faster, with the same load as the above Varmint Grenade - 25.2 grains of Reloader 10x at 4,089 to 4,110 fps depending on the barrel (I use 24" barrels exclusively).

The little Hornady 20 Caliber 24 grain NTX is astounding in 1:9" twists and shoots superbly in 1:12" twists (at least in my Shilen barrel).

Berger's discontinued .204 50 grain and current 55 grain HPBT will shoot only in the 1:8.5 or faster twists over Varget and maintains groups under an inch at 100 yards. These are not lead free, but should smack larger varmint with authority.

Why lead free? Simply stated, they are more accurate than any lead core jacketed bullet and capable of begin driven at the highest velocities without coming apart. The cores are a compressed metallic copper powder that is a solid similar to stick chalk, they do not soften under the friction of being driven down the barrel, and simply explode when hitting varmints. In fact the 6mm Varmint Grenade in my .243 WSSM causes ground squirrels full of wet alfalfa to vanish completely.

As to powders, I have found two for use with under 35 grain bullets: Reloader 10x and Accurate LT-32.

Here are some results:



The above group was preliminary load development back in 2009. A ten shot group with a velocity of 4,089 fps. The two fliers are my fault. Note that the red diamonds are .5" on a side, and that the group with flyers is still going to smack a squirrel into rodent heaven. This is my standard varmint load and shoots the same in all barrels, Shilen 1:12', Pac-Nor 1:8.5 and Hart 1:9".



Above is a 10 shot group from a custom built Colt AR-15 lower with a Fulton Armory Side Cocking upper. I decided to build it as a bolt action with no gas port in the custom 24" Hart SS barrel. It has since been switched to an Anderson lower with an AR-15 Gold Trigger and Magpul PRS stock. I would expect similar results from a semi-auto configuration. The blow-its are due to my flinching when the guy next to me fired his .338 Lapua just as I was touching off - the hot blast going by lifted my cowboy hat!

Below is my load data work up for .204 Ruger with AAC LT-32 powder. Note that 25.5 grains is max in my barrels with the 26 grain Varmint Grenade or Hornady 24 grain NTX. I used the Wolf 223 small rifle primer, but the Remington 7-1/2BR or Winchester SRP would substitute. This data is for information only and is safe only in my rifles, use at your own risk.



Primers have a dramatic effect on accuracy, so I try several before loading in lots of 1k or greater.