Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles .204 loads please....

What is your goto load for the .204 Ruger???

My first effort wound up with 28.0 grains of Varget and a 32 grain Hornady V Max. The final sight in group was three shots under a dime. Since there is a shortage of Varget, I stopped right there and called it good. 28.0 of Varget is Nosler's accuracy load with a 32 grain B Tip with a max load of 28.5.

yep. my load was 27.5 of varget with the 32 grain sierra. same result

H4895 with a 39gr Sierra Blitz.

I basically have 2 loads, both with WW brass and Rem 7-1/2 primers.

1) 28.0 grains of H335 and 32 grain Hornady or Nosler bullets. (Sierra would probably be fine, I just haven't tried it yet.)

2) 27.5 grains of Varget and 39/40 grain Sierra, Nosler, or Hornady bullets (Haven't tried the Speer TNT yet).

I've already worn out one barrel with those two loads and I'm onto my second. Imagine my surprise when, after a load workup with the new barrel, I came back with EXACTLY the same loads.

Tom

One of the anomalies of Nosler's .204 data is they reduced some max loads for 32-grain bullets considerably when they added the 34-grain FBHP to the list. The used to list 29 grains of TAC as max, for very high velocity, and I�ve it for years with excellent results, both in accuracy and velocity. When the #7 manual came out I noticed the change and asked them about it, and they said 29 grains would still be fine with 32�s.

TAC also works very well with 40�s, and I also like it because it burns cleanly, contains a de-coppering agent, and flows easily into the small neck from a powder measure. All are helpful in prairie dog shooting. But the .204 works well with a bunch of different powders.

32 gr vmax 29.6gr w748 (max) out of my ruger m77 mkii sporter

That's a dime size dot btw and yes it's a smidge taller than a dime.

This^^^^^^^^^^

Benchmark is a close second

I use Benchmark or H322 for 32 gr. bullets, and either 4895 for the 39gr. Sierra.

AA2230-C is excellent, if you can find it. I use it with the 34gr. Midway Dogtown HPs.

4198 with a 40 gr vmax.. But mine shot everything pretty darn well.

I said that to but we r full of [bleep] hahaha!

AA2460 is almost the same. There is no more 2230-C.