Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles .204

I just picked up a barrel in .204 for my encore and some 40 grain v Max what is a good load for these, it came with a box of 32 gr bullets sighted it in with them what a tac driver

If your .204 barrel is a 1-12 twist its doubtful that you will get that bullet to stabilize. Some 1-12 twist will but most won't.

Ive had great luck with 40 grainers in a 1 in 12, but Im pretty high above sea level. If your rifle shoots the 40s well, thats the one to go with IMHO....great close or far and surprisingly good in the wind!

I live in the same area as Ingwe, and have also had good luck with tre 40 V-max in a 1-12 twist at temperatures as low as the mid-30's, which at 4000 feet above sea level is equivalent to shooting at 70 degrees at 2000 feet.

However, even the best twist-rate formulas, like the Miller Formula used by many professional ballisticians such as Bryan Litz, can't always predict what conditions where a certain bullet will stabilize. The Miller Formula, for instance, says the 40 V-Max absolutely will not stabilize at 35 degrees at 4000 feet with a 1-12 twist, even though in several of my .204's it has.

But the formula was designed around very high BC boattailed bullets of larger caliber. Obviously isn't accurate with moderate-weight .204-caliber bullets, even though it has been dead-on with most .224 caliber bullets.

Twist can still be a mystery, and sometimes all we can do is try a certain bullet and see what happens.

IN my very light CZ 527 sporter; 22",1:12 twist tube, TAC at 28.5 grains gives me mid-3700's fps with the Sierra, 39-grain Blitz Kings and sub-1 inch groups for five shots at a 100 yds. if I can really concentrate. I believe it's a more accurate load than that and that I'm the limiting factor with this light, little rifle.

This is close to max in this rifle. Work up to it.

I've never had any issues with the 40 grain VMAX in my Blaser R8 which is a 1-12".

Thanks for the reply on this I am at about 800 ft elevation looking at my reloading book it gives 5 different powders to use on this round just trying to short cut to the best one to use

Frank,
Everybody kind of got sidetracked on twist rate. Here are my choices for powder with the 40 grain bullets. In order of preference.
#1 H4895
#2 IMR8208
#3 RL15 kind of slow vel but accurate.
Tried H335 and Tac but for some reason they didn't work as well for me.
I am sure there are several other powders that will work just as well but I haven't tried them.

Yeah, we did get sidetracked on twist rate!

In my latest .204, 27.0 TAC is more accurate with 40-grain V-Maxes but 27.5 H4895 produces a little more velocity.

Aside from accuracy, one reason I tend to use TAC more often is how easily it meters when loading lots of rounds, especially through the relatively narrow neck of the .204. Will also note that I use CCI450's with TAC, as accuracy's often better with magnum primers.

My last two .204s have been just stupid-easy to load for: WW brass, Rem 7-1/2 primers. 28 grains of H335 under any 32 grain bullets or 27.5 grains of Varget under any 39-40 grain bullet.

Both nominally 1-12" twists, both PacNor barrels ... the first one would not handle the 40 grain VMAX, the current one shoots it very well indeed.

Tom

Great I been busy in the yard past couple days I dug out some powder from the shelf 335 tac 4895 and some vargets tomorrow I will get some bench time in and see what I can do thanks for the feed back I will report back in a couple days

My best luck is with IMR 4895...but as someone said, its stupid easy to load for...havent found anything it didn't like yet....

Yeah, I don't recall coming up with an INaccurate load in any of the four .204's I've owned. But some loads are more accurate than others.

[/b]CORRECTION[b]: that 28.5 gr load of TAC should be 27.5!

My apologies.

To late! I'm sure somebody's barrel ended up on top of the barn...

NhFrank: I went with the 32 grainers for my bevy of 204 Ruger Varminters.
I have used the 40's and 35's in the past but get such great accuracy and performance out of the 32 grainers in all my 204's that I will stick with them.
Do some ballistic table comparisons and I think you might stick with the "tack driving" 32's yourself!
Either way I am sure you are going to LOVE the 204 once you get some field use out of it.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks VG it sounds like there are few guys that like the lighter weight bullets I have got busy the past couple days with my honey do list , hope to get back to the loading g bench soon

Well today I finally got some bench time and with these 40 gr v max I found 26.7 gr of H 335 found the sweet spot .
I use little green dot about the size a dime and once I got back into the zone all shots were within the dots .
now time to get some bait out and do some yottie shooting

Mine will shoot just about anything

Rainierrifleco: I am currently loading for and shooting 6 Varmint Rifles in caliber 204 Ruger and I just reviewed my shooting log notes for all of them.
I have as yet to fire a group (5 shots at 100 yards) over (or near!) 1.000"!
And I have fired factory ammo and mostly my handloads in ALL 6 of them.
All my Rifles are factory stock guns (3 Remington and 3 Rugers) and all are equipped with higher powered variable scopes.
My friends with Varmint Rifles in 204 Ruger also say they experience good accuracy with about ANY loading or type of factory ammo!
I am about to declare that the 204 Ruger cartridge is "an inherently accurate cartridge"!
GO SEAHAWKS!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy