Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints 204 help

Rem 700 24” 204 synthetic stock
Buddy put new scope on it today 50 yards 6”+ 3 shot group
This gun has never been accurate for him always factory ammo so he tried a different scope
Any thoughts ?

How does it shoot when you are behind the trigger?

If he's got it bagged good and he's getting those kind of groups at that range, then there might be something seriously wrong with the barrel.

shooting 32 grainers?

I have three R 700s in 204. All shoot easy sub 1” at 100 yds with 32 v max, Ballistic Tip or Blitz kings.
Maybe the scope rings or base is loose.
Terribly bad barrel
Maybe it’s the shooter

Let’s us know the resolution of this

Ive got one as well...it shoot easily like that..

I’ll find out the load and what bases and what scope he put o ig

There are a lot of 204's that don't shoot the 40 gr. VMax worth a darn. But 32's and 39's and 40 BT's seem to do fine in them....

Is the barrel free floating (Can you slide a piece of paper or a dollar bill between the stock and the barrel)?

Are the nuts for the scope all torqued down correctly?


Is the action torqued to the correct specs to the stock?

Have you tried different ammo to see if the barrel "likes" a different weight//brand of bullet?

Lots of options to sort out but that seems like a pretty large group for an overall accurate round...

This is where I would start.

Check to see if the front base screw is bottomed out on the barrel threads.

My initial thoughts as well.

Try the 32 grain variety of ammo if he is shooting the 40s right now.

I have the same rifle, shoots Hornady 32’s 1/2”, 40’s it turns into a sprayer.

Ok so they are 40 gr he going to try a buddy’s 32 gr
They are tumbling too is that normal for the 40

Can’t remember the twist but ya, they’re too slow for 40’s

The 40gr; Hornady is too long for a "nominal" 12 twist, which may, or may NOT, be actually 1-12" twist. I have an early Savage barrel that is more like 13.25" twist. It shoots the shorter 39gr. Sierra or Nosler pretty well, but scatters the 40s like a shotgun. If you look over on 204ruger.com, there's a photo of the 39 Sierra, 40gr. Nosler, and 40gr. Hornady, and looking at the boattails of the bullets, you can see that the boattail of the Hornady is MUCH longer than the other two, making the bullet too long for a "nominal" twisted barrel.
On a real 1-12" twist, the Hornady is barely stable, and usually shoots pretty good.
I just don't use the Hornadys, and usually stick with the 32s and 34HPs from Midsouth, They are fun for short range and called coyotes.

Mine shoots the 40 VMAX extremely well. It's a standard 1-12'' twist.

35 grain Bergers

Can be if the 12 twist is a little slow and not a true 12 twist.

My Montana shoots the 40’s just fine and the killing difference on coyotes between the 35 grain and 40 grain Berger would make me put a barrel on the gun that would shoot 40’s.

The 32 and 39 grain bullets just don’t work nearly as well on coyotes.

That is a mighty doggone accurate bullet from my CZ in 204 Ruger.

As is the 40 gr nuzzler BT's. And good coyote bullets, to boot....

Bought a 700 that shot that way with 32 Vmax and Fiochi. Returned it to Scheels and bought a Savage that shoots clovers.

My R-15 did that with 40 grain v-max, but pretty much ANY 32 grain bullet was 1/2". Federal makes a very accurate 32 grain option for the 204's if he doesn't reload his own.

My R-15 did that with 40 grain v-max, but pretty much ANY 32 grain bullet was 1/2". Federal makes a very accurate 32 grain option for the 204's if he doesn't reload his own.

In my experience the standard 1:12" twist in most factory rifles is too slow to stabilize some 32 grain and heavier bullets. For that reason I build my own rifles in .204 Ruger and .223 Remington using 1:9" or 1:8"twists in custom barrels from Pac-Nor, Hart and Shilen. The exception is one Shilen .204 Ruger 1:12" twist custom barrel on a Savage Precision Action. Also, I have found that most, if not all, lead free varmint bullets from Nosler, Hornady and Barnes are more accurate than lead core jacketed bullets.

Below are two experimental groups (10 Shots @ 100Yards) fired from an AR-15 straight pull bolt action equipped with a Hart 1:9" twist barrel with no gas port.



Below is example of Berger lead core 50 grain (discontinued) bullet fired from Pac-Nor 1:8.5" twist polygonal rifled barrel on a Savage Target Action.



My standard varmint load of the .204" Barnes 26 grain Varmint Grenade over 25.2 grains of Reloader 10X usually shoots around 4,100+ fps, between .25" and .5", in any barrel. I am currently waiting for a new Pac-Nor .204 Ruger polygonal rifled barrel in 1:11" twist for a Remington 700 action. Fortunately, Pac-Nor is back in operation.

The key is a faster twist.

Vortex Scope?

Its always the guys that sight in at "50 yards". I have a buddy that called me last night with similar issues. He always sights in at 50 yards too. Good luck man.. Other than that I don't have a dog in this fight. I had a Tikka. It shot alright, but I prefer both the 223 and 22-250. Further out, both cartridges walk all over the 204, especially when wind is in the equation..

IA fog: I sent you a P/M asking if YOU would update me/us on the shooting/accuracy of your buddies 204 Ruger.
I hope you respond and don't leave me hanging.
I currently have 10 (ten!) heavy barrel all factory stock Rifles in my Varmint/predator Hunting arsenal, in caliber 204 Ruger - and each and every one of them is WAY better than average in the accuracy department for factory Varmint type Rifles.
Anyone that tries to decry or diminish the 204 Ruger as an all around wonderful Varmint/predator round simply does NOT know what they are talking about!
I have been shooting the 204 Ruger since "day one" - back in 2,004 I bought my first Varmint Rifle in that caliber and was astounded then at the accuracy, the flat trajectory and the lethality of this wonderful cartridge.
As for its wind bucking ability those of us that shoot often (I shoot/Hunt year round!) can easily become familiar with this cartridges trajectory and wind bucking ability. And at ranges where 99% of all Varmints and predators are shot (500 yards and under!) the wind bucking ability of the wonderful 204 cartridge is NO hindrance what so ever!
At least that is what a large dumptruck load of dead Coyotes, Fox, Rock Chucks, Prairie Dogs, Badgers and Ground Squirrels would tell you - if they could talk after I shot them with my 204's!
The amazing accuracy I enjoy, the absolute lack of recoil, the lethality, the flat trajectory, the fur "friendliness", the ease on barrels and the wind bucking ability of MY 204's has long led me to declare the 204 Ruger cartridge is THE finest "all around" Varmint/predator cartridge there is!
Another place the 204 Ruger really "shines" is at night Hunting for predators when ranging is often rather difficult - the flat trajectory of the 204 Ruger cartridge excels in this regard.
I often shake my head at some of the bullschit a few of our fellow CampFirers burp up, from time to time!
Sheesh - I shake my head.
Long live the fantastic 204 Ruger cartridge.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I’ve got three Kimber Montana’s, one in 22-250AI, one in 223 and one in 204, all with different 3-9 scopes on them. My 204 shoots the 35 and 40 grain bullets just as accurately as the other two and I compare the ballistics more with the 22-250 AI than the 223.

Don’t get me wrong I love my 223’s but a 40 grain Vmax, NBT or Berger bullet out of a 204 will kill any coyote around and really does it better than the 223.

Take the time and figure out what’s wrong with your buddy’s gun and fix it, it’ll be well worth the effort.

Thanks varmint guy but,,,,he sold it didn’t try anything else with it
Thanks for the information

IA Fog: That is settled then - thanks for the comeback.
Long live the 204 Ruger.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy