Been a while since I've seen any more info on the 204 here. What powder and primers are workin' best? Have some Fed 205M primers on hand and some H322 , and Varget. Also have 32gr and 40gr V-maxes. Lookin' for some load info.....Thanks

There is really nothing all that new here. Still Ill post it in case you have not seen Hodgdon�s load data.

http://www.hodgdon.com/data/rifle/204ruger.php

Thanks.......

I can't get into the Rugerhunting.com or 204Ruger.com website right now. They usally have a lot of info specific to the .204 on it. What is up with that web site / bulletin board, or is it my computer that is acting up? The site has been down for me all week.

Thanks for the heads up!

Kurt

Yes the 204 ruger forum has been down a while. I think I seen somewhere here where Silver Fox indicated they went through something like this last year also. SF indicated in all likelihood The 204 forum will be up by late next week.

Hope So!

Here is a better explanation. See small cal discussion board - Anybody know what happened to the .204

http://www.saubier.com/forum.html

1

Have had good luck with Benchmark, and H335...running both Sierra and Hornady 32's.

I bought a new trigger from a PD shooter who is really liking his 204 and 20 TAC. He shoots a 39 grain Sierra in the 204 with RL10. He was making comparisons from actual field use between it and a 220 Swift and 40 grain bullets. They are more similar performance wise than different, and you can see the show with the 204 and burn less powder, longer barrel life.

I've had good luck with Viht N540 and 32gr V Max.

2muchgun,

Finding the right bullet your gun will shoot is more difficult
than powder choices. The Hornady 40 gr. V-Max seems to favor very few barrels compared to its 39 gr. sierra brother. Due to the v-max's bullet length it may not be the bullet to start with in the heavier weight but the sierra 39 gr. would be. For the 204 shooters that choose the heavier bullet the 39 gr. has performed better in the accuracy dept. Powder choices in order of success is H-4895,Varget and 10-X for the 39 gr. Sierra or 40 gr. V-Max

For what ever reason some barrel are shooting the 45.gr.SP Hornady better than the Hornady 40 gr. V-Max. This is very true in the T/C Encore/Pro Hunter barrels.

The throats on most 204 barrels are very long and it was designed
that way. Some loads perform at .06 off the lands and others prefer the traditional .03 off the lands. It can be a crapshoot
tweeking the perfect load.

Am thinkin' BLC-2 for the 40gr and Benchmark for the 32gr. Also have H322 and Varget. Am contemplating a competition seating die to with my Redding FL set.........

We've been shooting a Rem LVSF for a bit over a year and have had excellent results with Hornady brass, Rem 7.5 primers, H4895 and the Sierra 39 gr Blitzking.

We've got another rifle with the 'smith right now, and when it comes back it will be wearing a 1:10 PacNor, so hopefully we might start to see some decent results with the heavier bullets.

2Muchgun, the BLC 2 has worked well for me, along with the 39 gr sierra. I got one of the ruger 77 varmints when they first came out and still havn't found any combination that works better.

I use 26.5 gr. of R10 with 39 gr. Sierra bullet. Clocks out at 3885 fps, and shoots really great groups out of my Cooper MV with 26" barrel. A real killer on groundhogs.
Hunter01

I used the Hornady 32 gr and Win 248 in my Ruger 1V. 4195 fps and groups in the .2-.35" range.

I widh I can get that rifle back.

I have used BLC2 in my 204. Have a ruger VT that shoots the Sierra 39gr., 40gr. VMax and Nosler 40gr. all very well with around 29.8 grains. Velocity runs about 3850. Win 748 with the 32 grainers does well also. Accurate but can't remember velocity exactly, know its north of 4100fps

Wish I had some 39gr on hand, but only 32 and 40's........

stratton, I just went back to my notes and we are pretty close on the results. I am at 29.5 grs of BLC 2 for the 39gr Sierra. Probably what sold me most was first, group size then velocity but the real nice thing is the group starts fine on a cold barrel.
Hornady brass and Rem 7 1/2 primer was used.

2muchgun, the other load of choice I have here is a 32 gr hornady using 30 grs of BLC2. Also using hornady brass & rem 7 1/2 primers. I don't have a velocity on this but it shoots well or I wouldn't have it noted. This same load worked well with a Berger 30 grain also but I was dissapointed in the performance of it on pasture poodles (too hard of a bullet).
Out here in the kansas breeze the 39 seems to work the best.

Thanks for the info, I really need to get to the range........

Have loaded so far, for tomorrows range session:

32 v-max, Horny case, 27.2gr H322, Fed GM 205M primers and,

32v-max, Horny case, 27.5gr Benchmark, Fed GM 205M pimers

Both at 2.31" COL.........

Am thinking I might spin up 20 of the 30gr BLC-2, 32gr v-max loads real quick also.....2MG

30gr BLC-2 32gr V-maxes loaded at 2.312"........

So.....How did it shoot??

+1

Guys, havin' a hell of a time transferin' over the range/target pics, so I'll just post results for now.......

.................Best 200yd group...........worst 200yd group

30gr BLC-2.... .33 3 shots.............. .53 3 shots
............... .74 5 shots............... 1.41 5 shots

27.5gr BMK.... .82 3 shots............... 1.24 3 shots
................ 1.67 5 shots.............. 2.10 5 shots

27.2gr H322... .374 3 shots.............. 1.25 3 shots
................ 1.6 5 shots.............. 2.10 5 shots


Groups shot a 20 degrees farenheit with 14mph wind quartering away (mostly at my back, but swirling a bit).......

The BLC-2 load was the clear winnner, as it posted several other 200yd groups in the .4's.....

The other 2 loads shot no better than either the 32gr Hornady or 34gr Win loads.........

Nice Shooting!!! Conditions sound poor at best.
The chrono will be nice but sorry, it will not change the fact that a different component will change things. It seems like the 204 is kind of radical on changes. Some bullets or powders can kind of interchange on poi but then again some are really different. Not just elevation either. At least that is what I have seen with mine.

Again, nice Shooting!

Max

BTW, shooting little rascals aren't they?

Yeah, it shoots, but POI change is very peculiar, in regards to elevation/trajectory. I gotta admit, I shoot mostly bigger stuff and this is the first time I've ever loaded up those tiny little pills..........Wish I could get the damn pics to transfer.......

BTW---thanks for the BLC-2 load, I likes it........

The poi thing bothered me too but then with a given load it can shoot so well that I pick one and use it. It's fun to change around also but knowing that a sight adjustment will be in order.

Enjoy!!

A 3.5" 100yd sight adjustment between the 2 factory loads and H-322 load, and the BLC-2 and Benchmark load was very surprising to me, but dialed it right back in, 14 clicks, and carried on....

I know what ya mean. It's when they do dial right back in that you can feel comfortable that things are working. If they didn't dial in then I would be more worried about it. I still mess with different powders but always go back to the BLC2, it just seems to work. BLC2 is a strange powder though, as I have heard and seen, when it finds a home it's great but if not it's a real pain.

I'm thinkin' I'm hooked on the 204, it's a blast.........