Favorite Loads

Share information about reloading the 204 Ruger.
YoteSmoker
Senior Member
Posts: 123
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 3:20 am
.204 Ruger Guns: CZ 527 Varminter
Location: Aurora, Colorado

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by YoteSmoker »

1/4 MOA...Simply awesome! Hope you hung on to that one KiwiShooter! Hope the best for your comp shoot this week!
serpent71
Junior Member
Posts: 55
Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2007 9:05 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: xr-100
Location: backus,mn

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by serpent71 »

I have a xr-100 and worked a load up with a buddy. It was my first time reloading so I needed some help. After a couple tries we came up with this load; 39 grain sierra bullets, 27.6 grs of varget hornady cases, wsr primers and an oal of 2.37.

Here is a picture of the group I got.

Image
Don't know what I did with the first shot, but the other 4 were tight.
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Arizona Hunter
Senior Member
Posts: 137
Joined: Fri May 11, 2007 9:03 am
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by Arizona Hunter »

28.6 gr. of RL 15 pushing the 32 V-Max at 4000 fps gives me 3 shot groups of 1/4" to 3/8" every time and 5-shot groups of 3/8" to 1/2" every time out.

The 40 V-Max also with RL 15 but 26.8 gr. and 3650 fps is nearly as accurate.
K_Hini
Junior Member
Posts: 59
Joined: Sun May 20, 2007 8:43 pm

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by K_Hini »

I finally got out to see if my final load is going to work!! It looks pretty good. It is only a 3 shot group. I used the other two to see what kind of damage we have VS a 40 gr vmax in a .223. I let my dad do the shooting because I haven't let him shoot my new gun because I have been trying to work up the load. I put the lines through the holes because I was going to shoot too but I think I can trust his groups same POI as my others have been in load development and stuff.

cz 527 varmint
sightron 4-16
32gr Blitz King
27.4gr benchmark
wsr primer
win cases
3925 fps avg 3 shot



Image
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Arizona Hunter
Senior Member
Posts: 137
Joined: Fri May 11, 2007 9:03 am
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by Arizona Hunter »

Nice group. That will work great on any prairie dog, woodchuck or coyote.
finman
New Member
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue May 08, 2007 4:59 am
Location: England

Re: 204 pet loads

Post by finman »

Rifle: Sako 75 I Varmint, 22 inch barrel, No modifications other than fitting a sound moderator
Scope: 6.5-20x40 Leupold VXIII Varmint Hunter
Case: Hornady (from factory rounds)
Powder: Viht N135 27.5 gns
Bullet: 39gn Blitzking
Primer: Fed 205M
OAL: 1.980' (well back from the lands)
5 shots at 100: .3s all day
Avg Speed: 3890fps

Powder: H335 28.3gns (Hogdgon recommended load)
Primer: Fed205M
Case:Hornady (from factory rounds)
OAL: 2.010' (longest the magazine will allow)
5 shots at 100: .4s
Avg Speed: 4020fps

Needless to say, the Sierra Bltzkng is my 'pet' load. It has yet to exit a fox (shot from 40 to 160 yards) and vaporizes rabbits out to 200. After that, it just kills them :D

Best wishes,

Finman
Better to have a gun and not need it, rather than need one and not have it...
thorbird
New Member
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2008 6:15 am
.204 Ruger Guns: Savage 12 FV

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by thorbird »

won a 300 yard clay pigeon shoot against 20 shooters in PA last weekend with my Savage 12 FV .204. The load that I used was:

26.5 gr of Benchmark with 35 grain Bergers. I completely prepped the cases: flash holes, vld chamfer, trimmed. Hornandy brass, neck sized using a lee collet die. OAL was 2.260. I was shooting .270 groups after I hit the sweet spot with this load in load development. The guys I was competing against in our informal shoot were all good shooters and wanted to win. Hitting the clays at 300 was easy, so then they had us start shooting the pieces that were left, and then after everybody was eliminated but 6, they had us shoot 1 shot at the back of the range business card at 300 with a 1 inch target dot stuck on it. The closest to the dot would win. I got a quarter inch from the dot, and 3 of the 6 shooters hit it. I beat a guy shooting a 6mm BR with a nightforce 12-42x scope by 1/16 of an inch. I didn't even have the stock bedded (Used a vlp laminate in place of the 12fv plastic), but did have my sweet Burris Black Diamond 8-32x to help out. Love Savage and love that .204 Ruger. I'll always own a .204
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jo191145
Senior Member
Posts: 1064
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 7:23 pm
Location: Central CT.

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by jo191145 »

Good job Thorbird and Welcome to the forum
My savage 204's have ticked off a few 6BR shooters in thier day.
I own a 6BR myself. My 12X42 Nightforce is still on top of the factory Savage though.
Any other caliber will need to earn it ;)

25.3gns of Benchmark was working great for me with 40 Bergers.
One day accuracy just went south :huh:
29.2gns of ol Win 748 and 35 Bergers with CCI 450's are shooting nice and tight now.
(Caution this might be a little hot by book standards)
This tube would'nt shoot 35's when new but loved the 40's. I think it went through the change.
Image

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Savage VLP + NF 12x42 + 35 Bergers = .
K22

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by K22 »

The only 204 I have is my Coyote rifle that I bought about 2 months ago. It's a Ruger Ultralight I bought used and even though I didn't expect it to shoot real well, it surprised me. With factory Federal 39gr. loads, it keeps them in a .5 to .75 group with my handloads doing a bit better. I settled on the 35gr. Berger and after following this thread, I went with Rem. brass and Primer, and H4895. The first load I tried was 27.2gr. with a 3 shot cloverleaf under .5. :shock: And this coming from a stock factory gun that the barrel touches the full length of the forearm and the bedding could sure be improved. I decided to stick with that load.
And to think I actually bought the rifle to rebarrel to a 17Rem. :D
YoteSmoker
Senior Member
Posts: 123
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 3:20 am
.204 Ruger Guns: CZ 527 Varminter
Location: Aurora, Colorado

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by YoteSmoker »

CZ 527 Varmint
35 Berger
27.8 H4895
Fed205M
WW Brass
2.265"
.166" 3 shot group center to center @ 100 yards - yesterday
bigun
New Member
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:36 am
.204 Ruger Guns: vssf .204 remmington

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by bigun »

heres my load that shoots very well indeed .give it a try ..did go to 27gr of reloader 10x and shot well but best be safe and save on the barrel i backed it off a .5 of a grain

Rifle: Rem 700 VLS 22"barrel
Scope: nsx 8-32x56

Case: remmington
Primer: cci br4
Powder: Reloader 10X, 26.5 grains
Bullet: Sierra BlitzKing 32 gr.
OAL: 2.340
Velocity: 4050 fps
bigun
New Member
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:36 am
.204 Ruger Guns: vssf .204 remmington

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by bigun »

here you go :D

39gn blitzking
rl10x powder 25.1gn
Primer: cci br4
ogive 1.938


shot at 105 mtrs

Image

here it is again in real size

Image
Viclaski
New Member
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:43 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: CZ 527 Varmit Kevlar

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by Viclaski »

I so like seeing the dime bigger than the group. Good shooting!
cngerms
New Member
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:48 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Privacy requested
Location: Mid-Atlantic

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by cngerms »

Sako 75 Varmint w/ set trigger
Barrel length = 23-5/8" with 1:12 twist
Berger 35gr. Varmint
H4895 at 27.4 gr.
Hornady Case
Fed 205M Match Primer
COAL = 2.24"
Range conditions = 82 deg F, 67% humidity, elevation at 50m
Group Info = 0.181" group with 4 shots at 100 yards

Image
WaltherP99
Senior Member
Posts: 320
Joined: Tue May 06, 2008 4:54 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Savage Model 12 VLP
Location: Berks County, Pennsylvania

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by WaltherP99 »

I know this may be a bit OT but I figured I would ask!

When you guys are shooting for groups...what technique/setup are you using, ie: shooting rest, bag, bipods etc. ?

There is a reason for my madness! :D
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