40gr V-Max and H-4895

[jlc204]

Went to the range today to try 40gr V-Max and H-4895 (204 Ruger) for the first time. My loads consisted of prepped and sorted Win. brass, Rem. 7 1/2 primer, 26.9-27.7 grains in .2 gr increments, 2.260 COAL, Savage 12 VLP factory 12 twist barrel. Cross wind was approx. 10mph. Was really hoping the 40 gr. would shoot good as I've read a lot of 12 twist barrels would not. I got a decent group with 26.9 @ .34 c to c., but the best load seemed to be 27.7 with 2 groups @ .25 and .32 c to c. all at 100 yds.
Just wanted to share my data.
Hopefully, I can get good reults at 200 yds now...

Disclaimer: Loads listed show no pressure signs in my rifle. Please always start with minimum loads and work up slowly!

[dozernomore]

pretty much the same load I'm using with my savage mdl 25,,the only problem I have is wsr primers and piercing.I'm glad to hear another savage shooter shooting the same ;load as me and getting the same accyracy,,I have some cci br 4 primers I'm gonna try to see if they don't pierce any more,,but i just recently reduced my load fron 27.3 to 27.0 gr with the wsr primers to see if they still pierce and to see what kind of accuraccy I get,,if it sucks I'm going back to my 27.3 gr of h4895 and the cci br4 primers.you will like that load,it really destroys varmint's and coyotes if you hit them in the sweet spot.

[bow shot]

My Savage model 12 VLP did pretty good with 25.0gn Benchmark and 40gn VMax. Funny thing, the trajectory of the 32's and 40's is almost identical for me (32's are over 26.8gn Benchmark). For how much I obsessed over this for 2 years, I fergit what my group size was.. I think I was doing .3 - .5", in 5 shots, more regularly 0.5".

[Hedge]

I switched from H335 to H4895 and 8208 XBR because the H335 was too temperature sensitive. I worked up loads for both powders until I got what I was looking for. They were close, but the 8208 XBR, won in this case. I'll be trying both powders for the 26 gr. Barnes and the 32 gr. Vmax. We'll see how they compare.

(let's see if I can get a pic posted of the group)
The target is a 1 moa dot. My cross hairs are 1 moa, so I couldn't see it. Had to lay the dot in the corner of the intersection. Impact was right where the cross hairs meet.

[DoubleUp]

Excellent shooting! Any idea on your fps with that load?

[Tokimini]

Hedge, nice shooting. I'm also working up some loads using 8208 XBR and 40gr Vmax. What is your COAL?

[Hedge]

Excellent shooting! Any idea on your fps with that load?

Thanks, Doubleup. Gotta give credit to the rifle, though. It's like shooting a laser! All I have to do is control the trigger and watch my breathing.

I'm getting an average of 3631 fps with an SD of 15. I don't mind not spitting them out at 3900. I prefer accuracy to speed.

[bow shot]

WOW!!

[Hedge]

Hedge, nice shooting. I'm also working up some loads using 8208 XBR and 40gr Vmax. What is your COAL?

Thanks, Tokimini.

I don't measure OAL. Instead, I take my measurements from the ogive. With my RCBS comparator, I'm showing .130''. Takes a little time to find the sweet spot. It's all fun, though. The groups spread a bit if I move +/- .005". Not by much, but my kick is trying to make the smallest hole.

This is the first time I've experimented with two powders so close in burn rate. It's interesting how every rifle seems to have a specific powder it performs best with.

[Hedge]

WOW!!

Thanks bow shot.

I think it's more the rifle than me, though.

[Silverfox]

The Savage 12VLP in .204 Ruger I shoot the 40 gr. V-Max bullets in has a 1 in 11 twist super match grade stainless steel Pac-Nor barrel on it and the 40 gr. bullets shoot just great. I tried both IMR 8208 XBR and H4895. All of the bullets were coated with hBN, using WW brass, Remington 7½ primers and all powder charges were weighed on a Denver Instrument MXX-123 digital scale.

With IMR 8208 XBR, I tried loads of 26.8 gr., 27.0 gr., 27.2 gr., 27.4 gr., 27.5 gr. and 27.6 gr. The 26.8, 27.0 and 27.2 gr. loads gave me groups that measured from .330" to .389" center-to-center at 100 yards. The 27.4 gr. load gave me a .451" group, the 27.5 gr load measured .541", and the 26.6 gr. load group measured .689". Velocities at 12 feet from the muzzle averaged 3,745 fps for the 27.0 gr. load, 3,750 fps for the 27.2 gr. load, 3,825 fps for the 27.5 gr. load, 3,863 fps for the 27.5 gr. load, and 3,863 fps for the 27.6 gr. load. I did not chronograph the 26.8 gr. load.

With H4895 I started out with a load of 27.2 gr. and that shot so good I never tried a different weight powder charge. My first group measured .262" center-to-center and gave me an average velocity 3,821 fps at 12 feet from the muzzle. This was with brand new fully prepped WW brass. My next tests were with fire formed WW brass and I shot a groups measuring .314" and .360" center-to-center and velocities at 12 feet from the muzzle averaged 3,819 fps and 3,817 fps.

I settled on using the 27.2 gr. load of H4895 and on the range trip for adjusting my scope for this load, the last two shots I took after final scope adjustments measured .307" center-to-center and the six shots I took that day averaged 3,820 fps at 12 feet from the muzzle.

I also have a Savage 12VLP in .204 Ruger with the factory 1 in 12 twist barrel that I shot many non-coated 40 gr. V-Max bullets through, but never got the accuracy I felt I wanted. However, I think I was pushing the bullets way too fast. I wound up shooting lots of 32 gr. V-Max bullets and finally settled on shooting 39 gr. Sierra bullets.

[Silverfox]

Sorry!!!

[Hedge]

Silverfox,

Interesting data. I was matching the 8208 and 4895 by weight and didn't go past the first one that grouped well. I think I'll try pushing the 4895 and see where that gets me. Still may favor the 8208 as it meters better.

BTW- what was the "sorry" post for?

[Rick in Oregon]

After reading about Silver Fox and his trials using the 39/40's and H4895, I tried it in one of my 204's (Cooper M21 MTV), as I've been a RL-10X fan since the caliber first came out. Here's what a ten shot group looked like during my load development. Not BR standard by any means, but ten shot groups really show what potential the rifle and load possess.



Nothing spectacular, but shows promise and the need for further development at the range for further tweaking.
(The COAL listed is a comparator ojive length....NOT OAL.)

[futuretrades]

The only way I can get my Howa to shoot the 40gr Vmax is with H4895. Without any real tweaking, I have groups around .500 at a hundred. I use this as my backup load, as I can get around 3/8 in with 39gr sbk's using RE10x.