35 grain berger help

Share information about reloading the 204 Ruger.
204guy
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Joined: Tue Sep 23, 2014 8:29 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Rem 700 sps varmint 204 ruger

35 grain berger help

Post by 204guy »

Recently purchased a remington 700 sps varmint in 204 and was wanting some info on the 35 grain berger bullet as far as good powder, primers and brass, and bullet seating, any info helps to get me in the right direction, mostly plan on shooting coyotes
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RAMOS
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.204 Ruger Guns: Savage Model 12 FLV, Cooper M21
Location: Sherman County, Oregon

Re: 35 grain berger help

Post by RAMOS »

Love that bullet and cartridge for coyotes! I am using 24.5 grains of RL10X with either Federal 205M or Remington 7 1/2 primers. Start lower and work up.
204guy
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Joined: Tue Sep 23, 2014 8:29 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Rem 700 sps varmint 204 ruger

Re: 35 grain berger help

Post by 204guy »

Will have to give that a try! Have you or any one you know have good luck with benchmark or H4895 powder?
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futuretrades
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.204 Ruger Guns: HOWA 1500 .204 Ruger Varmint, Bull Bbl, Lupy 6-18x40 custom

Re: 35 grain berger help

Post by futuretrades »

Although I don't shoot the Berger bullets, Benchmark is my go to powder with the 32gr. Vmax pills. If Ramos is using said bullet, I would start there. The other powders you mention will also work. You just need to work up your own loads.
Good luck, and be safe!
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HOWA 1500 Varmint 204 Ruger, Bull Barrel, Hogue Overmold Stock, Leupold VXII 6-18x40mm AO LRV Custom Reticle Timney Trigger
Cooper Mdl 21 20VarTargW/Leupold VXIII, 6-20x40AO Varmint Hunter reticle.
TwentyBore
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.204 Ruger Guns: Savage 12FV

Re: 35 grain berger help

Post by TwentyBore »

204guy wrote:Will have to give that a try! Have you or any one you know have good luck with benchmark or H4895 powder?
It kind of depends on your rifle.

With everything perfect, Benchmark turns in slightly smaller groups than RE-10x for me, about 0.1" difference. However, groups with re-10x are much more consistently small across the entire load range for me (SD=0.12 for re-10x, 0.25 for Benchmark), and gives me a nice, wide OCW "sweet spot" at the high end. Because of that, if I'm not out for absolute accuracy, I can simply throw the 10x from my Uniflow, and still get quite respectable accuracy.
varmit_master
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.204 Ruger Guns: TC 204
Location: Arkansas

Re: 35 grain berger help

Post by varmit_master »

I too want to try the 35 gr berger HP. I have only tried RL10 in it with 39 gr bking. I have a few 200 35 gr HP to work up a load.
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Silverfox
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.204 Ruger Guns: Savage 12VLP purchased in June 2004 + 2 other custom .204s
Location: NW North Dakota

Re: 35 grain berger help

Post by Silverfox »

I shot lots of coyotes with the 35 gr. FBHP Berger bullets and used H4895 powder. That was back in 2004 through about 2007.

The loads listed below were shot using Hornady brass and Remington 7½ primers back on August 17, 2004. These loads were VERY HOT!!! I would not recommend starting load testing anywhere near these powder weight charges. I'd recommend starting somewhere around 27.0 gr. of H4895 and work your way up in .2 or a grain increments if 27.0 gr. doesn't give you accuracy and reasonable velocities. Hodgdon lists 28.2 gr. of H4895 as the maximum load for the 35 gr. Berger FBHP bullets.

Image

Here's a target I shot back on January 20, 2006, while getting my scope adjusted so my rifle was shooting 1 inch high at 100 yards.

Image

Good luck on working up a good load.
Catch ya L8R--Silverfox
tbates
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.204 Ruger Guns: Ruger #1 Sporter

Re: 35 grain berger help

Post by tbates »

I shoot 32 gr in my Ruger #1 .204 and 39 gr in my Kimber 84M .204. Both bullets are Sierra BKs and pushed with Benchmark and Remington 7.5 BR primers.
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