Faster barrel-any experience?

[milkman]

I am having a custom reamer built by pacific tool for my .204 so that i can cut and ream my 1:12 varmint barrel and load to the lands. I assembled a dummy round @ 2.3" for reamer construction so it will be a few thousandths over that. When i have run the 1:12 barrel out of life i plan to change to 1:8 or 1:9 twist to load for the heavier 50 and 55 gr bergers (currently shooting 40 gr). I am wondering if anyone has experience with a faster twist rate barrel in .204 that may help? Thanks

[Rick in Oregon]

milkman: When I built my custom M700 204R 11-twist using a Pac-Nor SS Super Match bbl, I posted chrono and accuracy results along with my reamer print from PTG. This was probably in 2008 if you care to look back far enough for the posts.

Let's just say that I still have and shoot the rifle (alot), and it will shoot virtually ANY bullet from 32grs (lightest I've tried) to the 39gr/40 grainers with accuracy in the .2's/.3's using RL-10X, BM and H4895. This rifle performs so well, I sold a pet 220 Swift, as the 11-twist does everything the Swift was capable of, and does it with less. I had my reamer ground as a 204 Match reamer, a modified version of Todd Kindler's design he published in SCN and is also in his book "Terrific Twenties". Mine is a .230" no-turn neck with minimum case dimensions and jump, as I also like to be able to touch the lands if wanted.....it worked out very well indeed and shoots better than any of my other factory 204's. The rifle (affectionatly known locally as "SPOD, or the Silver Princess of Death", and for very good reason.... ) has accounted for some impressive LR ground squirrel and rock chuck kills.

Personally though, when I want to shoot bullets in the 55gr range, I'll grab one of my .224" CF's, but that's just me. IHMO, there's better cases to build a fast twist .20 cal rifle on for the 55's than the 204.

Here's the SCN PTG print.....if you're familiar with the SAAMI 204R dimensions, you'll see quite a difference....all sloppy dim's have been tightened up. My reamer is almost the same, but has much less freebore.....015" to be exact:



My goal was to be able to shoot the 40's fast......the 11-twist worked, and still allows excellent performance from the 32's.

[milkman]

Good info! My dilemma is that while the 40 bergers shoot great at 300-500 yards, i'd love to try a heavyweight 55... My concern being that if i commit to a fast 1:9 twist i might overspin a 40 gr. Can the 1:9 serve a 40 and a 50 gr?? Ahhhh!! I do feel like i am taking a piece of the rifle's appeal away by slowing it down with a heavy bullet if i choose to do so

[Silverfox]

Milkman--This isn't quite right on the question you asked, but here's a copy of the reamer I used on my .204 Ruger built on a Savage Target Action using a #6 contour stainless steel Lilja barrel with 3 grooves and a 1 in 12 twist. I wanted a 1 in 11 twist, but Lilja doesn't make it. I use Nosler brass and turn the neck wall thickness on each casing to .0110" to .0111". I use a .225" TiN bushing and the loaded neck diameter with 39 gr. Sierra BlitzKing bullets is right around .226" giving me about .002" of space all around the casing neck when the cartridge is chambered.

I seat the bullets so they are approximately .004" off the lands. With the 39 gr. Sierras seated at that depth there is about .177" of the bullet inside the casing neck.

The reamer print shows that there is .042" of freebore which is more than RIO's print had IIRC. I still have the option of seating the bullets closer or into the lands without worrying about the bullet falling out of the casing or jostling loose. However, my Savage Target action is a right bolt/left port single action so the cartridges don't get any real rough treatment.

[sakofan]

My 1/10 twist barrel shoots the 50 grain bergers fine.
It also shoots 32,39,and 40 grain bullets accurately.
Barrel is a lothar walther 26in sendero profile.

[Sidewinderwa]

Personally though, when I want to shoot bullets in the 55gr range, I'll grab one of my .224" CF's, but that's just me. IHMO, there's better cases to build a fast twist .20 cal rifle on for the 55's than the 204.

Rick, you have my interest. What case do you think would be a better round for the 55 grain 20 caliber? I was thinking the 22-250 but you would lose the see the hit in the scope fun.

I have read an article where the 1:9 twist could still shoot the 39 grain bullet in a 204.

[Bill K]

Sidewinder... If you can get or find and read a copy of "The Terrible Twentys" it goes through many of the 20 calibers. The one that may just fill the bill for your question is the 20 Tactical. Read, goggle it up and research it. Bill K

[Jim White]

There is also some info on both the 20 Practical & 20 Tactical here; http://6mmar.com/.

One thing the 22 cals (ie 22-250 & 220-Swift) and 24 cals (6mm Remington & 243) will do a 204 Ruger "cannot" do is put an equally flat shooting bullet with better wind bucking ability down range with a lot more horsepower "should" the need arise. The same for 26 cals but IMO that is starting to get on the large side for (small) varmint shooting but works none the less.

[Rick in Oregon]

Rick, you have my interest. What case do you think would be a better round for the 55 grain 20 caliber? I was thinking the 22-250 but you would lose the see the hit in the scope fun.

I have read an article where the 1:9 twist could still shoot the 39 grain bullet in a 204.

Sidewinder: Any of the larger capacity cases would be a better choice than the 204 case for shooting the 55's. The problem though, at least to me, is that by doing so, you've now lost one of the major advantages of the 204 shooting bullet weights it was designed for.....the ability to spot your own shots.....see your own hits/misses.

The heavier bullet/ejecta results in an increased recoil impulse, similar to shooting a 22-250, and thereby throwing you off the sight picture in the scope due to the increased mass/energy.

The 20 Practical or Tactical has LESS capacity than the 204, being just a 223 case, so it is even less of an ideal case for shooting the 55's than the 204R is. The 204R case just does not have the internal capacity to give the 55's the needed velocity that makes this caliber so attractive in the first place, at least IMO. For shooting the 55's, think in terms of 20-250, 20BR, 20PPC. JMO

[milkman]

I believe I shall remain with a forty grain and rebarrel with1:11

[RAMOS]

And I bet you will be quite happy with the results!

[Rick in Oregon]

milkman: We all know that shooting the 40gr V-Max in a 12 twist barrel is "iffy" at best. Here's one of the very first groups I tried after I rebarreled to a 11-twist shooting the same 40gr V-Max:



Not gonna set any BR records by any means, but illustrates just what a slightly faster twist will do for those "hard to shoot" 40 grainers. I think there's some smiles in your immediate future........

[milkman]

Well, as soon as it happens i'll be posting some results...cant wait for the reamer to get here!!