Getting started

[Sagebrush Burns]

I am about to embark on loading the 204. I've be reloading for 35 years now (I've loaded 270, 243,30-06, 308, 7X57, 7 Mag, 338, 220 Swift, 22-250, 35 Whelen Ackley Improved, 45 Colt, 357 Mag, 44 Special, 222 and 223) but this will be my first time with 204 Ruger. I have 500 new Winchester brass prepped and ready to go and Hornady 32 and 40 grain V-Max and Burger 35 grain HP bullets. I'll be starting out using H335 and CCI 450 mag primers because I have them on hand. Next most likely RL-15 for the same reason. A friend has some BL C2 so I'll most likely try that too. I'll be using the "starting" loads and work to the top in .5 grain increments. Any thoughts about cartridge overall length? The rifle is a Savage Model 12 LRPV single shot so magazine length is not an issue. Thanks for sharing any ideas...

[KVW]

Do you have a stoney point to measure distance to lanse? I own the same gun as yours and I load 10 thousands off lanse. With 39 gr bk my overall length is 2.447. This length also works very well in my model 12fvs. (HTH)

[WrzWaldo]

Wellllllll, my XR-100 likes 2.32 OAL. But each rifle is a little different (even same models). I'd workup a load using the published OAL and when you settle on an accurate charge weight start tweaking the OAL to see if you can tighten up the groups.

WW

[acloco]

My Savage rifle and a few others on here...LIKE to be seated further off the lands than what is the norm.

I tried everything from at the lands to factory length.....0.050" off the lands seems to be the sweet spot.

This is the ONLY rifle that I own that is like this....thought it was weird as well...until others started to post the same info.