SmallCaliberCentral

Ive just started reloading for my .204 and am wondering what seems to be the best powder? Im loading up some 35 gr. Bergers and 39 Sierra BK's. The powder I purchsed was H322 and Benchmark but both seem to be used more on 32gr bullets vs the heavier weights.
Im shooting a Remington LVSF.

Cheers!!

I've had good luck with RE-10X. Very consistant. You can't go wrong with those Sierras.
BTW- Welcome to the site!

I started out with the H322 and H4895 when i first started reloading for the .204. I couldnt get the results with the H322 so i turned to the H4895. It works very well with the 39 grain sierra's. I use 25.8 grains and it gave me great results, .4's consistantly shooting 5 shot groups. (And thats without subtracting the bullet diameter). I know my velocity isnt as high as some other people shooting this powder and bullet, but ill stick with that load because its very accurate in my gun.

Good luck in your load development, it took me 50 rounds for my Savage and nearly 200 for my Ruger.... I Dont have a Remington, but I hope this helps you.

My go to powder for 32 grain Hornaday's is H322.

32 Grain V-Max w/ 26.6 grains of H322...


I do have some Benchmark andBLC(2) that I haven't tried yet with the 32 grainers. I've got a bunch of stuff worked up but the weather isn't cooperating!

Lots of powders out there for the .204. I think Benchmark,H4895 and RE10X might be the "go-to" powders. But that's only 3 out of about 10 that forum members might consider to be "go-to" powders. Hmmm......Probably more then 10!! .

Benchmark for me!

When I first started reloading for my .204 and .223, I had a friend/mentor that has several powders on hand that load information was available,,,

I can't remember all of them, but the outcome was that I settled on Winchester 748 due to the ease of metering (I load for ARs in both calibers) and the fact that 748 was thought to be the original powder developed for the 5.56 cartridge...

I'm in the process of switching over to the Ramshot line of powders (X-Terminator and TAC) for both calibers after having some great initial success with them and they seem to burn a little cleaner that a lot of the others, and it meters like water.



The bottom two targets are from my 1/14 twist .223 AR using 40gr V-Max.

Benchmark and Win 748 have given me the best results so far.
I'll be trying the Ramshots soon I hope. So many pans in the fire.
H-4895 has done well.
10X does well also but needs frequent cleaning IMO.

Great info fellows, appreciate the help with the "newbie" Im going to give H-4895 a try as I bought a pound today to go with the Berger 35 and Sierra 39's
Ive never had so much fun and excitment with a cartridge, this .204 bug has really bitten me

Cheers!!

scott
No matter what your mother told you itching it will make it better


Old Turtle
Your third target with Ramshot shows the classic pattern. Vertical with a light charge and horizontal with heavier.
Have you tried that load in the 25.6gn range?

Not the 25.6.. Most of my trial loads are run in .2 increments working backwards from the max. load listed, so those would have been on the odd 1/10 grains since the max load for the V-Max is 27.5gr..

I'll have the next batch loaded on the even 1/10 grain charges and ready to go as soon as the weather breaks where I can stand to be at the range for a good period of time..

Hey Scott where abouts you forom in sask??? I live north of the quapplle vally. Also what kind of reloading stuff did you buy and were from?I am just lookin into some equpment but not sure what to get. I was lookin at a dillion 550L but some one told me to just get a RCBS kit and go from there.

Have tried three different powers and don"t know why Douglas 1-12 twist likes 4064 with a 40gr Vmax almost a one hole at 100yds with sand bags.

204saskman wrote:Hey Scott where abouts you forom in sask??? I live north of the quapplle vally. Also what kind of reloading stuff did you buy and were from?I am just lookin into some equpment but not sure what to get. I was lookin at a dillion 550L but some one told me to just get a RCBS kit and go from there.

I'm in Moose Jaw. I buy most of my reloading gear from Wholesale Sports in Saskatoon but do buy the odd stuff off Canadian Gunnutz on their used equipment forum.

If you have the cash the Dillan is no doubt one of the best if not the best press available. RCBS is solid stuff with great customer service and makes everything you'll ever need to reload any calibre. I would suggest you look at the RCBS Rockchucker, very good single stage press. Ive got a Lee Classic cast which will handle any caliber up to 50 BMB, and an assortment of powder measurers, scales, tumblers ect...
I would stay away from most Lee products other then the hand primer tool and Classic press, the rest seem really cheap.
For the amount I shoot my .204 and tinker with it, its really worth reloading for. I can shoot more rounds in a day hunting varmints with my .204 then 4 years with my big game rifles.

Cheers!!