SmallCaliberCentral

Factory ammo sprays 6" groups.
My best hand loads can't breech the 0.5" barrier.

Any one else had problems getting 32 gr VMax bullets to group? I'm having a bad time getting past the .5" barrier. 'Getting a little worried that I may have a problem child (rifle).

Rifle: Savage 12 VLP (original varmint barrel, epoxy bedded)
Powder: 26.8 gr Benchmark
Brass: Hornady (NOT flash-hole uniformed)
Trim: 1.395"
Primer: Fed 205M
OAL: appx 2.33"
Bullet TIR: confirmed under 0.002" case side of the olgive

I started w/OAL at spec., and adjusted the powder charge for best groups. I then varied OAL in .02" increments but saw little change.

Like I said, I'm starting to worry a bit here. Dialing in my other rifle (6.5x55) was a piece of cake. I now have 1000 rounds through the tube on the .204, and I'm getting worried, feeling disappointed.

I'm still load developing on two,soon to be three 204rugers.Most of my reloads have been with the 33 pieces of federal brass that I shot out of my Savage LRPV,now loaded 10 times.I must transition to WW brass because that is what I'll load fo my first PD shoot ,in May.
Lets start buy cleaning the primer pockets with a uniformer(this is done after every firing).Next ,deburr the flash hole(you'll need a size to fit the 20cal.(you know by now the 22cal stuff wont work).You should determine what your chamber length/neck is.The Sinclair chamber length (about $7)is the easiest way to do this.Make sure before you use it that the diameter isn't too large at the shoulder.If it's over .231,it may not go in the neck,and you cant close the bolt no matter how much you trim off the neck of the try case.That was the case with mine,although the package was marked .204.I simply chucked it up in a drill and used a fine file and stone to turn it dopn to .229-230.This will tell you how much you need to trim off the case necks.The loading manuals will have you trimming too much.You want to be .024 shorter than your measured chamber length.You'll find new brass is usually shorter than that.I never trim untill after the first fireing,and then only the smallest amount to square the case mouths up,so grab a few cases,and set your trimmer to just barely make a full 360 cut on the shortest measured case,and trim all the brass at that setting.Some brass may be too short to show and cut at all.You can set them aside.Some will show about a 70-80% cut around the circumference.That's fine.Now sort the brass by weight.Anything within 15% is ok,but if you want to get it down,then go for cases that weigh within a couple grains,andseperate those cases into your 5 shot group use.
Your primer choice is OK.If you prime with a hand primer that should be fine.You can feel the primer seat in that uniformed primer pocket you provided.Benchmark should be fine.I don't have my loading books here with me,but increase the load toward maximum,untill you start seeing pressure signs.Don't need a Cronograph,but if you have one it's usefull.I would try other bullets:Sie,Berger,etc.You should also determine just how far out you can seat the bullet to the lans.The factory bullets are seated too deep in the case,and in the case with Hornady I found the 40grVMAX are seated deeper than the 32gr VMAX.I don't like any bullet to extend into the case beyond the neck/shoulder joint,however,it does need to be seated about a caliber size into the neck,which on the 204 is right at it.You'll no find that you can have a AOL around 2.300.I get best results on the G2 I'm working on around 2.350 with a 32ge Sie BK w/Avg 3800fps.
So when I start testing,I'll keep everything the same except the seating depth and shoot 5 or 6 groups at say 2.300,2.310,2.320,and so on.I may shoot two groups at the various OAL,to determine the best group/oal,then work up/down with the powder.Good news is,you only need to do the flash holes once,and trim seldom.Good luck

If I can get time this evening to decap, I'll be on the brass. I have a simclair primer pocket uniformer, and a RCBS flash hole de-burr tool. I may try for a tool that actually reams the hole, the rcbs looks like it only does an inside chamfer.

I've not done this with the brass so far, just primer pocket cleaning with a Lee tool.

I also have Nosler brass on hand that I had to fire, so that is available too.

Bowshot: I really doubt doing any more case prep will solve the problem. My remington VSF was the same way. It literally sprayed factory ammo at a target and handloads with either weight of Vmax bullet was a waste of time. I suggest you switch to sierra's or berger's or possibly barnes VG's. These are the only 3 brands my remington likes and this is ALL the gun will ever see. I am not willing to give up accuracy to save a few bucks on a box of bullets.

I realy wish I had started with the Bergers...I think I've milked everything that I can out of the 32 gr VMax...

I here you FBG, I see (from you posts) that you've enjoyed some success with the other pills!!

I put less than 100 of them through the remington and realized I was beating a dead horse. I tried EVERYTHING....seating deep, seating out, different powders to no avail. I prefr sierra's for my winter hunting. Moving to the VG's soon as my hunting range shrinks drastically in summer and the gun REALLY likes them.

Ya, my remington appears to be a little fussy. About all I keep around now are the 39 grain sierra's, goes does not really appear to like 32 grainers either, the 35 grain berger's which also shoot VERY well, to date untested 40 grain bergers and the 26 grain barnes VG. As a side note, I do little in the way of case prep: size, trim and prime and that is it. I have invested in a set of redding type S match dies recently as a means of possibly getting a little more out of the gun but I simply do not have the time to mess around with 700+ cases! I have had no problem finding MANY powder/bullet combos that will do 1/2" or less for 5 shots.What more do you need from a hunting rifle? Good enough for me!

I have 1 1/12 twist... what are your Remmys?

'Was just thinking...
I may take the Leupold VXIII off the 6.5, and put it in the .204. Its a 6-20. Just to eliminate a variable...

Its (the .204 ) currently wearing a Simmons pro hunter master series 6-21. Hmmm....

The 204 is a standard 1 in 12 not sure what the 17 fireball is though. I was just happy to see mine shoot heavy bullets well. If it didn't it would have been sold ASAP! To me this caliber really shines with the 39 grainer on up. Where I live, in the summer, I will not likely see a 200 yard shot at anything so that is why I am about to get geared up to load a MESS of barnes varmint grenades. I have read thier performance on critters is OK but when i take my girls shooting it is usually water filled pop bottles, pop cans etc....These bullets REALLY do a job on targets like this.....usually blowing them to bits! It is more of a fun bullet than anything but I likely will do some critter blasting with it.

FireBallGuy wrote:The 204 is a standard 1 in 12 not sure what the 17 fireball is though.

The factory twist for the 17FB is 1/9". Many custom M4 barrels (including mine) are 1/10", and shoot both the 20gr and 25 bullets extremely well. I usually only shoot the 25 grainers in my M4 for the better BC bullets.....and they're still going 3,860 fps. The terminal effect on rock chucks or ground squirrels must be experienced to be fully appreciated, especially with 25gr V-Max's.

bowshot: Don't dispair....there's other 32 grain bullets out there. My Kimber 84M Varmint thrives on the Nosler 32gr BT. Give them all a try, as your rifle just may not like V-Max's.

Thanks kindly. I will continue.....

bowshot

6" groups 32 factory ammo?

How does the 40 or 39gn factory ammo shoot?

First thing I do with a new factory tube is try a few groups of assorted factory fodder. Saves a lot of time and headaches.

So your getting close to .5moa with 32 handloads. Thats not really bad for cheap bullets. i've never done much better with them either but I surely never spent much time trying.
Buy a box of 35 Bergers. Set them at COL of 2.265. Load up 26.5/26.6/26.7 gns of BM with your Fed 205's
Chances are good one of those will make you smile.

Yes, truely 6". Nasty. That was Hornady Varmint Express, 40 gr VMax.


I also threw some 40 gr VMax bullets in Nosler brass at minimum powder, and it was as bad if not worse. I only did that because I had bought some 40s by mistake and the local Bass Pro would not take them back or exchange for the 32s that I was working with. I had to 1x fire the Nosler brass, so I just used up the 40s for that (and hoped for a miracle along the way...)

I'll likely try to find some Bergers in the mean time....

Switch to Blitzkings and see if that helps. At first, neither of my .204's liked v-max's either, but for some reason they seem to shoot them pretty well now. Maybe it took 1000-2000 rounds to settle them down! Who knows???

What size Sierras, Keith?