Range report, sick to my stomach
Crying the blues also...just picked up a Browning A bolt hunter, not varmint contour, my usual preference. Looked like a beautiful truck gun! It has been free floated and the trigger worked to perfection. The previous owner shot less than 200 factory Hornady rounds thru it. He provided a box of 40 gr. VMAX. Couldn't get a group less than 1 inch. Totally unacceptable for this caliber. The question now is sell it or buy the reloading dies and accessories to try to dial this bad boy in? Comments?
P.S. I have all the real deal varminters I need .22-250s, .222, .223, .243 and .308s, even a .220 Swift. They work great, should I even bother?
P.S. I have all the real deal varminters I need .22-250s, .222, .223, .243 and .308s, even a .220 Swift. They work great, should I even bother?
- Rick in Oregon
- Moderator
- Posts: 4942
- Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 4:20 pm
- .204 Ruger Guns: Sako 75V, Cooper MTV, Kimber 84M, Cust M700 11 Twist
- Location: High Desert of Central Oregon
- Contact:
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- Junior Member
- Posts: 75
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:05 pm
- .204 Ruger Guns: Rem 700 VLS, Howa 1500 SSHB
- Location: Powell Butte, Oregon
blk223 I agree wholeheartedly with Rick in Oregon. I also have all those calibers you speak of (except the Swift) and shoot them frequently. But not as frequently as the .204.
The great thing about the .204, if you have a HB varmint model, is the recoil is almost non-existent. You can actually see Skippy fly while looking through the scope .
I don't think you can say that about any of the others, even the .222 or .223.
Rgds, Gerry
The great thing about the .204, if you have a HB varmint model, is the recoil is almost non-existent. You can actually see Skippy fly while looking through the scope .
I don't think you can say that about any of the others, even the .222 or .223.
Rgds, Gerry
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- Senior Member
- Posts: 188
- Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:57 am
- .204 Ruger Guns: DPMS Panther Arms LR-204
- Location: UT,Sanpete Co, !!!
- Contact:
DITTO. Brownings are very accurate rifles but most factory guns are pretty picky about factory ammo in .204. I would at least buy 1 box of each to try before you give up on it. Then if it still wont shoot under 1" I'm sure Browning would like to know about it and would probably help you get it fixed up.
DPMS Panther Arms LR-204 24" Stainless Fluted Heavy Barrel
There is a place for all of Gods creatures...RIGHT NEXT TO THE POTATOES AND GRAVY.
There is a place for all of Gods creatures...RIGHT NEXT TO THE POTATOES AND GRAVY.
man if they would refund your money you could get a cooper or kimberwadevb1 wrote:That makes me feel much better ragin'. Tomorrow she gets shipped back to remmy. I have my fingers crossed. If not: $195.00 for a blueprint, $300 for new tube and $200 for chamber. I hope I don't need to use plan B.
for less than what you would have in the remmy after the tweeking.
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- New Member
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:08 am
- Location: Texas
Sorry for the bad luck...
Man, I am very sorry to hear about your lemon. It sounds like you're very knowledgeable and have done everything within reason to get your gun to group. I had some beginning luck with my LVSF 204. My first time out I shot sub MOA groups and even managed a 5-shot 1/2 MOA group with factory Hornady 40Vmax I didn't clean it for the first 30 rounds. (I've listened to all the barrel break in procedures and none have convinced me that it's worth the trouble and probably only helps to wear out the barrel.) I'll give it a good cleaning though with Wipeout before taking it back out. I also plan to lighten up the lawyer-designed trigger. Lordy, that must be about a 7-pound break and I'll lighten it to about 2 or 3 pounds. There's some good advice here for reloading it and I plan to try out some of the ideas I've learned thus far.
Last edited by Titegrupes on Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
________________________
Depleting my retirement fund one round at a time.
Depleting my retirement fund one round at a time.
UPS pulled into my drive today with a package from Big Green. Box was quickly opened and was a lilttle dissapointed with a letter and simple explanation, "barrel lapped, muzzle cowned." Leupy mounted and I was expecting the worse. I fired three rounds at 100 yards and achieved a 3/4 inch group. I fired a few more groups and detwrmined that this rifle is now a one inch or better rifle. This was with the terrible factory trigger to boot.
Stomach is doing well now.
Stomach is doing well now.
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- Junior Member
- Posts: 75
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:05 pm
- .204 Ruger Guns: Rem 700 VLS, Howa 1500 SSHB
- Location: Powell Butte, Oregon
I agree, it sucks what you had to go through.......but, apparently, Remington fixed the problem. The alternative would be you still have a crappy shooter.....what would you do with it after it's been to the factory already for repair
It would be difficult to sell it and unload it on some other poor chap.
Oh well, glad it worked out. Let us know how it shoots with some good handloads. My Rem 700 VLS shoots in the 0.2's and 0.3's. So, they're not all bad.
Rgds, Gerry
It would be difficult to sell it and unload it on some other poor chap.
Oh well, glad it worked out. Let us know how it shoots with some good handloads. My Rem 700 VLS shoots in the 0.2's and 0.3's. So, they're not all bad.
Rgds, Gerry
NRA Life Member
OHA, VHA, OSSA, SCI
OHA, VHA, OSSA, SCI
I'm debating on reloading for this rifle. For one, I already own several wildcats and its getting to be a drag fireforming and turning necks. I also understand that there isn't many powder options to reach Hornady velocities. Shooting a 22" barrel is probably going to handicap me also.
I'm looking for a rifle where I can purchase ammo off the shelf and be minute of coyote out to 200 yards.
I have plans on getting the rifle glass-bedded. Tomorrow I'll call Remmy and try to twist their arm on sending me their '07 trigger to compensate me for the ten plus boxes of ammo I burned trying to get it to shoot.
I'm looking for a rifle where I can purchase ammo off the shelf and be minute of coyote out to 200 yards.
I have plans on getting the rifle glass-bedded. Tomorrow I'll call Remmy and try to twist their arm on sending me their '07 trigger to compensate me for the ten plus boxes of ammo I burned trying to get it to shoot.
I have a Sako like Rick in Oregon. I'm not that great a shooter, and haven't got the best bench setup yet (ordered BR pivot lite from Rick) and only have a 60 yd range. My 10/22 is shooting better than the 204 with some factory loads.
First I thought that I totally sucked. Then I shot some more and saw a pattern develop. I have repeated the pattern a few times with all but the 32 gr Winchesters. I'm afraid I'll disappoint myself.
32 gr Remingtons are terrible
40gr Rem OK
32 Gr Hornady very good
40gr Hornady good
39gr Federal/Sierra very good
32 Grain Winchester 5 shots in one ragged hole...
BR pivot Lite and front rest etc should be here for the weekend. We'll try ranging at 100yds at neighbors place and see what happens...
First I thought that I totally sucked. Then I shot some more and saw a pattern develop. I have repeated the pattern a few times with all but the 32 gr Winchesters. I'm afraid I'll disappoint myself.
32 gr Remingtons are terrible
40gr Rem OK
32 Gr Hornady very good
40gr Hornady good
39gr Federal/Sierra very good
32 Grain Winchester 5 shots in one ragged hole...
BR pivot Lite and front rest etc should be here for the weekend. We'll try ranging at 100yds at neighbors place and see what happens...