Finally finished - my new custom 204 - UPDATED

[huntsman22]

Rick, I like it...... It will be great, even with the sporter style stock. I sure can't come to like the big ol' beavertail forends and palm swells that most put on 'em now. Especially on a hunter that has to be carried a ways........ I can't tell any dropoff in accuracy of mine off the bench, with the stock switch-er-oo, and it carries mo-betta. Don

[Hawkeye Joe]

Nice rig Rick. I wouldn't be surprised if Acraglas is NOT needed. I know of several HS stocks that shoot awesome without bedding, With both Savage and Remington hardware....How do you like the offset anti-cant device?

[dannybracy]

Rick I love reading all your posts and now I can't wait to see how that custom shoots! All I can say is that I have gotten yelled at twice by the finance to "QUIT LOOKING AT THAT GUN BY THAT ONE GUY AND GET OFF THE COMPUTER". Very nice build! -Dan

P.S. She loves guns, loves to shoot, and maybe I need to make one similar for her----that way i could BORROW hers! LOL

[acloco]

When is the drawing? How many entries so far?

[futuretrades]

hey rick, great looking stick. sounds like it will be a great shooter.
looking back at some of your pics, we might be shooting in the same areas down here in kalifornia. except for my first outing, things are starting a little slow for skippy. last friday, i only went thru 100 rounds in the 204, and 100 rounds in the 223 and the wind started blowing in the late morning. when i checked the wind speed, it clocked at 15 to 20 mph steady. thats when i picked up the 223 with a 40 grain vmax for a little better wind bucking ability, but still had problems doping the wind. nice to get out for a little trigger time tho. like i told my buddy, thats why i bought the guns and i do enjoy my loading.
i will try not to shoot too many of your targets, unless the weather stars cooperating a little more.
judging by some of our kills, and there was a lot chasing around, it looks like it will be time for them to make more targets.
PS, put my name in the drawing too!!!

[Melvin Eades]

Rick,

Nice looking gun you have there. Looks like you wouldn't have any trouble getting rid of it if you decided too!

I noticed on one of your earlier replies you said the skippy shooting would be over by the end of June. I'm not familiar with ground squirrels at all. How come you can't shoot them farther on through the summer?

[Rick in Oregon]

Been busy for the last few days, but wow, you guys flatter me with all the comments pertaining to my new rig. Thanks for all the interest and encouragement.

I've got the barrel about 85% broken-in (Sinclair/Pac-Nor Method), having fired only 35 shots total so far. 30 of these shots were with Remington 40gr factory loads, and a five shot group with a warmish load for my Sako Model 75 Varmint 204. I know, this load was not worked up for the Remington, and I will do this later when time permits, but I HAD to try just one handload before taking it out on my next squirrel safari later this week.

Here's the very first five shot group with the barrel not broken all the way in yet:



It shows very good promise, considering the load is for another rifle, and I was dealing with a 10 mph 9:00 full-value cross wind. The bullets were jammed into the lands, but the load even though on the warm side, still had no hard bolt lift, good radius on the edges of the primers, slight cratering (actually called "blanking" in the industry), and the cases mic'd exactly the same as the Remington factory loads at the web after firing.

As you can see, at 4,015 fps, this three-groove barrel really zings those 39gr. SBK's with the tight chamber!

Just for info, the average speed of the Remington 40gr factory loads out of this rifle ran a whopping 3,882 average for 30 shots. That's pretty speedy for a factory 40 grain slug out of a 204.

Pac-Nor supplied me with my requested barrel-stub chamber gauge with the reamer so I can monitor neck diameters and seating depths:



We're leaving in another two days for a four day affair with our pal Skippy, so will give an update of how she did in the field under actual 'combat' conditions. It appears this puppy is going to be a real shooter. I just hope Skippy doesn't mind having the rest of the barrel break-in performed on him!

Some answers to the above posts:
Our Belding Ground Squirrels go down for the season about the first of July (very hot here), so no targets after that time. The Kalifornia squirrels stay up a bit longer.

This rifle has the H-S Precision semi-beavertail varmint stock, not a true sporter.

I'm going to bed it with Accraglass anyway, I always do, and they always shoot better after proper bedding, even with the full aluminum bedding block. Darrell Holland turned me to doing this, and so far out of five rifles, he's right.

Thanks again to all you guys for the smiles and encouragement......now about the price of those raffle tickets........

[Keith in Ga]

I just knew it.......it shoots as good as it looks!!!!
Rick, congrats on a fine looking and shooting rifle.

[Ray P]

Rick way to go on the break-in. I get all choked up when I see a match reamer...........can't wait to see that first piece of fired brass out of her chamber. You said something about web dementions? What are your fired round measuring in that area?
Good luck with "Skippy". Show him that lead poisioning doesn't hurt that much.....haha.
Enjoy and be safe.
Later
Ray P

[Rick in Oregon]

Keith: Thanks buddy.

Ray: R-P factory unfired brass (40gr Accu-Tip) mic's .371" at the web.
Same brass fired in new Match chamber: .373"
Same brass in new 204 Match chamber fired with 26.0gr / RL10X w/SBK 39gr bullet mic's .373"

Note: This load is over max in the Sierra manual, and is not recommended in any other rifle, even though both my 204's show no signs of high/dangerous pressure using common pressure sign indications. This particular chamber has .015" of freebore to minimize pressure spikes with usual/normal seating just off the lands, although the target above had bullets jammed into the lands approximately .020", as the loads were set up for my Sako M75V, which as a factory SAMMI chamber and the usual long 204 Ruger "jump" to the lands.

All loads now being assembled for the new Remington/Pac-Nor have the bullets seated just to "kiss" the lands. Over the years I've found this to give the best accuracy without pressure excursions in warmer weather in the field.

I'll be back in about a week after our Squirrel Safari....this time with TWO 204's. If one is good, TWO just have to be better! Skippy: Get ready to really FLY!



Thanks again to all you guys for your interest and support.

[Rambler]

Hey Rick Thats a very nice rifle and it looks like its going to shoot, I'm just curious what is your over all length with the 39's or OAL.. since you are jamming them in the lands.

[Rick in Oregon]

Rambler: I'm not jamming into the lands on the new M700 204. The target above was shot with loads developed for my Sako 204 that are loaded long. When fired in the new Match chamber, they were jammed into the lands because of the short throating of the new chamber. This will not be the case with all new loads. That load was not developed for the new M700.

All loads for the new chamber will "kiss" the lands, meaning just barely touching, not jammed. I do not use Overall Length at all, as bullet to bullet varies with any tip irregularities. Both rifles are converted to single shot with Score-Hi single shot followers placed over the magazine follower for single shot bench varmint shooting, so Overall Length is of no concern to me. I only use Comparator Over All Length (COAL), which measures from the ojive of the bullet to the base of the case. The new COAL is 2.008" to kiss the lands in this particular chamber.

This basic reamer design was designed by Todd Kindler to properly support the bullets in the short neck of the 204 Ruger, and still be close to the lands. My reamer was modified slightly, giving only .015" of freebore instead of Todd's .065", and all other dimensions were tightened up just a bit with a .230" neck instead of the standard .232" neck dimension. This gives a "no turn" neck and still be a nice snug fit with .002" bullet release/expansion factor (or a dimension of .001" all around the bullet = .001" per side).

[gwglave]

Hey RIO,
Very nice! And if the one group you posted is any indicator of things to come, look out Skippy .
Hope the weather improves for your four day shoot. This late spring, cold wind and occasionaly snow really sucks. We'll be looking for your photos and "sage rat safari" report when you get back.

Rgds, Gerry

[Silverfox]

Rick--Thanks for the update on the new shootin' rig. It looks like you have a winner there. Let us see some pictures of targets you shoot with that rig when you get the barrel broken in and a "favorite" load worked up for it. I'm betting it will shoot SCARY SMALL GROUPS!!! That's not saying the '4 in .346"' and '5 in .485"' groups aren't small!!!

[hozz57]

Rick, That there is one GREAT looking rig I love that stock, I have one on my Rem 700 .220 swift, I bedded it before I shot it so I don't know if it improved or not. But I like the warm feeling I get knowing that there is total contact between action and stock.

By the way I just checked my XR-100, and looks like I'll be needing a new barrel soon. How much to rent yer reamer?