I just started loading for the 204 tonight. I learned a few things an will take any comments you may have.
1. After measuring my rifle I found that I am only seating the Berger 35 grain bullet about 3 10th's of an inch in the case. Is this normal.
2. Due to number one I cannot load from the clip, (Savage VLP)
3. The 204 is difficult to load with chubby sausage fingers.
Chambers for the .204 are really long compared to other caliber rifle chambers that people load to .030" off the lands. 2.250 is the loaded length it says to load in the manuals. Some people just load out to a length that will fit in their magizine. What rifle do you have? I load mine for my LRPV between 2.250 and 2.325......and that is what I am testing right now to see what bullet depth my .204 likes. B/c each gun will like different depths. I am sure others know way more than me and will also chime in to help you. But yes it is normal b/c the .204 Ruger has a really long chamber throat. Or you can buy a custom barrel and have it custom cut w/ a custom reamer to get rid of the long throat.......just an option. -Dan
P.S. i laughed out load when i read "chubby sausage fingers!!!!" I know what you mean. I have been beating up my fingers in the last week b/c I have loaded about 1,800 rounds or so.
***Danny Bracy***
'07 Savage 12LRPV .204 w/ VX-L Leupold 6.5-20x56 VHR
'07 Superior Arms AR15 20" Bull Varmint .223
dannybracy; thank you for the reply. My rifle is a Savage VLP. I measured the length to the lands in the chamber to be 2.071. I loaded .020, off, my loads are 2.051. My overall length is 2.383. If I were to load to 2.250 I would be .199 of the lands. This would be to far I would think. Please let me know your thoughts. I chambered the rounds that I loaded with out a problem. The only problem is they will not chamber from the magazine.
Some people say that the .204 requires a "jump" into the lands. It is not like other cartridges that you load up to or into the lands. Unless you buy a barrel that has been custom reamed for no free bore space. I have gone up to .035 off the lands but I made the powder charge less and worked my way up to watch for pressure signs that loading out to the lands may cause. I am sure others know more, and I can't believe that nobody has chimed in. But I do know that the .204 chamber is long and that is what factory bullets are set at(2.250) for length. Also, many members here have said they feel the .204 requires a "jump" into the lands. But on the other hand, a couple of members have also bought custom barrels with no freebore so they can load closer to the lands.....and "chase" the lands as their throat erodes over time.
-Dan
***Danny Bracy***
'07 Savage 12LRPV .204 w/ VX-L Leupold 6.5-20x56 VHR
'07 Superior Arms AR15 20" Bull Varmint .223
Danny, I forgot to mention but he reason I spaced only .020, was at the reccomendation of Berger Bullets. They reccomeended .020 - .030 off the lands. I was using this as my starting point. Thanks again for the relply. I do hope some others chime in, not that I don't agree with your reccomendations but I am curious what others think. I hope to be at the range on Friday and will let you know how that goes and will more than likely learn where to go from there. I am not changing to much with the distance as I am still looking for the proper powder charge. Once I get onoe that is close I will start playing with seating depth. Any thoughts on that theory?
In my Savage tubes a 35 Berg has left the case before hitting the lands. I load to 2.265 COL ALWAYS.
If the gun likes the powder your using it will shoot. Never had a need to play with seating depth since I first ended up with 2.265.
40 Bergs are set to 2.275. Only had one barrel that liked the 40's tho.
The 204 will jump. Perhaps even prefers it. Don't really know as I haven't spun up a custom tube yet.
I do have a Bartlien 11.5 twist and a reamer in the safe. Just haven't gotten around to it yet.
With no lands in close vicinity to help tune loads we rely on consistent neck tension, powder charge and primers. If you end up with a bushing die you can try different neck tensions also.
FWIW I've never had to chase the lands in a 204. From the beginning to end of the barrel life its 2.265 for me.
Joe,
Please ignore my ignorance but to clarify the COL is Case Overall Length so that would be from tip of the bullet to the bottom of the case correct? What is your measurment to the ogive? I measured the free bore of my rifle to be 2.071. My rounds I measure with a comparitor which is where I come up with my measurment of 2.051, .020 off the lands. My COL is 2.283. (As a side note I found that even though my measurment with the comparitor showed the same for all rounds the COL was different for a few. ) For me to load at a COL of 2.265 would put me .038 off the lands. That could work. I just gotta see what this current load is doing first. I don't think I mentioned yet but I loaded 26.6 grains of Benchmark down to 25 grains reducing by .2 grains per group of four rounds.
I used a Stoney point and checked both of by 204's (CZ & Remington) and I'd be surprised if there was enough case left to seat mine just off the lands. I'm afraid if i went to a custom barrel with a short throat I'd have to re-invent the wheel with my reloads.
I also have a VLP. I originally used to load for max OAL to the point of having to use my VLP as a single shot because they would not feed out of the magazine. I then shortened the OAL so that they would feed properly. I ended up with an OAL of 2.31 for the 35 bergers and an OAL of 2.34 for the 40 bergers. I did find I was seeing signs of high pressure during hot weather outings (my BTVSS which I purchased a year later was okay). I then tried seating the 35 & 40 bergers to 2.27 and 2.28 respectively with no more signs of high pressure PLUS increased accuracy. So for a long story short both of my savages seem to prefer the extra jump to the "lands". I may even shorten that OAL a bit more. (so much testing, so little time).
Gube, I just did some measuring on mine. I found that the maximum, COL I can load, to fit in the magazine, is 2.343 where it will cycle reliably. This comes to 2.015 with my comparator. I loaded five rounds at this spec and will see how they will fly next range day. Thanks for the info, and the idea.
This conversation makes me feel OK about seating my bullets deep enough to fit in my AR magazines. I have a barrel from JP Rifles:
It is 2.323†to the lands using Sierra Blitzking 39 gr bullets. The longest possible length for bullets to be magazine fed is 2.275â€Â. I load to a COAL of 2.273"-2.270".
I shot 25 gr up to 27.0 gr varget so far, and 27.0 gives .6" Five-shot groups.
I'd like to hear more on the range of jump that is feasible... because I don't like having the tips of the bullet so close to the mag wall.
