Handloads saved my rifle

[mshelton]

A few months ago I purchased a CZ527 varmint in .204 and wasn't really satisfied with it's performance 1.5" groups at 100yards.

Bedded the rifle, same results, ground out the bedding and rebed it with pillars, same results, swapped out the scope and rings, same results, tried different ammo (Hunting Shack Bergers, BKs, Calhoons, Remmongton and Winchesters), same results, lousy groups.

The rifle was one step away from literally getting thrown off a bridge into the river.

Then my nephew and I decided to go in and split the cost of a reloading set, bought the set, loaded up a load from here...... 3/4" group at 200 yards and I know it could have been smaller had I done better.

I knew reloading was the way to go but for Pete's sake that's one heck of a jump in accuracy and while I'm getting great results from 1 load, I'm getting pretty nice results from some other loads. Needless to say the little CZ has saved itself from sleeping with the fishes.

The only thing that makes sense to me that might explain it is the once fired brass being fire formed to my gun but I'm still surprised every time I have shot it lately that it's the same rifle.

[Rick in Oregon]

ms: Welcome to the world of handloading. Soon you'll be a "precision handloader", and producing even more accurate loads for that CZ that almost went swimming.

After 40+ years of handloading, I can say that almost all my rifles and handguns have never shot a factory load. Only my concealed carry guns get fed factory, and that's only for street carry. Every game animal I've ever killed in my life was with a handload, and virtually every varmint I've sent to the Great Alfalfa Patch in the Sky was sent there with handloads. It's The Right Stuff!

Welcome aboard, and congrats on a successful first venture out with your new handloads. You're in for even more good surprises.

(Be sure to follow recommended loads from a recent loading manual....don't get "creative" on us, okay? )

[mzimmers]

That's a great success story. How many variations did you experiment with before you found the load that works?

I have a love/hate relationship with handloading. I enjoy doing it, but it's aggravating to experiment over and over and over, and not see any significant improvements over factory ammo. If I weren't so stubborn, I'd just admit that I'm not really that great a shot.

[mshelton]

I had done quite a bit of research on this site and the first load that I got going proved to be a winner;

39g BK, 25g 10x, 2.330 OAL, Hornady brass and CC! BR primers

Starting to work with some Berger 35g now and also Varget powder. I've had some stinkers but some have shown some potential.
And Mzimmers, like you were talking about being a not so great shot, I consider myself the same, I need to work on that part to truly be able to determine my better loads.

[oldguy]

I've been loading ammo nearly 40 years and find that I can improve any rifles performance however some are more difficult then others takes time and patience plus good record keeping to hit on that special load, for me it's part of the hobby.

[Valar]

It is amazing to me the difference a few grains of powder can make in the group size. People that do not handload , dont know what they are missing. You would be suprised thepeople that are satisfied with a 1.5 inch group. However, beware, once you see the difference it becomes a obsession! Reloading is time consumeing , but a very rewarding addition to a great hobbie! Keep tweeking If you havent already I recomend you try some alliant 10 x and do load workup with that powder or I also have excellent results with IMR 4895. Glad to here you arnt scraping the 204, Just sorry I couldnt pick it up when she was scraped!