Accuracy of the new .204s

[Cal Sibley]

I'm hearing a lot about the new .204Ruger but nothing of group accuracy. Can some of you guys who have used them at the range give me an idea of what size groups you're getting? Thanks and best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[Catfish]

Cal,
I really can`t tell you alot yet. I loaded up alot of .222 mag. brass for fire forming and didn`t spend much time trying to find a good load. I had some WC-846 surplus powder on hand and just loaded up some of that. My .204 is a T/C Encore factory barrel 26 in. With the stuff I through together for fire forming I`m getting about 1 moa. I really don`t like working up loads in the winter as they may be to hot in the summer. I bought 48 lbs. of that AA 2230-C that their selling cheap and will do some work with it when the weather warms up and I get my brass preped. The .204 is just like every other cal. though, your accuracy depends on the barrel and the load more than anything else. I haven`t drawed blood with it yet, but think I`m going to like it.

[skb2706]

cat - like you I went the 222 Rem mag brass just to get started.....what a mistake that was. Using a tubing mike and checking the neck thickness on that brass was a joke. Almost every piece I bought varied from .009" to .015" from one side to the other. After necking this crap down the bullets loaded crooked as hell. I quit fooling with it after about half a box. I have neck turning tools but by the time you turned these true they would be way thin. Now I just wish I had some decent brass to work with.

[Andy L]

http://www.midwayusa.com/ebrowse.exe/browse?TabID=1&Categoryid=10768&categorystring=9315***652***670***9013***

Its on backorder at the moment, but it wont be long now.

Im ordering a 204. I was going to use factory ammo til the components got out. I have no problem with factory and know several that are having good luck with it.

Bullets and dies are available as well.....

Andy

[scooterman27006]

cat when you get your stuff for this new t/c 204 i sure would like to hear about it - i have the exact same and have tried a few rounds with it using factory rounds just to get the brass but have had poor results even with the factory loads- if ya get a chance read my post on what i have tried so far - i also would be interested in what over all case length you are getting in this barrel - i have found that all factory stuff is way too short and unless you use a berger 50 g bullet then you wont get the length you need but im no expert by far and would like to hear what you think scoot

[Catfish]

Scooterman,
I loaded up some fire form ammo awhile back, didn`t check accuracy before loading abunch. I used what the book said was max. loads of AA 2230-C with 32 and 40 grn. Hornady bullets. When I findly put them on paper I was not happy, the 32`s were groupoing abt 3 1/2 in and the 40`s abt. 2 moa. I have done a very small amout of load develpment so far, but have tried AA 2230-C and Bench Mark with 32 and 40 grn. Hornadys and 30, 35 , and 40 grn. bergers. I used brass that had been fire formed and the case mouthes squared but nothing else done to them. I was not able to get off a good 5 shot group, had 1 flier every time it semed like. I don`t know if it was case variation or me, but I was useing a 10X scope instead of my 24 or 36X but was just after a load good enough to get me by till warmer weather. I was able to get several 4 shot groups around 1/2 moa, but with the 5th shot they went up to from 3/4 moa to up over 1 moa, with 1 group at 3 moa, don`t know what happened there. Any way from what I could see is that my barrel sems to like the slower loads best with my best groups being from suggested starting loads. I`m working on brass now as I wait on the computer to do it`s thing and if it keep raining around here I may try afew more loads in the near future. Oh yes, Horn factory ammo with 32 grn. bullets grouped 1.2 moa. from my barrel with the 10X scope.

[Wodland Ghost]

Just got my 204 barrel for my encore. I sighted it in the other day. My rest was ay my brothers so I used a bipod that I had. With the hornady factory ammo 32 grn it shoots a .75" group at 115yds. Im going to try it again with the rest and see if it shoots the same or tightens up more

[Catfish]

I wish my barrel shot factory ammo as tight as yours, mine put the 32`s in at between 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 moa. I`ve got reloads that will do alot better, even with my .222 mag. brass.

[scooterman27006]

cat i had the same results except the fliers you had came every other shot lol that comment on using lighter load may be something to it i am going to keep the long length on my 50 gr bergers and try again with less and even less again and see what happens i know this takes away what the 204 is all about but right now i just want it to group and if that bullet is just tumbling down across the back yard then i got to put a stop to that or either trade this 700 for a 222 - i will try the lighter loads in the encore barrel also and see what happens - if you or anyone else runs across some load data for the 204 using different powders i sure would like to take a peak at it and cat did you ever check your COL on your gun just curious that may not be the problem at all with both of mine but i sure would like to compare notes with ya i wrote all my info down and will post what load'recipe i was using but i can tell ya right now the factory hornady stuff sucked a big one both the 32 and 40 gr

[Catfish]

Scooterman,
If your looking for some data try this sight, www.rugerhunting.com It has data for about everything, bullets and powders.

[shooterjon]

well after trying 5 different powders I seem to get my best groups with H 4895- 27.5 grs. behind a Sierra 39 gr. bullet and my groups are coming in at about 3/4 inch. the load is not finalized yet as I still need to move the bullet toward lands and try both the federal and Remington bench rest primers before finalizing this load.The cci primer combination I am using now is about max as I'm starting to get some primer cratering,I will take the 204 back to the range soon ,as I have just moved back to Idaho from California and am just getting resettled.:)

["yote"]

IMHO, The 204 is a flash in the pan. It uses odd-ball brass, it uses odd-ball bullets with no real improvement over the basic
established rounds. If I can't get it done with my .17-Rem, .223,
or my .220 Swift, then I don't think the 204 is gonna do it !!

[skb2706]

Have two of them........

odd ball brass ? Currently being sold by no less than four major ammo producers.

odd ball bullets ? Better BCs than comparable .224" bullets...also sold by four major bullet suppliers in several weights.

Right now probably the hottest ticket on the prairie for shooting pds. I shoot .204s, several different .224" caliber rifles, 6mms and .243s at pds many times a year. The .204s get the major use and have the accuracy to take out regular 400 yd. targets.

Cal- my sons Contender factory barrel, first five shot group using factory ammo measures an honest .512". We don't shoot groups much, these are prairie dog rifles.....very effective prairie dog rifles.

[LEE C.]

Cal Sibley, Here is a load I shot a .168 three shot group with and a ten shot group .416 to see if it would hold up. This is out of savage 12fv 26 inch h.b. Rem. case's cut to 1.842 , 35gr. berger bullet's set at 2.263 oal, H4895 powder 27.2 gr., br-4 primer's,. This is the best load i found, after trying 3 kind's of powder and rem. 7.5 and br-4 primer's. I got 3372 avg. fps, It's not speed but accuracy i look for. I hope this will help you out some Lee. I'm looking at getting anther 204.:D

[shooterjon]

Well I have tried 9 different powders and 5 different primer combinations and am now settled on V-N140 27.5 grs, with Federal 205M primers groups are .110" X .380"
I can also tell you that 27.5 grs of 4895 with CCI BR4 Primers are right behind it.I am shooting a Remington 700 vssf in 204 and the 39 gr. sierra bullets are seated at the loading book Spec's will be moving bullet out toward lands next.Got to tell ya the gun will shoot under 1 "with almost anything you throw at it . Even Hornady bullets don't expand the groups much.I am Lucky to have a straight shooting rifle!;)

[yoteman]

I have three of these..the first is a custom CZ 527 with a Pac-nor #4 fluted SS select match..it shoots .5" all day with the 40 berger HPBT ahead of 28 gr ww 748. Velocity is pretty good around 3,800 fps from a 24" tube. Factory HB CZ shoots about the same, but also prints factory stuff pretty well. Best shooter is a new varmint kimber 84M....shoots the HSM/40 berger ammo into .3-.5' groups all day...I have a one shot kill and overall recovery rate with this caliber/40 berger equal to my swift, the standard to measure against for coyote. For PD's is superior, easier to correct for hits...I think the berger bullet in a bull barrel match prepped rifle could shoot in the .1's and .2's all day.
Yoteman