Check out the SAMMI drawings of the case and the chamber,then measure a new piece of brass for OAL. http://www.saami.org/PubResources/CC_Drawings/Rifle/204%20Ruger.pdf This spec says the cartridge length is 1.850" - .020. I know that 1.850" is the maximum so this would suggest 1.830"...

It takes a steady hand to get all five shots in one group. Suppose that's why so many people do three-shot-groups... I was always under the impression that 3 shots will determine the rifle's capabilities, 5 shots determines the shooter's. I'm looking for the load my Tikka likes the best right now ....

The weather and wind was decent today so I headed for the range. I had (5) different load amounts of 26.2 grains to 27.4 grains in .3gr increments of IMR 8208 pushing the Speer 39gr TNT. I jerked two rounds as noted but all in all they shot pretty decent (orange targets) at 100 yards. It seems my Ti...

I used to use a small section of a cut-off graphite arrow shaft, then I bought the RCBS .17cal funnel - duh.

Last spring I bought a Tikka T3 Lite with the stainless barrel on sale at Cabelas in Dundee, Michigan. Not sure if you can get one at a store closer to you or not but might be worth a call.

I picked up a box of the 39gr Speer TNT bullets the other day (under $16) and loaded (3) each in .3 grain increments of IMR-8208 for a total of 15 rounds just to get an idea how they shoot. As a means to monitor my reloading consistency, I like to measure the ogive to cartridge head as well as the C...

All of my rifle dies are the Lee Collet type but I noticed that Hornady's bullet seater die comes with an optional crimp feature. If this does a full 360 degree crimp and not the military type "digs" in the case, I'm thinking this might be a nice feature. Just wondering if anyone has used ...

The dampness made it seem a bit colder than the 35 degrees today but I felt like I was on target with 95% of my shots. I had (3) 3" bullseyes on the left side of a sheet of paper and went thru the each seperate batch of bullet/powder combos before shooting the second and thrid rounds. As far as...

Yes they did Brad, I had (2) CRT bullets left over and they did sit in the recess of the neck very well. I'm hoping to get to the range this morning before it rains - the only day of no wind for awhile!

This is all good info. The cases that got crushed were likely the ones I was letting them "ride up" the inside of the seater without being in the neck straight. My brother-in-law has a VLD tool so I'll see how that works in the future before I modify the underside of my bullet seater. The ...

I was stumbling around various sites and found the Berger .204 bullets available in 50gr and 55gr bullets. Is this too much weight for a 1:12" twist and has anyone tried these? Thanks.

Predator1 wrote:According to Lee dies instructions, which is what I use, you add a 1/4 turn after contact is felt.

That's exactly how I set up my Lee bullet seater. Looks like the VLD tool will solve my issues loading the FB bullets. Thanks.

I clicked on the Speer link and it said this about these bullets"

"These excellent varmint options use non-lead technology for great terminal performance".

Are these an all copper buller?

I have several combinations of bullets, powder, and load variations and I hope to head to the range towards then end of the week. I have a Tikka T3 Lite in .204 caliber - how much time should I allow between shots for testing? I have a maximum of 63 rounds to shoot, I may have to cut the session a b...

Thanks Brad, I see why you're highly respected on this forum.