Favorite Loads

Share information about reloading the .204 Ruger.
BooBear
New Member
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 10:18 am
.204 Ruger Guns: "none".

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by BooBear »

Has anyone shot the 26gr varmint grenade bullets? I did not see any loads for them, I am shooting a Tikka, just got started working up some loads, thanks.
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boomer84
Senior Member
Posts: 113
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:10 am
.204 Ruger Guns: remington 700 sps varmint
Location: WA, Australia

Favorite Loads

Post by boomer84 »

I use 10x with my 26gr VG using the load data for 32gr bullets!


Boomer.
ein
New Member
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2011 7:09 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Howa

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by ein »

I have no idea where this load falls as far as pressure but I put them on top of 28.8gr of 8208. They shoot dime sized groups at 100. They make a mess of coyotes but place the shot carefully.
Travelor
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Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2014 7:03 am
.204 Ruger Guns: Cooper and Remington custom
Location: Central Arkansas

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by Travelor »

I have worked, worried, and been kept up at night looking for THE load for my Cooper 204. Found it yesterday - 29.3 grains of IMR 8208 XBR with a 34 grain Z-max bullet and Wolf small rifle magnum primer ina Winchester case. OAL is 2.287".

QuickLoad says this load is right at Maximum so work up to it if you want to try it.

Still working on getting the Midway DogTown bullet to shoot well. Any ideas?????
Shady99
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Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2015 10:08 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Tikka T3 Lite synthetic (Non Stainless)

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by Shady99 »

berger 40 grain
H4895 25.7 grains (approx 3450 fps)
CCI BR-4 or Winchester small rifle Primers
Cartridge oal 2.260 (made to fit in tikka t3 Magazine
0.6" groups at 200 yards.
Deadly on coyotes with minimal fur damage if any.
surefire
New Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2015 7:02 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: AR-15 in 204 Ruger, CZ527
Location: Out West

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by surefire »

Anyone have a valid link to the spreadsheet mentioned back in 2011? I can't find it on my iPad. I'm getting ready to reload using 39 gr SBKs, Br4s, RL10x and Hornady cases shooting out of 26" Shilen match barrel in my AR-15. Barrel is free floated.
smgchandler
New Member
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2015 6:43 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: remington 700 ruger 77 t/c encore and contender rem xr100

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by smgchandler »

this load has been a long time coming. i cant remember having this much trouble finding a load taht a rifle liked especially in 204. rifle is a remington XR100 with 36x weaver fixed. I tried powders from varget to 322 and all in between and two different bullets - everything shot pretty good but i was looking for the hole in one because i thought the rifle was capable even with the factory barrel. berger 40's and blitzkings 39 - i was determined to stick with heavier bullets so i did not try anything less than 39gr. All loads shot really well with playing with aol and powder gr but the load i finally settled on was 25.2 gr of 322 with hornady brass 205m and 39gr sierras bks. varget was a close second and i may play some more with aol and maybe different primer but i think i am pretty close. two crows are pretty sure im close but need to play a little more with the wind blowing at 200 or 300 to be sure. i will put some on paper at longer range and post back
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Trent
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Posts: 280
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:26 am
.204 Ruger Guns: Remington 700 SPS Varminter
Location: Columbus, GA

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by Trent »

surefire wrote:Anyone have a valid link to the spreadsheet mentioned back in 2011? I can't find it on my iPad. I'm getting ready to reload using 39 gr SBKs, Br4s, RL10x and Hornady cases shooting out of 26" Shilen match barrel in my AR-15. Barrel is free floated.
Surefire, sorry man. I've been absent for quite some time. I moved to Georgia and my .204 has been mostly collecting dust. I was unaware that my "keepandshare" account had been closed (probably due to inactivity). I sent them an email to have it re-opened.

In the meantime, the file is on my old dead laptop. I'll have to see if I can pull the hard drive out of it and get the file. I always planned on stopping in here from time to time to keep the file updated... but life keeps getting in the way. ;)
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Trent
Senior Member
Posts: 280
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:26 am
.204 Ruger Guns: Remington 700 SPS Varminter
Location: Columbus, GA

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by Trent »

I got my KeepAndShare account reinstated and the file should be available again. I'll see what I can do about updating it with all the loads since I last updated it. Cheers!
russ2far
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Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:15 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Cooper Model 21 Montana Varminter

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by russ2far »

Hi guys,
This is my first post so be easy on me. Anyway Travelor, my Cooper and I shot our best group of any load I've tried in it with 27 grains Ramshot Tac and the 34 grain dogtown bullet. I had shot a lot the 40 and 32 grain v-max's, 39 grain match kings and 32 grain blitzkings, some Berger and Noslers with several different powders trying to find it's best on paper load (got all bullets to easily shoot small clover leafs). I found that it liked the 40 grain v-max with 26.4 grains of Ramshot Tac and I like the show it would make P-dogs do. I stumbled on the dogtown and Tac load by pure luck, a buddy came over for a team gopher shoot I finally got us signed up for but that's another story. The night before he said he had 60 of the dogtown 34 grainers his uncle gave him so while we were catching and telling each other stories we decide to load a few up with some left over Ramshot Tac I had to see what they would do. They shot good in both our guns, with no signs of pressure so we bumped the powder charge up .4 grains to 27 even, went to back my bench, 3 shots later from a 100 yards looking through the binocs my buddy said either you missed the whole target the last 2 shoot's or you put them right through the first hole. Walked down to the target, the hole was bigger then a one shot hole, but not by much the best group I have shot and probably will ever shoot. I said I think that load will do, taped the target to the wall inside my gun closet, loaded the rest to see how they worked on a P-dogs at the gopher shoot. I was so impressed at the end of the weekend that Monday morning I did some research and found MidwayUSA sold them so I ordered 2000 and a 8lb jug of Ramshot Tac.
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Trent
Senior Member
Posts: 280
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:26 am
.204 Ruger Guns: Remington 700 SPS Varminter
Location: Columbus, GA

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by Trent »

The worlds align when you can get "budget" components to laser up on you. The dogtowns do some decent ballistic work on them Pdogs too! Awesome.
Wmblro
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Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 9:18 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Savage model 12

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by Wmblro »

Savage model 12
Winchester brass
Rem 71/2 primer
28.0 power pro varmint
35 berger fb varmint
I have not ran through a chrony but this load is super accurate in my rifle.
SPS204
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Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2016 7:44 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Remington 700 SPS stainless with Boyds Thumbhole stock

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by SPS204 »

Hi all, new to the forum and this is my first post.
Remington 700 24" barrel
Remington cases
Remington 7 1/2 BR primer
29.0 grains H4895
32 grain Vmax

This has been the load used for the last 9 or so years and works well in my rifle.
smbob
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Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2014 8:20 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: CZ 527 Varmint

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by smbob »

Rifle: CZ 527 Varmint
Scope: Vortex Crossfire II 6-18x44mm
Case: Hornady
Bullet: Hornady 40gr V-Max
Powder: BLC2 29.5gr
Primer: Remington 7 1/2 BR
COA: 2.250"
Average Group: Around .375"-.500" at 100 yards

Wind was not cooperating this day. 15-25 mph gusts.
No lie. This was a called shot at 200 yards. Right in the eye of this crow target.
Got to love the 204 Ruger!

Image

Working on some loads with the Midway Dogtown 34gr HP/Midsouth 34gr HP Varmint Nightmare Bullet and BLC2
Might not be a real sexy low BC bullet, but MAN! Is that bullet ever devastating!!!! It explodes like someone stuck an
M-80 inside the critter and lit the fuse! :eek: Accuracy so far hasn't been quite as good as the 40gr V-Max, but not that far off.
Around .500"-.750" at 100 yards. Going to try some Benchmark powder and see how that does.

Robert
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brooksb
Senior Member
Posts: 181
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2016 3:34 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Ruger M12 FV
Location: up date, we sold in Ca, we are house hunting.

Re: Favorite Loads

Post by brooksb »

Looking for a load I can work up to, I tried searching but always got back that terms were too common, I will take possession of a new Savage FV in Oct, and looking for a load that will work well with the 26" heavy barrel on the FV. I am an experienced reloader for 22-250, 06, and .300winmag. I'll have 32 gr Vmax and Berger bullets and HDY cases waiting, the powders I have on hand in that seem good fits are H & IMR 4895, Vargert , IMR 4064, N130, RL-15 and BL-C (2) and only CCI small Rifle primers.
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