204Ruger

Hey there neighbor-I was born and raised in the "ville" but now live in Durham. Graduated LP in '72 and my brother was the advertising mgr. at RCBS for many years. I have a good selection of their equipment and am just getting back into reloading. Bought a Tikka T3 Hunter in .204 with a Vortex Viper 6.5-20-50mm scope. I got it tuned up with factory 32 gr. on Sunday and shot a couple ground squirrels shortly after. Randy

Whoa, small world neighbor I also have an almost 100% RCBS setup. I grew up north of Redding and then lived/worked in Idaho then Trinity, Siskiyou counties before coming to Butte. I have a 22lr, 17hmr and 22-250 I shoot squeakers with but without a spotter it's hard to consistently see your shots hence the .204 that i'm waiting for. You'll have to stop by I'm on the corner of Wilbur rd/162.

I drive by a few times a year to use the boat ramp there. It's hard sometimes to see your hits without a spotter with the .204. I shot a couple last weekend out towards Pasquenta-one I didn't even know I hit it till my partner said so, the other I saw flopping on the ground and knew it was a head shot. I also have a .17 HMR but it's boxed up and headed back to Henry for repairs again. I probably won't shoot it till next spring when the squirrels come out up by Eagle Lake. My .204, I plan to try working up a load I can use effectively out to around 200-250 where my .17 can't reach.

I talked to an avid shooter who has accurate loads, according to him, that are near the bottom of the load range and he states he can see his hits? My 17 is a CZ 455 Combo 22lr and .17 the 17 is very good out to about 120 or more with Vortex crossfire 4-12 I use the moa hash marks after that, but low percentage for sure after 150. I heard several references to shooting near Eagle Lake off HWY139, a big group of us hits opening at Eagle each year, i shoot either up at McDol, but mostly Bieber and sometimes Alturas and Cedarville.

Hi brooksb, I used BL-C(2) with 32gr SBKs with great success in my Savage 12V when it still had the original barrel.

OK thanks, SShooterZ I'll keep that as I have several pounds of that powder.

I haven't reloaded any of my 204's yet but bought some Varget powder and have the Hornadey 32 grain bullets to use with the Remington 7-1/2 primers. Can't wait to see how they shoot.

There's an error in my previous post-I don't have Hornadey bullets they're Nosler's 32 gr. Varmageddon and 32 gr. Ballistic tip.

Been running the Sierra 39 gn BK. with 27 grains of H335, CCI #450 primer .010" off the lands. 100 yard target

Welcome aboard, McGee68.

Nice groups there.

May I ask, what is the software you're using?

Best wishes,
Dan

It's called OnTarget
(I'm not McGee68, but I know the software... )

You are correct.. OnTarget

Hornady brass, sierra 39 gr. bk, 27.0 imr 4895, rem 7 1/2 primer, oal 2.315. .316 group

I settled on 28.3 grs of BL-C (2) W/32gr Vmax, 71/2 primers, a mix of brass and an OAL, of 2.305" This is a real low charge but I get 3750fps still and I used it all last summer probably 500 to 600 shots at squeaks.
I'm still working on this but 26.8 grs of H4895 behind the 39gr SBK, same primers, mostly mixed brass and an OAL of 2.300 again, haven't Chrony'd it yet.

Savage fcv... best of it jet
Fed case Fed 205m Vmax 4o N-140 27.3 3/4”
Norma case 205m blz 39 N-140 27.6 3/4”
Norma case 205m blz 39 N-135 24.4 3/4”
Norma case 205m blz 39 N-135 25.5 3/4”
and one 3 shoot .095

safe and no pressure sign in my gun