204Ruger

I'm curious. I recently bought several boxes of factory loaded, Hornady, 40gr. V-Max cartridges. The box states that they are 3900fps loads. I purchased the original loads for my new gun since I didn't have any 204 brass. WHile looking at all the data bases I can't find anywhere loads with that kind of velocity. I took apart a couple factory rounds and found the have 29.1 grs. of a very fine ball looking powder, but I know there are proprietary powders they use. Any ideas of handloads in that 3900 fps area? Most I see are sub 3800.

speed it not everything in the 204 u should be loading for the most accurate load , the 204 has more than enough speed with mild loads ,as u said the powder in the hornady bullets is a propriety powder for the superformance range i know its not available here in aus nor would i use anyway with speed and very high pressures u get more throat erosion and premature barrel wear , theres pages and pages of loads in the favorite load section to keep u busy dont fall for the speed trap , develop an accurate load and your brass and gun will last cheers bazz

Few problems here.
1) Hornady has been badly sandbagging their velocity claims in the 204 for a VERY long time. Run them through your chronograph before you think they are all that fast.

2) there is NO factory ammo that is loaded by weight of ANY powder. Weight is a silly hand loading creation. Factory ammo is all loaded by volume. The BD in the same can of the same powder is never the exact same, so chasing weight, especially in 10th's of grains will have you believing in voodoo.

None of my 204's print ultra tight groups above 3800. But below they print spooky groups.
As Bazz said, it's all really semantics anyway. Find a load your gun likes and shoot it. People remember accurate guns, no one cares about speed when you can't hit squat.

Darkker wrote: Find a load your gun likes and shoot it. People remember accurate guns, no one cares about speed when you can't hit squat.

Very well said, sir!

I agree with the three gentlemen above, I have been reloading and shooting for about 50 years. And I am sure you will find that speed doesn't mean a thing if the bullet won't go where its needed.

so chasing weight, especially in 10th's of grains will have you believing in voodoo.

hey Darkker! Does this mean I don't need the tweezers any more?

Not with extruded powder you don't. BD &BR are tired together, in an inverse relationship. Only volume accounts for any shift. Weight will only account for the change in BD(energy content). For itsy bitsy groups, bullets need to weigh the same, extruded powders and cases need to have the same volumes.

I haven't found factory ammo very accurate in the two 204 rifles i have, the Rem sps varmint will pattern not group with Hornady and Win factory and the Tikka sightly better. Not hard to find a good load with Sierra bullets and several different powders. My Tikka doesn't seem to like Hornday bullets either no matter what powder i try, Sierra and Noslers group well. I don't chase velocity accuracy is where it's at for me, i only bought the factory ammo for the brass, been reloading for 40+ years and don't use much factory stuff.