Rem 700 in 204 Ruger. 32 gr Hornadys over Win 748. Shame its more accurate at slower speeds. Ah well. Back to the bench. - dan
in
in
Ready for those speedy varmints.
- Thread starter dan belisle
- Start date
leveractionjunkie
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Kamloops, BC
Miss my local gopher fields. Late spring day, 700VLS in 204Ruger with 6-18x40 Leupold, laid over an elevated rock outcrop with a couple hundred freshly loaded v-maxes.
Life was good.
Life was good.
my 204 has a very strong preference for the 39 grain sierras. The lighter bullets don't shoot nearly as well. But the 39's get up to 3900 or so, and fly well.
I sold off my 17 Rem in favour of my 204, it just does everythign a little bit better.
I sold off my 17 Rem in favour of my 204, it just does everythign a little bit better.
I once had a 204 that ONLY shot the 39gr Blitzkings well. Issue was, they may as well been an FMJ for how poorly they performed on groundhogs. Even big ones. Pass-though, jump like they're bee-stung. Worked all spring to work-up that load, it was a Cooper and I had high hopes, but after seeing that=sold. Too nice to be laying in wet hay anyway in Ontario's sauna-like summer conditions. Interesting side-note, the target that came with the rifle was a very tight group using 32gr. V-Max. Cooper even gave me the load data over the phone (wouldn't email, liability?) but maybe I wasn't biting my lip the right way.
Now I shoot a Tikka Varmint, the 32gr. FACTORY almost clover-leafs @ 100 yards=no loading req. Now "my troubles seem so far away". lol Very fast/flat of course. Zeroed @ 100 yards, very little adjustment to the POA @ 200. lol Since most farms here aren't big by western standards, a 200 yard shot opportunity isn't even always there...only have one farm I can shoot out to 300.
Big bore dinosaur
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- NORT OF COW.TOWN.EH
My 204 ruger really.like Hodgdon benchmark powder with anything under 40gr..
I have 3 204Rs. One ( a browning A-bolt) I load with H4895 and 30-35gr bullets. Speed them up or slow them down for intended target. Reduced load and 30gr Bergers are excellent for beaver control if you want to skin it afterwards.
2nd, a Sako varmint, I use as my main coyote calling rifle. 35gr Bergers and either XBR 8208 or H4895. Slowing them down just a touch with the 4895 seems to be way more effective and fur friendly. But if i know the shots will probably be longer then i use the 8208 loads.
3rd is my Cooper Varmint. Shoots 40gr Vmax for gophers and 40 gr Bergers for coyotes. Both loaded with CFE 223. Have shot multiple coyotes past 400yds. Longest shot was a red fox at 800+. Not a speedy target as it was sleeping. Thought I had missed it as it got up and ran after the shot. Piled up in about 30yds and dropped. Had to park the truck at the half ways distance and use the range finder to total the distance from where I shot to where the fox was sleeping.
2nd, a Sako varmint, I use as my main coyote calling rifle. 35gr Bergers and either XBR 8208 or H4895. Slowing them down just a touch with the 4895 seems to be way more effective and fur friendly. But if i know the shots will probably be longer then i use the 8208 loads.
3rd is my Cooper Varmint. Shoots 40gr Vmax for gophers and 40 gr Bergers for coyotes. Both loaded with CFE 223. Have shot multiple coyotes past 400yds. Longest shot was a red fox at 800+. Not a speedy target as it was sleeping. Thought I had missed it as it got up and ran after the shot. Piled up in about 30yds and dropped. Had to park the truck at the half ways distance and use the range finder to total the distance from where I shot to where the fox was sleeping.
