Reloading for 204 Ruger

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VPELT

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Ok, bought the rifle(Tikka T3 204 Ruger) last week and sited it in yesterday with factory Hornady 32gr V-MAX SUPERFORMANCE. Picking up Dies and projectiles next week. What are people liking for powder/bullet combos? Anyone tried the CFE-223? Hodgdon website shows the IMR-8208 XBR throwing out the highest velocity. Nothing as high as a factory load though. What are everyones findings?
VPELT
 
Im shooting H322 with 35gr Bergers and Im happy with it.

I would like to check out 8208 with the 35's. If your shooting in the winter/cold weather, 8208 I hear would be a good choice for that.
 
i have tried all sorts of powder/ bullet combos to try and duplicate the velocity hornady lists on there ammo boxes... I have done extensive testing with 4 different firearms as well... threw my chrony the fastest the Superformace 32 gr went across my chrony at 3985 from a CZ527 Varmint.. So do don't believe what the box tells you... there are to many variables to compare.. different barrels etc etc...

For 32gr bullets im using H322.. Sorry i don't have the book on me right now so i cannot say how many grains i use but velocity is 3900fps..
For 40gr V max im using Varget and getting 3850 fps... There a little harder to stabilize and shoot as accurate as the 32gr bullets but if u can get the velocity but they tend to turn enough RPM to stay stabilized... with this load i can ring a 3" gong at 280 yards all day. so its more then accurate enough for coyotes.

In my findings though i did find u need a heavier cupped primer.. I use CCI BR4 or 450 Mags with no issues. The Standard 400s i was blowing primers like it was no ones business.

Good luck!!! its a sweat little round and no better satisfaction then watching a dog fall i the scope :D
Josh
 
I'm using 35 grain Bergers and 27.2 grains of Benchmark in Nosler brass. Its putting out over 3900 fps. The load is .6 grain over max in the Hodgdon's website, but their max still left smoky cases. I bumped that up .3 at a time until I got a good seal, and called it good. Accuracy is outstanding.
 
Win748, H322, CFE223, BL-C2, and H4895 are top powders for the 204. Should give 3900-3950 fps with 32gr Vmax
 
My Tikka doesn't like Hornady bullets of any weight, 32gr. Sierras with H322 is an accurate combo. I didn't get around to trying Noslers in it this summer, just another project to complete.
 
I run XBR 8208 with 40gr Bergers in my Cooper, XBR 8208 with 35gr Bergers in my Sako, and either 30 or 35gr Bergers with H4895 in my Browning. I had good results using 40gr Bergers and Vmax with H4895 in the 2 Tikkas I have had. BL-C2 had great accuracy in the rifles I tried it in but the POI changed greatly as the temp got colder. I have been meaning to try CFE223 but it would be only for curiosity as the XBR 8208 loads are working extremely well in all conditions.
 
B-78 said:
I run XBR 8208 with 40gr Bergers in my Cooper, XBR 8208 with 35gr Bergers in my Sako, and either 30 or 35gr Bergers with H4895 in my Browning. I had good results using 40gr Bergers and Vmax with H4895 in the 2 Tikkas I have had. BL-C2 had great accuracy in the rifles I tried it in but the POI changed greatly as the temp got colder. I have been meaning to try CFE223 but it would be only for curiosity as the XBR 8208 loads are working extremely well in all conditions.
Click to expand...

Hey, B-78, what's your XBR 8208 load for the 40 gr Berger? PM me if you don't want to post the details. :)
 
I currently developed a load for my CZ 527 varmint in .204. The powder I used was Benchmark and find it works great in both a 39grain blitzking (26.5 grains BM ad 0.48 5 shot group) and a 40 grain berger hollowpoint(26 grains BM and .34 4 shot group).
Both these bullets are great as they stabilize in a factory 1 in 12 twist barrel and the BK has a great ballistic coefficient which is why it's so well liked. Drops coyotes and gophers real nice as well.
 
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