Where do you start?
- Thread starter na1lb0hm
- Start date
choices
Well tell us what you have and some one will help you with where to start. I can tell you that in my two 204's, my CZ likes 39gr Sierra with 28gr of Varget and my HS loves 40gr nosler ballistic tips with 27gr of Varget. I just load mine to Sammi spec for Cartridge Over All Length,(COAL). FS
Well tell us what you have and some one will help you with where to start. I can tell you that in my two 204's, my CZ likes 39gr Sierra with 28gr of Varget and my HS loves 40gr nosler ballistic tips with 27gr of Varget. I just load mine to Sammi spec for Cartridge Over All Length,(COAL). FS
saskgunowner101
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- middle of Sask
It all depends on what you expect to get out of your reloads. Are you trying to match factory ammo for half the cost or reach the nth degree of accuracy? I walk my powder charges up in half grain measurements, try to keep the bullet seated out as far as I can while being reasonable. A powder charge that fills the case reasonably well can't hurt either.
Sometimes you can just get lucky though, load up a bullet/powder combo and shoots well. I remember on one rifle with different brands of factory ammo, it shot groups of 2.2, 1.7, and 1.5". I picked a bullet/powder combo out of the air and the rifle was holding around 1.1 or 1.2" groups@ 100 meters. It's all I was looking for from that rifle, so I didn't bother to see how much better it could get.
Sometimes you can just get lucky though, load up a bullet/powder combo and shoots well. I remember on one rifle with different brands of factory ammo, it shot groups of 2.2, 1.7, and 1.5". I picked a bullet/powder combo out of the air and the rifle was holding around 1.1 or 1.2" groups@ 100 meters. It's all I was looking for from that rifle, so I didn't bother to see how much better it could get.
I started my 204 development with one bullet the Hor. 32gr vmaxand two powders. Once i decided on the best combo then i tried different bullets, and found sierra 32 gr where more accurate in my rifle. Starting with 3 powders and 5 bullets is going to take a lot of time, i would pick 1 bullet weight for starters and a couple of the most popular powders recomended and start working up a load. I used factory ammo as a control but found it didn`t take much to improve on the Hornady factory ammo. If you list what you have then guys familiar with the 204 can help with what they use. My current load uses 32 gr sierra bullets and H322 powder. Will be trying other powders in the spring.
I start by picking a bullet that should do the job required, whether its punching longrange paper, vaporizeing rodents, killing coyotes, club buffalo or whatever. Seldom is the sole purpose of the rifle to try to put bullets close together at 100.
From there I'll pick a powder with a reputation for getting the accuracy and speed that I want. Starting powders might be picked from Nosler, Barnes, Cooper or my buddy Rob's favorites. With your .204 I would start with Benchmark, just like I did with my own.
If the bullet can be seated to the lands lightly while still working in the mag, I'll start there and load the whole sequence from minimum to maximum in whatever decent brass is available for that caliber. I used Nosler in my .204. Somewhere in that sequence it will either shoot or I'll scrap that bullet. If I find a wide band in charge weights where it groups well and shoots the different charges to the same POI, I might play with the seating depth a little. If its picky, the load gets scrapped. A more organized person would be doing all this over a chronograph, but I'm too lazy. If the load proves up I'll clock it now, do a preliminary drop chart and take it out to the longest range I expect to use it at.
I'm finding that it is easier and cheaper to plan for sucess from the beginning than to hope to find it through some random collection of components. These days that often means that the process started by picking the barrel. Stick good bullets in good barrels and good things tend to happen. A rndom search can quickly use the price of a barrel in wasted components, and with some cartridges it can also use up a significant amount of the barrel life.
If I find a useful load for a purposeful bullet I'll try to resist the urge to find out what else the rifle will shoot.
From there I'll pick a powder with a reputation for getting the accuracy and speed that I want. Starting powders might be picked from Nosler, Barnes, Cooper or my buddy Rob's favorites. With your .204 I would start with Benchmark, just like I did with my own.
If the bullet can be seated to the lands lightly while still working in the mag, I'll start there and load the whole sequence from minimum to maximum in whatever decent brass is available for that caliber. I used Nosler in my .204. Somewhere in that sequence it will either shoot or I'll scrap that bullet. If I find a wide band in charge weights where it groups well and shoots the different charges to the same POI, I might play with the seating depth a little. If its picky, the load gets scrapped. A more organized person would be doing all this over a chronograph, but I'm too lazy. If the load proves up I'll clock it now, do a preliminary drop chart and take it out to the longest range I expect to use it at.
I'm finding that it is easier and cheaper to plan for sucess from the beginning than to hope to find it through some random collection of components. These days that often means that the process started by picking the barrel. Stick good bullets in good barrels and good things tend to happen. A rndom search can quickly use the price of a barrel in wasted components, and with some cartridges it can also use up a significant amount of the barrel life.
If I find a useful load for a purposeful bullet I'll try to resist the urge to find out what else the rifle will shoot.
