Just picked up a Savage PTA chambered in 204. What are the secret recipes for this caliber. I'm new to the 20 calibers. What powders and bullets are you guys finding to work the best? How about reloading methods Full length with a bump or neck size only? What size bushing is working with Win brass?
Savage Lrpv 204
- Thread starter 1holeaddict
- Start date
TheOtherZilla
Pull my finger
I have a Savage 12 FCv. So far IMR 3031 gets the nod with Sierra 39's and Rem 7-12. Winni brass. R10X is also good. Berger 35's were good, but the BC on the 39's is better.. I had a load that was great with TAC and 32 Sierra's. but like the 39 better. I have tried a lot of different powders so far and really had no bad combinations. Just a few that were better than others.
As for reloading stuff, I use a Redding die set that has the micrometer seater.. I bought a Saturn funnel for 20 cal and drop every charge directly into the pan, and then weigh. Seems that as even though I bought the 20 cal fitting for my powder measure it was a real pain not spilling powder. Hence dropping the charge directly into the pan.
FYI I have the Berger data in a word file if you need it.
And yup I am a electrical type as well
As for reloading stuff, I use a Redding die set that has the micrometer seater.. I bought a Saturn funnel for 20 cal and drop every charge directly into the pan, and then weigh. Seems that as even though I bought the 20 cal fitting for my powder measure it was a real pain not spilling powder. Hence dropping the charge directly into the pan.
FYI I have the Berger data in a word file if you need it.
And yup I am a electrical type as well
My model 12BTCSS likes rl 10x with the 39 sierras. My friends rifle likes h322 with the sierras. I have heard that h4895 works well also. When I was developing a load with the rl 10x ...every group with different weights of this powder looked good witch is the first time I have seen anything like it. So what I ended up doing is to load everything a half grain below maximum as rl 10x can be temperature sensitive. I get .4 to .5 groups at 100 yards and usually .8 at 200 yards. All minute of squirrel ...LOL
I use standard Redding dies and full length size each time.
X-Terminator powder
Magtech 7 1/2 primers
Norma Brass (nothing is too good for my squirrels-PDogs)
34 Grain Dogtowns
Savage LRPV, 204 ruger, 26" 11 Twist McGowan heavy fluted barrel
************************
R-10X
Fed 205M primers
Hornady Brass
39 Grain Sierra
Savage 116 custom .204 ruger , 26" 12 twist McGowan heavy fluted barrel
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Winchester brass
BLC-2
CCI 400 primers
32 V-Max.
AR-15 204 ruger 12 twist 24" heavy barrel, fluted
That should cover all bases?
X-Terminator powder
Magtech 7 1/2 primers
Norma Brass (nothing is too good for my squirrels-PDogs)
34 Grain Dogtowns
Savage LRPV, 204 ruger, 26" 11 Twist McGowan heavy fluted barrel
************************
R-10X
Fed 205M primers
Hornady Brass
39 Grain Sierra
Savage 116 custom .204 ruger , 26" 12 twist McGowan heavy fluted barrel
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Winchester brass
BLC-2
CCI 400 primers
32 V-Max.
AR-15 204 ruger 12 twist 24" heavy barrel, fluted
That should cover all bases?
How is the accuracy of the 204 compared to the 223rem?
Any more suggestions??
My Savage LRPV has a very long throat and i can barely reach the lands with 40 grainers. I havent tried anything lighter yet due to the amount of jump they would be taking. I can touch the lands with 40 grain Ballistic tips and Vmax with still enough bearing surface still in the neck.
Never saw a factory 204R that didn't have a long throat. That's normal. Don,t be afraid of jumping long distances the 204 likes that jump.
Benchmark has been a favorite accuracy powder for many, myself included. Not the best velocity but capable of amazing accuracy as long as your tube likes it.
You'll probably also find your barrel has a preference for bullet weights. Fairly rare to find a 12 twist factory that performs best with any of the 40's although the 40 berg can be awesome in some.
Many folks praise the 39 bk. personally I like the BC but the only bullets I ever shot in competition came in a yellow box. "Give me consistent accuracy, I'll worry about the wind later"
35 Berger at 2.265" 26.5 gns of Benchmark
35 Berger at 2.265 29.2 gns of win 748 (clean the barrel once a year to alieve guilt.
40 Berger at 2.275" 25.3 gns Benchmark
Try all the primers you want and then get serious and use F205M. Nothing will agg with them out to 300 anyway.
If one of those loads with a little personal tweaking doesn't get you dreaming of -.25 moa aggs unscrew it and buy another. ;D
Benchmark has been a favorite accuracy powder for many, myself included. Not the best velocity but capable of amazing accuracy as long as your tube likes it.
You'll probably also find your barrel has a preference for bullet weights. Fairly rare to find a 12 twist factory that performs best with any of the 40's although the 40 berg can be awesome in some.
Many folks praise the 39 bk. personally I like the BC but the only bullets I ever shot in competition came in a yellow box. "Give me consistent accuracy, I'll worry about the wind later"
35 Berger at 2.265" 26.5 gns of Benchmark
35 Berger at 2.265 29.2 gns of win 748 (clean the barrel once a year to alieve guilt.
40 Berger at 2.275" 25.3 gns Benchmark
Try all the primers you want and then get serious and use F205M. Nothing will agg with them out to 300 anyway.
If one of those loads with a little personal tweaking doesn't get you dreaming of -.25 moa aggs unscrew it and buy another. ;D
Im going to give her a run tomorrow. I loaded up some
H322
205m
Win Brass fully prepped
40 grain Ballistic tips and 40 grain Vmax.
I do have 40 grain bergers,32 gr blitzs, 32 vmax, but could not get near the lands so i didnt load any.
Just wondering why such a long throat in this caliber??
H322
205m
Win Brass fully prepped
40 grain Ballistic tips and 40 grain Vmax.
I do have 40 grain bergers,32 gr blitzs, 32 vmax, but could not get near the lands so i didnt load any.
Just wondering why such a long throat in this caliber??
It's my belief the long throat helps keep pressures down so hornady could use the marketing tool of 4200 fps. Wasn't it Roy Weatherby that came up with that configuration to tout his magnum line back in the day?
I and everyone else has attempted to load to the lands in the 204 using the longer bullets. Some swear by it. Some swear at it. I found somewhat acceptable accuracy at low pressures loading in the lands. Never spent a lot of time doing it as I already knew the cartridge could be a tack driver with extreme jump. In the five Savage barrels I've used my favorite bullet the 35 Berg has long left the neck before reaching the lands.
Consistent neck tension is more of a key than most cartridges. The neck tension in effect becomes the lands.
Might sound crazy but I could tell which cartridge was going into the group during seating. With the 35's if I couldn't feel the bullet plop into the partial sized neck at the end of the stroke that shot was a fouler. Almost like a reverse crimp where the heal of the bullet just slips below the sized portion of the neck.
Fwiw I shot all those barrels and never once chased the lands. Seating depth remained constant from 1 - 4000+
Good luck, she can be a fickle girl but IMO very educational if you stick with it.
I and everyone else has attempted to load to the lands in the 204 using the longer bullets. Some swear by it. Some swear at it. I found somewhat acceptable accuracy at low pressures loading in the lands. Never spent a lot of time doing it as I already knew the cartridge could be a tack driver with extreme jump. In the five Savage barrels I've used my favorite bullet the 35 Berg has long left the neck before reaching the lands.
Consistent neck tension is more of a key than most cartridges. The neck tension in effect becomes the lands.
Might sound crazy but I could tell which cartridge was going into the group during seating. With the 35's if I couldn't feel the bullet plop into the partial sized neck at the end of the stroke that shot was a fouler. Almost like a reverse crimp where the heal of the bullet just slips below the sized portion of the neck.
Fwiw I shot all those barrels and never once chased the lands. Seating depth remained constant from 1 - 4000+
Good luck, she can be a fickle girl but IMO very educational if you stick with it.
39 Sierra's are hard to beat in most 204's. Try some CFE 223.
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