Savage Model 12 in 204 Ruger

[bohemR13]

I am getting a LNIB Savage m12 with the following goodies on it.
savage model 12FV in 204 ruger
will complete as pictured with
savage model 12 factory barreled accu-trigger action in 204 ruger and varmint barrel
choate ultimate sniper stock in olive drab
leupold rings and bases
simmons 6.5x20-44 scope
the hard guncase in the picture,like new)



It was 36 rounds fired through it, comes with ~ 65 rounds and another 150 pieces of either new or once fired brass.

Needless to say I'm very excited and the price was more than right. I looked up some loading data and found very good info on using BL,C)-2 and H335,which I have many lbs of). Can some other 204 Ruger owners give me any advice on what to expect for cleaning interval, accuracy,I heard this thing is a laser beam).

Any other advice on a Savage? I've never owned one, and I don't know the first thing about adjusting an Accu-Trigger. I'm very mechanically inclined, but just asking about things rather than find them out the hard way.

 

[Bitman]

Check out this site. http://www.204ruger.com/forum/

By the way, you'll love the 204.

 

[RJinTexas]

bohemr13, My 204 really likes RL 15 and 40gr Vmax's at 3700fps. I know you can push the smaller 32gr bullet faster but I've found much better accuracy with the 40's and the wind doesn't blow them around as bad as the lighter bullets. This is my go to round out to 400yds in the prairie dog towns. A lot of shooter report excellent results with Sierra 39 grainers as well. After a properly breaking in a good custom barrel I usually run 50 rounds through my barrels before stopping to clean, but not allowing them to overheat. I always take several rifles and switch out this allows me to continue shooting and leave the gun cleaning until were out of the field.

RJ

 

[Thorbird]

I have a 12fv .204. The load I run through it now is 26.5 of benchmark, BR4's and 35 grain bergers. It is some kind of spectacular with that load. The 12FV is the blued barrel. I lapped that barrel with JB on oooo steel wool over a brush for 75 strokes. Not to say you need to do that, but I found that the barrel cleaned up quicker and obviously shot great. The .204 likes to shoot dirty in my experience. So, I just keep shooting until I get a flier, then I know it needs to be taken care of. The savage factory barrels can be rough, so that is why I resorted to the lapping to bring it in faster than running bullets through it.

I have a load of 39gr blitzkings that I want to try with RL-10X, so that is another combo you may take a look at. If that does well, I may try 40 bergers with the same powder.

Have fun, the .204 is a great cartridge. savageshooters.com is loaded with savage info.

 

[bohemR13]

Great info guys, thank you.

Is there a link or some more info on lapping the barrel with steel wool and rouge or some other polishing compound?

 

[Thorbird]

You can probably find out more detailed info on the lapping process on the web, but CAUTION, you can ruin an otherwise great barrel if you don't do it right. If I were you, I'd just start shooting and let it work itself in by breaking the barrel in according to a lot of recommendations all over the web. When you lap a barrel the way I mentioned, you have to NOT run the rod out of the muzzle, DO NOT let it pass over the crown. I use a plug made of whatever I can find to safely protect the last part of the barrel, like an inch before the muzzle. And tape it down so you can not push it out with your rod. The strokes have to be smooth and even, and as the crude starts to build up, you have to start with a new piece of 0000 steel wool and JB over a clean brush. You can over due it too, so, don't feel you need to do that. Sorry to ramble on, but would hate for you to ruin a great barrel when it can be done another way. Have fun.

 

[bohemR13]

Thorbird, thanks for the explanation. I certainly want to shoot it before I spend time doing anything to it, I thought this might be a good way to improve a factory barrel. What do you mean by JB? As in JB Weld? or is it a cutting oil or something?

If I do this, it might be a good idea to try making 10 passes,checking for crud) and see how it goes, then make 10 more passes and see how it goes. I have never heard of this before, I would be willing to try it out on a military 8mm barrel I have that shoots OK, but not spectacular first. What would you think about that? If I ruin it, no big deal, it gives me an excuse to build another rifle on the action.

 

[RJinTexas]

He was referring to JB's Bore Paste, which is commonly use to remove fouling, it's a very mild abrasives compound. I used it a lot in the past to help lap factory barrels during the break in process, it helps to smooth out factory barrel and reduce fouling. I prefer to just apply to a cotton patch and wrap the patch around a brush, a little goes a long way, the compound will turns very dark after a few strokes, then can be removed with a wet patch soaked with Butches Bore Shine or the solvent of your choice.

RJ

 

[bohemR13]

Thanks. Like I said, I've never heard of lapping a barrel like this, so I apologize for what probably seems like dumb questions.

 

[Mikem]

There are few dumb question, asking questions is how we learn.
If it were my rifle, I would just break it in per the Savage instruction. It will come around, and shoot vary well. There factory barrels are know for good accuracy, but remember its still a factory barrel, and wont shoot like the after market target barrel some,including me) have installed.
That said, my last Savage 223 with a factory varmint weight barrel shot sub .5' groups at 100 yds.
Mike.

 

[bohemR13]

Thanks Mike, I'd be perfectly happy with this rifle with 1/2' 100 yard groups. My goal is to hit 'minute of ground hog' inside of 500 yards with it, 1/2 MOA will do that just dandy.

 

[eggman]

I have had really good success with a couple of Savage Mod. 12's in 204 Ruger using 39 gr. Sierra BK over IMR-4895. It almost fills the case but shot better than any other combo I tried . Both barrels shot well,.2 to .3' 3 shot groups at 100 yds.)without anything done to the barrels other than a slow proper break in regime. Good luck.

Rodney

 

[joemax]

I and two other friends have found that 26.1 gr.s of RE 10x is exceptionaly accurate w/ velocity in the 3950 fps range using coated 39 gr sierra bullets kissing the lands, .002' neck tension, winny brass, CCI BR-4, winchester, or fed. GM math primers. Do not use remington primers with this load. Remington primers are flame throwers and will cause primer piercing. I also tried 25.7 grs 10x w/ uncoated 39 grnrs with excellent results at @3900. These loads are definetly over max and have not been shot by me in weather above 60 degrees F.

 

[FURMAN]

My Savage 12fv has been restocked with a Stockade Woodchuck and bedded. It will shoot consistently in the .3s with 25.1 grains of re10x under 39gr blitz kings. I found my Savage to be very sensitive to seating depth.

 

[gube]

I have two savage 12 204's. A VLP and a BTVSS. They both print out at 1/2' or better if I do my part. Favorite loads are 25 gr RL-10x with 39 gr bk's and 26.8 gr benchmark with the 35 gr bergers.

 

[fdshuster]

bohemR13: As mentioned by RJ, JB bore paste, blue label) will be very effective in removing the carbon fouling that will build-up, as seen with my 'Hawkeye'. When the carbon becomes a problem, groups will open-up, 10 to 20 strokes w/ the JB, I flush out w/ Hoppes, patch dry, & group sizes return to usual sub moa. In addition to removing the carbon, the JB will help smooth over the many reamer & tool marks across the lands and grooves of every Savage factory barrel, dozens now) that I've checked with the borescope. Some are downright ugly, but they will shoot! Note: when I say 'smooth-out' I mean the sharp edges/corners of the reamer marks will be 'rounded off', so there will be less bullet jacket damage, but the reamer marks will always be there.

 

[bohemR13]

FD-

thanks for the help on the JB, I got the rifle in last week and I just took it for the first rounds on Saturday.

I had a few rounds of factory to print out and then I also brought some reloads iwth me to test out some loads with H335,actually WC844). Temp was 85F and low humidity with a slight slight breeze at my back.

First was underneath 40gr Vmax and I loaded them from 50% between min and max, in .3 grain increments to about 27.2 grains instead of 26.8, which is the listed max for H335.

Nothing looked over pressure, the primers were starting to flatten out at 27.2 grains and the thing seemed to tighten up as it went faster. I don't have a chrony,I know, I need one, it's coming soon) so I don't know how fast the loads were moving.

The 27.2gr load printed 1/4' at 100y with a warm barrel but it was only 3 shots. Next trip I'm going to try fine tuning the charge with 5 shot groups. I seated them all to 2.295' which is the touch length for the 40 Vmax in my throat. When I get to finding the powder charge I like I'll mess with the seating depth.

The other thing I had was 26 grain Barnes tips, which there's no data that I could find.

I did a linear interpolation backwards using the 40, 40, 35, and 32 grain data to arrive at what seemed like a reasonable safe band. I plotted 3 powders to see if it indeed seemed linear enough to find safe starting loads, all checked out.

This gave me a max load of about 29 grains, I shot it all the way to 30.3 grains without issue, but I only shot 2 loads of each, I planned to start at 29.7 and work up in 0.3grain increments for 5 shots each next time I go. I seated these to 2.236' which corresponds to the same seating die set point at 2.295' in a 40 Vmax,I was lazy and knew that the 2.236' was factory load length for Hornady Ammo)

Couple things:

1) Choate Sniper stock, Stock Savage 12 and Simmons 6.5-20x50 is a great combination thus far and I'm very happy with my purchase.

2) Has anyone else noted loading behavior like I saw above? I get the feeling that Hodgdon's loads are conservatively low for bolt guns so that people don't try shooting them in a gas gun and snapping a bolt head off. Thoughts?

3) I plan on buying a barrel nut wrench for this thing and dropping a 223 barrel on it so that I can shoot either caliber. I only saw the Model 10 and 110 wrench on Midway, I think it will fit the Model 12 from the looks and some random rememberance that the 10 and 12 have the same nut dimensions. Thoughts on both ideas?

 

[bohemR13]

So I think I dialed my load for this rifle on 40 grain Vmax.

26.8 grains of WC844,I used H335 data to work from)
Wolf Primer SR mag primer
Once fired Hornady Brass
Neck sized only
COL = 2.300 +.002 -0.000 tolerance

Shoots touching 5 hole groups. One group would have been a super string had I not flinched from the muzzle blast of the 45-70 carbine being shot 3 feet from me. Even with that flinch the group was .42', had it fallen like the other 4 rounds it's in the neighborhood of .25'

Stock Sav 12FV with a Choate Sniper stock, Simmons 6.5-20x50 glass

 

[Thorbird]

The barrel nut wrench will fit either one. You'll find that the nut will be a bear to break loose the first time you take a factory barrel off. Soak it with kroil the night before, and it will come off much easier. There is great advise on swapping barrels at the website I mentioned previously. I love the flexibility of the savage, but the money you save in doing it yourself, you will spend buying barrels and bolt heads and stocks. be careful or you will get hooked on it. I'll give your load a try in my 12FV sometime.

 

[bohemR13]

Thor, thanks for the bit of advice, I'll keep that in mind when it comes time to break it loose.

It's easy to stick a 223 shell base round in this, how hard is it to change the bolt heads to hold a 473 base? I want the 6-223 for cheap, long barrel life practice. But another barrel isn't that expensive compared to getting a whole action set to go.

That would free up the mauser action I had earmarked for a 22-284 build.