Testing the .204 Ruger
- Thread starter Tom Kat
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- 204 ruger ruger american
searcher
Gold $$ Contributor
Several years back, I somehow ended up with a bunch of those 35 Bergers, some really great bullets. I tried them in two of my 20P A/R's, trying out a bunch of different powders, including 8208XBR, which did pretty good. The best, hands down was with either Reloader 7 or Accurate LT32 in both rifles with that bullet. I run 1-12" Hart tubes at 26". I was running these at 3,700 FPS in my rigs. I was able to get mid-single-digit SD's with both of those powders, along with excellent accuracy - averaging under 1/3" with both - with a few .200" 5-shot groups in there. If you happen to have either of those powders, might be worth a try next time you get the itch.
ohlongarmisle
Silver $$ Contributor
Good choice I shot plenty with the factory 35 Berger flat base hollow mpoint made by HSM,not one lost coyote. However I give Hornady factory 40 grain Vmax the number 1 spot,only due to it's high bc which helps in windy scenarios. Hornady by a hair, but your choice was excellent.
For me, the next step on a windy day is.....22-250 LOL
I got one from a tribal member near Christmas for a good price. The scope and rings were trash. After I got rid of them and upgraded, that Model 10 Savage turned out to be a great shooter. I call it my Reservation rifle, best for windier days.
I got one from a tribal member near Christmas for a good price. The scope and rings were trash. After I got rid of them and upgraded, that Model 10 Savage turned out to be a great shooter. I call it my Reservation rifle, best for windier days.
long40shot
Gold $$ Contributor
Have you tried the 40grn Bergers?
Unless you shoot heavy bullets in a 22-250 a 204 will hold its own or beat a 22-250 in the wind
I did carry a 22 250 and 22 250AI. I got a 204 ruger. Been carrying it. I run Berger 35gr . I settled in on H4895. Also like RL10 too. Played around with Tac H332 powders. I have Benchmark and varget never used any yet. I have some discontinued Berger 20 cal 30gr hp. Been planning on playing around with them. My rifle likes the Berger 40gr too. I have a 1@10 twist barrel.
ohlongarmisle
Silver $$ Contributor
Especially Hornady's 40 grain V-max 0.275 BC
B23
Gold $$ Contributor
With factory ammo and off the shelf factory 22-250's with their slowwww 14tw barrels, yes.
But, in a 22-250 with with a faster twist like one of the 8tw Tikka's it's a different story because you can load the 53 Vmax and if you go to the 62 ELD-VT the 204 doesn't stand a chance against the 22-250 and that's no slight to a 204 because they do very well for no bigger then they are but they lack the horsepower to compare to a 22-250 unless we're only comparing the two using factory ammo.
If you go fast twist 204 and shoot 55 bergers the 204 still wins in the wind against the 53vmax
The man knows his onions!
B23
Gold $$ Contributor
It does but it's very minimal. At 500 yds a 204 shooting the 55's vs 22-250 w/53Vmax there's only 3.3 inches drift difference but the 204 drops nearly 6 inches more. That's based on a 90° 10mph wind.
The clear winner is the 62 ELD-VT because it pretty much walks all over anything in its weight class.
I guess we could go on and on but my point was the 204 is not as bad in the wind as people make it out to be. The 62 grain
ELD-VT may well be the best in the wind
ELD-VT may well be the best in the wind
ohlongarmisle
Silver $$ Contributor
Exactly, and with a 1/10 twist in 204, you can shoot 24 to 45-grain effectively. The 22/250 is a great round, but I seldom use mine since getting the 204.
A couple of years ago I worked up a terrific load with Reloader 7 also. Worked great and accurate in a Browning X-Bolt 204 and a Savage 12FV. Didn't work out very well in my 204 AR though. Not enough gas to cycle the action I suppose, even suppressed.
~23.3 gr Reloader 7 under 35 Bergers. I'm out of the Bergers now, but use the same load with the 32 gr BlitzKings. Similar results. (Sierra Reloading iPhone APP loading info).
FYI ... Was posting about it on another forum a couple years ago and had a ding bat moderator just sure I was going to blow up my rifle and myself.
searcher
Gold $$ Contributor
Yes - when setting up a rig for these light bullets, I always change out my mainspring in the A/R's for Wolff Reduced Power springs. Will almost always cure the short-stroke associated with not enough gas on those light weight loads. A lot of guys use adjustable gas blocks, but I found much easier to just pop a different spring in. Nothing to get out of adjustment or readjust when changing loads.
When I was singing the virtues of LT32 in the .20P back when they came out with it, I had some similar comments about "foolish experimentation". I liked competing with these types when I was shooting club matches.....
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