Author Topic: .204 pressure in T/C (Read 1015 times)

contender hunter · « **on:** April 01, 2005, 02:35:32 PM »

Just curious I was reading some loads and pressures for the .204 from the hodgdon site http://www.rugerhunting.com/204_data_hodgdon.php and was wondering if my memory is right (and some of you guys are familiar with thompson contenders )which call for a max pressure of 40,000 cup why do so many of these loads go from a min. of 47,000 cup all the way up to 56,00 cup makes me wonder what the factory ammo pressures would be?is this normal with most loads and is why we work up from a min load. would it show hi pressure in a contender before there was a problem and you could load it hotter say in a bolt action before it showed signs of pressure ?? but some fo these min loads are way over the safe limits of the contender . whats gives?? wish I had a degree in ballistics !!!!

Catfish · « **Reply #1 on:** April 02, 2005, 09:34:18 AM »

The Contenders run into problems with total presure befor psi. The problem is that when you are fireing larger dia. cases that is that while the psi would work with smaller dia round that the larger the case dia, the more the total presure and that is whay they came out with the Encore.

teamnelson · « **Reply #2 on:** April 05, 2005, 02:28:20 AM »

Thompson Center produced some factory barrels for .204 Ruger, in 14" and 23" for the Contender. And also for the Encore. You can find them at www.midwayusa.com. They do not appear to be in current production however, as they are not on the tcarms site.

I may be going out on a limb here, but only a really poor arms manufacturer would produce a barrel for a caliber that is beyond the pressure limits of its intended receiver at minimum load. You raise a good point though; and I would be curious to see what folks have discovered working up loads in those factory barrels.

teamnelson · « **Reply #3 on:** April 05, 2005, 02:31:06 AM »

http://www.bullberry.com/204Rugerdata.html

This was interesting.

contender hunter · « **Reply #4 on:** April 05, 2005, 05:05:32 PM »

I didn't mean to say there is a pressure problem , like you said they wouldn't make them if the pressure was to hi . I just wanted to understand why pressures at min. are what I thought were over max. for the contender , I'm sure there is a simple explanation

Catfish · « **Reply #5 on:** April 20, 2005, 03:40:38 PM »

contender hunter,
Please read my perviouse post! PSI is pounds per squaire inch, the lagrer tha case head the more suqare inches there are so the more total presure there is. the case head on a .204 is .378, so you mult. that by psi for total presure. If you have a .243, .22-250 or a .30-06 the case head is .473, so you would mult. that by PSI to get total presure.

skb2706 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 30, 2005, 06:45:33 AM »

I have a 23" Contender carbine barrel and I have no clue why they don't list it on their current chamberings. I have never had any issue with it and have used several factory loadings and several handloads up to and including max loads. Not sure what the issues are but mine is wicked accurate.

skb2706 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 30, 2005, 06:54:04 AM »

Just got off the phone with TC customer service........obviously their website has not been updated in quite some time. There are a few new chamberings that don't show up on their site for the Contender.. 6.8SPC, .204 among others. No reports of ANY over pressure problems. Catfish is correct small head diameter allows higher pressures.......larger head diameter lower pressures.
I am ordering another ...this one will be Bullberry tho.