Any help from a 204 shooter would be appreciated

[keyway]

I have a Remington SPS in the 204 Ruger caliber. I started out shooting Hornady 40 grain V-max because they shot the best groups out of my 223. My best 50 yard group was 0.75 inches center to center with the 204. My 100 yard group was a petty 2 inch. I experienced a dud with the Hornady so I am considering Remington or Winchester ammo next. Has any one had this accuracy problems, and if so should I try the 32 grain or stay with the 40? .

[Chuck White]

Some barrels just DON'T like 40 grainers and some just LOVE them!  Depends on the twist rate of the barrel!  Try some 32 grain bullets!   The following is the result of my first reloads for my Encore 204!

Needless to say, I'm pleased!

Barrel .... 26 inch TC Factory barrel
Case ...... Hornady
Bullet ..... 32 grain Hornady V-Max
Primer ... CCI 450
Powder .. 23.0 grains IMR 4198
O.A.L. .... 2.250 inches
Temp ..... 44 deg F.
3-Shot muzzle velocity average .. 4125 fps @20 ft!
3-Shot group center to center ..... .330 inches @100 Yds

I bought 32 grain Hornady factory ammo and used the fired brass for my reloads!  
NOTE: I was getting 3/8 inch groups with the factory 32 grain ammo!  I was surprised and pleased!
I tried some 40 grain factory ammo and the best I could get was a 5-6 inch group and the bullets all keyholed!

[skb2706]

Near as I can tell ....pretty much like Chuck said the 40 gr. bullets are border line for the 1-12 twist in most .204s. Mine is a Contender at 23" and it will shoot the 39 gr. Sierras nearly as well as the 32 gr.  I shot up a box of Hornady 40 gr. factory loads just to get the brass and mine didn't keyhole but they were not accurate enough to use for prairie dogs.
The 32 gr. V max and the 32 gr. Sierras both will shoot under .500" with a max load of H322 and a decent shooter.

[keyway]

Thanks for your replies, I am concerned with the accuracy of my 204 but I wasn’t ready to give up on it yet either. On a big game hunting rifle I might accept these types of  groups, but not on this 204 from what everyone has been telling me it should be a tack driver. I am assuming that it is just a matter of finding the correct or preferred round.
Do either of you have any experience with Remington 32 grain?

[tuck2]

http://www.rugerhunting.com/204_data.php  has a lot of info on the 204. I like my Ruger 77 Target rifle. Groups under one inch are common at 100 yds.

[oso45-70]

Keyway,

The most important thing about the 204 and the 17rem. is to keep the barrel clean. If its a new gun and hasn't been shot a lot you should keep it cleaned as you break it in. The 204 is a fine round and a coyote getter.........Joe.......

[skb2706]

key - not certain on this but I believe that the Remington 32 gr. is the same bullet as the Sierra 32 gr. I popped open a box at Sportsmens Warehouse and the bullet looked the same.

[keyway]

I want to thank everyone for their replies. I guess I need to try 32 grain ammo when I can find it. As far as the accuracy goes I am a little disappointed because I had a 45 cal. inline that was able to shoot groups half the size as the 204 I have.

[Doohan]

I have just started re-loading for my .204.  But, I will be honest,  my gun likes a dirty barrel.

I shoot a Savage 12-FV Single Shot and it will regularly shoot 3 shot groups from .5 to .2 with 32gr. Hornady factory stuff.

I have to clean my gun about every 60 or so rounds.

Still having trouble?  Try the site below..  It is down now for some reason, but it is the place to go for the .204..


.204RUGER.com

[Buckskin]

Sorry I got to this topic late, but I had the same experience with the 40s both Remington and Hornady.  I have an Ecore and they shot so poorly I could have done just as good with a smooth bore shotgun barrel with pumpkin slugs.  I was pissed to say the least.  I could get about 2" if I cleaned after every shot. I gave the Hornady 32s a chance and was amazed at the difference.  I got well under .5" at 100 (only shot 3 groups) The best part is I shot a 5 shot group at 300 just for kicks and they were all inside 3", if I could have dropped the flyer it would have been around 2".  Waiting for calm weather to push it out to 4 and 500 yds and beyond.  Simply awesome shooter!  I can't wait to put one thru a yote to see what she does.

[mjbgalt]

thats bizarre, i got tighter groups from my encore with the hornady 40 grainers.


it amazes me what a zillionth of an inch in rifling differences can do at 100 yards.

-Matt

[oso45-70]

Matt, I bet you would get better groups if you let your barrel get good and dirty.LMAO...........Joe.............

[mjbgalt]

havent cleaned it yet...dont have a rod that small.

tonight we set up gatorade bottle caps at 60 yards and i hit em dead center, as did a couple other guys i shot with.

maybe mine is an exception?

-Matt

[Buckskin]

Try those bottle caps at 200, you will get the same results.

[keyway]

First off  I want to thank everyone for their input. My wife and I stopped at a Gander Mountain store that had 32grain Hornadys. I purchased a box and tried them out in my 700SPS last evening. What a difference! The 100 yard  group shrunk to 5/8 of a inch. But something else that I noticed shocked me. If I turned down the scope to about 7 or 8 power I shot a tighter group then if I stayed on 10 power. I contribute that to being
more accustomed to lower power scopes.

[IowaBuckHunter]

hey skb-

just wanted to let you know that the remington rounds are actually a hornady v-max bullet.  all they did was change the color of the ballistic tip.  hornady makes those rounds for remington.  The sierra blitzkings are only in factory ammo made by hunting shack.  and just for everyone's info, the blitzking holds up a LOT better than the v-max.  the v-max is very explosive and does not penetrate nearly as well as the sierra.  if you are hunting praire dogs, the v-max is a good choice because they explode on impact, but for fox or coyote, the sieera is the only way to go!

[Catfish]

I`m on my 3rd. .204 so to speak. I bought an T/C Encore barrel an couldn`t get it to shoot to suit me so I sent it back to T/C. They said it was out of spec`s and sen me a new one. I could not get it to siut me eather so I traded it in on a CZ 527, one of my better moves. It`s a real tack driver and the easiest barrel I`ve ever owned to clean. I cleaned the barrel when I got it and took it out to fire. After 50 rounds I only got copper fouling on 2 patches. The next time I took it out I fired 44 round and got no copper fouling. My last 5 shot group was .684, but my first 4 shots in that group were .190, and yes that was at 100 yrds. That load was 27.9 gn. of AA 2230-C and was .4 gn. over recomand max. but showed no signs of presure. The cases I used wereRem. .222 mag. cases necked down, the bullets were 32gn. Serria and the primer was 7 1/2 Rem. After I finished testing loads I zeroed the gun and that 4 shot group was under 1/2 in. which included moveing the scope 1 click to the right while fireing it. AND that was after already fireing 40 rounds through it.