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Thread: COAL - 204 Ruger

  1. #1
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    COAL - 204 Ruger

    Bought some new Nosler brass as the old Hornady stuff was getting passed its best.

    Turned out the same powder charge of 25.6gr Vhit N530 provided the most stable groups, but I wasn't happy with 3/4" at 100 yards.

    Thought I'd adjust the COAL and see what difference it made. Started with the longest 2.275" and decided that'd do!

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/nRqDby7uFp3PxkL8A

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/dtQroAyLNf8Pba967

    .22LR CZ452; .22 Hornet CZ527
    Tikka T3 Varmint .223; .204 Ruger CZ527 Varmint;
    6.5 Creed Bergara B14 HMR

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    Mighty group...what speed are you running at???

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    Quote Originally Posted by verminshooter29 View Post
    Mighty group...what speed are you running at???
    Pretty pleased with it. They were running at 3,740fps last time I checked.

    .22LR CZ452; .22 Hornet CZ527
    Tikka T3 Varmint .223; .204 Ruger CZ527 Varmint;
    6.5 Creed Bergara B14 HMR

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    Nice mate, what weight bullet?
    Thanks for looking

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    Quote Originally Posted by 223AI View Post
    Nice mate, what weight bullet?
    39gr Blitz. How you getting on with the new 223AI? Presumably pretty good if you've changed your user name?

    .22LR CZ452; .22 Hornet CZ527
    Tikka T3 Varmint .223; .204 Ruger CZ527 Varmint;
    6.5 Creed Bergara B14 HMR

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    Quote Originally Posted by Elliott View Post
    Pretty pleased with it. They were running at 3,740fps last time I checked.
    I run the same on a tikka20"..accuracy is astounding...honestly would love to see what it's meant to do as a round but reckon I'd never get there with the shorter barrel.....happy enough

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    Superb group! I hope you didn't have to lie prone in that mud to make it.

    I use factory Hornady Superformance VMax in my .204 Velocity at the muzzle 4225 for 1268 ft lbs. Never had so much as a twitch from anything i've shot with it but then again i've always been within 230 yards.

    You have excited me to start reloading but i can't see any real benefits unless there is a cost saving? I'm shooting the Hornady rounds a just over a £1 a pop.

    Roughly how many reloads can you get from a once fired Hornady case? Cheers and thanks for your post.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Brickhill View Post
    Superb group! I hope you didn't have to lie prone in that mud to make it.

    I use factory Hornady Superformance VMax in my .204 Velocity at the muzzle 4225 for 1268 ft lbs. Never had so much as a twitch from anything i've shot with it but then again i've always been within 230 yards.

    You have excited me to start reloading but i can't see any real benefits unless there is a cost saving? I'm shooting the Hornady rounds a just over a £1 a pop.

    Roughly how many reloads can you get from a once fired Hornady case? Cheers and thanks for your post.
    Thanks. No, had a shooting mat, fortunately!

    Presumably you'll be using 32gr ammo? Have you chrono'd the rounds? The 32gr stuff is fast and flat, but the 39gr Blitz have an advantage as far as wind drift is concerned. I've dropped crows out to 505 yards with mine. Admittedly in calm conditions.

    In terms of cost, here's my breakdown:

    - 1kg tub of Vhit N530 for £80. Good for 600 rounds, so 7.5p per round.

    - 50 pieces of Nosler 204 brass for £48. Good for 10 reloads, so 9.6p per round

    - 100 Nosler 39gr bullets for £30, so 30p per round

    - 100 CCI 400 Primers are £5, so 5p per round.

    I'm looking at 51.2p per round, so roughly half your costs. Then again, you need to factor in all your reloading gear, which I consider to be a long-term investment

    .22LR CZ452; .22 Hornet CZ527
    Tikka T3 Varmint .223; .204 Ruger CZ527 Varmint;
    6.5 Creed Bergara B14 HMR

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Elliott View Post
    Thanks. No, had a shooting mat, fortunately!

    Presumably you'll be using 32gr ammo? Have you chrono'd the rounds? The 32gr stuff is fast and flat, but the 39gr Blitz have an advantage as far as wind drift is concerned. I've dropped crows out to 505 yards with mine. Admittedly in calm conditions.

    In terms of cost, here's my breakdown:

    - 1kg tub of Vhit N530 for £80. Good for 600 rounds, so 7.5p per round.

    - 50 pieces of Nosler 204 brass for £48. Good for 10 reloads, so 9.6p per round

    - 100 Nosler 39gr bullets for £30, so 30p per round

    - 100 CCI 400 Primers are £5, so 5p per round.

    I'm looking at 51.2p per round, so roughly half your costs. Then again, you need to factor in all your reloading gear, which I consider to be a long-term investment
    Yes i use the 32g. They also do a 40g which i've tried but the 32g is the better of the two in my gun.
    Thanks for the costings. Much appreciated. Food for thought, i will no have a look at some reloading gear.

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    Hi Brickhill.
    I was a long time before i started reloading, 223, and 243, but im glad i did.
    With the 204r lots of people are happy with the 32g Hornady v-max, sort of most make seem to shoot them accurately, you talk about 4225 fps, this might be what it says on the box but chances are unlees you have a 24-26" barrel it wont be doing this speed, this doesn’t make it wrong though.

    Ive read about 39/40g v 32g bullets, and i think its owt after 150yd+ the heavier bullet retains more speed and ft lb due to its superior bc, so in most cases this is the better option.

    It is said that some 204's wont shoot the 40g Hornady v-max but will shoot the 39g blitz kings, the thing is with reloading you can alter the powder charge and seating depth to make "most" bullets accurate, and example of this is my Tikka in 223, it has the worst grouping of all the bullets ive tried with Factory 53g v-max (fantastic bc of .290) but with the same bullet head home loads sort of go through the same hole, mine is like "Elliotts" it like the long seating depth.

    Dave (warbucks)
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    Quote Originally Posted by warbucks View Post
    Hi Brickhill.
    I was a long time before i started reloading, 223, and 243, but im glad i did.
    With the 204r lots of people are happy with the 32g Hornady v-max, sort of most make seem to shoot them accurately, you talk about 4225 fps, this might be what it says on the box but chances are unlees you have a 24-26" barrel it wont be doing this speed, this doesn’t make it wrong though.

    Ive read about 39/40g v 32g bullets, and i think its owt after 150yd+ the heavier bullet retains more speed and ft lb due to its superior bc, so in most cases this is the better option.

    It is said that some 204's wont shoot the 40g Hornady v-max but will shoot the 39g blitz kings, the thing is with reloading you can alter the powder charge and seating depth to make "most" bullets accurate, and example of this is my Tikka in 223, it has the worst grouping of all the bullets ive tried with Factory 53g v-max (fantastic bc of .290) but with the same bullet head home loads sort of go through the same hole, mine is like "Elliotts" it like the long seating depth.

    Dave (warbucks)
    Those 53gr V-Max are a lovely bullet, Dave. Shot hundreds of those reloads through my 223.

    Clocking about 3,250fps out of my T3 Varmint with Vhit 135. Not exactly fast because of the short barrel, but 1/4 MOA. Good out to 400 yards.

    .22LR CZ452; .22 Hornet CZ527
    Tikka T3 Varmint .223; .204 Ruger CZ527 Varmint;
    6.5 Creed Bergara B14 HMR

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by warbucks View Post
    Hi Brickhill.
    I was a long time before i started reloading, 223, and 243, but im glad i did.
    With the 204r lots of people are happy with the 32g Hornady v-max, sort of most make seem to shoot them accurately, you talk about 4225 fps, this might be what it says on the box but chances are unlees you have a 24-26" barrel it wont be doing this speed, this doesn’t make it wrong though.

    Ive read about 39/40g v 32g bullets, and i think its owt after 150yd+ the heavier bullet retains more speed and ft lb due to its superior bc, so in most cases this is the better option.

    It is said that some 204's wont shoot the 40g Hornady v-max but will shoot the 39g blitz kings, the thing is with reloading you can alter the powder charge and seating depth to make "most" bullets accurate, and example of this is my Tikka in 223, it has the worst grouping of all the bullets ive tried with Factory 53g v-max (fantastic bc of .290) but with the same bullet head home loads sort of go through the same hole, mine is like "Elliotts" it like the long seating depth.

    Dave (warbucks)
    Thanks Dave, I mostly shoot pest birds (crows, magpie, jay) with mine with the odd fox, rabbit, hare, between 120 - 250 yards. If my shot is square I’ve never had so much as a twitch from the target with the 32g Hornady vmax. Gun is a Tikka T3. I’ve heard very favourable reports regarding the 39g blitz kings and fancy loading a few to try.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Elliott View Post
    39gr Blitz. How you getting on with the new 223AI? Presumably pretty good if you've changed your user name?
    HA that was more of a personal sercurity thing, but yes loving it!

    Most accurate rifle I've owned, first lot of load testing best group was around .25", 50 gr z max over exterminator. That was top powder weight I had loaded, gave 3350 fps. Not had a chance to do anything since but apparently it will push the 50's to 3600, will get around to stoking it up at some point but that load absolutely hammers foxes so I am in no rush, still playing with the 25-45 deer loads at the moment.
    Thanks for looking

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    Quote Originally Posted by warbucks View Post
    Hi Brickhill.
    I was a long time before i started reloading, 223, and 243, but im glad i did.
    With the 204r lots of people are happy with the 32g Hornady v-max, sort of most make seem to shoot them accurately, you talk about 4225 fps, this might be what it says on the box but chances are unlees you have a 24-26" barrel it wont be doing this speed, this doesn’t make it wrong though.

    Ive read about 39/40g v 32g bullets, and i think its owt after 150yd+ the heavier bullet retains more speed and ft lb due to its superior bc, so in most cases this is the better option.

    It is said that some 204's wont shoot the 40g Hornady v-max but will shoot the 39g blitz kings, the thing is with reloading you can alter the powder charge and seating depth to make "most" bullets accurate, and example of this is my Tikka in 223, it has the worst grouping of all the bullets ive tried with Factory 53g v-max (fantastic bc of .290) but with the same bullet head home loads sort of go through the same hole, mine is like "Elliotts" it like the long seating depth.

    Dave (warbucks)
    That's not strictly true though is it, perhaps any bullet within a given length range? Powder weight and COAL will help with barrel harmonics and shrink groups, accuracy has a lot to do with stability, my .223 AI is fiendishly accurate but its set up short throated for bullets 50 gr or less so its a 1:14 as that's optimum for that weight / length, it needs bullets <0.800" long. If I load 55 gr SBKs or v-max which are longer it shoots about 1.5" because they don't stabilise.

    Same as your .223 if a 1:12 won't shoot 69gr or if a 1:80 90 gr bullets.....
    Thanks for looking

  15. #15
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    Ruger_shooter is offline Meadowlark Lemon's Personal Tailor
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    Superb grouping. Really like the stock you have on the 204 now.

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