204 Ruger

[gunwriter]

I just got a Ruger #1 in 204 Ruger for test and evaluation. Hornady has sent me a couple of boxes of their 32 gr ammo, and I have 2 boxes of 32 gr and 40 gr bullets in 204 for reloading once I create some once-fired brass. As I work with the new round I'll post my observations on this site. If anyone has any specific questions, I'll sure try to answer them if I can!

Gunwriter

[Tifford]

Gunwriter,

Welcome to the forum! Glad to have you here.

May I assume that you write for a magazine?

Tifford

[gunwriter]

Tifford,

I'm a free lance writer. The article I'll be preparing on the 204 Ruger is for Varmint Hunter Magazine. I also have a non-commercial, not for profit web site for rimfire enthusiasts: www.rimfirenews.com which I just started a few months ago.

Gunwriter

[Tifford]

Gunwriter,

Very nice! I look forward to hearing from you on what you have to say about the new cartrige.

Not to bother you but what is you favorite round in varmint?

Tifford

[gunwriter]

Tifford,

Not a bother at all to answer these kinds of questions! My current favorite varmint round is the .223 Remington. (I'm doing a wait and see on the 204 Ruger; it may become my favorite!) With the .223, I use a 40 gr, V-Max Hornady, moly coated bullet in my Ruger Model 77 Varmint with a 26 inch barrel. I hand load my stuff, and currently get around 3800 fps. From Hornady's factory ammunition loads, I was getting almost 4000 fps, but I've never been able to duplicate that velocity without encountering pressure problems. The results, even from my "down level" hand loaded velocities, has been most satisfactory on prairie dogs, coyotes and bob cats.

gunwriter

[Mossyhorns]

Welcome aboard Gunwriter,Looking forward to your results on the 204.

What type powder/gr do you load in the 223 with the v-max load?

[Evan]

gunwriter

jeeeeeesh there just now doing testing, this dang caliber is never going to be realeased. a few people will test it and it will never be heard of again. kinda like the crazy things that happen in the bermuda triangle. :blink:

I have a number one #1varmint in stainless payed for and calling my name, not sure I realy want it anymore but its mine when it gets here if ever they do.

suposebly you wont be able to duplicat the 4225fps figure eaither, thats hornadys powder that isnt on the market and wont be for some reason, unless you got some powder to. if I guessd youl be barly breakn 4000fps with your loads if that.

wich number one do you have it in, im gona guess the blued model just cause its what they gave you and its tad less exspensive.
what kinda glass is going on this test rifle, hows the trigger, (horrible) if the trigger bad are going to have it fixed before you test anything.

id like to see a rifle set up very well so that its the caliber being tested and not the rifle. if you know what I mean.

my guess is it wont be any better than your 223

blah sorry I thin I might have sounced kinda harsh, this spending money so early for such a good rifle in a unknown caliber is getn to me.
its been quite awhile now that ive been waiting. caouple 3 months at least.

good luck with the rifle and definatly keep us posted.

\ohhhhhhh exspecialy on those 40gr slugs compared to the 32.

thankx
Evan

[gunwriter]

Mossyhorns,

For my .223 loads, I'm using AA2015BR powder, and I have worked myself up, very cautiously, to a powder charge that is above the recommended one. I'll not publish that charge amount, for fear someone, with a firearm which is not as sturdy as mine, might hurt themselves by duplicating it. I neck resize only; uniform the primer pocket; deburr the primer pocket; champher the inside of the neck; hand weigh each charge with an RCBS electronic powder measure; and use CCI BR primers. My chronograph is set at 12 feet beyond the end of the muzzle, and I use 4 sets of 5 shots each to achieve my average M/V.

Gunwriter

[gunwriter]

Evan,

The 204 Ruger is real! I shot it last month at the SHOT Show. I have a stainless #1 sitting right here, awaiting my decision on scoping it. I have ammo. It's real, I promise!

You're right about the velocity. Hornady is using a proprietary powder that they, at the current time, are not willing to share with us. But I'll work up something from my selection of powders just to see how close I can, safely, come to duplicating their advertised 4225.

gunwriter

[Evan]

gunwriter

youve got my rifle sitn there, thats the one I bought, man your makin me antzy, I shouldnt be though cause the ammo gona go like ticks on fire.

Evan

[gunwriter]

Evan,

I wondered why it had engraved on the barrel: "Evan's Boom Stick." Sorry about that, man. I'll try to get it broken in for you and returned asap!

In a previous post you asked about the trigger. Most Ruger triggers, out of the box, are terrible. On the Mod77's, I have a local gun smith stone the mechanism for me and it works just fine for hunting rifle triggers; 3 1/2 to 5 pounds. On the #1's, I've gotten aftermarket trigger assemblies, for around $80, and dropped them in. Never found anyone who felt they could stone them and keep them safe for use. Any of my rifles that I use for serious benchrest or long range varmint work have a new, competition trigger installed on them.

gunwriter

[Evan]

ohhhhhhhhhhh I fondled a 204 ruger shell today, it was great, kinda set things in straight in my head that I want to give it a shot.
it sure is good looking little round.

if the rifles come out in april like they say then it shouldnt be too long before rifles are hitn the ginshops. they aure arent gona hit the gunracks forawhile. but atleat theyl start getn in shooters hands to some more testing done.

the guy that showd me the 204 is getting a cooper and hes kinda in the in crowd and has already got some ammo.

this guy is gun freak, and loves cooper is got so many coopers in difrent calibers that its scary, he never has anything but good to say of cooper. actualy he has way better than just good things to say of cooper rifles

[Evan]

what have you been finding with the new varmint caliber, and how are likn the #1

[gunwriter]

Evan,

I've only gotten in one shooting session since I got the #1 and the factory, 32gr ammo. At a hundred yards, once the scope and I came to an agreement, 3 shot groups under a dime were the norm. On the chrony, with 10 shots, my highest velocity was 4190, average was right at 4K (4040). Ambient temperature was 48. Recoil was modest, muzzle blast quite acceptable, noise like a .22 Hornet.

I've loaded up 20 more rounds of 32 grainers for my first experiments; 10 with Rem 7 1/2 primers and 10 with CCI BenchRest primers (same powder charge). I'm trying VhitaVouri N135. And then, the rains set in and we have been under a severe thunderstorm watch, a flash flood watch and high wind watch. It's rained well over an inch (which is remarkable for my part of the country) and all that rain has come down horizontally. It hasn't been good for quality range time.

I'll punch out these next 20 as soon as I get weather window and let you know.

gunwriter

[Evan]

what scope did you mount on it. i looked back in the thread but i didnt see if you said or not.

doesnt sound like its doing tobad

[gunwriter]

Evan,

I put a Nikon Monarch, 6.5-20 power on it, since that particular scope wasn't busy at the time! It's a good piece of glass, but not my favorite. Doesn't have the clarity that a scope of its quality should have. I've never figured out why. But it'll do until I get my testing done.

gunwriter

[snowbound]

GUNWRITER------over the course of too many years have shot the 218 ,219Z. 22 Sav Hi power, 222 ,223 ,22-250 and a few other trimmed down and blown out wildcats......Please, would you explain to me the need for the 204 ??? Is there a definate place for it, or is it built to sell more rifles......IMHO if it can't be done with a 223 or 22-250, it can't be done.....Velocity is a relative matter, Accuracy is paramount.........SB

[gunwriter]

Snowbound,

As I mentioned in an earlier post, there is no "need" for the 204 Ruger. Or the 223WSSM, 243WSSM or the 25WSSM. If you're a hand loader, you need only one rifle: 30-06. With it, you can take most of the game animals in the world, and all of them in the US. Add a 22 rifle for inexpensive fun and plinking, and you're covered. But the gun industry is just like the auto industry, the tennis industry and the golf industry. They are "market driven." They have staffs that do nothing but sit around and dream up products that will SELL! NOT PRODUCTS FOR WHICH THERE IS A NEED!! Only rarely in any of these industries are really unique products brought to the market. The oversized, graphite racquet, the oversized, titanium golf clubs, the semiautomatic hunting rifle. The rest of the time, year in and year out, they drag something to us that's the same old candy bar but in a different wrap. It seems, for better or worse, to be the American Way. I, personally, like the variety of firearms available, and I have at least one of a whole lot of calibers whose performance overlaps considerably. And I'll probably ( I will!) have a 204 Ruger in my gun safe as soon as I can lay my nasty hands on one.

Gunwriter

[gunwriter]

Evan,

I just got back from the range and wanted you to know that I popped the 4225fps mark with the 204 Ruger. I got a ten shot group that my chronograph told me had a high of 4281fps, a low of 4153, and an average of 4224. Turned a 1 1/4 inch group at 100 yards with 10 shots. If I get serious about this, I think I can get groups under 1/2 inch. Right now I'm worried (and worried sick!) about making sure I don't blow myself up while out exploring the 204! Absolutely no signs of overpressure from the hotties that gave me the referenced string. I clean off the necks with 0000 and examine them with magnifying glass for any stress signs; I inspect the shoulders; I inspect the primers; and I use my micrometer to measure the web of the fired case to try to detect any bulging. I also measure the overall length of the case to make sure it doesn't keep on stretchin'! So far, not a single sign of too much pressure. I'm lovin' it, but am creeping up 1 tenth of a grain at a time, now.

gunwriter

[rkohles]

gunwriter
Soon will have a Tromix .204 Ruger. Information I have read indicates Hogdon 4198 is a good powder for this round. What powder and bullets are you using for your tests?
rkohles

[Evan]

hey see if you can push it to the 4600 mark whhhhhhoooooooooa but dont try it cause i said say.

are those compressed loads?? must be getn close?

sounds like its comeing right along.



i already own one of them dang 204s grrrrrrrrrr im not gona pay for something say far in advance again.

[gunwriter]

Evan,

I'm already shooting a compressed load, so I'll be easing up on any additional velocity VERY carefully. Since I'm about out of case capacity, I don't really think there's too much left to go, plus, I may be reaching the point where I'm just burning powder, not making the bullet go faster. I'll keep you posted.

gunwriter

[Myk]

CI was wondering if that was a compressed load with that powder. I use IMR4320 in my 223 compressed and the Viht isn't that much faster of a powder.
Perhaps it's time to try a bit faster powder. Maybe IMR3031 (should still give compressed loads). Might be able to squeeze a couple hundred more FPS out of it with a faster powder.
With the light bullet you and probably short-ish barrel, you may not be burning up all the "slow" (for a 223 case) powder.

Since it is a compressed load I question the huge extreme deviation. Over 100fps deviation tells me it's not going to be accurate. Maybe it's the powder or primer, but something is off.

I'm waiting for you to give a report on rats from the dump so I know how good of a pelt caliber it is for light skinned. :)

[gunwriter]

Myk,

Thanks for the input/observations. What I'm doing is working one powder as thoroughly as I can, and will be varying the bullet weight and charge, rather than changing powders right now. Once I've done all I can with VV135, I'll begin to explore other powders. I'm about done with the 32gr Hornady; I just got some 30 gr Bergers, and some 35 gr Bergers; then I'll do the 40 gr Hornady, and anything else that I can scrounge up. I'll keep you apprised as I work it up. The large ES was possibly and anomoly. I discovered that my electronic powder scale was getting low in the battery dept, and didn't realize it until after my shooting session. I also noted one extreme flyer in the groups, and that flyer may have been a hi/low powder charge for that particular round.

gunwriter

[gunwriter]

Myk,

My results trying 3031 were not much different than with N135; a bit higher, but nothing startling. I then tried BL-C2 and that powder popped my MV up a couple of hundred fps. 24 grains of 3031 gave me 3650fps with the 32gr Hornady; 25gr of BL-C2 gave me almost 3900.

Still haven't hunted with the 204; I've got so many powder/bullet combinations that I'm trying out for an article that I haven't had time to sit and call up a local yodel dog for a shoot-in! I hate it when works interferes with pleasure.

gunwriter