Decisions....

[204sniper]

I've been working up some more handloads for my .204, playing with different powders. My pet load is a 39 grain Blitzking loaded with 25.1 grains of Reloader 10x. Average 100 yard groupings measured .37 inches center-to-center. I started experimenting with Varget recently. I found the "sweet spot" with the Varget, but unfortunately it's about 250fps slower than my Reloader 10x load. Same bullet with both loads, 39 grain Sierra Blitzking. Averge center-to-center with this group was .28inches. Load for speed, or load for accuracy? I hate it when that happens.

[bucksnbears]

both groups are awesome, i'd go for speed

[LeviM]

what does it do at 200 yards, and 300 yards? That would make my decision

[lyonch]

Like Levi mentioned back out to 200 yards and 300 yards and see what they group back there. This will determined which load to go with. Some loads group great at 100 yards but when you back out to 200 and 300 they open up really wide.

[204sniper]

I haven't tried the loads with Varget out to 200 yet, but the load that I'm currently using with Reloader 10x groups about the size of a quarter at 200 yards. I'm leaning toward that one just because I don't really need THAT much accuracy for coyotes (if I can hit a quarter at 200, I should be able to hit a coyote). I'll likely keep using the faster load for now. The load with Varget may end up as a prairie dog load.

[Pilgrim]

Is anyone able to describe what is meant by 'open up' at 200 or 300?

[LeviM]

"open up" looks like your shooting a shotgun at paper. Like chris mentioned, I have seen were at 100 yards, it will shoot tight, then at 200 yards and 300 yards, the bullets start to spread open more than desired. Yes, we know its going to "open" up some.

[Pilgrim]

204sniper


I also own a 204 and it shoots the 39 Sierra bullets very well. What muzzle velocity are you getting on your faster loading?


Sidenote: I recently came upon two new 204 bullets about to be introduced- a Hornaday 30 grain unleaded with a lengthened bearing surface (for 1/12" barrels, rep'd to go 4220 fps), the other is a 40 grain pointed soft point (not sure make) with load speeds @ 3950 fps. Both could be better fur bullets ???

[Pilgrim]

Thanks, Levi

Do you mean (example) that a 1" group at 100 yards 'opens up' to greater than 2" at 200?

[LeviM]

Thanks, Levi

Do you mean (example) that a 1" group at 100 yards 'opens up' to greater than 2" at 200?

Well ya, in that example it your group did open up, its up to you if you are happy with that, or if you think you can adjust your load to tighten it back up.

[lyonch]

Pilgrim from my experience in reloading and shooting, this is what was meant when stating that the group will open up.
For example say i have 1 load that shoots a .324" group at a 100 yards and another load (2) that shoots .54" group at 100 yards. then i will back out to 200 and have a load 1 shoot a .76" group. Load 2 shoots a 1.2" group. Then i back out to 300 yards and load 1 shoots a 3.75" group. Load 2 shoots a 1.98" group. Well from that information i will pick load 2 any day over load 1. It might have had a bigger grouping at 100 and 200, but it seemed to shoot way better at 300 yards. This is from my feild experience in trying to find a load for a gun.

[Pilgrim]

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[Pilgrim]

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FYI: Technical problem:

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Then return to attempt to edit, then "original" post's incomplete content appears after submitting.

[Pilgrim]

Thanks for the clarification.

From what I see, no doubt 204sniper has an outstanding rifle and among the minority of rifle owners who can keep 5 under .5" at 100 yards, even with a lazer. At least from a controlled shooting perspective, 204sniper appears to be an exceptional technician! Even so, my experience is that it would be very difficult for him (or another) to reasonably expect to maintain the range of his rifle's MOA capability past 200 yards. There’s an increasing degree of difficulty at play when doubling and tripling distances. My point is that the idea to stretch the distance for comparison has physical limitations.

Unless you're talking in terms of 15 pound rifles with 36X magnification, the act that may speak best to this 200 and 300 idea would be to set a target up at 300 yards, have your bud peer down the scope at highest magnification, then willingly announce that you're going to thread 5 thru a MOA hole when you can hide a soda can behind the reticle. That's a very difficult proposition with a hunting rig!

[204sniper]

It's a 10 pound rifle with a 6-24x scope. I think I just happened to find what the rifle likes. Nothing special in the rifle, it's a remington 700 VLS that I converted to a VS with an H.S. Precision ProVarminter stock, and a Rifle Basix trigger. As for velocities, with the fast load I'm pushing high 3700's, and with the slower Varget load it was more like mid 3500's. Not that far apart actually, but I think I can settle for a slightly larger spread for a couple hundred fps. Sometimes with handloading all it takes is a little experimentation to figure out what your rifle prefers. I bought a used Remington 700ADL for $300 (early 90's version with the wood stock), and I'm getting 3/4inch groupings with handloads out of that thing.