That Ruger WILL shoot!

[Brian Pfleuger]

I finally got a chance to try a larger variety of loads in my Ruger MkII 204.

I started with 26.0gr Benchmark under Hornady 32gr V-Max bullets and progressed with 3 shots each in .5gr increments.

I wasn't really shooting for groups or optimal loads, just looking for max and having fun shooting. However, I was amazed by the obvious capability of this rifle. So much for Rugers reputation of inaccuracy.

These targets are both from 150 yards.
This target is 11 shots at 4 different charges from 26.0 to 27.5gr. 11, yes, not 12 because, well, one of the local woodchucks is (was) apparently deaf or not afraid of gunfire. If you count closely, you'll notice that there are only 10 obvious holes. I have only two answers for that. One, I missed the whole paper with one magic bullet or, two, one of the shots is almost perfectly through another hole. The largest dimension is just about 2 inches:



This target is my final load of 28.0gr Benchmark. It produced a chronographed velocity average of 4025fps. The largest dimension is just about 1.5 inches:

[Jim243]

Not bad, not bad at all. At 150 yrds that's 1 MOA. Now it's time to get serious.

More time behind the trigger and less on the bench. (LOL)

Keep having fun.
Jim

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by Jim243

More time behind the trigger and less on the bench. (LOL)

You're right about that, Jim!

I need to get my rest out. These were all shot prone with just a bi-pod. I'll get the real rest out next time and see what the 28.0gr load will do for groups. I'm confident that I can get 1" at 150 yards. If so, I'm good with that. It's plenty enough for a woodchuck all the way out to 450, which is farther than I get a chance to shoot 99% of the time.

I also notice that the different charges are all grouping vertically. The one round to the left was called left on the shot.

I really hope that the 28.0gr load will group well.... or at least, 27.9 or .8, anything less will be MADDENINGLY close to but under 4000fps. That will wreck havoc with my OCD.

[Sam06]

Play with your OAL and I'll bet you can beat those groups................Good shoot'n though. Benchmark is a good powder and forgiving.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Nice shooting. Be sure that you have a solid rest when testing loads. This way you know for sure how accurate your home made ammo really is. I have a feeling you will shrink those groups over time...

[Shane Tuttle]

Play with your OAL and I'll bet you can beat those groups

I agree. I'd kiss the lands with the ogive on a dummy round. Take that measurement and subtract .020". If the bullet's seated good enough, then fire away and see whatchya get.

[Brian Pfleuger]

I'd have to measure again but I'm not sure that I can even reach the lands with the 32gr bullet.

I'll be looking for a better load if I can't get 1" at 150 with these on a solid rest. QuickLoad seems to think that IMR3031 will get me the most velocity and also be able to reach a barrel time sweet-spot, which I'm unfortunately right about in the worst spot right now based on QuickLoads numbers.

It was hot (about 80), humid and windy that day too. I'm actually surprised that there's not some left/right variance there but the shots are all remarkably consistent in that regard.

I'm going to try 10 rounds of 28.0gr on Friday and see what I get with a solid rest.

[MO. Shootin]

Man I had a big long thing typed out but something happened to it, so now you get the short sweet version.

I did the Dan Newberry thing (THANKS UNCLENICK) with my hornady 32 grain bullets and then tried some Sierra 32 grain bullets with the same seating depth and powder charge of benchmark and my gun shot a lot better.

It shot good with the Hornady but 2 times as good with the Sierra.

I weighed my bullets to get my 2 best groups to test on the same day. It was much easier to find 5 Sierras that weighed the same as oposed to the Hornady. I am not saying that is what did it because I don't know.

Just something you can try if you like.

[Brian Pfleuger]

It was much easier to find 5 Sierras that weighed the same as oposed to the Hornady.

Wow, I thought my Hornadys were very consistent? When you say "The same", how precise are you measuring? I use an RCBS 1500. Every single V-Max that I've weighed so far weighs either 32.0 or 32.1, with a very slight bias toward 32.1gr, with 46 bullets averaging 32.056. I didn't consider that .1gr was enough to matter at these distances. It is a variance of only .4%

Is it enough to matter? I could easily segregate the two weights if necessary.

[MO. Shootin]

Dang it Peezakilla in my original post the one that got lost when I somehow got logged off it said that I just had one box of each and that it was admitadly a small sampling. I thought I had that in there this last time also.
I guess not. I wonder if I had a box off of different machines?

I was getting pretty specific with the weighing and they where not off by much at all. I will weigh a couple today if I get a chance and give you more specific weights. Mine where not quite as good as yours are. It was this winter when I did this and just can't remember. I will weigh some today because now I am curious. After I did all my case prep and load development I figured I might as well weigh each bullet for a couple 5 shot groups. My sierras where definately much tighter tolerance though.

I am not saying the weight consistency is what did it peetza because I have not done a lot of target shooting bud. I just thought it seemed like a good sign of quality. I have read about a lot of guys doing well with the sierra 32 grain bullet in the 204 and I had better luck with them so I thought I would mention it to you.

Don't get me wrong I am not trying to say the hornady are no good I had them shooting an inch at 100yds with my cheap H&R rifle. I also like my cheap H&R rifle.

[Brian Pfleuger]

No problem, my friend. I'm not trying to be defensive. I have a certain allegiance to Hornady... but only until I find something better!

I may have to try the Sierras. I'm thinking of trying the 26gr Varmint Grenades from Barnes too... but only because I want to see "4300 fps" on the Chrony!

I'm also considering trying IMR3031 because QuickLoad seems to think that I can get 4200+fps with the 32gr bullets.

[physikal]

Dang. No offense but I hope I never get that anal lol. 27.8 and 27.9 is all the same to me hehe.

[Shane Tuttle]

I have several rifles I reload for and NONE of them shoot Hornadys as well as the Sierras. Don't get me wrong. Hornady makes quality products including bullets. But for some reason, in my experiences, Sierra makes the superior bullet through and through for absolute precision target shooting.

I buy Hornady bullets for fireforming and plinking, Sierras when I'm ready for serious business...

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by Tuttle8

I have several rifles I reload for and NONE of them shoot Hornadys as well as the Sierras. Don't get me wrong. Hornady makes quality products including bullets. But for some reason, in my experiences, Sierra makes the superior bullet through and through for absolute precision target shooting.

I buy Hornady bullets for fireforming and plinking, Sierras when I'm ready for serious business...

No kidding. I shall have to try the Sierra bullets on the next go-round... but I've got about 245 V-Max left, so it'll be a while.

In the meantime, these seem to be working out... this was the result of my 28.0gr load at 362 lasered yards. I aimed about 1/2 MOA over her head (basically had the horizontal post on top of her head) and I am supposed to be a bit over 6 inches low at that distance... wind was right to left, quartering from behind me, and she was facing me so I had the vertical post just about even with her left (right from my perspective) side. The small blood spot is the entrance wound.

[Hey_Allen]

Please forgive my ignorance, but what is that critter that's laying down on the job?

I'm assuming it's some sort of burrowing rodent, but I have no idea beyond that.

I'm just a hunter of the wily paper target, and apparently have missed out on the higher education of dead critter identification skills.

[LukeA]

Appears to be a groundhog.

[Brian Pfleuger]

It is a ground hog, woodchuck, or whistle pig, depending on where you live. "Punxsutawney Phil" in some places.

[Blue Grass]

Pete, I had the same problem with vertical stringing with a Ruger 77V in .223. I read on another board that it can be caused by inconsistent ignition, especially when using ball powder. I changed to CCI SP Mag primers and the problem went away. YMMV.

P.S. That old wives tale about Rugers being inaccurate is just plain B.S. I went to the range yesterbay and shot five different loads into .5 groups with my old Ruger 77V two tone in .223.

[Brian Pfleuger]

I got a chance to shoot a few from the ole' Lead Sled... it really takes the excessive recoil away from the 204.

Well, ok, it makes for some steady shooting though. This was from 175 yards, it is roughly .75 MOA, if you subtract one diameter, just over 1 MOA edge to edge.

[Jim243]

Excelent shooting, my favorite is Hornady A-Max, V-Max and SSTs, but you can't beat the Sierra HPs for dead on accuracy. Not sure what powder you are using (never tried Benchmark), I just started testing IMR 8208 XBR for my 223s and I am getting excelent results with it. It's worth getting a pound of it to try.


Jim

[James R. Burke]

It's a woodchuck that will not be chucking any more wood.

[Brian Pfleuger]

I tried a few much closer spaced loads this weekend with some odd results. The temperature was about 15 degrees cooler that the last time so maybe that explains it.

Anyway, I tried 27.9gr, 28.1gr and 28.2gr. The odd thing is, every group so far had been a vertical string dead center high, but this time...

The 27.9gr group was almost 2 inches, triangular and off to the right over an inch.

The 28.1gr groups was very good, .92 inches at 175 yards, (that's .5 MOA) but two were almost touching and the 3rd was left slightly, and the group was horizontal instead of vertical.

The 28.2gr group was once again centered and high with two shots nearly touching, but the one of the 3 was an inch and a half below the other two.


My interpretation at this time is basically that my optimal charge is somewhere in the 28.0-28.1 range, possibly 28.2 as it's always possible that I'm at fault for the weird one at 28.2. So, I'm thinking that I should make up like 9 at each charge weight at varying OAL and see what happens?

Basically, the 28.0gr charge shoots vertical .5 MOA groups and the 28.1gr charge shoots .5 MOA horizontal groups. That's got to mean something.


BTW- My MOA calculations were off in those previous posts. How come no one yelled at me? That 28.1gr vertical group from a couple of posts ago is about .9 inches if you subtract one diameter, which makes it .5 MOA at 175 yards!

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

.50 MOA is great! But I think you can do better....

[Sam06]

Nice ground hog.

I would not waste my time with 3031. I have never had all that great a luck with it. Instead I would look at H4895, VV135 or even Ramshot TAC. I don't load the 20 cal but in my small guns I really like H4895. As far as bullet seating goes I would seat the bullet as far out as you can so that it works in the magazine. I understand you will not be able to hit/get close to the lands but you can get closer.

Ruger Rifles do shoot pretty good. I have a M77V in 220 swift that is a shooter. I also agree on going to a hotter primer will cure the stringing as long as you have dismissed any other problems, like bedding issues.

That rifle should put 3 shoots well inside a dime at 100 yds. The few .001 at the toughest to get. Thats when the work really starts in tuning a rifle/load.

[TXGunNut]

...if a woodchuck could chuck wood