204 Ruger Load Data

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Lazer32

Active member
I'm curious about people's experience reloading 204 Ruger. I picked up a rifle today and want to load for it. Let me know your favorite powder, bullet, etc, and how they performed. Thanks.
 
204 is a great cartridge!

RL-10x, H4895, imr 4895, IMR 8208, AA2520 all are good powders for it!

If your rifle is a factory 12 twist try 32 grain and 39 grain bullets! Sometimes the 40 gr want stabilize in the 12 twist. 10 twist and 11 twist barrel will be your best bet for 40 grain bullets.

If you can find some Berger 35 grain they want very well also in the factory 204s!
 
Thank you gentlemen. I bought a Ruger American gen 2 in 204 Ruger. It's a 12 twist barrel. Think I'll stick with the 32 or 39 grain bullets. I'll have to do some looking around and see what's available. Any recommendations on brass?
 
Brass is whatever you can find. MidwayUSA has Hornady brass in stock and it is decent brass. They also have a fair assortment of 20cal bullets in stock. The VMax isn't a bad choice.
 
Most likely the 32gr Hornady Vmax will be about the only 20 caliber bullet you can, currently, find on the shelves with any amount of regularity, BUT, that isn't necessarily a bad thing because generally the 32gr Vmax always shoots really well in the 204's and is pretty easy to dial in a load for.

As was already mentioned not all 12tw factory barrels will shoot the 40gr Vmax, well. Some 12tw barrels seem to shoot them ok while others do not. I think the 12tw is just a little on the slow side for the 40gr Vmax. You can certainly try them but don't be shocked if they don't shoot great for you or at least not as well as all the different 32 grainers or the 35gr Berger which is a "go to" bullet for many that use a 204 for slaying coyotes. For ground squirrels or PD's IMO the 32gr Vmax is one of the best especially if you like seeing red mist.

The 204R is pretty easy to load for and there are numerous powders that will work well so don't be surprised if you ask ten different guys that load for the 204R and you get ten different answers on what powder works best for them. It's getting better but what powder you can actually get has a lot to do with it. It won't do you a whole lot of good to settle on one particular powder that may be "the best" if it's one of those unobtanium powders but fear not because like I mentioned there are numerous powders that will work well for you.

Here's a link to some good information on a pretty wide variety of bullets and powders.

 
Shoot 2 - 204's . I use H 322 powder that is now impossible to find. My load data won't do you any good. Other powder are 8208 ( also impossible to find) Varmint Pro ( I haven't seen in a long time). Damn , see where this is going. I wish you all the luck in finding a powder that works. Bullets I love the 32 grn. V-max.
 
Thank you everyone for the input. My local Sportmans Warehouse had 2 boxes of 32 grain V-max bullets and I was able to pick up a pound of Ramshot TAC. The Hornady manual call for 4100 fps using 27.4 grains of TAC using the 32 grain V-max bullet.
 
RamshotTAC
2.250"26.03,70053,000 PSI28.54,10058,100 PSI

This ^ ^ ^ ^ is data from Hodgdon's website. I'd start at 26.0 and work up .3 grains at a time. And if you are using different brass, bullets, or primers than the listed data that you referenced it can make a difference sometimes. Start low and work up. ;)
 
Lazer32 said:
Thank you everyone for the input. My local Sportmans Warehouse had 2 boxes of 32 grain V-max bullets and I was able to pick up a pound of Ramshot TAC. The Hornady manual call for 4100 fps using 27.4 grains of TAC using the 32 grain V-max bullet.
Click to expand...
Used this load a bit, loved it. Those 32gr V-max are a forced to be reckoned with, on everything from prairie dogs to coyotes. Hope you enjoy your new rifle!
 
I shot the 204 a lot several years ago. Actually, it was hard to find a powder in the mid-range that it wouldn't shoot well. I finally settled on 8208 for 32v's, 35 Bergers, and 39 Sierra's. I liked AR-Comp for the 40 Bergers.
 
I also shoot an Ruger American Predator. One load that mine shoots well that others haven't mentioned here is:
26 gr bullet for crows and such over 29.5 gr CFE 223. I worked 1/2 grain loads up to 30 grans but mine shoots the 29.5 gr best
 
I use IMR 3031 in my 20 practical and 204 with 40 grain bullets. But also use ar comp, n133, H4895, 322. IMR 3031 gives good velocity and is usually pretty easy to find. I shoot 40 grain BIB's @ 3500 FPs out of a 20 inch barrel. I also use it in my 6mm arc with 87's.
 
IMR 8208 XBR with 40gr Berger HP using REM 7 1/2 primers. Also, H4895 with 35gr Berger HP with REM 7 1/2 primers.
 
TC Compass using a 40 gr berger with 27 grs H4895
4Dbm9TK.jpg
 
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