Kimber Pro Varmint .204 Who Has 1? Do U like? What Bullets? Powders? Hides?

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gunsbam45

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I just bought an all stainless Kimber Pro Varmint in .204 intending to use it for a re-barrel and restock Montana build, but now have a Montana in .223 to re-barrel to 11 twist .204 in the works, and like several things about the Pro Varmint better than my Remington 700, so gonna scope it and go shoot it in a few days with some factory ammo against my 700 and see what gives. I'm curious if other guys have this rifle and use it with the factory 12 twist barrel and how you like it overall? I just chrono'd some Hornady factory 40 VMAX ammo from my Remington 700 factory 12 twist and got a spread of 199 for 5 shots, so will likely be adding my first set of rifle dies to my revolver cartridge die pile soon, as well as whatever powders work best in the .204. May need to get a powder trickler too, open to suggestions. I've got to dig my rifle bench out and go make absolutely sure it wasn't all me, but I shot two 6 shot groups with that ammo at 100 after chrono and they weren't even worth measuring, but will go back and do it right off the bench hopefully by the end of the week, and compare some factory 32 VMAX then, as factory ammo is my only option for now. I've gotten some insight on this already from other posts centered on my .204 Montana project, but love to hear more on upper end of bullet weight for 12 twist barrels for best punch on coyotes hanging up out there past 300. Also love to hear best powders for the .204. I'm a hide saver, and have had no exits with 40 VMAX on coyotes at any range, but haven' shot a cat with .204 yet, so any hide saving advice on cats versus yotes is more than welcome.
 
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Once you get your dies, try the 39 Blitzkings if you want the heavier bullet. The 39's seem to stabilize better in the 12 twist than the 40 grain Vmax's and ballistic tips. The Blitzkings should perform about the same as the Vmax's.

Berger also makes a 40 grain boat tail.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1076339016

My two fastest and most accurate powders out of my 204 were Varget and H4895. They were both at 3800 fps at around a grain under published max with 35 Bergers.

Get the Remington 7.5 small rifle benchrest primers also.
 
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I don't have the Pro Varmint [not a laminated stock lover], but I do have the Varmint in 204 with the walnut stock.
Mine was very accurate out of the box with my handloads. My go to powder for both 204's is IMR8208 with H4895 doing back up.
 
Originally Posted By: K22I don't have the Pro Varmint [not a laminated stock lover], but I do have the Varmint in 204 with the walnut stock.
Mine was very accurate out of the box with my handloads. My go to powder for both 204's is IMR8208 with H4895 doing back up.

As stated above ^^^^ the IMR 8208 is amazingly good in the 204.
 
Thanks for the info so far guys. Another thing I just thought of is brass. I have a fair amount of brass as I've saved it all from factory Ammo. Most of it is Hornady factory brass, along with a few boxes of Remington, and may be a 50 round box or two of HSM. Any suggestions, dos & donts on brass in .204?

Also, I've always used a simple single stage setup from RCBS for all my revolver stuff. I only load a few hundred hear and there. Are the RCBS carbide dies good in .204? I've run into some odd stuff with some revolver die sets and had to do some mixing and matching to get neck tension right even on straight wall pistol cartridges. Love to hear suggestions on dies, as well as powder measuring. I've got RCBS manual Powder throwers, a manual RCBS powder scale, and a Dillon electronic powder scale, but don't have any kind of powder trickler etc. Love to hear what you guys use for dies and powder measuring etc. on the .204.
 
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I use a Redding full length sizing die and a Redding competition seating die.

I don't have a trickler, I just tap it in from the powder scoop.

I don't think IMR 8208 was around when I started load development on my 204 so I never used it. If it was, I wasn't aware of it. I'll have to give it a try on my next one.
 
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Hornady brass is what I use and as stated by another poster, Rem. 7 1/2 primers.
I full length size with a Forester die and seat with their benchrest die. I love the Redding powder measure and trickler. My do everything except pistol and 223 bulk ammo is done on a Bonanza Co-ax press. The others on a Dillon which I rarely use.
An RCBS 10-10 scale is great..........in my opinion. LOL
 
I love mine ,while a cheap rifle ,it shoots alongside the best.Thompson Center Venture 1 in 10 twist,shoots them all well,really likes HSM factory loadings. 39 Gr Blitz King @ 3857 fps ,knocks coyotes silly at 1/4 mile if you can make the shot.
 
Thanks guys, and keep it comin. Winny Fan, my straight wall pistol cartridge dies are almost all RCBS carbide, so I made an assumption. I haven't looked at .204 dies yet. Figured I'd get the scoop here first. Looks like they thought out IMR 8208 well according to what I'm reading, and will give it a try. If it meters good that's a big plus in itself for me.

To all, Any powder trickler better than another? Most all my stuff is RCBS, but I'll listen to suggestions. Also, same thing on dies. I got RCBS carbide dies because guys in the know in the custom revolver world advised me to, but if RCBS isn't the way to go I'll try Redding or something else, but would be handy since I've already got an RCBS press, and think I actually have a .222 shell holder for it.
 
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I’ve had my eye on the Kimber 84 in 204 also, just the Varmint model instead of the Pro. Typically a Remington guy, and never owned a Kimber rifle, but I want something stainless and fluted, and I prefer wood to plastic. I had a 204 in the AR platform that was a 10 twist. Wish I would’ve kept it. Has anyone had issues with the 12 twist shooting 35 Berger’s or 40 VMAX?
 
Originally Posted By: AdamTI’ve had my eye on the Kimber 84 in 204 also, just the Varmint model instead of the Pro. Typically a Remington guy, and never owned a Kimber rifle, but I want something stainless and fluted, and I prefer wood to plastic. I had a 204 in the AR platform that was a 10 twist. Wish I would’ve kept it. Has anyone had issues with the 12 twist shooting 35 Berger’s or 40 VMAX?

AdamT,
I have not shot any 40 VMax, but many 35 Bergers. No issues and great accuracy. I have the same one you are looking at.
 
Originally Posted By: gunsbam45Thanks guys, and keep it comin. Winny Fan, my straight wall pistol cartridge dies are almost all RCBS carbide, so I made an assumption. I haven't looked at .204 dies yet. Figured I'd get the scoop here first. Looks like they thought out IMR 8208 well according to what I'm reading, and will give it a try. If it meters good that's a big plus in itself for me.

To all, Any powder trickler better than another? Most all my stuff is RCBS, but I'll listen to suggestions. Also, same thing on dies. I got RCBS carbide dies because guys in the know in the custom revolver world advised me to, but if RCBS isn't the way to go I'll try Redding or something else, but would be handy since I've already got an RCBS press, and think I actually have a .222 shell holder for it.

I prefer the Redding trickler over any of the plastic models. It is naturally weighted as opposed to adding weight in the bottom of the plastic ones. I have used a Lyman and a RCBS and they work just fine, but I got tired of chasing them around on my reloading bench.
 
In the varmint hunting cartridges, I test for a load node where .4-.5 gr range shows very little vertical dispersion(a bullet dia or less). With a smooth flowing powder I can throw and check powder charges fast.
 
I have used CF&E in my 204 for years now. Fills cases nicely and rifle cleans up quickly also. Produces great FPS etc. I might have to try some IMR 8208 just out of curiosity though.

Rudy
 
I was researching tricklers yesterday and typed in best powder trickler on Google and every review I read points toward the Redding or Frankford Arsenal. They all say the same thing about the weight of them being heavy enough not to move around when using them one handed.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012712476

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101296742?pid=487186

12 twist is fine for 35gr Bergers. My Remington 700 LVSF and my buddies 700 LVSF were 12 twistt and they both drove tacks witht the 35gr Bergers. Things opened up in both guns with 40gr Nosler BT's in mine and 40gr Bergers in his.
 
Rudy,

Please post a pic of your jug of CF&E if possible. I think my dad told me the other night he's got an 8 pounder of it, but wanna make sure I know what I'm looking at.

Thanks for the help on the powder trickler guys. I'll try that Redding #5. Love to hear more on the dies.

Thanks,
Brian
 
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