Reloading a .204 Ruger?

H

Hunter161

New member
hey guys!
This looked like a great forum so i thought id join ya'll and learn from the best.

Ok,so i wanted to get into predator/varmint hunting and after looking at tons of reads online i figured id go with a .204 ruger or a 22/250 for a new rifle,and after doing some heavy thinkin i went with the .204 even if the 250 was harder hitting...and yes i do know there is a big uproar over which is best lol.

After i got my savage model 12 - heavy barrel with the accutrigger from cabelas in 1-12 twist (its like a hand held mini cannon) i slapped a diamondback HP 3-12x42 on the sucker and its currently sitting around with no ammo bought for it yet...

Now on to the questions,i want to reload (if it works out) for it but i have no clue what im doing which is why im here.

My dad has all the reloading stuff (RCBS) and i only need to get a die set,bullets,casings,powder,ect.

my buddy can help me some but i dont really want to bug him much,he reloads for other people and will take your gun and give it back with whatever ammo he figured out for it for a fee but i kinda want the exp and the satisfaction of making my own...

So where do i start figuring out what bullets,casings,blah,blah,blah to get? you probably need to talk to me like a two year old about it because i dont know too much lol.

Thanks,Hunter161


 
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Welcome to the board and the new fun and games.

First thing is go BUY the LYMAN RELOADING HANDBOOK #50. Read it from cover to cover on the information areas. TWICE!!

Once you've done that and decided you are still interested in reloading you can formulate what your goals are. If your Dad was a reloader you already have one well of knowledge to go to. He will be familiar with the gear and that will help but you need to have a good idea of the process so you can learn/think about as you go as to why you are doing a given process.

Don't buy a thing until you've done your homework. The guys on here will guide you along and get you started but first get that foundation started.

Nothing specific here but the nebulous approach of TMI is not a good thing to start with.

Greg
 
Well, welcome Hunter. Glad to have you here.

For sure, there are are lot of 'seasoned' (old) reloaders to be found here. I have been doing it since 1973 myself and so far so good. Made a goof or two along the way but still have all fingers and toes and a few marbles left so must be doing something right most of the time.

I think that you did well with your .204 choice. Many of us here have them and enjoy them a great deal. My Savage 12 had to have a new barrel put it a few years back and not sure how much life I got left in its replacement. Sure a fun (and deadly) round to shoot.

What does your dad reload for now? He most likely can show you the what you need to know to get started. YouTube (shocker!) has lots of self help reloading tips too. Even though there are many different kinds of cases out there (straight wall, bottleneck, belted, rimmed, semi-rimmed, rebated, etc) the principle is the same. Size the case, knock out the old primer, put in a new primer, dump powder in it an stuff a bullet on top of it all. Do it a few ten thousand times and it might lose its fascination some but if you make it a hobby instead of a chore then it will stay enjoyable. And hitting targets way out there makes it all the better. Way better.

You are off to a good start with that Model 12 and the .204 caliber. I have a .22/250 as well and it does not get shot 1/10th as much as the .204 does. A real honey for ground squirrel and prairie dogs. Sure not too small for coyote either. Lots of .204 fans with coyote hunters. I took a 400 yard badger with mine just a couple months ago. One shot.

Stick close by and you likely will learn a lot here. Everyone has their own way of loading it seems. And, of course, as long as you're safe your routine will be what works best for you.

Loading is fun. Shooting is fun. Need more reasons than that?
 
Thanks for the replies so far!

i should have mentioned this but i didnt...my dad is busy with work and stuff and wont have much time to help me but i figure if i get stuck on something he could help a bit.
he used to reload his 270 but that was years ago,pretty much the only thing i remember about that is popping his primers with a hammer...that was fun as a child and maybe still is!

i think we have a hornady reloading book around somewhere,does the information vary from book to book or is it close to the same?
 
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Welcome! This can be very addictive; both the .204 and reloading.

Yes, Hornady manual is a good place to start. It has all the information you need in it. The big thing in reloading is knowing the vocabulary.

Once you feel comfortable with beginning to reload, your selection of components is next. You have to determine the purpose of the rifle. Coyotes? Prairie dogs? Punching paper? Etc.

For coyotes people love the 35gr Bergers, 39gr Sierra Blitz kings and 40gr Vmax. Also IMR 8208xbr is a favorite amongst relaxers and .204 aficionados. My 12 loves the 40gr Vmaxs and Winchester 748. Either case, pick a bullet for the purpose of your rifle first then read the manual to determine which powders will be safe to load for it.

Have fun and be safe!
 
Hunter161,,,I've been reloading the .204 (for both bolt action and AR) since about '05, as well as others, since right after they first hit the market...I would strongly suggest reading a couple of current manuals and, if possible, see if you can find the load data info from Sierra Bullets relative to the .204...They have it in PDF form that can be downloaded (at least they did)...If you can't find it, shoot me a PM with your email address and I'll be happy to send you a copy of my file...It won't transfer on this site..

Just keep in mind that the .204 was primarily developed as a Varmint cartridge and most negative comments come from those that try to push it past it's normal envelop...It will take down Coyotes and similar sized game with good shot placement and I've read some reports of small deer, but that's outside of the norm...

I have tried several bullet/powder combinations as well as switching standard and magnum primers to find the ideal load for my two rifles..

We all have started reloading at different times in our lives and there are a bunch of resources on the 'net that were not around back then...You will usually find a bunch of advice here, but with the caveat that you need to work up your loads for your specific firearms, rather than relying on anything other than published information...What works for me, may be hazardous for you....
 
You made a fine choice with the .204......the first time you witness the "red mist" you will be hooked. Not much to add, but I am a firm believer in having more than one book for reference.

Have fun and be safe.


Here Kitty Kitty
 
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The best advice I can give a new loader is.... if something comes with instructions, read them until you understand them perfectly then go forward.

I greatly prefer CCI primers for consistency and availability, and I don't use many powders that aren't from the Hodgdon Extreme lineup.

Hornady brass is my pick for hunting loads.

Use Hornady one shot case lube, and again follow the instructions.

Get a shoulder bump gauge and learn to use it, set up your resizing die after the first firing and double check after the second.
 
A lot of good advice so far. A Hornady C1000 OAL gauge would be an asset for handloading, too.
I have three .204s, but have one of those FVs in .22-250. Don't think I could let that tack-driver sit without shooting it for that long! Until you get started handloading, you might keep an eye out for some factory-loaded Fed. Premium ammo loaded withSierra 39 grain Blitzkings; it's been discontinued but there may be some gathering dust on some dealer's shelf somewhere. I have a stash I use in a pinch when handloads get low; it shoots very well in all my .204s.
 
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Hunter, at this stage of the game, you are at First Grade
Elementary School of Reloading, so use a K.I.S.S. method of
learning. If possible, WATCH your buddy reload, and ask him
some questions. If he is open minded, he realizes that there is
no such thing as a dumb question when it comes to reloading.

Back in the early '60's, my Dad self taught himself about
reloading through reading through a Hornady (maybe a Pacific)
handbook. He also got advice from a knowledgeable private
owner of a sporting goods store. Don't trust the idiot behind
the counter of a large box store who is paid not much over
minimum wage and makes it sound like he knows it all....you
may very well know more than he does. A private owner who
reloads can give you some helpful hands-on advice.

My advice: learn the basics. The case needs to be deprimed
unless it's new brass, then sized (good idea, even if it is
new), primed, the powder weighed, then the bullet seated to
book overall length. Get proficient at this, THEN go on to
suggestions for competition accuracy. This is what my Dad
learned for loading for his .22-250 and later taught my brother
and I the method with no other tools. The loads were accurate
enough that we got hundreds of prairie dogs with those reloads.
 
Thanks again for all the replys so far!
i already have a better picture of reloading.

so i shot my .204 with Hornady superperformance 40g ammo at 50 yards (max range at our place but will take to range as soon as membership is renewed) and its a little tack driver...granted i dint shoot over 50 so who knows yet.

the gun is so much fun to shoot i pretty much got a high shootin it,yeah call me crazy but i did...

i asked a big farm for permission to hunt groundhogs but they said no,im going to hunt a bit with this ammo to see if i think its worth it to reload because i dont want to jump into this and then only hunt a few times a year with the gun if you know what i mean.

so now its just looking for a place to hunt hogs and im thinking of trying my hand a coyote hunting on public land here but i have no clue how...just jump into a thick area with a clearing and make funny sounding noises with a call...im gonna need a water cooled radiator on my barrel from all the shooting ill be doing on those yotes that come in!
 
The best 204 factory ammo for accuracy I've found has been Fiocchi loaded with either 32gr. or 40gr. bullets. Very reasonably priced. My Kimber Pro Varmint 204 shoots the Fiocchi 32gr. almost as good as my careful hand loads.

Your rifle may or may not shoot the 40 grain bullets well, depends if it's a true 1-12 twist or not,
they can vary. My Kimber shoots 32's or 35 Berger hand loads great but 40's it won't shoot worth a chit. YRMV.

BTW: Like others said, read all the manuals you can find. My favorite is Lee manual. Also if you start loading, you won't go wrong with Forster dies.

One last thing, Predator Masters is a great site but if want a ton of 204 information including thousands of comments on 204 loads & loading, go to 204.com forums website.

Jim D
 


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