204 AR
Well-known member
I snagged a 204 this last week while working out of town, and had a chance to work it over the last couple days. I know I overpaid at $375, but 204's in that rifle are hard to find and go for around 325 on GB so what the heck. I do wish there was a rebate right now but oh well to that too.
So on to the good stuff. I cleaned it all up when I got home, it's dripping with oil inside and out. Took it all apart, tested the trigger and noooo, that's not going to work. Figured out you can take a nut off and lessen the poundage to between 2 and 3 pounds, that's good enough. There's a little take up, but it will work I think. Wing safeties are different for me but I'll manage that too. The bolt operated rough, the magazine loaded and fed very stiff. After 50 rounds and countless dry fire cycles things are getting much better.
I pulled the scope mounts off, there was a pool of oil underneath so degreased everything including the screws and loctited and torqued them back down. Put the action back in the stock and torqued it "good and tight". Cleaned the gunk out of the barrel and checked it out with the bore scope, was really impressed actually.
With the 1-10 twist I wanted to try 40 grainers so started off with 26.5 gr 8208 and worked up to 27.5. Between the 40 gr vmax and berger, it has yet to shoot a group over 1.5" at 200 yds. Most run just under an inch to inch and a quarter. This while shooting from a couple of sandbags placed on our bedroom windowsill (my winter shooting platform lol.) I can see about 1/2" of wiggle in the scope, so get it on a good bench and watch out.
So it's easy to compare this to my RAP 204. The Ruger is comparably accurate with 32's, but far more fickle with load specifics, seating depth etc. The Compass wins the magazine comparison by far, especially with it's generous oal compared to the Ruger's 2.270" or so. I can't figure out why Ruger made them so short. I like the tang safety and bolt knob better on the Ruger. I like the grip feel of the Ruger a little better. The barrel on the Compass was centered in the stock channel, the Ruger was hugging the left side, and in fact shoots left, requiring a lot of windage adjustment with the scope or rings to compensate. To get the Ruger shooting as well as it does required quite a bit of stock work, including a skim coat of glass bedding around the action and widening the barrel channel. The Compass required tightening the action screws, and that's it.
This has got to be one of the easiest rifle/load projects I've ever had. When the sales and rebates hit this fall, I'm jumping on some other calibers, just to have. For the couple hundred bucks people were buying these for, it's a no brainer. I don't know how they make them that cheap.
So on to the good stuff. I cleaned it all up when I got home, it's dripping with oil inside and out. Took it all apart, tested the trigger and noooo, that's not going to work. Figured out you can take a nut off and lessen the poundage to between 2 and 3 pounds, that's good enough. There's a little take up, but it will work I think. Wing safeties are different for me but I'll manage that too. The bolt operated rough, the magazine loaded and fed very stiff. After 50 rounds and countless dry fire cycles things are getting much better.
I pulled the scope mounts off, there was a pool of oil underneath so degreased everything including the screws and loctited and torqued them back down. Put the action back in the stock and torqued it "good and tight". Cleaned the gunk out of the barrel and checked it out with the bore scope, was really impressed actually.
With the 1-10 twist I wanted to try 40 grainers so started off with 26.5 gr 8208 and worked up to 27.5. Between the 40 gr vmax and berger, it has yet to shoot a group over 1.5" at 200 yds. Most run just under an inch to inch and a quarter. This while shooting from a couple of sandbags placed on our bedroom windowsill (my winter shooting platform lol.) I can see about 1/2" of wiggle in the scope, so get it on a good bench and watch out.
So it's easy to compare this to my RAP 204. The Ruger is comparably accurate with 32's, but far more fickle with load specifics, seating depth etc. The Compass wins the magazine comparison by far, especially with it's generous oal compared to the Ruger's 2.270" or so. I can't figure out why Ruger made them so short. I like the tang safety and bolt knob better on the Ruger. I like the grip feel of the Ruger a little better. The barrel on the Compass was centered in the stock channel, the Ruger was hugging the left side, and in fact shoots left, requiring a lot of windage adjustment with the scope or rings to compensate. To get the Ruger shooting as well as it does required quite a bit of stock work, including a skim coat of glass bedding around the action and widening the barrel channel. The Compass required tightening the action screws, and that's it.
This has got to be one of the easiest rifle/load projects I've ever had. When the sales and rebates hit this fall, I'm jumping on some other calibers, just to have. For the couple hundred bucks people were buying these for, it's a no brainer. I don't know how they make them that cheap.
