With the way most of the .204 are throated so deep, What kind of seating depths is everyone using?

I can get it out to the lands, but there's not much bullet into the case, and I can only load 2 into the Mag. Are most folks allowing the bullet to jump into the lands ? Or Just dealing with the longer Bullet OAL?

Thanks
Ricky

There is a seating depth thread specifically relating to the .204 Ruger over on the Sabier.com board. If you don't register I don't think you can use the "Find" function, but you can browse. The first mention of the seating depth for the .204 Ruger was back on June 11, 2006, and it was posted under the Heading: Kimber 204 goes to the range - interesting seating depth results !! There is a "Page" selection window up on the top left-hand side of the Web page just above where the threads start. Last night, this first topic was on Page 5 and I think it is down a ways. The next time Bryce posted seating depth information about his Kimber 204 was on June 26, 2006, a little ways down on Page 4, and it was under the Heading: Kimber 204 seating depth follow up. He tested the 35 gr. FB HP Bergers and found that by seating the bullets a full .100" away from the lands, they gave the best accuracy in his rifle.

I seat my bullets for my Savage 12VLP in .204 Ruger so they fit the magazine. Like your rifle, if I tried to seat bullets so they actually touched the lands, most of the bullets I shoot (40 gr. Nosler BT, 39 gr. Sierra BK, 35 gr. FB HP Berger, and 32 gr. Hornady V-Max) would not have enough bullet base in the neck to keep them in the casing.

My rifle shoots just fine with the bullet seated so it gets lots of jump before hitting the lands.

Thanks, I was able to find the thread and it was helpfull. I was sort of thinking that must be the case. I threw together some bullets and ran out to break in the barrel. Straight from the box, I Shot 3 @ 100 yards just for kicks and it was this group.

[url="http://www.hunt101.com/?p=423290&c=500&z=1"] [/url]
Then I seated some out farther, trying to hit the lands and couldn't duplicate that accuracy. Tonight I finally got sick of waiting for a calm day and went out to the shooting range despite a blustery wind that was comming in ahead of a thundershower that hit just as i was finishing. This was my best group. 5 shots at 100 yards, 27.0 gr h4895 and 40 gr V-max. I knew I pulled the one shot off to the right before It even hit, but considering the wind I was pleased.

[url="http://www.hunt101.com/?p=423291&c=500&z=1"] [/url]

Now i'm thinking about trying the same load seated deeper. Anyone else have any thought on .204 seating depth.

Ricky

I use the 32 grain Hornady V-Max.
Factory Cartridge length is 2.250 inches!
I seat mine to a cartridge over-all length of 2.30 inches! My rifle is an Encore!

My suggestion would be to load up a batch of rounds seated out and try them for accuracy!
If they are not real accurate, seat them a couple of thousanths deaper and try them!
Repeat this until you find the load that's good for your rifle!

I can get 3/8 inch groups with Factory loads!

Thanks Chuck, I have some of the 32 gr bullets too, but I was focusing on the 40 gr for now. Just curious why you prefer the 32's

Thanks Ricky

Ricky-arthur: Yes, ALL three of my 204 Varmint Rifles have rather long throats - a semi-expected disappointment that!
I have been experiencing excellent accuracy though with all three Rifles!
Seating depth is NOT the be all end all factor in getting excellent Varmint Rifle type accuracy.
I have found for the last 8 - 10 years virtually all the factory brand Rifles have been throated long.
I guess we will have to live with that!
I am no where NEAR the leades of the rifling on any of my 204's with any of my handloads.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

quote:

Originally posted by ricky_arthur:
Thanks Chuck, I have some of the 32 gr bullets too, but I was focusing on the 40 gr for now. Just curious why you prefer the 32's

Thanks Ricky

Ricky;
My Encore will not stabilize the 40 grain bullets!

I shot a whole box of factory 40 grain V-Max,s at one target and every one of those bullets keyholed! On top of that, the group size was between 6 & 8 inches! It has to be the rifling twist rate!
But,I did get to whack a coyote this past Spring with the one of the 32 grain V-Max at just over 400 yards!

I have tried the link Sabier.com posted by Silverfox but did not get there, is there another link/path to it.

Ammus--Here is a link to the Saubier.com board. You'll have to click on the "Page" link up in the upper left-hand corner. I think the original post from June 11, 2006 is probably down at the bottom of page 6 by now and the second post by Bryce is probably somewhere on Page 4.

You could also do a Search, but I think you have to be a member--not sure about that.

Saubier.com Board

Siverfox, Thanks for the link, it worked.
I just had an XP-100 rebarreled with a 15 in Lilja barrel and bedded the action. I could not seat the bullets to the lands because the gunsmith made the throat too deep. I have seated the bullets to the spec max COL of 2.250 but the groups are around 1.0 MOA. I have been using Hornady Vmax 32 grs over 27 grs of H322.
I am trying find out how much further can I seat the bullet before I run into problems?

Ammus-- When you wrote:

quote:

I am trying find out how much further can I seat the bullet before I run into problems?

What problems do you anticipate you'll run into? Bullet sticking in the lands and when you remove the unfired cartridge you get powder in the action? Excessive pressure from a full-house powder charge and having a bullet jammed hard into the lands?

I don't know if my seating depth "rule" is right or not, but I like to seat my bullets at least 2/3 of a caliber deep into the neck. With boat tail bullets, I have 2/3 of a caliber of actual shank contact with the inside of the neck. I use rifles with magazines so I can shoot them as a repeater--I hunt coyotes in the winter and shoot prairie dogs in the summer. Therefore, I have to seat my bullets deep enough in the casing so they fit in the magazine without damaging the bullet tips. Seating bullets well off the lands has not been a problem accuracy-wise in my Savage 12VLP.

My concern was with accuracy and runout.
In continuing to investigate my problems with accuracy I think I may have a problem with the RCBS bullet seating die. The COL max variation is on the order of 0.10 in. I took a full length sized and trimmed case and inserted it into the seating die, I expected the case to go in all the way to the extraction groove but this case stuck out another 0.15 in. All the rest of my RCBS seating dies do not do this. I have called the RCBS customer service and sent an e-mail to them to ask if this was normal for this particulat round. I have not heard from them yet.