G"Day All
This ones for varmint guy.
As you have a XR-100 what is the OAL of your load with 32 and 39 grain b/kings.
I have been loading 39 b/kings in remmy brass with remmy 71/2 BR primers and 27 grns of ADI 2206h(your 4895), OAL has been 2.340 and they will go into .240" if I do my part.
What is the max length to the lands in your rifle with 39bks and is mine likely to be similiar.
What Im really trying to find out is roughly how far am I off the lands with this load.
I got the OAL length off a site where a bloke had a VLS and thought that maybe they have the same barrel and throat length, they fit so I tested them and came up trumps.
What can you tell me.?
PS you're the man on .204"s
Regards
Damien Webb.

Big Native: Nice shooting there with your 204!
I have not tried the 39 gr. Sierra Blitz Kings as yet in any of my 204's. The heaviest bullets (longest) I have "handloaded" and shot are the 35 gr. Bergers.
I decided to go with the 32 gr. Sierras for all three of my rigs.
NONE of my handloads come anywhere near the leades of the Rifling on my Ruger 77, Remington 700 VLS or my Remington XR-100.
Despite this condition I am getting VERY good accuracy from all three 204's.
By the way I did shoot factory 40 gr. Horandy ammo in all my 204's when it was impossible to get brass any other way (for handloading).
All my Rifles shot the 40 gr. factory ammo quite well.
My decision to go with the "smaller" bullets (32 grainers) was based solely on the "speed" equals lethality on Varmints theorum and the laser flat like trajectory of these bullets over the ranges I shoot most often (450 yards down to 200 yards!).
I use (ha-ha TRY to use!) a Sinclair Bullet Seating Gauge (tool). to ascertain an over-all length for my handloads that place my Varminting bullets just .005" off the leades of the rifling!
Alas those days are long passed by! It seems all the factory folks (I am not sure about the savage people) make their Rifles with very long throats.
I don't know why!
As you have proven quality "Varmint" accuracy (not quite Bench Rest quality accuracy) is not totally dependent on seating the bullets an exact distance off of the lands!
This Sinclair tool I have used for MANY years now and it cost me $17.00 back then! I would guess they are $26.00 now or so.
I highly recommend this tool for ascertaining EXACTLY how long a cartridge need be made to seat .001", .002", .003" or however far one wants OFF of the rifling!
I am no where near my rifling with any of my three Rifles - I am miffed just a tad about this - but it does not seem to hamper my Rifles performance!
I also use H 4895 in 2 of my 204's and AA 2230 in the other!
Wishing you continued success with your 204!
Its times like these (worrying about the long throat situation!) that I recall the words from the old rock tune - "DON'T let the sound of your own wheels MAKE you crazy"!
Moody Blues?
Creedence?
Eagles?
Bob Dylan?
Aaahhh.. I am not gonna fret about that either!
I am just gonna go shooting!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
PS: I just ran through my loading notes for all my Rifles and each of my 204 Rifles have shot groups in the low 3's!
No 2's yet for any of them!
My groups are all 5 shots at 100 yards. Once I settle on a load that is accurate and flat shooting in my Varminters I seldom shoot them at the range after that! I save those expensive barrels for use on LIVE targets!
Again your .240" group is a splendid group and good for you and the 204!
I may take my XR-100 in 204 out to the range on the next real calm day and use up a few of my remaining Berger handloads in it.
I am switching all my 204's to the Sierra 32's after the other ammos I have for them are used up.
I am sure I can get a group or two in the mid to low threes and maybe a high 2!
We'll see.
Our friend Ground Hog Devastation shot a group at 500 yards that was under 1" with one of his 204's (IIRC).
I hope he chimes in with some recent updates onhis shooting.
He is busy come summer times though with his farm work (again IIRC).

Interesting stuff! Have any of you had this happen? I had a box of Remington 32 grain and a box of handloads with 40gr V-max to start working with a new Reminton model 700 in 204. I couldn't get a three shot group under an inch-and-a-half! When I got down to my last six handloads, the groups suddenly shrunk to .4. Everything was done the same. I arrived at the seating depth for my handloads by using a Sinclair comparitor on the factory rounds. When I used a Stoney Point bullet depth gauge to determine seating depth, I came up with a length that exceeded the suggested OAL. I checked and re-checked and came up with the same reading. I'm going to go with this depth on my next batch and see what happens. I made a dummy this size, and it chambers perfectly. Always somethin', huh?