Yesterday got to shoot again. Cooper 204 is making me proud.
-With factory 32V-max consistently got tiny 3's and 4's groups(makes my handloads look bad) with velocity of 4.089fps. Killed a crow @ 265yds. first blood .-
-Worked up great load w/IMR-4895-31.0 grains-good groups w/ small SD,but this is all I can squeeze into the case and have to hassle to get this much in.shoots in the -5's,pressure good- velocity 4.127 out of 24" tube.
-Strangest thing-I talked to the reloading guy at Cooper(the shooter of those one hole groups included w/ every rifle) he said the one holer include w/ my rifle was 28.0 grs. H-335, 33gr. V-Max (They have some of the old ones on hand) and the OAL used was 2.245" which is I think the OAL of the factory 32 V-MAX load. My rifle touches the lands at 2.395 so that is .150" jump befor engagement of lands.
-My longer handloads so far with OAL's of 2.385" and 2.375" don't group nearly as well as the shorter ones tried in the 2.350" range and I haven't gone shorter yet but looks like that's where accuracy and velocity leads.
-31.5 grs. IMR- 4895 crammed and packed into case gave 4,264fps w/ no pressure signs but too much trouble to stuff a great # this way.
-H-322 29.0grs. gave 4,073fps(no pressure signs), 29.5 grs. gave 4,178fps no presure signs and great accuracy,4's(my best handload combo of speed and accuracy and ease of loading to date . OAL on this load was 2.360"-which is .035 off lands. plan on going shorter.
-I am using new set of Redding FL(set to partial resize) and std. seater die. May invest in Competition set later. Your thoughts and type dies you guys are using??
-Hope to reload today and shoot more this wk.end
-Hope this minutcia (sic) is not boring you guys stupid, as I am very interested in what you guys are posting..keep it up
- will post some pic of my rig this wkend.
-More later if OK
-thanx Doc Stone

voldoc02-- I don't know if you are aware of the distance at which those one-hole groups are shot at or not. I think it is about 50 yards and shot at an indoor range and I think they are also shot from a vise, but not sure on that last item. So if you can't replicate the one-hole groups at 100 yards, there's a good reason--you are 50 yards farther away than the guy that shot the target included with your rifle.

The August 2004 No. 230 issue of the Handloader mag page 104 has IMR powder .204 Ruger Load Data. Only one load over 4000 FPS with the 32 Hornady V-Max bullet. I dont have a R .204 but am looking at data before I get one. Hornady sent me data when I asked them for it.

Silverfox: My friend out in Washington owns a Ruger #1-V SS in 204 Ruger. He was having trouble getting his handloads to shoot better than the Hornady factory ammo! Finally today with RL-15 and Federal 205M primers he was able to do so! During his phone call today I inquired as to how long the throat was on his #1-V. He said he seats his bullets nearly .250" into the case and is just off the lands. Good for him. I wonder if Ruger has some reason for putting the extra long throat in their Model 77 V/T's?
A lot of folks I have talked with have had good to great accuracy with the factory ammo. So today I put some of the Hornady factory ammo on my NECO bullet concentricity gauge (comparator). The Hornady stuff is straight, VERY STRAIGHT! The greatest runout I could find on 25 factory 32 gr. cartridges was .002"! That is amazing for factory ammo in my experience.
I hope to shoot tomorrow morning if the wind will hold off.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy:
Do you know what the load was on that RL-15? I just got my dies and bullets (32gr. vmax) in yesterday and i'm ready to start reloading. I am trying to compile a list of all the loads on here that people have tested. Gonna try as many of them as possible. I am really excited about this caliber and want to find the sweet one for my Ruger 77 stainless.

thanks for any info!!
slopjock