Montdoug, unfortunately, my bank account will testify to that in SPADES!!! It sure is easy to order this nice little item, and OH!! there's something I might be able to use, and that looks good too. Pretty soon the shopping cart total is up to $100 or $150 or maybe even $200 and all I really needed was $40.00 worth of bullets!!!

I have been real tough on the bank account since I purchased the Savage 12VLP in .204 Ruger!!!! Fortunately, I have a very understanding wife. I'm very happy for that because if no one is home to take delivery of the UPS packages, the UPS man delivers them to the office where my wife is office manager!!!! I may have to have a talk with that boy some day, but it is nice to know that they won't just leave your merchandise on the back step too.

MD, I showed my wife the post about the "gift certificates"!!! Wonder what my presents under the tree will be this year!!!Hope they are all little envelopes!!!
SF, My concern with the UPS or FedEx folks is that they will respect my sign beside the driveway(it's over a 1/4 mile to the house) and watch for the old deaf Border Collie who protects us!!! She's deaf from trying to chase bullets!!!!! But if you leave the house she will chase the tires!!!! I don't have a peaceful night in a motel when I call back home unless I ask about "Roxie"!!!!! Roxie is supposed to be in Sarah's(Miss GHD's) room or with Wendy(Mrs. GHD) and if she's there I can go to sleep!!! If you have that pound of 2230 you bought in 1990 you ought to load you some 32's with it!!! Your eyes will be opened to the velocity possibilities!!!! And I didn't really push it!!! But it is so nice to sit at the bench and "dial" in the clicks and bust those little bottles at 400yards!!!!!! With regularity!!! PD's are in for an assault......if I ever get there!!! And when the .204 get's hot.....222MAG comes out!!! Shooting the 40 grain BK's it could be bad!!!!!(in the varmints eyes!!!) And when both of them need a cleaning.....bring out the 17HMR or the 6mm and the 25-06!!!!and either shoot the short stuff or the long stuff.....and then have a Dr. Pepper while reminiscing!!!! Later folks!!! GHD

SF, Have you tried any AA2230 in your .204? Or anyone else for that matter? I did this week and am hesitant to post until I hear from some others! If you try it, make sure the chronograph is working!!! You can start out at around 26.5 grains with the 32VMaxs and by the time you get to about 28.3....just do it and report!! I've been past that without any bad pressure signs but 28.3 shoots pretty decent(as did 27.0 and 27.7) and there is just no sense in pushing it faster!! GHD

Come on now GHD, I can't believe your holding out on us!
After talking with Doug at Hornady I've been pretty sure that due to Ruger and Hornadys concern for pressure because this rounds likely gonna end up in a Mini 14 a careful Handloader ought to be able to well exceed factory ammo.
Give it up guy, don't keep us in suspense.

OK Doug, Here it is! Now before anybody says the chrony needs checking, 6mm using 105's and 87's checked perfectly, so did the 17HMR with 17 and 20 grain loadings and the 222MAG also.......
1).204, 32 grainVMAX, Fed Match primer, 27.0 AA2230=4150fps
2) 27.7 grains AA2230=4178fps
3) 28.3 grains AA2230=4279fps....I loaded this one for use!
4) 28.5 grains AA2230=4304fps
5) 28.7 grains AA2230=4409fps!!!!!
Only slight pressure signs were noted on the last load....primers flattened and very shallow cratering, no lose primer pockets noted! It could probably go a bit more but there is no need for it! AA2230 seems to have a pressure curve that builds velocity QUICK once you hit it! It does the same thing in the 222MAG! I've shot multiple groups now with the 28.3 load on different range test days and get the same velocity results! Let me know if you try it! GHD

How's the load density in the load you decided on?
Midway has that 2230sc (supposed to be just a titch slower but interchangeable) for $54.95 an 8 pounder. Possibly a top performer with the 40 V-Max?
I don't doubt your chrono at all by the way, my Tact.20 starts to loosen primer pockets just this side of 4,300 with a 33 grainer (about 4,280 actually, that's as hot as I've gone and it's too hot) your velocities are about what I'd expect out of a .204. That's a screamin load ain't it?

Doug, I'm wondering based on the cmments about the 40's if the twist may not be right for the 40's!! Back to the 2230.....is that listed in the flyer or the big MIDWAY catalog? And what is the difference in 2230 and 2230sc? I understand 4831 and 4831sc(short cut) but the 2230 is a ball powder!!!???? I know the 2230 I've got works!!! Only trouble is, there's only about 30-40 more loads of it left!!! I tested again today....same deal! Also loaded up a batch of hunting loads for the 222MAG, 40 BK's and a batch of the .204's!!! That's how impressed I was with it!!! Load density?.....I haven't a clue as to how to figure it!! I can tell you that both the loads for the 222MAG and the .204 are at "about the neck base"....different from VARGET where you can fill the case and wipe the excess off with your finger!! Ths powder might be a serious number for the 222 family in general!!! GHD

GHD--I haven't tried that powder in my .204 Ruger. I just checked my stockpile of powders and found almost a full pound of the AA2230 there that I purchased back in September of 1990!!! I was going to use it in my 22-250, but it didn't work real good.



We don't have any decent reloading suppliers around my part of North Dakota, so if I didn't already have that old container of powder I'd have to travel 250 miles to find some.



Heck, I can't even buy a .20 caliber patch jag here. I asked the clerk in the hunting department at our only "specialized" sporting goods store for a spear tipped patch jag in .20 caliber. He said, what gauge did you say, 20 gauge, 16 gauge or 12 gauge? I said, no, I asked for a patch jag. Oh, he says, we have patches for 22 to 25 caliber but no 20 caliber patches. Then I said, no, I want the little pointy thing that fits on the end of your cleaning rod that you spear the cleaning patches with.



I could almost see the light bulb go on in his head. Nope, they didn't have any .20 caliber patch jags.



I'll maybe try some of that AA2230 yet this fall, but I'm getting to the point where I need to shut down the range testing and get some shells loaded for fur season now. Thanks for the tip.



Have you tried it with the 40 gr. bullets? Or has anyone else tried it with any 40 gr. pills?

SF, I didn't try it with 40 grain VMAXs. I got too tired of working up loads using the 40's only too find they wouldn't shoot accurately enough to suit me, I traded all my 40's for more 32's! GHD