reloading 204 Ruger ?

[hogan]

Question on compressed loads.
A buddy of mine is reloading 204 Ruger.
His recipe is for Berger 35gr match/varmints on 28grs of IMR4895.
Was watching his reloading and 28grs of 4895 brought the load slightly into the neck of the cartridge. The seating pushed the bullet into the powder load.
Is this a safe load, as he gave me a few to try in my 204?
He said this recipe works great for him.

 

[427mach1]

Having a compressed load isn't necessarily bad as long as you are within established load ranges. Hodgdon's website shows max load of 28.3 and indicates it is a compressed load so you are good in that regard but I wouldn't start that close to max. Just because it is safe in his gun, your gun might be different. You should always start low and work up toward max load with any new component combination or firearm. Finally, many people don't recommend using other people's handloads........

 

[Chief 101]

That should be a safe load but I find with the .204 Ruger I get the same end results by dropping the powder charge a little. You can still blow up vermin at long range and your cases will be useable for many more reloadings...you may even get more rounds from your barrel...I have a couple of thousand rounds out of mine so far but I don't allow it to over heat...
Hogan, I am loading 27gr H4895 with the same bullet in a single shot #1. I can and do load to a much longer OAL than a magazine fed bolt gun. It makes it easy to smile when I hit my target...

 

[hogan]

That should be a safe load but I find with the .204 Ruger I get the same end results by dropping the powder charge a little. You can still blow up vermin at long range and your cases will be useable for many more reloadings...you may even get more rounds from your barrel...I have a couple of thousand rounds out of mine so far but I don't allow it to over heat...
Hogan, I am loading 27gr H4895 with the same bullet in a single shot #1. I can and do load to a much longer OAL than a magazine fed bolt gun. It makes it easy to smile when I hit my target...

I did some testing and found the sweet spot with my rifle with 27.3 grains of IMR4895 and the Berger 35 grain varmint was spot on.

 

[jsh]

Might be my lot of 4895, but mine got spikey and blew primers off and on. I am working on trying to use the extreme powders now.

 

[wwb]

That should be a safe load but I find with the .204 Ruger I get the same end results by dropping the powder charge a little. You can still blow up vermin at long range and your cases will be useable for many more reloadings...you may even get more rounds from your barrel.....

Yup.

I don't have a .204, but I've been reloading for many years in several rifle calibers, and in every case, my best groups have always been with a bit less than max load, and the loss in muzzle velocity is not significant.