Ruger 204

Can anyone enlighten me as to why the handload recipes I've referenced come nowhere near the velocity specs listed on the Hornady ammo I have? I don't as of yet have a chrono to verify Hornady's velocity claims.

Proprietary powder or inflated specs would be my guess. I guess the lower FPS doesn't really bother me, as it should improve barrel life but I would think it would lower downrange energy and cause trajectory to be less flat. Maybe not enough to matter.
 
I use H335 behind a 32g Vmax, runs right around 4050 fps. I don't know what hornady superformance is claiming, but I'm guessing it's 4150-4200 fps.

Their superformance is always on the higher end, and everything I've read is that the superformance powder does not replicate the same numbers that the actual superformance ammo claims. That being said I would have to assume they are using a proprietary form of it.
 
I'm not seeing Superformance listed as a powder option for the 204 Ruger on Hodgdon's site. Where are you getting the load data?
 
I had a chance to buy some Superformance powder locally and boy was I excited. Then I looked in to it a bit more. I couldn't find load data using the Superformance powder in 204. Hornady calls a wide variety of their ammo "Superformance."

Kind of misleading I think. I would think a different name for their powder(s) would help with any potential confusion
 
CowTowner said:
I'm not seeing Superformance listed as a powder option for the 204 Ruger on Hodgdon's site. Where are you getting the load data?
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I was making a blanket statement in regards to their "Superformance" branded ammunition and what you see in reloads. I've never looked into it for .204's, didn't realize there weren't loads for it.

I've looked into using the powder before but time and again I read how it is no where near the performance levels of their ammunition. I'm guessing it's just a branded name with proprietary powder formulation.
 
32 -40 grain bullets I use X-Terminator or R-10X others I know use Benchmark when they can find it.

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:D
 
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One thing to consider is that most factory stock .204 Rifles come with a 1-12 twist. That is a 50% chance that the longer 40 grain bullets don't stabilize in it. I read daily where someone says that this powder or that primer would not work when all along it was the twist and bullet length/weight that was incorrectly paired. I have four .204's two are 1-11 twist they shoot 26-40 easily. The two 1-12 twist shoot 26-39, but not the 40's.

All my loads are 2.260 col so they all shoot from my AR-15 .204 when I bring it along for Ground Squirrel shooting in the Alfalfa here in Oregon. I have shot 4,000+ rds. so far this season.
 
It's been a few years for any response to this...but I just bought a Rem. 700 w/ a heavy barrel in .204 Ruger. Are there any updates to the reloading question? Looking for 200-300 yd. performance on prairie dogs primarily. Thanks in advance.
 
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