In the market for a new rifle... Any ideas?

[HUNT]

Congrats Rob!!!  You will absolutely love that round.... The varmint grenades shoot well in my rifle  1/2" groups at 100 yards.    PM me if you want the recipe...  If you lived closer I could set you up with some primers....

[addicted]

I'm tempted to drive to Spokane to pick some up!  It's only 11 hours round trip... Good motorcycle time...

Here is the photo of the three round group from the gun I ordered...  I think even I may be able to shoot this gun with reasonable accuracy!  

Cant they get it to shoot any better? the hole is all raggedy 

that whole budget idea of yours was over rated anyways lol

[Rob]

I know me and I'm sure I'll never see same hole groupings, but its nice to see that the rifle can do it.

Regarding the budget; I'm just glad I have an understanding wife!

I'll be topping it with a Nikon Monarch 6-24 50 mm.  The gun is supposed to arrive today, I'll be bugging out of work early to go get it.

Hunt:  Send you a pm and I really appreciate both the offer to send me the load info, as well as the primer offer.  I managed to find some at Sportco, and I found a shell plate at Cabelas (mental note:  just because they don't have any available to order on-line does NOT mean the Lacy store is out of stock).

[HUNT]

Rob --

You might want to pick up a smaller powder funnel also.  The neck is quite a bit smaller than anything else.  It makes it much nicer to have a funnel that fits.   

[Rob]

I had not considered that...  My funnel that is attached to the scale pan works for 22 cal, but it may be too large for a 20 cal.  I wonder if I'll need a new powder drop bushing as well...

I bet metering is a bit more difficult.  I have trouble with some of the longer extruded powders when loading for my 22.250 already.

[Rob]

here she is, hoping to get her to the range one night this week...

[bowhunterforever]

Nice gun!

[Slider]

Thats a Beauty!!! Congrats

[Rob]

Could not stand it.  Had to get her out to the range last night.  

I had to move the scope on the rings after I got it back from the shop, and did not have a bore sighter so I started off way off paper (thank goodness for dry dirt banks...).  It also took me a few shots to realize that the scope adjustment was 1 click = 1/8th of an inch rather than the standard 1 click =  1/4 of an inch so that slowed me down too.  Those two issues caused me to take a full 10 rounds to get her sighted in.

I then shot 10 sets (mostly 3 shot sets- all at 100 yards).
I took a total of 47 shots:
=>20 Factory Remington Acutip 40 grains (10 were used to sight in)
=>20 Factory Hornady 32 grain V-Max
=>7 hand loads (32 grain Hornady V-Max with Varget, 4@28 grains, and 3@ 29 grains)

Wow.  This rifle is great.  My average group size across all ten sets was .73 inches.  My largest group was a six shot set using Factory loads from Hornady: 1.25 inches. (see first target photo).  I had one four shot set with my hand loads that had a 3/4 inch group size (see second target photo), and I was very impressed with the 40 grain Remington Acutips:  groups ranging from .625 inches all the way down to a ragged 4 shot group of 1/4 inch!!  My best group ever with any rifle! (see last photo).  not all that pleased with the Hornady loads.  All of the other loads were sub MOA, but 4 of the 5 sets using the Hornady factory loads were over 1 inch.

I was a little rushed as I only had 1.5 hours to shoot and the manual said I needed to clean the barrel after every shot for the first 20 rounds.  I will be taking her out this weekend so I can be more relaxed and will be getting my hand loads over the chrony so I can see how they are performing there.  I expect that my groups will grow a bit as I prefer to do 5 shot sets rather than 3 shot sets.  

[HUNT]

I know me and I'm sure I'll never see same hole groupings, but its nice to see that the rifle can do it.

Told ya it was a great round.....  Sounds like you have a great rifle. 

[addicted]

that thing is wicked.  nice pick

[Rob]

OK, sorry to keep bringing this post back to life, but I'm just so happy with this gun...

It shoots like a dream.  I have put about 210 rounds through her so far, and have data for 195 of those shots. 

At 100 yards, my groups are .25 to 1.25 inches.  At 200 yards, I am getting .625 to 3 inches, and at 300 yards I am seeing 2.5 to 4.25 inches.  22 of my 42 sets are at or below one inch!

For the record, I'm not bragging on my skills here.  This is ALL the gun.  All I need to do is move to any of my 30 cal or higher rifles for a humility lesson and to see my groups double or triple in size!

Here is the data table from the 204.

Thanks again!

[HUNT]

Looks like you bought a real shooter.  Thanks for all the info.  I should try some different loads in my rifle...

[Skyvalhunter]

Don't worry you will have ot dialed in soon enough