New Guy on the BlocK Here .have a few Questions .204

T/C Hunter · Rookie Member Joined: Sep 11, 2007 Posts: 17

Hi Guys:

This site looks pretty cool and informing. Do any of you shoot an T/C Encore Pro 204. ? And if so How are your 100 yard Hand load groups ? I have had this Barrel for a while now and have been working on finding a decent load for it. I'm useing 32 gr, Hornadys V-Max & The Sierra Blitzkings -32 grainer. I have Benchmark ,H-322, H335, IMR 4895, IMR 4064,and IMR 3031 . Could you help me out and what really works best in this Gun. . I know they all need fine tuning from gun to gun. But I'm looking for a real good Accurate load, with decent speed for hunting. Hope someone here can help. Thanks P.S I also have a T/C Encore Pro 209 Muzzle Loader, and a Hand Gun in a T/C Encore .308. I load all my own Bullets and have been for years. If any body needs my help just give me a Yell. I have shot may combos in all guns and love to try new loads . Always room for improvement.

shrpshtrjoe

Howdy T/C Hunter Welcome to the HuntingNut. Not much help with the Encore but I'm sure we have some members that can give ya some info Very Happy

.
joe

T/C Hunter · Rookie Member Joined: Sep 11, 2007 Posts: 17

Thanks. looking forward to doing some good reading on that Subject and learning all I can ,and sharing some of the thing Iv'e learned too.

skb2706 · Member Joined: Apr 10, 2006 Posts: 269

Don't have an Encore in .204 but I have two Contender carbines in .204.

I like WW748 and either 32 gr. bullet for mine.....easier to measure powder. But the most accurate load I found for either of them is 29.3 gr. RL-15 - BR-4 primer and a 32 gr. Sierra. I just don't like weighing each charge.
I have 600 rds. loaded up for a trip tomorrow to the fields of eastern CO.

Couldn't really quote any group sizes, shootin groups bores me. Both rifles are dialed in and with minimal maintenance be shooting pdogs all weekend at distances well beyond 350 yds. So there you go I shoot "less than prairie dog size groups" at 400 yds...whatever that is in group shooter terms. I suspect it is pretty decent tho.

Novice shooter taking out her first pd at 350 yds., she thinks shootin groups means getting all the dogs off one mound -

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T/C Hunter · Rookie Member Joined: Sep 11, 2007 Posts: 17

Now that sounds like a Blast to me. Yea Groups are boring to me too, but I 'm going to fine tune this 204 and then get down and Dirty too. . Coyote's Long range in the hills of Up State New York. And just for fun go for the things we call Tree rats. LOL Squirels. Shocked

Sounds Like you live in a world thats made for me. Wish I were there. I'll have to stick with Big game Hunting with my . 308 Hand gun-- Encore ss. and from time to time take off the 204 barrel and put my 209 Muzzle loader ss pro barrel on. I love these guns . T/C makes em nice but you got to work on them to make them Top notch. I'm getting there ./ Hey thanks for the note and good luck on those hunts. Got to love that longe range stuff. Very Happy

Crackshot

I dont have a 204.....yet! But do shoot the 222 and 223. I always get great groups with H322. 1/2"@ 100yds from a custom AR-15 & the 223. Very Happy

H322 was used by the Hodgdon family to win several Bench rest competitions I believe.

T/C Hunter · Rookie Member Joined: Sep 11, 2007 Posts: 17

Yepper > Iv'e been working in the shop useing H322 & Benchmark. Seems to be my best choice so far , This weekend will tell for sure. I made up 2 boxes of twenty Rounds , 10 rounds of 27.5 grs, and 10 rounds of 27.3 grs. Each round with Hornady 32 V-Max's . One Box in Bench mark one in H322 . Test time---- ten of each: well see whats what ,maybe Saturday or Sunday. Show time. If I get a good winner - I'll note it , next time will be in Sierra Blitzkings. Its all in time and time will tell. But I'm finding what the gun likes ,it just takes time. If you want a good killing accurate round you have to make it. Very Happy

And from what I have read you guys are making them nicely., And all using different combos, No two guns alike ,But we do all work on one thing in common for sure. Accurate Deadly rounds, Sometimes I stay up and load and The Bettter half goes to bed with out me. I must be strange and consummed , or just maybe nuts..... wtf

Crackshot

No you aint nuts. Just found a hobby you greatly enjoy! As most here At the "NUThouse" Very Happy

A17Shooter

T/C Hunter,

Haven't worked Encore of Contender with the 204. But, have been working with my 9" twist bolt gun, 50 gr Bergers and WW 760 powder. My work with that combo leads me to believe that 39 & 40 gr bullets combined with 760 might be a good combo. Otherwise I have been using 39 gr BK and 40 gr Hornady VMax with H322, AA 2015 and WW 748 with good success.

T/C Hunter · Rookie Member Joined: Sep 11, 2007 Posts: 17

Did some shooting today. Like always ;windy Mad

. I noticed one thing>>> all my rounds are faster than book listing with my chrono. Then it came to me ,most listings are with 24 and 26 inch barrels.. Using a 28" barrel gives me a few more feet per second , around 100 f.p.s more than most listed in three of my Books. Therfore I am going to back up and regroup. I have noticed 3900 fps is what most guys shoot for accuracy with the 204. SO I GUESS I'LL DROP DOWN A FEW GRAINS AND START OVER . Its all on what book I use or info off the net. Using Hodgdon Listings of Benchmark with a {V-max 32gr bullet} says: 28.0 grs = 4047 fps. I get 4002.7 f.p.s average with 27.3 . so anyway I'm going to start at 26.6 of benchmark and work up to 27.2 in 2 tenths segments. I shot today and beleave I'm still pushing these bullets to fast for true accuracy. At least with this barrel. We will see what happens tomarrow. AFTER WORK . Like Most of use here "I'M Nuts" and enjoy working on perfection. My S.D was 16.6 with an E.S of 38.8 fps not bad. Very Happy

With loads like that they should be right in one hole . Darn wind anyway. Should have waited 4 hours or so . It slowed down and I was out of ammo. wtf

Last note: Fed.205-m are no longer around here. The Feds are gettting then now. Time to switch to CCI BR4s The 205ms are so back ordered I might as well switch now and develope a load using what I can get. Sad

skb2706 · Member Joined: Apr 10, 2006 Posts: 269

Just for comparison I chrono'd my load of choice in my MGM .204 barrel...its 23"
29.3 gr. RL-15
CCI BR-4 primer
once fired WW brass
32 gr. Sierra BK
2.345" COL
4090 fps

same load in my sons factory 23" barrel is 4055 fps. Very consistent with what Fred Smith at Bullberry found in his barrel length tests.

www.bullberry.com/204Rugerdata.html

Spent last weekend shooting farm prairie dogs again. You would be amazed at what can be done with a breakaction rifle and 600 rds. of accurate ammo.

T/C Hunter · Rookie Member Joined: Sep 11, 2007 Posts: 17

Nice : thanks for the info. I'll check it out. I shot last night. Yeee Ha. Finally>>> 100 yards a .331" with 27.0 gr of Benchmark-CCI;BR4. with Winchester Brass. Weight sorted of course. C.O.A.L =2.250 Also shot a .296" with 26.6 same powder ect. I'm there now. I didn't Chrono last night but things are working for me now. That 28" barrel threw me for a loop. You are shooting Max Loads with Hornady Book specs. NICE ! I'll work on getting there too . For now I'm after those tree rats with true accuracy now. Looking for a few 200 yarders with a spotter. I'm useing a Burris Black Diamond 6x 24x 50 mm ,ball plex on my Rig. We'll tote the 15x 45 spotter with us just for fun . Very Happy

I'll work on that .250" group some time in the near future too. After I do a trigger Job. and work on fine tunning the C.O.A.L . This gun has a long free run. Not by my choice. Once again thanks for the site. I'll enjoy reading it tonight or A.S.A.P Very Happy

For now on I'm sticking with my Sierra Load Datta sheet I pulled off the Net. All others just don't come close to my barrel lenght. Live and Learn, . I Cant tell you how may rounds Iv'e danced around this Load. Ahhhhhhhhhh. Anything near it shoots well. I was Just always .5 or higher grains to high in all my rounds of developement. I can even shoot anything from 26.8 to 27.3 and still be in there pretty good for hunting loads. But that 27.0 is really putting it in the center with that one hole look. Very Happy

Load developement is fun and rewarding if done right. And I'm nuts about it. Surprised

Thanks again... That Rig or yours must be awesome. Like to see it. Attachment time. if you get a chance. How far out can you nail one of those dogs anyway with that .204 ??/400 yds. is your longest ? Man you must shoot like a pro. Very Happy

we have too many hills here. Sad

skb2706 · Member Joined: Apr 10, 2006 Posts: 269

Actually with decent equipment 400 yd. plus shots are pretty easy. This last weekend I took 600 rds....shot almost all of them with a better than 75% hit percentage. Usually when we roll up to shoot dogs the first hour or so the percentage is high as the shots are 200 or so yards (shot three with my sons 20 ga. shotgun). Pdogs wise up pretty fast and quickly the shots move out farther and farther...hits go down. Longest shot last weekend was 480 yd. but the wind wouldn't allow much more (at least not for me).
The majority of our shooting is between 200-300 yds. depending on the place, terrain, wind and the sun.

It was over 90 degrees this last weekend and I had no pressure problems with the posted loads.

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T/C Hunter · Rookie Member Joined: Sep 11, 2007 Posts: 17

How insert Pics of my gun Confused

shrpshtrjoe · Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 5:18 pm Post subject: Re: Pics ??

T/C Hunter wrote:

How insert Pics of my gun Confused

You can Host them Here at HuntingNut and then post them this link will help you. www.huntingnut.com/ind...amp;sid=46

Joe