Model 12 .204

Foster

I purchased this Savage second hand. It shoots 40 gr. V max sub moa, however 32 gr blitzking rounds keyhole 1 out of 4. I use the Lyman book for specs. and have loaded min and max Varget with new brass. Any ideas? Thanks.

greystone

Some 204's with 1-12 twist barrels won't stabilize the 40's but will shoot the lighter bullets nicely. Just the opposite of what yours is doing. I would give the barrel a very good copper and carbon cleaning if you already haven't and try again. Just a thought

Foster

Thanks, I'll do that.

stevecrea

Do you have any indications about how much this rifle was fired before you acquired it?

In addition to a proper cleaning, check the muzzle crown to determine if it is damaged, dinged, or otherwise improperly cut. It must be cut squarely and be free of dings to properly launch bullets consistently. If you have any question about the crown, consider having it recut. Most smiths will do this for around $40.

Foster

The rifle looked to be in great shape. I had it inspected by a gunsmith upon receiving it. He approved. I've cleaned the bore thoroghly with 40x. Tommorrow I'll shoot Vmax 32's and see if corrects. If not then I'll have the muzzle inspected. Thanks for the help.

Mobuck

You may have a throat erosion problem. I once traded for a Savage .223 that was so worn in the throat that it would not shoot anything except the long 70 grain Speer semispitzer loaded to the max length the magazine would allow.

GONESHOOTING

Is the 204 popular, have not heard much about it lately,thinking about buying one.[:0]

stevecrea

I do not know actual sales numbers, but the round is somewhere around five or six years old, and my impression is that it has sold rather well. A number of manufacturers have offered rifles in this cartridge.

As always, there is considerable debate about whether it offers much over other existing cartridges. And it is always interesting to debate some of these issues, and it is great that as shooters we have a wide array of choices.

It offers very flat trajectory, low recoil, and accuracy potential. One issue that seems to crop up among discussions is that while the heavier bullets offer higher ballistic coefficients and thus longer range potential, some of the rifles offered may not shoot them accurately because the standard twist is a bit too slow.

skyfish

Its fairly popular, I bought a rifle chambered in it last year. The more you shoot it the more you like it. Very low recoil, very flat shooting. I really like the 40gr V-max's and the 39gr Blitz's.

1chig

i have a 204 in a browning abolt i really like it , fun to shoot and very acurate, flat shooting gun. Though they say you cant improve much on the factory hornady ammo ( and it does shoot very well ) i load my own and can get as good but not better YET. hornady 32g vmax works very well.

Foster

I still haven't tested the rifle yet. Global warming has had us, in Colorado, snowed in with single digit temps lately. Maybe today, it's supposed to get above freezing.

stevecrea

Well, before long, Al Gore will be trying to make money from "Global Cooling"!!

5mmgunguy

I bought a CZ 527 in 204 Ruger...after shooting it I had my gunsmith set the barrel back and rechamber for the 20 VT (221 Remington necked down to 20 cal)...shoots very well now...3600 fps 32 gr vmax 5 shot 1/4 inch groups at 100 yards. My powder goes a lot futher and the barrel looks like new.

Foster

Finally got out yesterday to shoot. Vmax 32gr shot fine, no keyholes. Could be the bullet or the clean bore. Today I'll load and shoot Blitzking 32gr again, if they keyhole I'll just assume the model 12 doesn't like them. I have a .204 model 700 that I'll test the Sierra's with. Should make for a good control.

Foster

The model 12 shoots the Hornaday 32gr fine but keyholes the Sierra 32gr. The model 700 likes either. Conclusion: Load development is just that, development. Experimenting until you find the right combination. Vmax 40gr. group best for the Savage. However, I still plan on having a smith take a closer look. Thanks for the input.