Kudos to .204's and Savage rifles!

Over the past few months, I have been lining up a .204 build on a RH SA Savage (mod 11).

First, I found a Model 10 bull blued factory take off in .204 here on the forum.

Now I did not own any SA Savages so I lay in the grass and when a local chain had them on sale I bought two brand new 11's one in .308 Win and the other in .243 Win.

I lined up a three screw and four screw trigger with the idea of using them in each of the two 11's I bought over time but I found out that they don't fit the new rifles anymore.

So I found an accutrigger here on the forum (thank you pdog06!!)

I paid blood money for a new detachable magazine for .223/.204. (from the local gun shop)

I found a bolt head complete for .223 and ilk, again here the forum! (thank you Carlos!!)

Well today ......... that long road paid off:


I was tooling along in my "cat wagon", my Suburban cat killin' machine ..... LOL and an ote jumped out of the bushes at 100 and shot across the pasture and into some brush.

It made it's way up and out to just a shade under 300 yds and climbed a cliff and peeked around the rim rock after about 3 or 4 mintues ......

HEY ... if I can be patient enough to wait until I got that model 11 right .... I can SURELY sit and wait for three minutes or a shade more for a coyote to do something DUMB ......... ?

Well, he had just his front shoulders and head exposed past the rock cliff and he was looking to see what my good 'ole cow dogs were up to ....... hee hee ..... they were listening to me for a change and staying put!!

So with a little self-discipline on my part .... I get anxious and hold over most of the time ........... I am consistently trying to treat these string like fast cartridges like a .30-06 and give him some more elevation but my brain won out for a change!!!

My first kill with this action and build happened with me seeing his feet fly up and him roll off that ridge!!! Saw the whole thing in "living color" and if there was any recoil, you could have fooled me. All that speed enabled me to maintain the sight picture and get the DETAILS!

An inch and 1/4 high at 100 and I held a couple inches below his back at 275 yds. worked like a charm!!

The bar is set and it's not set low now .......... LOL!

Best regards

Three 44s

I love it when a plan comes together. 8)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Three44s

An inch and 1/4 high at 100 and I held a couple inches below his back at 275 yds. worked like a charm!!

The bar is set and it's not set low now .......... LOL!

Best regards

Three 44s

---

so where did your shot hit? Did you spine him or hit the heart?

what bullet? what powder? America needs to know!

I have not gone up there to look yet. I have a trail camera to check in a couple of days and I planned on looking it up then.


As far as what load: It was the Hornady factory .204 in 32 gr. V-max ......... my rifle groups well with them.

With a target accutrigger installed on this build,

..........I just shot a 3 shot 100 yd group of .268" ........... 8)

I have friends and acquiaintances who like that load as well.

Now, for the past 37 years, I have handloaded just about all of my metalics but in this instance, I am accumulating brass and getting work done with a factory load that may be hard for me to duplicate in the face of not having the same powder to work with.

Best regards

Three 44s

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jeff518

.................................................. .....

so where did your shot hit? Did you spine him or hit the heart?

---

I checked today and it was a medium sized male and I hit it in the base of the neck!

DRT!! His feet still pointed to the stars, at the shot he rolled over a rock he was standing beside.


Three 44s

After the .268" group with the Hornady factory ammo in that .204 build, I acquired that same bullet used in that load (the 32 gr. V-max) and worked up some of my newly fired cases to prepare to handload them.

I tried Imr 4198 with a published load from Hodgden's ........... before it maxed out, I had one three shot @100 that was a vertical string and measured .390" .......

THEN ........... I ran some H4895 out and the second load, right in the middle of Hodgden's published load range gave me:

........................ .210" @ 100 yds. for three shots!

Count me slack jawed at Savage rifles!!!

Three 44s

I love my model 12, 204. using 40gr nosler and vv 133 owder. Drops yotes in their tracks.

87predator,

I have a box of factory "40's" but my rifle likes the 32 grainers better thus far.

My rifle is a build. A model 11 wearing a model 10 barrel (blued bull) and a precision accutrigger. Barrel, bolt head and trigger all found here on the forum!!


Best regards

Three 44s

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Three44s

87predator,

I have a box of factory "40's" but my rifle likes the 32 grainers better thus far.

My rifle is a build. A model 11 wearing a model 10 barrel (blued bull) and a precision accutrigger. Barrel, bolt head and trigger all found here on the forum!!


Best regards

Three 44s

---

Mine is all factory. I bought it used with just over 200 rounds through in '09 he had load info and it liked 32 hndy's but I like the little added punch and have had far less tracking jobs since using the noslers. I just laugh when people say its not enough to effectively do the job. My hunting buddy and I run contests, the 204 is our go to gun. Besides just a fun one to shoot ;D

Three44s mine is a Ruger 77VT and like your Savage it seems to prefer 32Vmax also. I use 30.7gr of BLc-2 and the best group I have so far is 5 shot at 100 yds. of .094 c to c at 4120 through my Chrono. The only thing wrong with mine is it is not a Savage. ;D

87predator,

Mine is all factory as well ........... it just did not all leave the factory at the same time ...... LOL ......!!

bythebook,

What is wrong with your Ruger does not have anything to it's brand ............ what is out of kilter is that it's not mine!!!! ............. ;D


Best regards!!!

Three 44s