204 zero yesterday

[rick1127]

Hello all.

Well I got my tikka 204 a few weeks ago but with working away I havnt had time to zero it.
Bought a hik micro 4k scope and a box of 32g and 40g to see what it likes best.

I started with the 32g it seemed to group ok for 2 shots but then would go wild there was a little wind but nothing I'd normally worry about.

So I swapped to the 40g and instantly it grouped quite well, I then decided 40g is what it's happy with and that's what il stock up on.
So once I'd got a good zero that I was happy with I decided to run the last of the 32g through it, I put 6 shots at 100 yards in a 15mm group.

From memory the wind/ breeze was still there.
But previously I couldn't get more than 2 shots together then they would be all over the place.

The mod did come a little loose at 1 point but that was noticed and tightened up but it was still all over the place.

Are these 32g very badly affected by the wind?

what are you guys running factory ammo wise.

I'm happy with the 40g just confused as to why 6 shots with the breeze still there went so perfectly.

 

[Overlay]

Interesting on the weight what brand of 40g did you get, I’m putting hornady 32 grn through mine and it groups amazingly well, so I left it at that, I might have a sniff around and see if I can get hold of a box or 2 of the heavier ammunition just to try out, might be better, ???
From memory around 240 mtrs is my longest shot using NV and it is nigh on point and shoot and nothing runs off defo worth a look at the heavier ones if nothing a good check up never hurts

 

[rick1127]

Hornady is what I put through it.
That's what I couldn't get my head around.
When they stayed together they were next to each other but I never got more than 2 to stay together.
I'm now wondering if a baffle has come loose in the mod and its sending them astray , just purely because the last 6 32g were so tightly grouped

 

[Smellydog]

New rifle?

 

[Cyres]

You need to read the post re breaking in a new rifle!
You will have to find what weight it prefers. In 204 you will lucky to find any other than Hornady factory ammo.
I am in the process of shooting in my new .204 barrel. 15 shots and its about 10mm at 100 yds with home loaded 40 v max.
If truth be known I cannot shoot well enough to do the new barrel justice.
D

 

[andy R204]

I would put a glass scope on it for zeroing,getting to know the rifle.
I own a Alpex 4k but I wouldn't use it for load development on my .204.
Certainly gives a good picture in the day but not as good as a glass scope IMO.
I've never used 32gr in mine over the years.Used 35gr Bergers in my Rem 700 for a while which were good but once I rebarrelled to a 1 in 10 I went 40gr Vmax.
My Tikka 595 with 1 in 10 barrel is also fed 40gr Vmax.I've always rolled my own to get the best out the .204,it's a cracking little round ,easy to load & shoot.
What twist is your barrel?

 

[Longstrider]

It would be interesting to know what rifle the OP has. I did the same routine (but with a 'proper' scope) when I bought my Howa 1500 in .204. I started with the 40gr Hornady ammo and I could could have done better with a catapult ! For a few disheartening minutes I thought I had bought a lemon. Then I swapped to the Hornady 32gr ammo and it was virtually bullet-on-bullet at 50 yds. I re-set at 100yds and got the results I wanted and have not changed things since other than I now load my own 32gr V-Max ammo running at 20fps average faster than the Hornady. Wind is not a massive problem, but you do have to account for it if it's strong and/or the sot is long. LOTS of foxes have fallen over due to this rifle

 

[rick1127]

Sorry for the late reply but I'm on nights this week.
Sorry its a tikka t3x super stainless.
Right so the rifle is second hand but I bought it off a dealer otherwise I could have found out what the previous owner had ran through it.

It was strange that it was all over the place with the 32g then the last 6 shots were bang on.

Once the ammo I've ordered has turned up which is 200 rounds of 40g hornady il try it again.

I should have put glass on it to start with just to see how good it did shoot but it's to late now.

The pic is the last 6 shots with the 32g

 

[rick1127]

ANDY
I have not got a clue as to what twist it is, as far as I know it's fully factory so what ever tikka designed it as unless they did different twists ?

 

[r judd]

My tikka shoots the factory hornady 32g very well indeed, the 40g are ok.
Defo would have been better to try it with glass first.

 

[Bo Diddley]

ANDY
I have not got a clue as to what twist it is, as far as I know it's fully factory so what ever tikka designed it as unless they did different twists ?

It will be stamped on the side of the barrel.

 

[andy R204]

ANDY
I have not got a clue as to what twist it is, as far as I know it's fully factory so what ever tikka designed it as unless they did different twists ?

It's more than likely a 12 twist.Some will stabilise the 40gr Vmax.
Reloading will be best then you can put 39gr Blitzkings through it.
If you like a chat DM me & I'll give you my number if you want.

 

[rick1127]

As for reading the barrel to see what twist it is that will have to wait till next week when I'm back home

 

[MarinePMI]

Hello all.

Well I got my tikka 204 a few weeks ago but with working away I havnt had time to zero it.
Bought a hik micro 4k scope and a box of 32g and 40g to see what it likes best.

I started with the 32g it seemed to group ok for 2 shots but then would go wild there was a little wind but nothing I'd normally worry about.

So I swapped to the 40g and instantly it grouped quite well, I then decided 40g is what it's happy with and that's what il stock up on.
So once I'd got a good zero that I was happy with I decided to run the last of the 32g through it, I put 6 shots at 100 yards in a 15mm group.

From memory the wind/ breeze was still there.
But previously I couldn't get more than 2 shots together then they would be all over the place.

The mod did come a little loose at 1 point but that was noticed and tightened up but it was still all over the place.

Are these 32g very badly affected by the wind?

what are you guys running factory ammo wise.

I'm happy with the 40g just confused as to why 6 shots with the breeze still there went so perfectly.

"Subcaliber" rifles like the .204 often require a few rounds down the barrel for accuracy and velocity to stabilize. It usually settles down within 100-150 rds.

Smaller hole means that the tooling leaves, proportionally, bigger marks. So it takes a few rounds to smooth out any imperfections from the rifling process (be it forged, cut or broached rifling). And with the smaller holes, it means the tooling still has to be the same length, but smaller in width; so the tooling flexes more. It's the main reason that 30 years ago there weren't many barrel makers that even made .20 cal and .17 caliber blanks; tooling was expensive, and tended to wear out faster.

 

[NP435]

When the last groups with the lighter bullet were fine my thought is shooter error. It happens. I prefer the 39grn Sierra but the rifle isn't picky.

 

[rick1127]

NP435 I would normally agree with you there but my mate who was with me tried it to rule me out and it was the same with him.
You never know it could just have been a bad batch of ammo

 

[Cyres]

Mine is a 1:10 Bartelin so should love 39 and 40s with the option of 50 grn Bergers.
D

 

[Dazb1967]

Ive shot my Tikka T3X in 204 for a few years now and my rifle likes both 32 and 39gr SBK, I only use 32's now because I bought a large batch but when I had 39's I could use both and it made very little difference to zero.
Could it be that the poor grouping was down to the dealer deep cleaning the barrel before selling.
If I give mine a deep clean which I only do when I start missing the target I find it takes around 12 shots to settle back in, It's been covered quiet a bit on the forum regarding cleaning.
Wind has never caused me a problem other than not being able to hold steady on my sticks

 

[rick1127]

That sounds feasible, il try it again once I'm home just to see how well it's grouping and if its bang on il know it was cleaning or a bad batch of ammo

 

[Cyres]

I clean mine every 50 and don't deep clean it at all. Learnt that accuracy bombs out if I do.
That was a Savage barrel but it ended up looking v poor hence the new barrel. It might be much lest prone to fouling being cut and hand lapped.
D