Why go with "zero lead"?

[Remmynut]

YO........FIREBALL! Your INBOX IS FULL. lol

But hey gang?

Other than all bullets reaching the lands (cant say Ive ever had a problem NOT be able to do so...??) what are the pros and cons of a "zero lead" rechamber?

HAS to be SOMETHING negative? No free lunches around that I find.

If important the ROUND is a 20-222 that is in present thoughts.

Im old but still learning.
God Bless
Steve

[montdoug]

Not only does it allow ya to reach the lands but it also allows the round to fit in the magazine "and" touch the lands. In several factory rifles I've had if I seated the bullet out far enough to touch the lands it wouldn't fit into the magazine.
A secondary advantage to me is that after a lot of rounds when the throat starts to stretch out a ways you have lots of room for seating farther out and continuing to reach the lands.
Some rifles are real accurate seated well away from the lands but a lot are more accurate touching or close to it, zero free-bore allows you the choice of either.
My take anyway.

P.S.
If a factory round has a lot of free-bore and you re-chamber it to zero it will in all likelihood no longer fire factory ammo safely .

[Remmynut]

PART of the purpose of the setback and rechamber is to get RID of the excessive (even though it would probably still shoot better than I can) freebore AND (for me) excessive case capacity of the 204R round it is now.



Besides......Wildcats are more fun, as is the look on the faces at the range.

"It's a WHAT? "


SHOULDA bought a Varmint so a Vartarg round would be more of an option since a bit more set back would be required and ........ on this sporter barrel, it kinda gives me (and a few smiths) the "willies".

Clip wise, I may have to invest in a 222/223 clip for this......or just stick in a SSF.

Appreciate it Mr. Montana Mentor. It's as I suspected but needed more info "just in case".

God Bless

[GLWenzl]

It just gives me more options and some days I need all the options I can get…

My factory CZ 204 Ruger (varmint barrel) shot a box of factory loaded 32 gr ammunition into an average .4” group, that’s four-5 shot groups and in-between each of those groups I shot a box of factory 40 gr ammo that went for an average 1.1” …

That’s 40 rounds in a row with no cleaning and the first 40 rounds down the tube… While the 40s didn’t fare as well the 32s I was overly impressed by the factory ammunition in a factory so called sloppy chamber.

At that time I was one of those guys… you know the type, whine around about why can’t they just…. Well not anymore, the factory can include the slop, some will shoot, some wont so what…. unfortunately I have a custom that didn’t shoot that well and fact of the matter is I sent that rifle out to become an improved 20 vt (20 Habu shrew) and had a hard time getting the 32s to shoot that well ever again….

[kenbro]

That’s 40 rounds in a row with no cleaning and the first 40 rounds down the tube… While the 40s didn’t fare as well the 32s I was overly impressed by the factory ammunition in a factory so called sloppy chamber.

That certainly flys in the face face of the ' Shoot one clean' procedure. Mr.Wenzl.
Might try that myself when my new Pac-Nor 17 cal 8 twist arrives. Sounds much easier ..... shoot 40 clean, than shoot 1 clean. I won't blame you if It's not a shooter.lol.
Sorry for the high Jack.
Ken.

[GLWenzl]

Originally Posted by kenbro

That’s 40 rounds in a row with no cleaning and the first 40 rounds down the tube… While the 40s didn’t fare as well the 32s I was overly impressed by the factory ammunition in a factory so called sloppy chamber.

That certainly flys in the face face of the ' Shoot one clean' procedure. Mr.Wenzl.
Might try that myself when my new Pac-Nor 17 cal 8 twist arrives. Sounds much easier ..... shoot 40 clean, than shoot 1 clean. I won't blame you if It's not a shooter.lol.
Sorry for the high Jack.
Ken.

Ha, maybe so, I didn’t even consider that… It was intended to only fly in the face of truth and my own real life experience.

Yeah that was back in the day when I was in a big experimental mode. I had taken Cooper’s barrel breaking in cleaning process to heart but around that time period some of the post here alluded to the theory that more wear and damage to the barrel will take place from cleaning rather than from a dirty barrel (or maybe it was worded break in or not cleaning the barrel??) any ways I decided to experiment on a couple custom builds and this 204 happened to get in on it. the 32 gr groups was very consistent and actually was smaller on the last target than the first. I can’t remember how the barrel cleaned up but am thinking it was good with very little copper fouling or I would have put a custom on it. Got it back and was shooting the 32s at around 3900 fps (from a fb case with the 2200 powder and getting ½ groups so I didn’t take the time develop that load any better, we had PDs to kill and it did a fine job out to around 300-350 yards and then I was getting too many missed with it…

Back on topic, this was at a time when the 204 Ruger was coming out and many reports were coming in saying that the factory 12 twist wasn’t shooting the 40 gr bullet as well as the 32 so I had to check it out for myself. I purchased the rifle for a custom build not for a 204 R so the day I bought it I grabbed a box of 32 and 40 gr ammunition. While the 40 gr bullets was over double in group size the 32s shocked me making me wonder how could a so called factory sloppy chamber with factory ammo shoot that well and also if a better chamber would have made any difference? Its just facts I have seen with my own eyes but does not mean that I would spec out a reamer differently, as I said in the first post, I like having more options

[kenbro]

I too had a factory ruger that wouldn't shoot 40 vmax, soon cured it with a Pac N 11 twist.
Ken.
PS.My above comment was tongue in cheek.

[sicero]

I know they did testing before coming out with the 204R cartridge and the 40gr vmax bullet.
They still haven't changed the twist recommendations or the bullet.
It's a, We have always done it that way attitude.
The twist could have been proven easy before final decisions were made.
Buy a few barrels from different mfg in a 13 twist.
If a 13 didn't stabalize them, you know a 12 twist is on the ragged edge.
I know some 12 twist barrels shoot them just fine.
But by the same token some 12 twist do not. Kenny

[Remmynut]

The 1-12 factory twist is one thing I ran through searches on before deciding to buy this for a setback and rechamber.

Being deprived of having a 20 cal (ever) I wanted one affordable and not horribly an overbore. (at least IMO)

The twist rate might be a limitation for me but see no serious need for very heavy bullets, for my use, but anxious to see which of H-Gs bullets DO stabilize. For my use, I fully expect the 36 grain ones will fill any needs I have for Indiana ranges for at least a good part of my shots.


I would be surprised if the heavier ones shot in this set up but here is the quote from the site:

Perhaps I'm misreading this,

http://shop.hgfirearms.com/20-Calibe...tm?productId=3

"Our standard weight bullets come in 36, 38, 40 and 42 grains, and feature a very sleek 10s ogive and a flat base open tip style. These bullets were designed to work in a 20 caliber case and to stabilize in all standard factory and custom rifling twists." so.....Ill find out over time.

I see some posting that the SBK 39 grain bullets stabilize in 1-12 but more than a few that say the 40 grain V-max will not.

Somewhere from the 32 grain to 39 grain, I'm sure I'll find a bullet or two giving me satisfactory results.

The project isnt any kind of a long range rifle idea.

The only two end goals of any real interest is one bullet/load that goes splat on groundhogs (whole crapload of bullets for that ) and hopefully a "fur friendly" bullet/load for winter coyotes and 300 yards here is a LOOOOOOOOOOONG shot but occasional ones do appear. They are just RARE and hardly worth much load work up for such.

Your experiences on this in the "plain jane, neck down the 222 to 20 cal, load and shoot" 20-222 version is, of course, appreciated as always.

BARREL will be a bit shorter than one would order in a custom. Starting out at 21.9 inches, I'll lose a little, both barrel and velocity, but 4000 fps was never the goal.

Between back, ankle and knee "issues", carry weight took back seat ONLY to something fun / cheap / interesting / reasonably accurate.....and doable.

Went with NIB for the CZ. While not a custom barrel, I wasnt keen on putting funds into a used barrel of unknown background.

I tried to remove all the variables, within my budget, so I could take ALL the blame if it give me better than MOA accuracy.

God Bless and thanks for the info, guys!
Steve

[sicero]

Steve
I change a lot of stuff that don't need changing but since you need a gunsmith to do your changing.
The 204 will do all you want done.
If it shoots too fast for you, put in less powder. Kenny