.204 Ruger

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rswartz

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Trying to Justify buying a 204 Ruger as I have a full line .22 Center Fire Rifles right up to .220 Swift. Was checking out Trajectory Tables and Ballistic Coeficitient and that little .20 Cal sure delivers the goods. Is there anyone out there that has a .204 Ruger not like it and for what reason?
 
I have one I am selling. It's a savage and the only reason is so I can try out a tikka or CZ in the same caliber :). I will always have a 204. What a great little caliber. The only downside is you have to be more precise when coyote hunting as those little bullets don't punch through bone very well. 22-250 has that extra little punch but 204 is cheaper faster flatter and more accurate in my opinion.
 
With a full line of .22 centerfires the .204 may be a little redundant. I certainly can't see reaching for the .204 when there is a .220 Swift in the safe :p

As for the .204, lots of speed, less recoil than the .22 centerfires so you can spot hits through the scope (great for gophers.) If you live on the prairies and want an awesome gun for gophers I would go for it, if you want it for predator hunting your swift will beat it in every way. I guess you could make an argument that the .204 is more fur friendly.
 
cdn1canhunt said:
This should start a fight?.....I just can't consider the .204 a serious predator hunting round. just not enough umpf for my liking JMO!
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I would have to agree with you, I've had mixed results on coyotes. It's good if your calling them in but I feel under gunned once it get's over 200 yds. It sure is fun watching gopher parts fly through the scope.
 
I use 32 blitz and have never had an exit wound. The entry wound is so small they don't even need a stitch a lot of the time. That little bullet needs to be placed just right though. If I was shooting past 300 or was not a good enough shot with my rifle I would switch to 22-250.
 
The 204 is my go to gun for varmints, the only problems i have with my Tikka is getting it to shoot 39 and 40 gr slugs. The 32gr SBK's are the Tikka's best slug and the guy that skins coyotes for me like them as well, no exit. Couldn't get factory ammo to shoot either, both a 700 sps varmints and the Tikka would shoot patterns with Hornady and Win ammo.
 
I also have a full line of 22 center fire. That being said I will take my 204s for coyote hunting 90% of the time. I have complete confidence in my rifles and loads to shoot coyotes out to 400 yds. The problem with the 204 is people using varmint bullets to shoot predators. I also have some reduced loads worked up the 204 for doing beaver control that allows me to take head shots and still have a hide in sellable condition. Try doing that with a swift.
 
I have yet to be seduced by the sub caliber cartridges from .12 to .20, despite having been tempted by .17s from time to time; the Hornet variety and the Fireball variety. To my way of thinking, the .204, particularly when built on an overbore cartridge case, does nothing the .17 hasn't already done. That's not to say it isn't a fine cartridge, after all, it shares the same ballistic niche as the .17s, and undoubtedly, their short comings as well. In a typical sub arctic breeze, the .17's drift is measured in feet, rather than inches, and I'm confident the same will apply to the .204.

Having said that, I wish the .204 long success and popularity. It provides me with an unlimited supply of brass from which to make .222 magnum, which is the best of that family of cartridges. It has about 5% more capacity than the .223, combined with the long neck of the .222, giving it the advantage, but the popularity of the 5.56/.223 has pretty much spelled the doom of this fine cartridge. Fortunately though, the folks who brought us the .204 had the foresight to base it on the .222 mag rather than necking down the .223, and that makes me a happy man. I hope the .204 becomes the most popular varmint cartridge of all time.
 
I use the 39g bullet in my 20 Tac and it works well, the furthest coyote I have taken with it was 397 yards( yes ranged). The 20 cal bullets do need proper placement, I shot one at around 100 yards running at me in the brisket once to see what the results would be, it required a follow up shot. I agree this is where the 22-250 or 220 swift might shine. With the right bullet the 22-250 or 220 swift might make a better all around option. Either cal needs the right bullet for the job is, I talked to a guy who shoots a 20br and a 55g Berger bullet and he has taken coyotes out to 700 yards with that combo.
 
I haven't owned a 20 of any designation, but after considering a 20 Tactical, and the 204R, I settled on the 20Vartarg. It doesn't give up a great deal to the 204R velocity wise, but it uses 30% less powder, and barrel life is greatly increased.
 
rswartz said:
Trying to Justify buying a 204 Ruger as I have a full line .22 Center Fire Rifles right up to .220 Swift. Was checking out Trajectory Tables and Ballistic Coeficitient and that little .20 Cal sure delivers the goods. Is there anyone out there that has a .204 Ruger not like it and for what reason?
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forget "justify", just use it as fine excuse to buy another rifle, and have a nice day.;)
 
204 can ruin a pelt too!! Shot placement is obviously still important, but I do think the number of ruined pelts will drop when using the 204 over other larger rounds.

I loved my 204 for gophers. A little flatter shooting, and a little less recoil than the .22 cal rounds. The pain-in-the-neck part of any sub caliber is that most reloading equipment is set up for .22 and up. Funnels, arbors, etc needed to be purchased.

I say go for it! A very fun cartridge.
 
RT said:
Is the 204 enough for wolfs?
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It won't do em any good.

My concern is whether the bullet is resilient enough to hold together on a tough 100+ pound animal. I'd give the .20/55 gr Berger LR BT Varmint a look (they require a 1:8 twist) and do some testing with it to see if they penetrate. On a wolf, I'd want 8"-12" of penetration, and too often the construction of high velocity varmint bullets causes them to upset too quickly to assure that level of performance on a large animal. But if you use it, the math isn't difficult; if the first shot doesn't anchor him, shoot again.
 
I really enjoyed my .204 when I had it, it was very accurate and turned gophers/magpies etc. into a satisfying mist. It was quite good if and when I could get it on a coyote, but here, the coyotes don't respond to calling well and are skittish from every farmer with an -06 taking a holdover/running shot on them, but they do sit in the middle of the field for a long enough time to line up an shot..... this being anywhere from 400-600 meters :( where they think they are at a safe distance . I found the .204 bullet a little to susceptible to the crazy wind patterns and gusts here to take a reasonably responsible shot at this distance. I have switched over to match bullet .308 and now these are chip shots for it. I will likely go back to a 22-250 or a .223 with a heavier bullet for next year though.

PS. The guy who has traded it to me, did so due to it not being enough for a wolf, he upgraded caliber choice to 6mm Rem from .204 (which is likely a smart move)
 
Boomer said:
It won't do em any good. My concern is whether the bullet is resilient enough to hold together on a tough 100+ pound animal. I'd give the .20/55 gr Berger LR BT Varmint a look (they require a 1:8 twist) and do some testing with it to see if they penetrate. On a wolf, I'd want 8"-12" of penetration, and too often the construction of high velocity varmint bullets causes them to upset too quickly to assure that level of performance on a large animal. But if you use it, the math isn't difficult; if the first shot doesn't anchor him, shoot again.
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It wouldn't be my first choice for wolf, but there are other bullet choices for the .204 than the varminting types.
 
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