204 Ruger: Little Cartridge with BIG Punch!
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Who is Ron Spomer
For 44 years, I’ve had the good fortune to photograph and write about my passion - the outdoor life. Wild creatures and wild places have always stirred me - from the first flushing pheasant that frightened me out of my socks in grandpa’s cornfield to the last whitetail that dismissed me with a wag of its tail. In my attempts to connect with this natural wonder, become an integral part of our ecosystem, and capture a bit of its mystery, I’ve photographed, hiked, hunted, birded, and fished across much of this planet. I've seen the beauty that everyone should see and survived adventures that everyone should experience. I may not have climbed the highest mountains, canoed the wildest rivers, caught the largest fish, or shot the biggest bucks, but I’ve tried. Perhaps you have, too. And that’s the essential thing. Being out there, an active participant in our outdoor world.
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Awesome cartridge and it is one of the most accurate as well this should be at the top of the list for it's accuracy 🙂
Great cartridge! I've had one since the early days and it never fails to perform. On barrel life, I'd say it is significantly longer than you indicated. Mine has had close to 3,000 through it and still holding 0.5 MOA with my handloads.
What rifle are you using to get that performance? Never fired a 22-250 but getting very attractive after seeing the damage it inflicts on small game!!!
@@bryanduchane2371 Nothing fancy, just a CZ 527 Varmint.
@@bryanduchane2371 yes I want a 22 250
Thats pretty dam good considering the velocity they are coming out at.
Parent case is .222 magnum triple deuce should have been the standard but can see durability concerns with the longer neck, more case capacity is usually good too.
I recall Hornady had to change the type of plastic on the bullet tips because they were actually melting in flight. I think the .204 Ruger was one of them.
Interesting. The lightest pill is travelling about mach 4, so it might have melted tips.
It’s true and it’s now implemented in the EDLX bullets from them also
Teflon tip?
@@stevemace1725 no they are polymer just higher temp. its not a frying pan coating its solid one piece plastic tip.
I used the .204 exclusively for a year as well, it is an awesome coyote cartridge..downfall is that in my area, finding ammunition for it is virtually impossible..also impossible to find 22-250 ammo, which I used for several years..I've bought a Savage model 10 heavy barrel chambered in .223 solely because I can actually find the ammo for it. For many people, ammunition availability is the limiting factor for what cartridge is chosen. It's challenging to find reloading supplies.. primers, powder ect, and when you do it's astronomically priced. Really hope some day that there is a big change in this.
I hope so too but unfortunately i dont think things are going to get better for us reloaders anytime soon. Here in Australia we cant get anything from our local ADI supplier for gun powder, and everything is imported including large rifle primers,projectiles, and brass casings. Prices on everything has sky-rocketed, and very limited stocks of everything! Im switching to benchmark powder and cci primers and hornady brass and projectiles as thats the only brands available where i live in rural country Queensland. They are making it an expensive sport/hobby on purpose because i believe the government's want to disarm the citizens. They want full control over all of us!
@D the 17 fireball
Love the 204, best thing is watching your hits in the scope. No recoil, problem is when shooting prairie dogs it can be expensive. Now I shoot 223 on dog towns and save the 204 for varmints. Funnier watching coyotes absorbing that 37 grain pill. Only killed 1 whitetail with it but as someone else said when you know you can hit an eyeball it’s pretty cool being able to see it in the scope it’s even better.
@@Healthliving1967 west Aussie here ADI powered we can get but you have to order in advance so i order 2kg as for projectiles it is a worldwide shortage thanks to covid lockdowns as for projectiles i buy online projectile warehouse are great to deal with and are in SA.
just another tip is i use the same gun powered for my 204 and 22-250 from what i was told about ADI was they were or still are having issues with the cutting machines hence slow release.
don't want to lose your guns? then make sure you are regularly going out on farmland and property owners will vouch for a need for feral pest control on said lands once a week i go, but i agree with you and a time is coming soon that you will have to prove a need for a heap of dust collecting guns in your gun safe and paper punching hobby will never cut it as a justified need just to have a gun.
Even with high component prices it is still far cheaper to load your own and you get a better product if you have a mind to do it. Loaded factory ammunition is high as a kite right now to..
I have 5 rifles in .223 I always knew about the .204. Didnt know much about it. Thanks for the great explanation.
So underrated, one of the best red misting nuclear groundhog rounds I ever shot. Bucks the wind much better than one would expect. 40 grain v max was my best bullet. My dads rifle liked the 32 grain v max. If you buy one and reload, reloader 10x, cc1 benchrest primers, worked well in our rifles.
My Ruger #1 in 204 is pretty picky but once I found it's perfect diet it became my favorite groundhog slayer.
@@buddyrevelle736 it’s been way underrated, there’s a couple older guys I know talked up the 250s until they actually went with me on a couple GH hunts. Shortly afterwards they both ended up buying a 204, I had a xr-100 range master that would absolutely shoot with my custom copper 204, those rifles are laser precision. As long as I do my part haha. Watching them explode though the scope is definitely a benefit. Anyone knocking that round either can’t find a load or doesn’t own one. True I love the 250s, even 6.5s, 7mm saum but they’ll always be room for my 204s in my safe
Its underrated because you can do the same thing with a 223/556 hand load. I can load a 40gr bullet going 3800 fps out of my 16in AR for much cheaper and widely available components.
@@Nick-sx6jm Probably won't be very accurate and you'll burn the barrel out fast especially varmint hunting. Majority of twist rates in AR barrels are 1:7, 1:8 maybe 1:9 Unless You have a varmint model (which you can get a 204 in a AR platform as well) But For a 40 grain pill optimum twist is going to be about a 1:12
257 Roberts
I was a highly successful bench rest shooter with the 222x35 (the new kid on the block then) which also uses the 222 Mag brass. (A little too successful. Nobody wants to shoot with you when that happens because it's no fun for them.) It was a Brown fiberglass stock, Hart barrel, 40X action with Model 70 extractor, Leupold 24x, smithed by Fred Sinclair when he was a one-man band working out of his home workshop. I was in my early 20s and flew my plane down there and spent some hours in his shop when I picked up my gun. He made up my reloading stuff on the lathe, bought a micrometer measure, and cleaning stuff (and said to me if anyone asks you where you got it tell them you found it on the side of the road). He must have had some awfully understanding neighbors put up with him or they couldn't hear anymore because before I left, a little before midnight, he fire formed some cases for me in his back yard in order to teach me how and how to use the tools. I never had to resize, so after a few cycles the cases stop growing and the bullets seated perfectly and evenly. 20 to 40 pieces of brass will easily out-shoot any barrel that way too. He gave me some ideas of what powders and bullets to determine what the gun liked. I used all of the typical bench rest powders of the day and cheap to fancy bullets. I started out weighing loads, bullets, and weighing and matching brass. It made absolutely zero difference, so I just set the measure, and seated bullets. It also didn't work to push them fast though. What made the gun shoot the best Reloader #7, and the cheap Sierra 55gr. hollow points shot as good or better than the Hart match boat tails. It could hold between .160 and .280 at a 100 all day long, but was happiest @~2200. If I pushed it faster with Reloader #7 or hotter powders, the accuracy fell off. I used it for varmint too, but with no safety and a 2 oz. trigger, I didn't chamber a round until I was ready to shoot. I used a golf range finder and an arrow with a paddle and scale to track the wind that I could read through the scope. A guy had a .220 Swift where used to shoot. It wasn't a bench rest gun but the groups were not that good, and those ran @4100 at that time. I wondered how useful a fast gun is for small varmint like ground hogs, prairie dogs, crows, and long-range coyotes if it can only shoot a silver dollar group @100. After this, I went to the academy and flew military after that, and with a family and no time, I regrettably sold my airplane and guns, maintaining only the family heirlooms. So as you can tell, I've been out of it forever. I'd never heard of a 20 cal. anything before now, but at @4500, I'm curious as to what its typical group is at @100.
PS: 4,500 fps isn't hypersonic, but it is mach 4. Fortunately it only maintains that for a fraction of a second or it would surely melt.
Great video Ron. I’ll stick with my .243 using Hornady 58 Grain V-Max for coyotes. They are super fast and super flat at 3,950 fps.
I am taching the same in my 223 bolt with 40gr vmax
That is a good setup! I've done the same with my 6mm Rem. and those bullets. Bobcats don't like them either. Roll on LCJ!
A good friend of mine uses a .204 exclusively as his varmint gun. Always been impressed with it, not sure if it's velocity or something else, but it makes a very distinct sound when it hits a coyote at 100 yd.
SchaaaWackk!!
It sounds similar to a 80gr 25-06 hitting a deer or antelope!
It's the grenade effect of the projectile exploding inside of them. I have skinned out yotes that have been hit with these rounds and they literally turn their insides into jello.
I had requested you do a write up on the .204 a while back. Thanks Ron for following through! Some may not agree, but I use this caliber to cull deer and hogs with a bullet to the neck or ear drops them right there. My shots are usually inside of 150yds though. Fun to watch them hit the ground through the scope!! My wife hunts with me and a few weeks ago it was a little foggy in the morning and she heard me shoot ~ she said it sounded like "Boom, ssssssssssss, Pow!".. Doe DRT!
I like my 26-06 ! Also a 7mm -08
I would prefer my 257 lazzarroni.scramjet even for bull elk out to 400 to 500 yards.
Great presentation on the .204 Ruger. Never gave that cartridge much thought, but you did a great job Ron. Probably would still take the 22-250 or the Swift but it’s food for thought. Thanks Ron!
22-250 is king of the small bores.
220 swift is faster... the KING though is a .30-378 with a 55 grain accelerator on top! 130 grains of powder pushing 55 grains ....
Was looking for a 204.
But I found a 22-250 at a sweet price.
And then remembered all the 22 bullets I already had. You have to make room for primers in the budget.
😉
@@Greyzonecompliant primers are 10.00 a box of 100 I am STARTING to see then show up.
Powder, expect 40.00 a pound
Bullets: as much as your willing to spend. Personally, I live close to nosler, so I love getting their "seconds" been rough the last several years.
But, as a experienced hand loader, I can assure you, not all guns like all bullets! Example my 6mm remington gets me 8" groups with MOST 6mm bullets regardless of powder or primer. I use nosler 100 grain partitions I get 1 moa. BUT, 6MM 100 grain partitions are impossible to find right now.
But, I do like the small cartridges, as the bullets are cheaper than bigger callibers. And less powder and cheaper (more available primers).
I have a 204, a ruger m77 stainless.. it's a joy to shoot! I have 3 22-250s (the cheep savage axis has the better trigger) than my $1500.00 remjngton 700 /vx3 scope. And a better trigger than my 1800.00 ruger #1 and vx3 scope). -- kinda pisses me off.
When the 204 first came out I had to test. Yes I was a diehard 250 fan for years. That changed my first trip out with my dad. Example #1 670yrds, shooting at a rock pile full of Gh, 7mph to 10mph quarter value left to right. With my 250 to off set the wind was approaching 24 inches, with my 204 around the 18 inch mark, I have a few more examples from that weekend but I won’t bore or try to convince anyone any differently. At one time no one could convince me anything was better than a 22-250, after that day the 204 was my gh round seeing it out preform my 250 in the field personally was the only way I would’ve believed it. I’ll never knock the 250 it’s a proven round and I’ve pulled some very lucky shots with it haha.
I can’t believe he missed the 39gr Blitz King @3900fps bc .287 lol 24” of drop @ 500yds
Love your stories Ron, but the cheapest 204 Ruger ammo is around $2/rd.
Yeah similar prices in Australia too
If you can find it.
Hornaday should have had a Black Fridy sale.
Yeah, I'm referring to handloads. Small powder charges give you more shots per pound. Small bullets require less metal/lead. Economy of scale keeps 223 prices lower in factory ammo for sure.
I just bought some for $23 per box of 20. Look at Mile High
I've almost got into 204 but my 223 and 22-250 with 36 grain varmint grenades& 35 grain frangibles do everything I could ask for.
Do you hand load? Just wanting to know the powder of choice for the 36 on the 223. Thanks
Yeah, sad is it not.
An excellent cartridge that I dont need. My 22-250 with a suppressor makes the smal recoil next to nothing. Good for spotting hits.
I still have a 222 rem mag, a 700 BDL. I've shot countless varmints with that thing, 6 foxes recently. Factory ammo is basically nonexistent. My suggestion is to skip the 204 and get a 223 , you might actually be able to afford to shoot it.
I went from a 22.250 to a 204 and love it
What 204 did you get, and have you had trouble finding boxed ammo?
@@brandonenglert5649 just a savage w/acutriger. I like it. In canada cabelas has hornady 40g Vmax, and a couple of private dealers as well
A mate of mine has one and I’ve shot it. We shoot mostly at night and target foxes in Australia. He reloads and has dropped the powder load a little so it doesn’t burn as much but is a sweet spot in the mid 3500s. Very good out to 200m for night shooting, light and no recoil. Easy shooting and a pleasure to use.
What grain pill? I’m guessing 39gn at 3500?
I'm hard pressed to find a general used case where this is a legitimate improvement over .223. How often are you taking game at 300 plus yards? The energy difference isn't meaningful, the only advantage is not having to dial in a few clicks of elevation. This is an edge case on top of an edge case for your prairie small game hunters.
I'm a HUGE fan of the .22-250 & I am just beginning to dabble into the .204 Ruger realm. I think that I'm going to love it. I get phenomenal barrel life with my 4000 fps
.22-250 Hornady 50 grain "barrel burners", so I am pleased to see from your chart that I can expect about the same from the .204. Thanks Ron for your very informative, well-done video!
My dad loves his .204. "wherever I put the cross hairs is where it hits".
If I use my 204 between 50 and 350 yards it kills coyotes like lightning. In my hunting, the 32 grain bullet isn't tough enough to penatrate reliably on bigger varmints like coyotes. For coyotes, you need a little heavier and tougher bullet like a 40 to 45 grain. Out to 50 yards, the bullets tend to blow up on the hide and at 350 yards it starts to run out of steam. But every rifle I ever shot chambered for the 204 has been extremely accurate, with 1" groups at 200 yards being common. With no recoil, being inherently accurate, if you use it within it's parameters it does a very good job. I have been shooting the 204 since it came out. Oh and Ron, I too love the 39 grain Sierra Blitzking. In fact it is my favorite bullet for that round. You notice I said, "39 grains" not 36. Look it up, I think you made a slight mistake. I really like that I can see the hits through the scope. No, it hasn't any recoil.
I got mine when it first came out, I can't can't ask for anything better. At 200 yards I'm at 0.5 moa add day long. Hand load all of my amo.
Looks like a good excuse for another rifle. I may have to get one. My 223 runs .11 sp's and 25 grains of 4198 on prairie dogs. I don't think you can beat that price. I struggle to get many predators though. Might need one of those books.😉
Thanks for good info on the .204 ruger!
As we speak Im waiting for a barrelblank to arrive so I will get my own .204 up and running!
Just a friendly FYI...4,500 fps converts to (3,067.8 mph)... absolutely sizzling... LOL 🤣...Thank you sir you are the best of the best of outdoors sports writers and I and I'm sure many many others are wishing you the very best this holiday season...Merry Christmas for you and your family Mr.Spomer...
I’m 2004 we bought one (young kids 18-20) and sighted it in. We were shooting a 12oz soda can @ 200 yards and we tho it got we were missing but upon further inspection the can was toast but the bullet would scream right through without moving the cab at all. I was blown away! Super neat round became extinct around here pretty quickly though.
Thanks for your kind words and support, Life.
Manufacturers need to twist it a little faster like 1:11 twist or 1:10 to cover all the available bullets. Now you can just neck down the .223 brass to 20 cal and you have the .20 practical, blow the shoulders and you got the .20 tactical. The somewhat Ackley version.
I’d like to see you do a video on the 17Remington. That’s another hot rod!
I switched over to a 204 Ruger for predators after finding out that my 243 Win was making too much of a mess out of lighter-skinned varmints like red and grey foxes at least 15 years ago.
The 204 reachs out loooong distances, and crushes
even bigger dogs like yotes provided the bullet didn't hit any obstacles in its path down range.
Hornady VMax Superformance 32gr factory ammo is rated at 4,225 fps muzzle velocity as printed right on the Hornady box. 👍
Unfortunately, you can't find 'em around here any more.
I thought about a 204 ruger but, with the ease of getting 45-52gr bullets for the 223 I have not felt that spending more money on different calibers and loading equipment. I didn't give it much more thought.
39gr Blitzking is the best bullet for the 204
Thx! Ruger .204 is the most interesting of the „AR-compatible“ calibers! But one hardly finds anything about it! Are there deer-cartridges for it? Self-defense rounds? Or is it for varminting only?
Varmints. Nobody makes a big game load for the .204.
30 odd years ago we were working in the back country of the northern Hawkes Bay of New Zealand. There were two possum cullers working with us at the same time and place. Long story short, they were two of the pioneers of helicopter hunting and later on heli-live capture of feral deer in New Zealand. They both swore by the Remington 222( most deer shot by govt. cullers back in the day) the 223 Rem., one of them Graeme was a Vietnam vet, when they had their business operating he was the chopper pilot. Graeme's last culling rifle was a Rem 222.mag. He told us he used 223 ammo which would then fire form to the correct case size for reloading. Dunno if this was a true story, I think it was, but for the first time in 30 years it was neat to hear someone mention the 222 Rem Mag. Thanks Mr Spomer for your posts, I don't follow your page but certainly enjoy your content when I come across it. 🙂👍
You can't beat the 17 caliber, if you're hunting pelts they just leaves one tiny little hole one stitch takes care of it, it's like shooting a needle
I shoot 40gn vmax @ 3900 out of mine have done since 2006, great on red fox's, kangaroo, even taken donkey's out to 200yds with a well placed head shot
Another gimmick cartridge to get peoples money get a 220 swift and forget about these pea shooting 204s and 17 cal garbage rounds
I’ve got a 204 . Used it for prairie dogs and it worked well at 300 plus yards .
Yea its a great round but for ammo availability the best one to go with is the .223 IMO dont need 4500 FPS to kill a small critter. Cant shoot them in heavy rain or most of any rain lol
The 204 ruger has had a spot as my truck rifle for about 10-12 years. Probably shouldn’t admit this but my neighbors daughter ended up using it on her antelope hunt with great results. Very recoil sensitive shooter but made a great shot and did the job and was legal in my state.
I’m with you on that note.
A good friend of mine dropped a whitetail in it’s tracks with a .204
The 204 is awesome little cartridge I just didn't want to have the deal with the brass for it so I just neck down 223 and make 20 practical very similar performance but nice to be able to make it out of brass that's so available and cheap since I have multiple 223s I built my first one on Ar platform it was so good I had to build another one in a bolt gun. I can get 4250 FPS with a 32 Grand VMAX and that shoots quarter inch groups all day long can't beat it
I love the .204 Ruger!
It's a lovely quiet round with a moderator, quieter that a .223 and yet has the same muzzle energy as the .223.
I use a .39 grain Sierra Blitzking at 3,800 fps with homeloads and its amazing to see a fox drop before you even hear the bullet hit.
Damage is low unless you hit a bone and push it out...
Foxy on the run is a tuff target . Kudos
@@shawntailor5485 I never like to shoot a fox on the run, hitting a vital organ while they are bouncing up and down is not easy, and a clean kill is a essential. I'd sooner let a fox go then let is suffer....
I don't know why people say certain bullets won't take down a deer. I've seen a deer taken out with a .22 CB short. The deer didn't run anywhere it jumped straight up into the air landed on its side and was done.
I'd love to have a 204. My favorite rifle is my ruger #1 in 218bee. 7000÷14=500 is why I love it so much. But iam good out to 200 yards. The best shot i have made was 320 yards but that was pure luck
The first rifle I bought was a .204 Ruger. As a broke college freshman I shot my first deer with it... dropped in its tracks (under 25 yards). Shot placement>bullet size.
Had my 204 in Australia for 15 years fox only, the great thing about it is it is a no-brainer to shoot "point and shoot"most of my hunting is done under a spotlight traveling over open harvested paddocks that have been cropped which the 204 shines and agrees very cheap to reload as for down range performance 32grain are great if you want to keep pelts i find the 40g Bergers are explosive on fox like open them up, one downside to the 204 is they are VERY! loud especially the 32g comparison the 243 sounds like a pop gun compared.
highly recommended
I bought one of these in a cheap Rem 700 sps varmint model not too long after it launched. I put a Nikon monarch ucc 6.5-20 (the old adjustable objective one) that I got on closeout when they came out with the side focus model, tuned tge factory trigger a bit and headed to the range. With 32 grain Hornady factory ammo, it would consistently shoot 5 shots at a 1/2" or better. With subsequent handloads you usually won't see paper between the bullet holes. My pet load is 32 grain nosler over 27.1 grains of Benchmark and a cci br primer. Never chronographed it, but I know it's around 4k fps as I have a 26" barrel. It's absolutely the most accurate rifle I've ever owned.
You should have used the 35 grain offering in the 22-250 Hornady has a factory loading that is 4450 fps with that 35 grain bullet that’s 11 grains heavier than the 204. 24 grain loading. The 204 32 grain Hornady offering is listed at 4225 fps. The 22-250 is way faster and has a Higher B.C. So it shoots way flatter as well. Your comparison is apples to oranges with such bullet weight difference. Why not compare the 22-250 35 grain bullet to the 204. 32 grain bullet? 204. 32 gr 4225 fps the 22-250 35 gr bullet 4450 fps it’s not close.
Ron, my Hornady handloading manual shows the 22-250 Rem. driving that 35-gr. .224 bullet a max of 4,400 fps. It's B.C. is rated .177. When I run the ballistic tables compared to the 204 with its .170 B.C. 24-gr. at 4,500 fps they both strike within 0.1" of one another at 250 yards. At 300 yards the 204 is .21" flatter. At 400 yards it's 0.35" flatter. But the 22-250 carries 111 f-p more energy at 400 yards. Both are great options, but one does not appear to shoot way faster nor flatter than the other. Regardless, pick your favorite and enjoy. This is an election each of us can win every time!
@@RonSpomerOutdoors thx for the reply!
@@RonSpomerOutdoorsI was siting the superformance factory ammo from Hornady in both calibers. All I know for sure is that when people have worked up these loads,myself included, my chronograph and the long range paper favour the 22-250 on the same day and same weather. I will concede though that it is kind of 6 of 1 and half a dozen of the other practically speaking.
I bought a 204 Remington 700 SPS back in 2014. The very first animal I dumped with it was a big Male Timber Wolf up here in Saskatchewan. 32 grain bullet. Handled him pretty easy. I love the cartridge.
I bought a Ruger No1, chambered in 204Ruger the fall of 2005. The state of Idaho opened wolf season for the first time that year. I was active on a forum dedicated to the 204Ruger, and I started a highly agitated thread, discussing the suitability of the 40-GR V-Max for hunting wolves. The thread ran for about three months, before a guy from Canada, who hunted wolves with one weighed in, and confirmed my stance that it was a great wolf cartridge. Clean kills with no pelt damage. Still haven’t seen a wolf at less than 800-yds.
@@randallthomas5207 I've shot quite a few wolves with my 22-250. It handled them well so when I got the new 204 I really wanted to try it. I wasn't disappointed.
I didn't know you had a predator hunting book!
Considered that ordered... I'm trying to learn all I can.
I love it for the brass! Now I’ve got great brass for my Steyr SL in .222 Rem Mag!
No more web and gun show searches for the nearly unobtainable!
BTW: I’d love to own a .204 also. Thanks Ruger!
The 204 is impressive but lets look at the 244 Remington with a 50gr in it!! I think Remington screwed up but I think they screwed up ahead of its time lol
Barrel life? The 220 Swift would burn barrel outs? What about this?
I have owned a Ruger #1 in .204 Ruger since 2005. It is my favorite white tail gun using the Hornady Superformance with a 40 gr bullet. It’s a deadly round. Shot a cull buck with it at 425 yards. Neck shot. The guns a Tac driver.
I have a CZ 527 in .204, it is amazing! Thanks for your expertise!
One of my regrets is not buying a 527 in 204 Ruger my LGS has a couple years back. Priced at $425 bucks...
@@whiteyfisk9769 that was a steal
2.22 - 2.50 a round yeah thats sooooo cheap. ill stick with the 17 hmr
Never used the 204 but had a 22-250 Ackley improved with 53 gr burger at 4300fps. It was devastating on coyotes and fox, honestly wasn't much left. Unfortunately the 22-250 Ackley was using the same powder charger as the 243 win. By the way great video as always, very informational.
I have them all.... honestly I like the 243. Drop a 55 grain varmagedon in there. Turns your243 into a 22-250... and turn it up for a LIGHT elk rifle. ( yes 243 takes elk).
I have a 204, 220 swift, 22-250 ( 3 rifles in it)... 223 volt, and more small ones. But 243 is more versatile.
What's the barrel life on a screamer like that?
Better than a 22-250!
Lmao shame it doesn't take to long before you need a new barrel. And you cant say it's not true.
id like to see the data on a 22" barrel with 204 vs 22-250
Last time I seen 204 Ruger ammo was over a buck a round. That was a couple months ago.
I shot the 204 in the 40 and 45 gr for years on wight tail out to 200 yards but I took my time and picked my shots never had a problem a great all round cartridge
I’ve found that simply getting 40gr Vmax in .223 is ammo I can easily buy a case or two of online that’ll move 3650, it’s actuall closer to 3500 from my 20in varmint AR. For me it’s all I need. There’s also 110gr Vmax rounds for my .308’s that are absolutely nasty, a little overkill on coyotes, but man puttin that fast little .30 bullet on a deer’s neck well they’ll drop em in their tracks every time. I like hearing and talking about the other cartridges, but as it’s been said many times ammo availability is a huge factor. I got a .17WSM and now finding ammo for that can be a little hard. Cost and availability definitely outweighs overall performance unfortunately and I doubt ammo will get easier to find and cheaper to buy as we go forward. So I’m glad I stockpiled some ammo for the guns that I have now, I highly doubt I’ll ever change from my love for the .17WSM, .223/5.56, .300blk, and .308. I have a .338WM for hunting large game out west, it’s just too expensive to shoot at whitetail anymore and ammo is harder to find where I live and online. So for me the classic easy to find calibers that are chambered for AR’s by everyone which is 5.56 and .308 that satisfies my needs whether it’s shooting a .22 or .30 bullet at moderate distances. I think anyone caring about cost per shot and don’t reload should just get a .223 or .308, or hell get both.
How is $2.00 a round (midway) cheap to shoot?
My experience with my 1st 2 coyotes hit with the .204 with 32 grain plastic tip type bullets, hit marginally, and they kept running. Marginally hit song dogs hit with my 22-250 and a 52 grain H.P. plastic tip seemed to experience the eternal dirt nap. What I have observed is the 50-55 grain bullets are much better performers on 35-40 lbs coyotes. with all the .224 center fire cartridges. .204 is capable, but there are much better choices.
I own 4 rifles in this calibre and it is absolutely devastating on Pdogs, Gophers and Coyotes (within 500m) When i bought my first rifle in it in 2005, I subsequently sold all my 223, and 22-250's because the performance of the 204 is just that good. Zeroed for 275M and you have an amazingly flat shooting round. Loading 40gn Vmax at 3977fps with H322.. mind numbing experience.
And Yes, the 40gn is the best bullet for overall performance.
I’ve loaded and shot this caliber for years. It is one of the best rounds out there. It is better to slow it down a little. It gets to the sweet spot around 3600. I shot prairie dogs for years and this is the best load. 39 gr Sierra’s at 3600 were deadly! Bucked the wind and held zero better than.223, 22-250 all day.
Did a search for .204 caliber bullets from a ammo search engine. Nothing registers above 40 grains. Also checked Berger's website, again, 35 and 40 grain only listed.
Did find a post made on a forum from 2001, for what it's worth:
"The BC for the 50 gr. Berger LTBs is .296. The BC for the 39 gr. Sierra at 3,900 fps is somewhere right around .287.
"I just plugged the numbers into a ballistics program, and the 50 gr. bullet at 3,352 fps (the fastest load listed for this bullet at the Hodgdon Web site) is no match for the 39 gr. Sierra shot at 3,873 fps. I set the zero at 235 yards for both bullets and the 39 gr. Sierra seems to outperform the 50 gr. bullet in that it is flatter shooting and has less wind deflection. I only went out to 700 yards with the chart. The 39 gr. Sierra even beats the 50 gr. Berger in the ft-lbs of energy every yard of the way out to 700 yards and beyond."
Berger 55 grain. It was in his photo of bullet boxes. MPN 20306
@@philbe3095 I guess a person could do a dive into the Wayback internet archive machine and find the exact pages too. Haha
@@exothermal.sprocket Lol, true. First search hit was actually at a popular reloading supply retailer. In stock too! 1:8 twist or faster
You are right!
Berger at least had data for 50 gr BT VARMINT w/G1 BC of 0.281 with max velocity of 3381fps.
They also had data for a 55gr BT LONG RANGE VARMINT w/G1 BC of 0.381 max velocity of 3228 fps.
According to Berger's 1st edition 2012 print manual in a 26" barrel.
Got one not to long ago it has became my favorite gun let my 12 yr old girl shoot it all the time also what a great coyote gun
I used this out in Wyoming on prairie dogs. What a great little cartridge!
Managed a shoot out to 780 yards.
Ton of fun!
Just some FYI..
The .17 Remington is 300 fps faster.
But even through all them year's the 220 swift will, swiftly take that 204 ruger like Thor's hammer.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge
The 204 is a fine cartridge design and provides lower cost reloading. The standard 222 Remington is in the same class as the 204. Because the 223 Remington has a larger bullet selection and rifles to choose from it out shines both. It uses less powder or an equal amount. When loaded with 40-grain bullets or 35-grain bullets it only is marginally slower than 204 in velocities.
The 223 is also only slightly slower than 22-250. If you are shooting at ranges to 300-yards, it works and is accurate. Fact is, 400-yards is not hard pushing it too either. It is not as loud and has low recoil in a varmint weight rifle with the light bullets. The V-MAX 40 grain bullet does not ruin fur either.
I wanted a 204 when they first came out, I was 14. I never got one but now I am 32 and I still kinda want one but I am pretty happy with the 223 and 222.
Faster cartridges have advantage of flatter trajectory for longer range shots...I started out with 222🤗🧐😉
@@misterlewgee8874 I am not denying its laser like trajectory. Maybe if I hunted predator's more I'd be more likely to buy more varmint rifles. My local range is only 550 yards and my 223 is fine for that. Same reason I haven't bought 50 BMG, no where to really play with it.
@@jakeoutdoors9600 I'm hoping to get atn 4k scope and ABL laser range finder working on my 222...this should make trajectory not such an issue at longer ranges...I found ..after hunting fox in same areas for a while...longer shots are usually the only opportunity one gets at the survivor wary foxes...but..if skin harvesting 17rem...thermal... destruction...204 thermal
..windy..270 wt 90gn and thermal.
I think of rifles like golf clubs...😥
@@misterlewgee8874 Seems like you got the plan for success! Since you brought up the 17 Rem, do you like the smaller diameter bullet? I have thought of buying a 17wsm but then again, what would I use it for? I came across a bunch of ammo on clearance for the 17wsm that I bought. However I have never purchased a rifle as it seems the regular price of ammo is kinda high.
holy shit the intro better follow through! watching!
One of my favorite calibers. I got it from my late uncle. It was his Fox gun for protecting his chickens. He would say hold it center of a fox out to 300 and the top of its back to 400.
I use my .204 almost everyday!
The 204 ruger great for small game but also white tail and pronghorn shot a big body deer and right past the fur was a hole big enough to fit a medium-LG size fist through
Used my 204 on Whitetail with 100% one shot kills while on a doe & cull buck hunt in the Texas hill country.
Me too. I have dropped many whitetails in upstate N.Y. they only go about 4 steps after being hit or drop right where they stand hitting them behind the shoulder it disintegrates the. Heart and insides people say it can't be done or its too light of a caliber thats nonsense but I know it absolutely can be done
My longest kill dropped in its track a 300yrds
Nowadays, popularity is kind of equal to ammo availability and cost. Pretty much leaves the 204 OUT.
Hornady has that 35gr NTX for .223 Rem as well, making 4000fps! And if you shoot a coyote at 15yds with it... just know it will go thru and thru and if it hits a little bone during to it's exit side, the hole ends up being a bit more than you'd think.
BTW.. there's a vid on YT where a guy took a black bear with a .204 Ruger! he shows ya the between the eyes shot too!
4,000 fps from the 223 , I did not know that, I may have to try some one day
Remember the 30-06 accelerator made in the mid 1970's? A .223 in a plastic sabot in a 30-06 cartage MV over 4000 ft per second with zero ballistic rifling markings on the projectile.😎
Great cartridge. There are companies making varmint uppers for AR platform as well. Fun shooter.
I remember when the .220 swift came out . The barrels didn't last and some bullets would vaporize in flight . I guess things have changed . Good report though.
With a brake with all the zoomies, I can see where it hits at 50 yards. It doesn't move. But it has a lot of bark.
I thought about getting a .204 but I decided not to because I wanted to get an original cartridge (222) ie not based on something else. All my other varmint rifles are the offspring of other cartridges.
for over $2 a round i think ill pass lol
I shoot 45 gr hollow points out of my 22-250 at 4000 fps ....that should give it an advantage when compared to the 204 respectively. Iv also heard of them being loaded up to 4300 fps ..But im sure to Rons point they would be far more expensive to load.However ,the 45gr varmint loads are factory winchester ammo which group sub moa and I bought a bunch of the value packs with 40 in the Box for very cheap before the ammo prices went through the roof.
I'm not getting any sound:(
.222 Remington Magnum was also the parent of the 6x47, which was a match shooting GOD in the 70's and early 80's.
Nice to know one could could use .204 Ruger cases as well.
If one started out shooting 222magnum and saved the brass...you'd have so many choices...if you wanted to change...
I’ve got the 204 Ruger in a Thompson Center with the 14” barrel. Because of the twist rate I have to muse the lighter bullets. The .32 gr. bullet works great. Over 36 gr. the bullet will tumble. Got a Weaver 3x8 pistol scope on it. Very clear and bright little scope. I have a lot of fun with it. I’ve never hunted with it. Just shot a lot of paper.
I'm into the 223 Superformance with 53 grain Vmax.
My son is ready to move up from his lever action .22, the .204 was never on my radar......Until now.
Thank you.
Great video Ron, of a cartridge I've had an eye on. Who doesn't like hyper velocity calibers. I like em all. Wish I could afford to have, store and shoot a rifles chambered in all or to keep it to a manageable number, most calibers. I feel in love many years ago with the .220 Swift when you and some Charmicle guy were spreading knowledge and savvy in monthly mags.
Thanks for sharing.
Got an M77 Hawkeye in .204R. Super accurate. Bit of a giant killer.
That 204 ballistics chart was from a 26'' barrel. With the shorter 22'' barrel on a 204, I would like to see the comparisons between it and a 22-250 with the same barrel length.
22-250 is superior out to around 400 yds in ft lbs of energy . For that reason i’ll stick with the 22-250
Pretty much same reason i’m not giving up my 22 mag for a 17
Sounds like a barrel burner to me !!
Best coyote gun around and fur friendly
AMMO????????!!
NOT AVAILABLE !!!
Winchester's claims 4350 ft/sec for it's 35-gr ballistic silvertip in .22-250, but I haven't seen that ammo on shelves for many years now.
This is the "Nothin but chunks" prairie dog cartridge from the early 2000nds. I remember that one lol.