204 Ruger-Dying in popularity?

I have two of them. My wife is using one of them for Coyotes. With the 35 gr Berger it is a great coyote gun. I have no intentions of selling mine. Like was stated before, I believe the economy has more to do with stuff not selling than losing popularity. You see a lot of AR's for sale also but they are not losing popularity either. The economy will force people to sell their stuff off and also prevent others from buying.
 
I think it's just coming back down to earth, so to speak.

We actually had a guy here a couple years back with charts and graphs and an animated coyote to boot showing how the .204 was superior in stopping power to the 22-250.
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It's certainly a great little cartridge, but will likely never eclipse the .223's popularity, and certainly will never out-kill the 22-250 (which it was never designed to do in the first place).

Recall the hoopla of the vaunted 220 Swift a generation ago. I think the hype back in the day had it just a gnat's eyelash behind--and gaining on--battleship deck gun capabilities.

Reality checks are sometimes hard, but they're always useful...
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Dan
 
The best way to know would be to see some sales figures for manufacturers of rifles, ammo and reloading products.

IMO, the .204 Ruger, like other calibers, fills a niche. I don't claim to be objective: having three: a Ruger 77Mk2 VT, a Rem LVSF and a DPMS AR and am very satisfied with them.

Some of us have also increasingly added other .20 caliber chamberings....I have two 20 Vartargs, and there also seems to be a lot of interest in 20BR and 20PPC.

I say the more the merrier!
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So, anyway, Psychodog, the honeymoon is probably over but it sounds like the marriage is going to last. I may have to sell one of my five--it's just hard to give the attention all those ladies deserve but I don't anticipate replacing the harem anytime soon! For fur and varmints out to 400 yards, the .204 still has my vote. And, I do still get giddy when I hold that Cooper....
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I love my Savage Model 12, so much that I am building an upper in .204 ruger. That outta be a PD death ray...
 
Well, it looks as if my barrel don't sell soon, I'll have to restock my 204 supplies again. I do like the speed of the 204 and on small gritters they are nasty. Who knows, I may fall in love again.
 
Here's one reason I like my 204...

7 shot group, (I onlyh had 7 rounds left) including the fouler shot at the top. The other 6 measure about .350"

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This is not atypical of this AR. 26" shilen tube, about 1500 rounds thru it.

I had forgotten my rest and sandbags, so this was shot off a wobbly bipod with a roll of paper towels as a rear rest. 100yds.
 
I think MOST everybody in this thread is correct. When the .204 came out everybody wanted one and most got one(or 6). There are only so many rifle buyers so sales on the .204 only had one place to go. I believe some people tried to use the round for more than it was intended for and didn't like the results. It's not the best all-around cartridge ever designed(or necked down), but it's very very good when used for what it's designed for. It's not a 400yd coyote round, sure I've killed one or two at that range with it but more have got away. And for the record the 22-250 is my favorite round and it's running out of gas pretty fast at that range also. I've got one for sale on the classified's, not because I don't like it, because I want something different and because I have 5 or 6 other 204's in the safe. 24-27 grains of your choice of powder and a 32gr bullet =3900-4000 FPS, no recoil, what's not to like. Oh yea, the wind moves it all over. If two trains leave the station, one at 4000fps and the other at 3200fps. When they reach the next station the first one was still moving 3100fps and the second one was moving 2500fps. Which one got there first? SPEED KILLS! Always has and always will. The less time it takes a bullet(flight time)to get to it's target the LESS time the wind has to change it's path, basic math.
 
Originally Posted By: matt33 because I have 5 or 6 other 204's in the safe.

Now you're my kind of guy, Matt!
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If you like light bullets going fast you will like the 204. If you think it takes heavy for caliber bullets to kill stuff you would be better served with a different caliber. I personally like the 204, but then I like the rest of the light varmint type calibers also.
 
I bought my first .204 Ruger in June of 2004 and I now own three .204 Rugers. I don't think it is a passing fancy. It holds its own against many other calibers and the 35 gr. FBHP Berger bullet is a great coyote getter and easy on fur.
 
I finally shot one the other day and liked it. I can see a real place for one in my gun safe in the near future. I know the Wyoming Game and Fish issued them to their game wardens for dispatching crippled deer in urban interface areas. The local warden has one and they use Hornady ammo looked like vmax bullets. The rational is they won't ricochet like other conventional rounds in tight places.
 
Originally Posted By: JCL The rational is they won't ricochet...in tight places.

I didn't know Wyoming had any tight places!
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