204 Ruger feedback

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Tell me about the 204 as a dedicated coyote gun

All of my hunting is under 300 yards, with a huge majority under 150 yards. I do keep/sell the nice furs, so a fur friendly bullet/velocity/twist combo recommendation would be appreciated

Also looking at 20 practical, although maybe not worth the hassle since 204 components (brass) isn’t hard to come by anymore
 
I've had three 20Ps, one on an AR, one heavy barrel bolt action and a bolt-action carbine. I've killed coyotes with all three.

I don't care for the AR platform so blooded it and put it away.

The AR(Egg Shoot gun)
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The HB has been problematic, forming a carbon ring quickly and it is awaiting rechambering to 204. It has been effective coyote killer with 40gr NBTs. It wouldn't shoot nore than 30 rounds without starting to push bullets back into the case.

The HB
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The little carbine shines with 32gr Nosler Custom Comp. HPs (sadly discontinued)

The Carbine
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The two noslers worked so well I didn't mess with much else. I have a K of 39gr Speers and another of 34 Dogtowns . The 39s and 34s are inexpensive and I use them for pinking when we mess around in my grandsons pit in CO.

I like the 20s for the ranges your talking and they've been fur friendly for me and effective killers.
 
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My .204 is chambered in an older Rem Model 700 26" varmint barrel and I've been shooting this rifle well over 20yrs.
It shoots like a laser and I prefer 40gr Nosler ballistic tip varmint or 39gr speer TNT but, I don't keep pelts. The 40gr. Berger's are very fur friendly usually leaving a pin hole exit. I also shoot a Win 70 in a 22-250 and the 204, well, I love both these rifles. My .204 has gone through a transition from factory to DBM to chassis.

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I used 204R for a lot of years for coyotes here in Central NY mainly to simplify my night hunting. NY night hunting regs were all over the place with regards to what caliber centerfires you could use based on what wildlife management unit you were hunting in and when. Sub 22 caliber was/is legal always so that’s how I got into the 204R.

Ruger 77 Mark II 1:12 twist shot 32 grain factory ammo great but would never shoot 40’s of any kind. It shot 35gr Bergers excellent but I had feeding issues multiple times so settled on 32gr NBT. Had dismal results with 32gr Vmax.

Browning X-Bolt 1:12 twist was more forgiving and shot 32gr, 35gr and 40gr well.

I don’t reload so HSM Varmint Gold 35 gr Bergers were the most accurate and most fur friendly in my experience. Old Federal and Nosler factory rounds with 40gr NBT are my #2 choice. Just as deadly, just a hair larger groups with rounds I’ve used.

In my experience, It’s a deadly round when you place your bullet where it needs to be. Hit them right and it’s bang flop. Hit them a little back and you’ll have spinners/runners with zero blood to follow in most cases.

Looks like you’re in northern PA and you’re dealing with our larger eastern coyotes that run bigger than the western version. If you hunt thick cover with no snow, I would suggest more horsepower. I have stepped things up to a 243 these days as hides are worthless. I have no regrets in doing so and find myself searching less. If I do get a runner at least there’s a trail to follow.
 
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I’ve run 2 20 tac’s and 2 204’s. The 204’s didn’t see nearly the use my 20 tac’s have but being basically the same cartridge i figured its value here.

The 20 cal like any cartridge really can be horrible on pelts but with the right bullet it’s been the best I’ve used. 35gr bergers are almost impossible to find the hole and I haven’t gotten an exit yet.

39gr blitzkings are incredible if you don’t care about pelts. High bc, very accurate bullet in 3 out of 4 guns and hits yotes hard and pelts are good 60-75% of the time but when it makes a mess it’s aggressive.

I’ve taken coyotes from 20-25 yards to 537 yards. It’s my go too coyote set up.

I also run a 22bra for when I know shots can be longer and run a heavier bullet but majority of the time the 20 gets the node. The lack of recoil and ability to spot through the scope makes it way more fun
 
Stay away from 32gr bullets and you will be fine. I did kill a couple with the 32's but the 39 and 40 gr bullets did much better. I know a lot of guys like the 35 Bergers but I haven't tried them
 
I shoot both the 204R and 20p for winter coyote (also 17Rem, 223,22-250). Tipped bullets are inconsistent terminal performers out of the 20's. I really like the 40 gr BIB, next are the 35,40 gr Bergers( much easier to stock up on or find when needed). I also keep prime, undamaged fur for tanning/selling. So minimizing sewing is important.
 
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