The Spirit of the .204

i say bs here guys first of all what type of camera is he useing look when he pans back to the hunter he zoomed back and focused from 502 yards to a matter of feet?????? I would have bought it exept for that also i do A lot of video work take all the cameras that most people are useing (most have a 20x zoom)and zoom in on a coyote at 500 yards and see what he looks like? i can admit if im wrong but someone is going to have to prove me wrong on this one
 
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EDP what makes you so sure that the video you posted is of a .204? It does not say anywhere what caliber it is. And that really doesn't sound like a .204 to me.. although it's hard to tell on youtube, but still..I would believe results like that more out of a .22 magnum or something. I have made a couple of head shots on coyotes, and believe me that is not the results I had! The last one I headshot with the .204 it took nearly half of his face/skull off! Believe me he didn't take one step! That was about 80 yds iirc.
 
LOL EDP you are as hard headed as me! haha if you lived closer to Illinois we would have to schedule a yote hunt together and get out and do some field testing of our own! I am sort of with you on the 500 yard video. It does seem a stretch for a .204. but it's interesting anyways. I hope for the sake of my argument that the vid is real, but it does seem iffy for sure! The other two are exact replications of the results I have when I hit em. They drop like a rock!
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Because I was filming that video and it was my 204 thats how i know it was a 204 and it too was at 80 yards
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I absolutely love shooting this gun i just need a little more umpf out of it
 
Wow man that is sweet! Can I ask how you got that finish on it? My rifle is just black and that camo pattern has me drooling. It looks like barbed wire or something! Also Ed, are you hand loading? If so, have you shot through a chrono and what kind of velocity are you getting? I am a firm believer that +300fps makes the difference between a dead yote and one that runs off with the .204. For me 4,150-4,200 is the sweet spot! And which bullet are you shooting?
 
Tripod3, by idling I meant that with the .204, those velocities are standard pressure (psi), and not loading hot. And no I didn't mean 'literally' forever.
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I just meant a long time. :p
 
A friend of mine ownes a company called active camo in Houston TX he does that dip with the barbwire over natgear that gun shoots great one ragged hole at 100 yards with just about anything i have ever shot through it

I do not reload but have a friend that does, the load we shot that yote with was 32 gr vmax
 
Cool. Wish you lived closer I would give you 20 rounds to try, maybe coax you back over to the dark side! To be honest with you, most of the stories that I have heard from guys shooting factory ammo, the yotes run off. And I think that also contributes to the reputation that the .204 has. Also it takes a good marksman behind the trigger as you know. If I am remembering right, that 32gr V-max was running about 3,850 through the chrono..(which shocked me because Hornady advertises 4225 or something.. hahahaha). But for me bumping up to 4200 did the trick. Just what the doctor ordered. Hornady should not have advertised 4225 because, at the actual speed of 3,850fps, you are best off just to go with a 22-250, because you will be close to that velocity but with a LOT more punch and range. But because of the awesome ballistic coefficient of the .204 round, when bumped up to 4200 it really maintains energy well out at even 3-400 yds. FWIW...
 
Bosco, FACTORY loaded Vmax+coyotes=runners. Hand loaded Vmax+coyotes=Stone Dead. 300fps makes a world of difference, trust me. Heck, its the difference between the .223 and a 22-250!
 
I was referring to 4100fps on the higher end of the 250 and 4400fps on the higher end of the swift with 40g bullets and 26" bbls.

I've had and loaded and shot both for a few years, I know what there both capable of doing in 26" ruger target rifles...I achieved 4450fps with 40g Barnes VLC's and a stout charge of H380 and .75" groups at 100 yards with my ruger target 220 swift. Not the best accuracy out of that rifle by any means, but worked out to 300-400 yards on a few coyotes, and it was an absolute lazer to 400, and talk about red mist on little vermin,lol...

My dads ruger target 22-250 will shoot 40g vmax at 410fps with H380 into less then .5" groups at 100 yards.

I'll take either of them anyday over a 204, there not even in the same ballpark man...

You can get the 250 and swift to shoot as flat or flatter depending on serveral little things then the 204. Thats not what its about for me though, I wanna bigger bullet then a little 32g for coyotes, I dont even use 40s in the bigger 22s for coyotes because they blow up. The bigger 22s get fed 55's at 3600fps for the 250 and 3900fps for the swift. They shoot almost as flat and hit a lot harder and anchor coyotes with more authority then the 204 will ever dream of doing.

The 204 might be quite a bit better then the 223 out to 300-400 yards but thats about it, its still no 22-250 or 220 Swift. Oh but you say the 204 burns less powder, kicks less, blah blah blah, you want the best, you pay the price for the best, and it aint no 204 stinkin ruger...

The 204 is a great PD caliber and thats about it IMO.

Nother tidbit on the great ol 204 I've noticed is that for every guy Iv'e read that was able to actually achieve those kinda velocities with the 32g out of there 204, there were 50 who couldn't get close...food for thought anyways...
 
"4,150, I can reload my brass 5 or 6 times minimum, my throat and barrel will last forever, and the gun I am doing this with is a Remington model 700 with a light barrel (probably a 50 dollar barrel). See what I am saying?"

No I dont, you totally lost me with that statement...Dont know if I can converse with you anymore on this subject, dont think I'll get to far...

If you think even for a second your factory barrels gonna last even 2000 rounds at 4150fps and still give you your 1/4" consistently at 100, ur downright crazy...

You get over 4000fps and there is always a price to pay, and that is throat erosion.
 
Originally Posted By: braddsnBosco, FACTORY loaded Vmax+coyotes=runners. Hand loaded Vmax+coyotes=Stone Dead. 300fps makes a world of difference, trust me. Heck, its the difference between the .223 and a 22-250!

The faster you push a Vmax the bigger the splash.

 
Here is some data i got from another sight
Dont know how accurate but i believe it is close


.22-250 energy @ 200yrds = 1010 ft·lbf w/55gr vmax
.223 energy @ 200yrds = 767 ft·lbf w/55grn vmax
.17 hmr energy @ 100yrds = 136 ft·lbf w/17grn vmax
.204 Ruger energy @ 200yrds = 689 ft·lbf w/32grn pp
.22 Win mag energy @ 100yrds = 127 ft·lbf w/30grn jhp
 
Almost every post when people ask about calibers they are recomended the .223 because its cheap and available and gets the job done. It has nothing to do with it being the best caliber.

Personaly I like the idea of fancy calibers but don't reload YET so for now they make no sense. I think most guys are in the same boat. 10mm is the only oddball that I have so far.

With so many choices out there I don't think any caliber is really the best. You have to consider ammo price, reloading, trajectory, bullet availability and their design, how much powder it burns, barrel life, recoil, muzzle blast, killing power, the rifles chambered for that caliber, hunting regulations,accuracy and so on.

The .223 really is the ultimate trade off in a varmint/predator gun. Middle of the road performance is the trade off for cheap and widely available ammo. Also a long barrel life is nice.

I would like a .204 for shooting smaller critters. Like jack rabbits and prarie dogs.

.221 FB, 22hornet,or .222rem for calling dogs in the woods.

.223 just because its so available.

.243 for lions,occasional big game, open country, the ultimate jack of all trades master of none.

I have no use for a larger caliber.

Variety is the spice of life!
 
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