Author Topic: .204 Ruger deer bullets?  (Read 7758 times)

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Offline rickt300

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.204 Ruger deer bullets?
« on: June 10, 2008, 01:29:45 PM »
Are there any deer specific bullets out there?
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Offline EsoxLucius

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2008, 06:35:44 AM »
As far as I know the .204 Ruger is not a legal caliber for deer hunting in any State.
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Offline LHitchcox

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2008, 07:04:26 AM »
Any centerfire rifle is now legal in Tennessee. Not what I would call a good idea though. 204 bullets are designed to explode, not hang together and expand.

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Offline lil_hunter12

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2008, 01:33:30 PM »
any centerfire rifle legal in kentucky wouldnt reccommend it unless goin for neck or head shots though.

Offline rickt300

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2008, 05:31:49 PM »
In Texas it is any centerfire also.  I am surprised the bullet makers haven't jumped up and designed bullets that will work at 4000fps plus on deer weighing only 34 grains yet. I'm not really interested in using my 204 on deer, just wondering if anybody has put much thought into it.
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Offline Redhawk1

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2008, 02:25:51 AM »
I would not even recommend it. Just a bad choice in my opinion. It was designed as a varmint round.
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Offline superdown

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #6 on: June 12, 2008, 07:14:07 AM »
any centerfire also legal in Idaho.

Offline K.K

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2008, 08:31:28 AM »
As far as I know, all bullets designed for the .204 are built for varmints, and as such, are frangible. I would not use it on any deer on any shot presentation. There are just too many better calibers out there.

Offline John R.

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #8 on: June 13, 2008, 03:23:58 AM »
This is not a good idea, next somebody will want a deer bullet for a 17 Fireball. Stick to proven calibers and use varmit bullets for what they were designed for, VARMITS.

Offline TribReady

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #9 on: June 13, 2008, 12:29:11 PM »
I agree, there's just too many calibers out there to chose from to use a .204 on deer.

It's not worth it to the animal to even consider it...even if a proper "deer" bullet is designed
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Offline jmayton

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2008, 08:19:00 AM »
I watched my brother-in-law drop 4 doe this past year with my .223.  He was shooting my handloads (55gr Sierra GameKings) and they worked quite well.  2 neck shots and two heart/lung shots.  3 were DRT and 1 ran 25yds.  I'm sure a .204 would kill a deer, but the .223 is the smallest I would ever go.  If my rifle would stabilize the heavier bullets, I'd be shooting those.  55s are way too light for my preference.

Offline yooper77

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #11 on: June 17, 2008, 03:30:09 AM »
When antelope or deer start wearing coyote coats then I will hunt them with 22 caliber or smaller centerfire cartridges, but until then I will stick to my minimum 243 Winchester with a properly constructed bullet designed for taking of big game animals.

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Offline rickt300

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #12 on: June 20, 2008, 11:58:45 PM »
Sure had some fun shooting turtles at a pond of my neighbors last weekend with the 204.  He called me up and says he has a problem and I reduced it by at least 40.  I still need to build some traps. What a horde of bait stealers.  204 is very capable of reducing pretty good sized turtles into fish food.
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Offline dks7895

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #13 on: October 16, 2009, 10:50:38 AM »
The Ruger 204 is legal in Missouri, but I would not recommend it.  There's enough energy at 100 yards...but 39gr is not enough bullet.  I've used a 223 with 55gr SP and was pleased...but you have to keep it under 100 yards and wait for the perfect shot.
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Offline WSMBUCK

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #14 on: October 17, 2009, 07:06:12 PM »
Hornady makes a 45 gain ,but it really isnt a good deer gun unless you are shooting them out the pea patch from a bedroom window and making head and neck shots.

Offline petemi

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #15 on: October 21, 2009, 05:31:07 AM »
Last Fall, I was in my tree stand when a little doe passed below me.  I jumped, tackled her and dragged her to the ground.  I put 37 BBs in her ear with my Daisy Red Ryder, stabbed her with my nail cleaning pocket knife and clubbed her til the stock broke off the Red Ryder.  I finally strangled her.  I got my deer ;D..........just as much B.S. as a .204 on deer.  Get real...get humane....get a deer rifle.

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Offline Cottonwood

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Re: .204 Ruger deer bullets?
« Reply #16 on: October 22, 2009, 03:50:16 AM »
As far as I know the .204 Ruger is not a legal caliber for deer hunting in any State.

Unfortunetly here in Montana I believe you can, as you can use a .22 LR if you want to.  Would I use a 204 Ruger, no way.