.204 Ruger: Opinions and will it be around in 10 years ?

[coyote trapper1928]

Checked out the CZ website yesterday, and noticed that the 527 American is now being chambered in the .204 Ruger.  This was the CZ website , not the CZ USA website.  A few questions:

1.  the CZ USA website is for the CZ rifle and shotguns that are sold in the USA , but what about their European website?  Can the European model of the 527 American rifle in the .204 Ruger be imported into the USA ?

2. If it can, how do you do it?


3. Will the .204 ruger be around in 10 or more years?

4. If you handload, what is the heaviest bullet for the .204 ?


Thanks,

[nomosendero]

Checked out the CZ website yesterday, and noticed that the 527 American is now being chambered in the .204 Ruger.  This was the CZ website , not the CZ USA website.  A few questions:

1.  the CZ USA website is for the CZ rifle and shotguns that are sold in the USA , but what about their European website?  Can the European model of the 527 American rifle in the .204 Ruger be imported into the USA ?

2. If it can, how do you do it?


3. Will the .204 ruger be around in 10 or more years?

4. If you handload, what is the heaviest bullet for the .204 ?


Thanks,

Will it be around for 10 or more years?  No doubt in my mind it will be, the round is gaining favor in the varmit fields.

I have heard of some 50 gr. custom bullets, but if you buy a factory rifle with a 1-12 twist it won't matter because you can't shoot those. Most factory 1-12 guns will not shoot the 40's well, athough some Savages, Rems, & a few others do, most do their best with the light bulets. The 39Sierra BK will shoot well in many guns that won't shoot 40's, has a good BC & is very frangible. Some AR's are being made with 1-10 twist & I suspect others will later, the factories focused first on the 32's because speed sells, even when the sliightly heavier are better downrange, the
novice/casual shooter seldom know the difference. The 1-10 will still shoot the 32's well.

[tuck2]

The 204 Ruger is a fine round for shooting prairie dogs. It will be even more popular ten years from now.  Go to www.rugerhunting.com  to see what the 204 Ruger fans are doing.

[skb2706]

I had three of them out this last weekend on a prairie dog shoot. One was a 1-9 twist that could do amazing things with a 50 gr. Berger bullet at ranges I couldn't believe. The other two were 1-12 twist and its not likely they will go away in ten years or even fifty....after that I won't care.

CZ isn't the "end all" to what chamberings will be around for any length of time.........many other manufacturers make .204s.

Some 1-12 rifles will handle some bullets of 40 gr. or heavier and some will not.

All 1-9 twisted rifles will.

Lightest bullets are 30 gr. heaviest are 50 gr.

[nomosendero]

I had three of them out this last weekend on a prairie dog shoot. One was a 1-9 twist that could do amazing things with a 50 gr. Berger bullet at ranges I couldn't believe. The other two were 1-12 twist and its not likely they will go away in ten years or even fifty....after that I won't care.

CZ isn't the "end all" to what chamberings will be around for any length of time.........many other manufacturers make .204s.

Some 1-12 rifles will handle some bullets of 40 gr. or heavier and some will not.

All 1-9 twisted rifles will.

Lightest bullets are 30 gr. heaviest are 50 gr.

Is the 1-9 an AR?

[skb2706]

 
[/quote]

Is the 1-9 an AR?
[/quote]

Yes its a Dtech ....Shilen barrel. My buddy just got it a couple weeks ago and brought it with him for a dog shoot. This thing was "off the chart" accurate out to beyond 500yds. My two are accurate but with those heavier bullets, better BCs his would reach farther with less correction.

[nomosendero]

Thanks for the info. The Dtech rifles are great from what I hear. I may have to try one of those some day to go with my 1-8 RRA 223.
I will not settle for slower than 1-10 for the 204, so that I can shoot the bullets I want, 1-9 should be perfect. I cannot imagine a better PD rifle than a properly speced. 204AR!!

[terry]

 Yep the 204 will be around. Of all the new cal's made the last few years the 204 is really the only one that stands apart. There was nothing made that shoots as fast as a 204 with 30gr-40gr bullet with such a tiny powder charge. The 204 is different enough from the old standbys like a 22-250 or 220 swift it will stay around. Most of the PD shooters I know love the 204 and have left the 220 swift/22-250 behind.Less noise,less powder,longer barrel life a must for any PD shooter.

[Chuck White]

I say absolutely YES!

The 204 Ruger is a very popular round and I believe our grandchildren and their children will be shooting this little 20 caliber round.

[Ponydog]

I am hoping it will be around for a long time........my son and I both got CZ 527 .204's for Christmas...they are very accurate, and absolutely sizzle.  They also have a pretty good transfer of energy. The Hornady 32 grain works best so far. I am sure it will do the job on coyotes, prairie dogs, groundhogs, bobcats, fox, etc...even hogs.   This round is quickly becoming my favorite.  Now they just need to get the price equal to the .223 for ammo, and I will shoot alot more.  I guess the answer is buy in bulk.  AND they need to make a tracer round for this caliber.  I say long live the .204 Ruger 

[Catfish]

   The .204 is a great small varmint round and I think would do a good job on coyote with the right bullets, but the 32 gn. Serria or Hornady`s are not the right bullets. I hit 4 coyotes one day with the 32 Serria`s and even ran over one of them with my truck and did not get any of them. 1 I knocked down 3 times like he was hit with a truck, but he got up every time. He was in real bad shpe when he when over the hill and I would have ran him down when I was younger, but not now.
   As for the CZ 527 mine likes the 32 Serria`s best with the 32 Hornady`s close behind. It will shoot the 39 gn. Serria`s abt 3/4 moa, but does not like the 40 gn Hornady`s at all. If I get another .20 cal. gun I think it will be a .20 BR with an 8 or 9 twist. I want one that will shoot tough enough bullets for coyote, but that will probibly be along way down the road now as I had a .22-6mm built for an ambush gun and bought an AR for my walking and dogging gun.

[Ponydog]

I feel for you when yo make a good shot and the quarry doesn't apparently feel the pain...I guess I am a bit confused as to why that .204 round did not do the trick....my son and I have taken some practice shots into a paper target stand, wrapped in steel.....pretty tough steel...I would say 16 to 18 gage. It blew through that at 150 yards. Looked like a machined hole. Can a coyotes head be that tough ?   Maybe I am over-estimating the round .   I wil have to do a bit more "field work" so I can concur with your findings. 

[jwv]

I have had my Ruger.204 for a little over 6 months and I like it. Mine is the standard HB and it has been real accurate since I got it out of the box, no problems at all. My gun loves the 32 grain and it shoots 1/2" to 3/4" groups with the factory loads. It will be around a long time to come for sure.If there is any down side to the Ruger .204 it would have to be with the bullet selection being limited to not alot of choices, but it does good with the bullets that it currently  has. I know that over at the Ruger forum http://www.204ruger.com/ there is a lot of good information about the .204. I am looking forward to trying mine out on the coyotes and hope it works out okay for that. Varmint hunters are coming around to  the Ruger .204 and seem to like it. One thing that will help is when the price of brass and dies comes down a little more. Its a fun gun to shoot, if you like speed and accuracy.       
                                                                                              Jack   

[Buckskin]

The 204 will be a favorite for decades to come. Great little round as discussed previously.  32 are just fine for yotes. But as with any caliber you have to make a good hit.  I've seen many yotes shot while deer hunting with slugs that are literally running on one leg, with their guts dragging behind them.  And I've also shot many with the 32g pill from 300+ that fall over and quiver a little and that's it.

[mas19]

i have a savage 1 in 12 it will shoot 40s really nice, but the 32's shoot fast and still group well even on windy days.

Here is a pic of some shooting i did today, the 100yd shots were to check my scope, hadnt shot it in several months.

http://s73.photobucket.com/albums/i206/mas19/?action=view&current=2048-2-07.jpg (CLICK FOR FULL SIZE)



1.5" group at 200yds isnt to shabby, load data at bottom.

[gube]

I picked up a Savage 12 VLP last year and have been having a ball with it. So much so that I bought another (picked it up on 7-07-07) Savage 12 in a BTVSS. This new one likes to be fed with the 40 gr stuff.
For yotes the best medicine to use are the 35 and 40 gr bergers and the Hornady 45 gr soft points.
For the smaller critters I prefer the Nosler, Blitz King, or the V-max for explosiveness and acrobatics. I do not use these bullets for yotes because I believe they are to frangible and if you hit bone it may "splash". The blitz kings have the thinnest jackets and are the most frangible. I tried the 32 gr blitz's in my VLP but had to keep it at a mild charge otherwise they would "key-hole".
As soon as I wear out my first 1 in 12 twist barrel, I will be replacing it with a 1 in 9 so that I can lob them 50 gr bergers way out there with awesome accuracy.


Savage Vaporizer

[Fred M]

Gube204
When you wear out that 204 barrel have it rebored to 6mmx204 anmd shoot
55gr bullets in a 1-12" twist and reach way out there.
You wont have to run over yote with a truck after you shoot them.

I have a rifle like that its called 6x47 and it is awesome made mine from a 223.

[gube]

When you wear out that 204 barrel have it rebored to 6mmx204 anmd shoot
55gr bullets in a 1-12" twist and reach way out there.
You wont have to run over yote with a truck after you shoot them.

I have a rifle like that its called 6x47 and it is awesome made mine from a 223.

Fred: Can you give me some ballistic stats on what a 6mm x 204 can do. Might be an interesting project.