Author Topic: 204 for deer? (Read 4929 times)

kevthebassman · « **Reply #30 on:** November 20, 2008, 02:27:43 PM »

I know that any centerfire round is legal in Missouri.

Forest Walker · « **Reply #31 on:** November 21, 2008, 02:11:06 AM »

A few years ago a fellow posted pics of a buffalo he shot with a .204 ruger. I tried to find then or the site I found them on but no luck as of yet. Anyhow he shot it in the neck and it dropped right were it stood. He had a picture with the skin off and the neck inside was vaporized. I will continue to try to find the post.

John R. · « **Reply #32 on:** November 21, 2008, 03:10:48 AM »

Use the 204 for varmits (what it was designed for) and use a suitable caliber for deer.

skb2706 · « **Reply #33 on:** November 21, 2008, 04:43:47 AM »

Quote from: timmo58 on November 20, 2008, 04:58:05 AM

i own a 204 and killed a deer at 265 yards and blew the heart right out deer went 15 feet factory hornady 32 grain bullett so dont tell me it wont do a deer

Just because 'it will do one' still doesn't make it a good idea.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #34 on:** November 21, 2008, 04:49:54 AM »

maybe i need to start using my 204 on deer cause my 300 win mag has never blown any thing out of a deer , kills them mind you , but never blows stuff out of um .

timmo58 · « **Reply #35 on:** November 22, 2008, 02:51:47 PM »

i hunt NEW YORK STATE WHERE ITS IN THE REG<<<<<< ANY CENTER FIRE>>>>> MAY BE USED I HAVE ALSO TAKEN DEER WITH A 25/20 DONT RECOMEND IT BUT MANY HAVE BEEN TAKEN WITH BOTH i wont go hungry

harrys · « **Reply #36 on:** November 23, 2008, 05:28:54 AM »

Yea i have shot deer with my 204 also it does as good a job as any other caliber on whitetails, hell how much better is it when deer drop on the spot 3for 3 with it ,, i have put alot of rounds through it and am a very good shot ,, I would not try shootin through anything but in a open field in my stand you aren't gonna kill deer any faster and it kills at 300 even so u big calibers n big bullets keep wastin ur money.

Tunaman · « **Reply #37 on:** November 23, 2008, 05:58:01 AM »

Quote from: harrys on November 23, 2008, 05:28:54 AM

Yea i have shot deer with my 204 also it does as good a job as any other caliber on whitetails, hell how much better is it when deer drop on the spot 3for 3 with it ,, i have put alot of rounds through it and am a very good shot ,, I would not try shootin through anything but in a open field in my stand you aren't gonna kill deer any faster and it kills at 300 even so u big calibers n big bullets keep wastin ur money.

At 300 yards the 204 carries roughly 500 ft/lbs. It is assanine to take that shot.

yooper77 · « **Reply #38 on:** November 23, 2008, 06:11:13 AM »

Quote from: harrys on November 23, 2008, 05:28:54 AM

Yea i have shot deer with my 204 also it does as good a job as any other caliber on whitetails, hell how much better is it when deer drop on the spot 3for 3 with it ,, i have put alot of rounds through it and am a very good shot ,, I would not try shootin through anything but in a open field in my stand you aren't gonna kill deer any faster and it kills at 300 even so u big calibers n big bullets keep wastin ur money.

Moot point.

yooper77

kevthebassman · « **Reply #39 on:** November 23, 2008, 02:27:54 PM »

Quote from: Tunaman on November 23, 2008, 05:58:01 AM

Quote from: harrys on November 23, 2008, 05:28:54 AM
Yea i have shot deer with my 204 also it does as good a job as any other caliber on whitetails, hell how much better is it when deer drop on the spot 3for 3 with it ,, i have put alot of rounds through it and am a very good shot ,, I would not try shootin through anything but in a open field in my stand you aren't gonna kill deer any faster and it kills at 300 even so u big calibers n big bullets keep wastin ur money.

At 300 yards the 204 carries roughly 500 ft/lbs. It is assanine to take that shot.

Not debating the shot you're talking about, but ft/lbs of energy is a lousy way to measure killing power. A lot of .357 magnum loads don't even break 500 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle, and I don't think anyone will claim that it's asinine to shoot deer with one.

Tunaman · « **Reply #40 on:** November 24, 2008, 01:17:17 PM »

Quote from: kevthebassman on November 23, 2008, 02:27:54 PM

Quote from: Tunaman on November 23, 2008, 05:58:01 AM
Quote from: harrys on November 23, 2008, 05:28:54 AM
Yea i have shot deer with my 204 also it does as good a job as any other caliber on whitetails, hell how much better is it when deer drop on the spot 3for 3 with it ,, i have put alot of rounds through it and am a very good shot ,, I would not try shootin through anything but in a open field in my stand you aren't gonna kill deer any faster and it kills at 300 even so u big calibers n big bullets keep wastin ur money.

At 300 yards the 204 carries roughly 500 ft/lbs. It is assanine to take that shot.

Not debating the shot you're talking about, but ft/lbs of energy is a lousy way to measure killing power. A lot of .357 magnum loads don't even break 500 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle, and I don't think anyone will claim that it's asinine to shoot deer with one.

Big and weak vs very small and weak. I have to give the edge to the 35 cal vs the 20 cal. I conceed that you do not need 1000 ft/lbs to kill a deer with an appropriate bullet and a good shot. There are bullets built for the 357 that open at low velocities and low ft/lbs. They open a big wound chanel.On the otherhand with a tiny varmit bullet 500ft/lbs is not good enough. At best, the varmit bullet would pass right through creating a tiny would channel. Why take that chance? The 204 is not a big game cartridge. 204 bullets are not big game bullets.

kevthebassman · « **Reply #41 on:** November 24, 2008, 02:15:39 PM »

I'd bet that there are bullets in .204 that could do the job on small deer. I am not real familiar with the caliber as a whole, but if you can kill deer with a .22 long rifle, the .204 can get it done too.

Tunaman · « **Reply #42 on:** November 24, 2008, 03:07:12 PM »

Kev,
would you shoot a deer at 300 yards with a 22Lr?

There may be a 20 cal bullet that is built for deer but I sure haven't seen it and I do load for mine. I have not seen a bullet that I would be confident in shooting a deer with. If it is legal in the state that you live in, then do what ever makes you happy. It is not legal where I hunt but I don't need the state to tell me that the 204 is a poor choice for deer. Most of us have rifles in far more sutible calibers than the 204, I will choose to shoot one of mine and i hope that most of the rest of us do as well.

BTW, This quote was taken directly from Berger's website. All of there 20cal bullets are Varmint bullets.

"Our varmint bullets are designed specifically for the varmint hunter. The slightly larger opening in the nose allows the bullet to expand instantly creating the highest possible opportunity for an explosive, one shot kill. The J4 Precision Jacket that we use has a thinner wall at the nose to assist in rapid expansion while it also has a base that is thick enough for high velocity cartridges. We use the same high-grade materials and techniques to make our varmint bullets so you can expect the same tight groups you get from our target bullets"

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #43 on:** November 24, 2008, 05:13:39 PM »

There have been plenty of people say that a 204 Ruger is not a deer round. They have pointed out that bullets are not even appropriate for shooting deer. The 204 Ruger was designed to be a low recoiling long distance varmint round. I am sure that the engineers at Ruger never though of their new load as a deer round. The original post was "204 for deer?" I do believe the consensus is that the 204 is not a deer round, period. With that said - there will be people that continue to say it kills like lightening, it will put deer down at 50 yards with a neck shot - I put it the boiler room at 300 yards and they fell on the spot. There is nothing that any of the anti - varmint caliber for deer people are going to do to change their mind. This thread can keep going and going, but it is getting obvious you are not going to tell these folks that a 204 is not a deer round by any stretch of the imagination. If Elmer Keith could be reading this he would be rolling around in his grave. He might have known a thing or two about big game hunting.

kevthebassman · « **Reply #44 on:** November 25, 2008, 02:12:54 AM »

Quote from: Tunaman on November 24, 2008, 03:07:12 PM

Kev,
would you shoot a deer at 300 yards with a 22Lr?

There may be a 20 cal bullet that is built for deer but I sure haven't seen it and I do load for mine. I have not seen a bullet that I would be confident in shooting a deer with. If it is legal in the state that you live in, then do what ever makes you happy. It is not legal where I hunt but I don't need the state to tell me that the 204 is a poor choice for deer. Most of us have rifles in far more sutible calibers than the 204, I will choose to shoot one of mine and i hope that most of the rest of us do as well.

BTW, This quote was taken directly from Berger's website. All of there 20cal bullets are Varmint bullets.

"Our varmint bullets are designed specifically for the varmint hunter. The slightly larger opening in the nose allows the bullet to expand instantly creating the highest possible opportunity for an explosive, one shot kill. The J4 Precision Jacket that we use has a thinner wall at the nose to assist in rapid expansion while it also has a base that is thick enough for high velocity cartridges. We use the same high-grade materials and techniques to make our varmint bullets so you can expect the same tight groups you get from our target bullets"

Absolutely not. I wouldn't shoot one at 300 yards with a .204 either. 25 yards? Maybe if I was more familiar with the .204 and it's performance on game.

I'm not debating that there are better cartridges for deer, because there most certainly are.

rickt300 · « **Reply #45 on:** November 25, 2008, 03:56:06 AM »

My 204 has been used with the Hornady 32 gr. factory load to absolutely flatten the extra large raccoons common in north Texas. Some weigh as much as 30 pounds. Exit holes are no less than 4 inches and some much larger. I would think a behind the shoulder hit low in the chest would be devastating at less than 150 yards. But I see no need to do this as I have so many deer rifles now anyway.

Varmint Hunter · « **Reply #46 on:** November 25, 2008, 09:35:57 AM »

Quote from: LaOtto222 on November 20, 2008, 05:28:24 AM

A 22 LR rim fire will kill a deer too, but I think there are better choices to be made

AND ::: If you watch Versus they show you how a pellet rifle can kill a pig with a single shot to the head - that still doesn't make it a very good idea. Wolly Mammoths were killed with big rocks but that wouldn't be a good choice today either.

Personally, I do not advocate using any cartridge smaller than the .243win (or similar) for deer hunting but that's just me.

sk330lc · « **Reply #47 on:** December 07, 2008, 11:37:02 AM »

Everbody has an opinion. (Right or wrong) Who knows. I'd rather See a Man that can shoot a .204 Well . Take a deer In the Right place at the right time. Than a Man that can't shoot with a 300 Super duper Magnum Or a 12Ga. Shoot at anything.
How Big Is Big enough? Is a .243 Big enough, How about a 30-30 win, Many say they are Not.
So Tell Me who is Right and Who is Wrong? It's the same old Ford, Chevy, Dodge Is better.. Well I guess Toyota and Honda is winning That debate Now.. That's Sad Friends Very Sad.

Whats all get along! Whats Be Americans and be Free. (Right Or Wrong)

When it comes to Is it Big enough. No one is right and no one is wrong. Just My 2 Penny's.

udarrell · « **Reply #48 on:** December 07, 2008, 01:13:21 PM »

Trophy Bonded BearClaw makes a 60-gr .224 bullet constructed & advertised as a deer bullet.
Example: .224 X .224 = .050176 (60-gr / 7000-grs to a lb = .0085714- of a lb / .050176 = only .1708266 or .171-Sectional Density (SD).
Some experts say do not use a bullet below .210-SD for deer, or below 140-SD for coyotes.

A well placed 60-gr Trophy Bonded BearClaw in 22-250 or 220 Swift at medium to close range would probably do a fair job on deer. However, that is an awful low sectional density for penetration on deer; however, the Bonded bullet will give it good penetration! I have read reports of quick kills with the preceding combinations, with head, neck or spine shots.

Sectional density is the same irrespective of bullet shape, here is a list of 6mm SD's: 55gr .133; 60gr .157; 70-gr .169; 75gr .181; 80gr .194; 87gr .210; 90gr .218; 95gr .230; 100gr .242. Here's the SD math equation: SD is the ratio of bullet weight to the square if the bullet's diameter.
Example: | .243 X's .243= .059049 (65-gr / 7000 grs per pound= .0092857 / .059049= .157-SD) Figure your own caliber/bullet SD.

I will stick with the 243 WIN & my 243/06 Wildcat using hand-loaded 100-gr Rem CoreLokt Ultra Bonded bullets.
http://www.udarrell.com/hunting_shooting_ballistics_frames.htm
- udarrell

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #49 on:** December 09, 2008, 05:33:33 AM »

If I was starving and I had a .204 and I saw a good shot on a deer I'd take it. I am not starving, I don't own a .204, so thats not gonna happen I like useing much bigger bullets, Never had a deer complain.

DDelle338 · « **Reply #50 on:** December 15, 2008, 07:40:52 AM »

Can I say STUPID in here? Some people should be banned from hunting for just being stupid. JMHO

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #51 on:** December 15, 2008, 08:55:53 AM »

YEP !

timmo58 · « **Reply #52 on:** January 13, 2009, 02:15:42 AM »

boys i live in central ny and the law says>>>>>> ANY CENTER FIRE RIFLE MAY BE USED IN A COUNTY WHERE RIFLES ARE LEAGLE<<<<<< i wont do it any more as i have a 25/06 which works very well aside from that ive seen deer knocked down twice and get up and run off when useing a 12 ga slug gun a mis is a miss and being accurate it what counts any neck shot will give you a second shot if needed even with a single shot rifle

halfshot · « **Reply #53 on:** January 14, 2009, 01:06:58 PM »

I'M GUILTY,,I HAVE SHOT TWO DEER WITH A 223.THE FIRST RAN 20 YARDS AND DROPPED . THE SECOND A 70 YD SHOT THAT DROPPED A SEVEN PT IN HIS TRACKS. WHY AM I LOOKIN FOR A "DEER RIFLE"? THAT 70 YD SHOT DID NOT PENETRATE THE BACK OF THE BUCKS HEAD, IT GLANCED OFF AND SHATTERED PIECES , SMALL PIECES OFF THE INSIDE OF HIS SKULL THAT MUST HAVE PENETRATED HIS BRAIN, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY DAMAGE TO THE OUTSIDE OF HIS SKULL , THIS WAS AN ACCIDENTAL KILL WITH AN INADAQUATE CALIBER. 223 55 GR PSP. AND YOU GUYS ARE USING 204'S AND 22 HORNETS? IN MO THE RULE IS IF IT'S CENTERFIRE, IT'S LEGAL. THEY NEED TO GO BACK TO THE OLD RULE OF 60 GRAIN BULLETS OR BIGGER AND BAN THE 30. CAL M-1. SO GUYS DO THE DEER A FAVOR AND USE A MAN'S GUN .

LONGTOM · « **Reply #54 on:** January 24, 2009, 07:56:42 AM »

Boys, I was in on this at the beginning back in mid NOV and here it is almost the end of JAN and some are still duking it out.
FACT, the 204 will kill deer just as any other cal will.
I didn't say it was a deer cal just that it will do it.
I have seen them drop in their tracks from a 204 and I have seen them run many hundreds of yards from 300s and 45-70s.
That being said doesn't make the small a deer round or does it make the large inadequate.
It doesn't take a very big bullet to break a rib and reach the vitals to kill.
How fast it kills is up to GOD,the DEER, who knows!
How can any animal run so far with the heart completely destroyed but they do.
Break the shoulders and they are down, not always dead.
Hit the head and they are dead.
Hit the vitals and they WILL die.
Make a bad shot with any caliber and start looking.
No matter which side of this discussion you are on here there are those who will have their opinions based either from here-say or past experience and will continue to believe their side.
This is a DEAD HORSE, how he died doesn't really matter.

LONGTOM