204 RUGER HANDY

[ratdog]

i bought 204 cal handi a while back for the action was going to sale the barrel then i thought i'd try a few rounds in it to see how it shoots they are cute little things but man these things shoot 1/2'' groups at 100 yards after a little sighting in i think it shoots a little tighter than my 22-250 i don't reload for the 204 yet but its a keeper.

[bobg]

  I don't have a Handi but i do have a Savage 112 in 204. Believe me that thing shoots. It will out shoot my Remington 40x in 222 any day of the week. 

[gcrank1]

Glad to hear yours is shooting good. Ive followed the posts on this caliber in Handi's and it has seemed problematic.
What is the year code on yours, maybe from that we can try to find out which are more likely to be shooters.

[PHATINJUN]

My 24" fluted bbl has never been a problem. I shot one box of 32 factory ammo thru it then started reloading for it. First one was 23.5 gr 4198 32gr spitzer 2.300 oal they killed many a PD then switched to Dogtown 34gr HP dropped to 22gr 4198 2.275 oal just made scope adjustment shot my farthest PD @over 800yrds last yr with it. But that shot was more fate and luck than skill .I have probly taken a shot like that over a 100 times and got lucky once. I have not chronoed this 34gr load but believe it to be about 3500fps or so. My bbl is probly pushing 2000 rounds down it. I fully expect to get my first 1000yrd kill this yr but it will be with my new 223 Savage 110. I think to be consistant with this 204 cal in a H&R you may need to stay in the 3500 to 3700 fps range. But that could just be the powder I am using.Kurt

[Squib]

you're gonna need to change your name to slim injun soon then because that's a lot of walking around to shoot, inspect your carnage, and go back to your rifle to set up again.

you won't need to do curls either, opening and shutting the breech over and over again, then loading more ammo 

[PHATINJUN]

Amazing how a yr lets your story get bigger and bigger. I wrote my 204 kill from last yr was over 800yrds when in fact it was 627yards only excuse...AGE i believe you can use age as an excuse for lots of things after 50 Kurt

[Darreld Walton]

Last weekend, after my early mornin' romp through the sagebrush and lava beds looking for song dogs and Great Hoary Marmots, I noticed, behind the in-law's milk barn, that there were a great many magpies and starlings hanging around a fresh carcass in the 'dead pit'.  I drove up, lasered my position and adjusted till my hood was just 200 yards away, and set up the bags.  Have you ever put a stick of dynamite in a feather pillow?  "First blood" on the .204 was a magpie, with a 32 gr. Hornady, and holy smokes, did that thing come apart!  The things just kept coming back, and I just kept annoying them.  The magpies sorta got 'smart' about the situation, but in the end, I THINK there was about 20 starlings that disappeared.  There IS just enough recoil with the rifle and round and the 8X Lyman, that I couldn't quite keep the scope on the critters.
Next weekend, I'll see what the .500 S&W will do to 'em........

[OldSchoolRanger]

DW - 500 S&W? Good to hear your using enough gun!   

Just breaking them 

[Darreld Walton]

Well, the 500 MIGHT be just a bit much....maybe I'll give the .375 H&H a workout.

[gcrank1]

Well, I like my 38-55 TM for varmintin'......
Not that I actually connect often with the peep sights, but its great fun landing close.

[Darreld Walton]

.375 H&H with max-effort loads and 220 gr.Hornady flat points at somewhere "around" 3000 fps, make a definite "red mist" effect on varmints.  Ya jist don't wanna do too many rounds over the bags nor prone!