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Offline bowslinger

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204 ruger
« on: July 24, 2007, 12:14:37 PM »
i going to get a 204 for predator and varmint hunting mostly calling any help on this round be nice
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Offline trotterlg

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2007, 07:54:55 PM »
Well, it is a wantabee round, it wants to be a big boy 22-250 but can't quite cut it, and it also wants to be a 17 Remington and it can't cut that either.  It may be a good comprimise but it is just that, like most of the other multi purpose tools, it isn't the best at anything.  Larry
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Offline Ponydog

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2007, 04:20:43 AM »
You need to read the Chuck Hawks article about the .204   Look at the ballistics.........and judge for yourself.
 I find my 204 to be a choice I made after looking at what I wanted from it.  If Hornady and Ruger think it was a good idea to make in 2004.....who am I to second guess them .
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Offline Hairtrigger

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2007, 04:42:03 AM »
In my mind Chuck Hawks is a self made expurt!

I thought I would be the only one nay saying on the 204.
Well said Trotter. I believe there will be many times you wished you were carrying a 220 Swift or 22-250 instead.


Then again there is no magic caliber... that is part of the fun of owning many
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Offline Ponydog

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2007, 04:59:15 AM »
I have owned the 22-250.( still do ) ..and shot the swift on many instances......all I did , was compare downrange ballistics, wind drift, and energy at 300 yards and less.....because for me , that is what I wanted with this specific gun......add less recoil...not nearly as loud...and flatter shooting than the 22-250 and the the swift...with less powder.....it treats the barrel more like a .223 with better ballistics........less powder means longer barrel life...so I am not saying it's the do all / end all.......I am just saying it's what I wanted in a varmint rifle.......so yep hairtrigger...I agree...more fun to have more calibers......but for me......I know when I go out.....the 204 is what I grab.....my 2 cents....
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Offline Ahab

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2007, 07:03:18 AM »
Quote from: Ponydog on July 25, 2007, 04:59:15 AM
I have owned the 22-250.( still do ) ..and shot the swift on many instances......all I did , was compare downrange ballistics, wind drift, and energy at 300 yards and less.....because for me , that is what I wanted with this specific gun......add less recoil...not nearly as loud...and flatter shooting than the 22-250 and the the swift...with less powder.....it treats the barrel more like a .223 with better ballistics........less powder means longer barrel life...so I am not saying it's the do all / end all.......I am just saying it's what I wanted in a varmint rifle.......so yep hairtrigger...I agree...more fun to have more calibers......but for me......I know when I go out.....the 204 is what I grab.....my 2 cents....

Yup, me too! Sums it up real nice.
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Offline mas19

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2007, 12:49:43 PM »
i got a .204 for speed and accuracy, and i got a .243 for hard hitting rounds down range.
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Offline skb2706

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2007, 05:18:09 AM »
Until you've actually used one you won't appreciate how well they perform. What exactly will a 17 Rem. do that a .204 "won't cut it" ?
I have two and have pretty much left everything else at home.
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Offline Ponydog

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2007, 08:45:30 AM »
I've had my  CZ 527  .204 varmint right next to a Anschutz .17 hmr, on the bench......a gun known for accuracy in competition.....with a very sweet Leupold scope on it,  ( the scope probably costs as much as my rifle)......he looked over a few times, took his headphones off  and then said....what are you shooting.....I told him my Christmas present, and let him handle and fire it.....shooting the .17, he was kind of immune to flinch....and after firing the clip's worth......he looked at the gun and said....."Wow".....far as I was concerned...he didn't need to say anything else...again...it's maybe not the do all/ end all....but it'll do everything a .17 can do , and a heck or alot more.
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Offline mas19

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2007, 11:23:06 AM »
Quote from: Ponydog on July 27, 2007, 08:45:30 AM
I've had my  CZ 527  .204 varmint right next to a Anschutz .17 hmr, on the bench......a gun known for accuracy in competition.....with a very sweet Leupold scope on it,  ( the scope probably costs as much as my rifle)......he looked over a few times, took his headphones off  and then said....what are you shooting.....I told him my Christmas present, and let him handle and fire it.....shooting the .17, he was kind of immune to flinch....and after firing the clip's worth......he looked at the gun and said....."Wow".....far as I was concerned...he didn't need to say anything else...again...it's maybe not the do all/ end all....but it'll do everything a .17 can do , and a heck or alot more.

They were talking out a .17 remingtion, but hell, my .204 will outshoot any .17 no matter what style it is.
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Offline Explorer1

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #10 on: July 27, 2007, 04:00:09 PM »
Loved my 22-250, but the 204 is my friendlier to shoot with less recoil.  Neigher is quiet.  I can turn loose the wife with the 204, she has no interest in the 22-250, both are flat shooting.......

If it need somethiing more, I simply use a 6mm or 257..........
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Offline trotterlg

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #11 on: July 29, 2007, 08:12:21 AM »
I see the .204 Marketing department has done a great job selling that little thing.  Next thing up is the 17 Remington Fireball, a degraded 17 Remington, so if less is more to you then go with the 17 Remington fireball, it is obvious from the marketing hpye that it is superior to the 204 Ruger, and we all know the writers in the magazines are totally honest when the evaluate any product.  Larry
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Offline skb2706

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #12 on: July 30, 2007, 03:39:06 AM »
Marketing Department had nothing to do with it. Actually shooting one was what impressed me.

The group of us that shoots pds by the thousands year in and year out have all taken the leap. Its not the 'end all' to the shooting world but it is very effective within the limits of chamberings using <50 gr. bullets
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Offline RangerRiz

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #13 on: August 12, 2007, 11:47:46 AM »
I have neither shot nor seen a .204 shot. But i spend alot of time around my brothers gun store and the guys that have them say they are great. One of the guys i know personally  (he is a relay good friend of my brother's. he builds his own rifles and has been published in Smallbore magazine) sold his cooper .17 Remington to build a .204 and he tells me that the .204 is better hands down. This is a guy i trust and has alot of fields experience with both. The only place that the .17 could even possibly be better than a .204 is if you are fur hunting. I would be willing to bet that on any close shot withe either you will have a mess. With either of these cartridges you are going to find drawbacks and benefits that differ from situation to situation. I am on the fence right now whether i should by a .204 or a .223. I just cant deside, guess that means i should get both. i think you will be happy with it if you deside to choose it.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Ranger
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Offline RangerRiz

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #14 on: August 12, 2007, 11:49:59 AM »
I have neither shot nor seen a .204 shot. But i spend alot of time around my brothers gun store and the guys that have them say they are great. One of the guys i know personally  (he is a relay good friend of my brother's. He builds his own rifles and has been published in Smallbore magazine) sold his Cooper .17 Remington to build a .204 and he tells me that the .204 is better hands down. This is a guy i trust and has alot of fields experience with both ( he shoots groundhogs 4 to 5 days a week.) The only place that the .17 could even possibly be better than a .204 is if you are fur hunting. I would be willing to bet that on any close shot withe either you will have a mess. With either of these cartridges you are going to find drawbacks and benefits that differ from situation to situation. I am on the fence right now whether i should by a .204 or a .223. I just cant decide, guess that means i should get both. i think you will be happy with it if you decide to choose it.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Ranger
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Offline Prebanpaul

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #15 on: August 12, 2007, 05:53:39 PM »
trotterlg 

Just wondering if you have ever seen a 204 in the field and or ever shot one.  This is what I can tell you, I hunt with a 22-250 and a 17 hmr for ground hogs.  I hunt 2-3 times a week and shoot any where from 10 yards near barns to 4-500 yard shots with a range finder. My friend hunts with 17hmr and the 204. You can say what you want, but I will tell you that the kill with the 204 is much more violent with a 204 than my 22-250. This being said I have lots of pictures to back up what i am saying anytime you want to see them.

ohhh yeah I have sold more 204 Rugers in the last year than I have sold 17 Remington's in five years.  By the way that is a blib for the marketing department for Ruger.  Actually I think the round has done most of the marketing for them.

To  go ahead and answer your question, I still use my 22-250 because of the consistent 3/4 inch groups it shoot at 200yrds with an occasional 3/8 group.  My friends 204 does the same so if I want I just shoot his. This round is great great great.

The only draw back in shooting any gun is there is not enough ground hogs.

Paul
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Offline tuck2

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #16 on: August 13, 2007, 02:14:11 AM »
I have used the www.Remington.com web site to compare their rifle rounds. For flat shooting The 204 round is only bested by the 220 Swift out to 300 Yds.. I m 71 years old and I have shot prairie dogs since I was I was 13 years old.  Over the years I have shot prairie dogs with the 17 HM2, 17 HMR, 17 Rem, have a 17 Fireball but not shot it yet, 22 LR ,22 WMR, 22 Hornet, 221 Fireball, 222 Rem, 223 Rem, 22-250 Rem, 220 Swift, 243 Win, and some big game rifles. Most of the shots I take are within 300 Yds so now the 204 Ruger rifle is the one center fire that will go shooting with me along with a 17 HMR. When shots are limited I may use the Swift  for shots over 300 Yds. My Ruger 77 Target Gray 204  rifle with a  Leo 6-18 X scope  puts 5 rounds into 6/10 inch 100 Yd groups when shooting reloaded  32 Gr V-Max bullets.
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Offline Ponydog

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #17 on: August 14, 2007, 03:45:36 AM »
Marketing department...????    I wonder if the gun shop owners think that selling a gun to a local customer on "hype" is a good idea???    Ummmm....How about NO !!!     No marketing department sold me my 204..a gun shop owner , who takes a few trips a year with a group of guys from Missouri , to hunt prairie dogs made me a believer......I saw his video, held his gun, hell , he even let me shoot it on the range right next to a .17 and a .223.    So don't talk marketing to me , just actually go shoot one........why do all these folks bash a caliber ?    Is it hurting anyone to say positive things about a gun I own ?  That I have shot beside the 22-250 I own?   And like the 204 better...because it is a better performer?    I have shot 17's as well, and there simply is no comparison outside 150 yards....marketing had nothing to do with my choice.
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Offline gube

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Re: 204 ruger
« Reply #18 on: August 17, 2007, 11:55:27 AM »
Picked up a savage 12 VLP last year and absolutely love this cartridge. Ended up buying another savage 12 in a BTVSS. The 22-250 doesn't even come out of the gun safe anymore.
I may pick up another in a lighter weight like the CZ 527.
My buddy bought a 223 just before I bought mine and he now wishes he would have chosen the 204 instead.
I still like the 22-250 and will still keep it but for now the 204's are my favorite.

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