204 ruger

Anyone shoot one? What kind of speed are you getting? I'm thinking about doing a build in that caliber. Tikka action, bartlein barrel and mcmillan stock.

Buddy went from a .22-250 to a .204 chasing the speed demon. After multiple coyotes walked off after being hit with it, he went to a .243

Personally I wouldn't waste the money building a custom .204

Never checked the speed on one and don't own one. My fav coyote gun is a 17 Remington that is fast, 4250fps with a 25gr bullet. So far every yote that gun has shot 40 to 300 yards has been DRT head shot, chest shot or gut shot doesn't seem to matter. Not a long range gun though what I like about it to 325 yards just aim at the yote MPBR for a yote size critter is about that yardage.

204 seems to have died out rather fast

I used to have a savage. With hand loads coming in close to 4000 it was a tack driver. Fun to play with but it wouldn't be my first choice. I would take a 22-250 or small screaming fast 6mm first.

Walter

I have a 23" inch contender barrel in 204 and have taken hogs and deer out to 200 yds, have not lost an animal. I use the hornady 32 gr, very accurate.

Agreed, go with a .243

I have both a .204 Ruger in Ruger No.1 and a Tac 20(.223 case necked down with blown out shoulder) in AR platform and both are accurate and do a decent job on predators with minimal fur damage if that is important.
Had the Tac 20 for several years now and killed a lot of critters and still use it occasionally when saving fur.
The biggest drawback for me in all the 20 calibers is lack of bullet variety. I really only trust one bullet which is the 35gr Berger.
The Vmax/Blitzking plastic tipped are fine for prairie dogs and Rock Chucks but you will have issues with Coyotes if you shoot enough. Here is the AR Tac 20.

If building you might consider the .22 Creedmoor, too.

Since in the OP you mentioned speed if the 20 caliber is calling then look at the 20-250 or 20BR with fast twisted barrel and jump on up to the 55gr Berger...higher BC and laser like trajectory.

WHAT BULLET WAS HE USING... .204 is bar none my favorite "little" round... I've never seen a coyote or cat move once they were hit. The thing goes off like a hand grenade and flies like a laser...

I would LOVE to have .204 custom built, but I need to get a 30 cal done first

edit- velocity is going to be 3500+... hand loaders have been known to break 4k

I have no idea, just reporting what he told me shooting coyotes in the vitals. It really made him miss his .22-250. Which by the way, is fast enough for me!

Should have mentioned this will mainly be used for prairie dogs.

Factory Hornady Superormance 32gr is 4225fps..would take a tough yote to run off from that. Should be great for pdogs.

If mainly for prairie dogs don't forget to put wind into the equation.

Man, I trust YOU... but idk about this buddy... I'm not sure he can shoot well enough to hit a coyote lol... hahah jk

Man I love that round, if he has a sweet shooter he wants to move pm me I've had GREAT luck with the round... Its kinda hard to reload for because the dang bullets are so little.

204 in notoriously good at bucking the wind... on paper it doesn't so much but in reality it does really well. Google search and you will see lots of reports of less than expected wind drift. Also if prairie dogs are main target then look at barrel life. I have been made to understand that 204 will outlive a 22-250... but I've never shot either out sooo Idk what to tell you for sure there

TO be honest the CZ 204 of my cousin will spoil you... it is just a hummer of a barrel... No matter what we have fed it, it just stacks the bullets in one ragged hole. You can swish cheese a coke can at 200... Have seen my cousin shoot bottle caps off the board at 200. My longest shot on a live critter was with it... love that gun

I've been going prairie dog hunting every year for the last six years. I started with a 1:14" twist 22-250 pushing 55 gr SGKs 3780 fps MV. Once the barrel was cooked I switched it over to a 1:8" twist so I could shoot 75 gr. A-maxes. They are "only" leaving at 3200 fps, so I lost 580 fps at the muzzle. BUT!! I almost doubled my BC, and I love when a plan comes together. The first year I was running the 75 gr. A-maxes I could cheat the wind way better, and got to extend my range. Where I go 10 mph is a light wind, and BC is what will win the day Of course it's got to have some speed behind it, and 3200 fps is not slow.

Praire dog rifle?
.22-250 or a .223, each with a 1:8 or 1:9 twist.

My last trip to Colorado, a 204 won the day. Wind drift for most all other guns was around 15-18". The 204 was consistently about half that. I know it shouldn't be that way but it is what it is. Our closest shots those 2 days was 300 yds. Most were 450-550. Longest shot was a ranged 733 yds with a 6mm BR. It was a blast.

Lots of stories on wind drift like this. Sombody needs to figure out what makes it so

I average around 60 to 80 yotes a year on the big ranch and have went full circle on calibers with the exception of one. 17 HMR, 22 mag, 17 Rem, 204. 223, 22-250, 243 and 257 Weatherby. The majority have been taken with the 243 shooting the 58 grainers but even had a couple of them take off but never lost. The 257 has dropped every one of them in their tracks but the rifle is too nice to be bouncing around in the truck. My Styer Pro Hunter in 243 has been my go to combo.