204 rifle?

[sniperboy]

Hi to all

I ve been reading so much about the 204 calibre and here in australia its still a relative new calibre for us. Can anyone suggest me of a real accurate out of the box rifle in the 204 calibre, and with what rate of twist they are available.
Would also like to know if the 204 is capable of varmints up to 400 yards?

Thanks
sniperboy

 

[YoteSmoker]

I would suggest the CZ 527 Varmint rifle (I've owned a couple 204s to include Encore and Ruger Varmint). The CZ is by far the most accurate of the ones I've had and the one I plan to hang onto for a good long while. It is around 7 1/2 pounds with a medium-heavy barrel so the weight is not to bad for carrying and calling, but balances nicely compared to the heavier barreled/stocked varminters. The savage rifles I hear are very accurate also, but I have no experience with them as I have found the CZ to do everything I need. I also have an extra magazine for me to carry in my coat pocket. It consistently shoots the 32 V-max in the .3s sometimes a little better even, if I'm up to it. Mine hates the 40 v-max but shoots the 35 berger and 40 ballistic tips fairly well with loads I've tried (half inch or a little better). Lots of guys are having good luck with this rifle and the sierra blitzkings but the jackets are very light and not so good for coyotes, creating a lot of splash wounds from what I'm hearing. The rate of twist in the CZ is 1:12, which seems to be the most popular twist across the board. The 204 is very capable of taking prairie dogs and groundhogs at 400 and beyond and will get r dun on coyotes with a well placed shot. If you get a 204 I don't think you will be disappointed one bit. It is low recoiling and really tears up varmints nicely. You will soon get use to hearing bang...WHOP! and the nice thing is you will see your impacts. It's an awesome caliber! On windy days, I switch over to the 243 for 300 yard and longer shots. It's good to have a heavier caliber in your arsenal for shooting way out there in 20+ mile and hour winds.

 

[Catfish]

400 yrds. is pushing the .204 on anything but small varmints in my oppenion. I have a CZ 527 lite weight that loves the 32. gn. Sierra bullet, not bad with the 32 Hornadys or the 39 Serrias, but hate the 40 Hornadys. The rifle is sweetabt 6 lbs. with scope and a tack driver with lite bullets. Excellant roundhog and fox gun, but with the bullets it shoots best is lite on coyote. With 35 Bergers should do well on coyote or dingo, but I prefer a gun that slams them.

 

[dogdinger]

i have a ruger....

m 77 stainless.....very lightweight gun....my experience with this little gun has been awesome...i was always a fan of the .17 remington, but was never able to get it to shoot as well as i wanted.....bought the .204 when it first came out to find out what it was like....took the gun out of the box and mounted a weaver 4-16 on it ....sighted the rifle in with the first 3 shots.....next five shots were in a dime sized group, using factory hornady 32gr bullets....that winter i killed 18 coyotes with this gun and all but one was a one shot, BANG FLOP.....no exit wounds....very fur friendly...ranges out to 400yds....the gun shoots factory bullets so well i do not even load for it......i think you will be pleased with this caliber....AJ

 

[MachV]

I've got a pair of Savages in 204.One is a 24" lite barrel and the other a flutted varmint barrel. They both will get to 400 yards easily but are finicky about what they like to shoot. I have only tryed Vmaxes so far, the lite barrel loves the 32 grainers and Benchmark powderand hate anything else I've tryed. The heavy barrel hates the 32 grainers and will shoot a few different powders with the 40s.
The lite barrel so far will outshoot the heavy ...even in five shot strings but only with one very specific load.
The 204 does a great job on jackrabbits and prairie dogs with either bullet out to 400 yards but have not tryed it on anything bigger.
The difference between the 223 and 204 is small enough that I would not sell a 223 to get a 204 but they make a great addition to the varmint arsonal

 

[zuba]

My buddy got a m77 about a year and a half ago, its going back to the factory. He is having a little trouble with it extracting fired shells and the other day noticed the laminate stock was starting to split right behind the reciever. Hopefully they can atleast fix the extracter because he really likes it, its very accurate!

 

[Supermag]

I've got a 700 VSSF II and haven't had any trouble and it will shoot 3/8" groups with about any factor ammo. It does like the 40 gr. bullets more than the 32gr.

 

[gube204]

I have 2 savage 12's. A VLP and a BTVSS. The VLP does not like the 40 V-Max (1" at 100 yds) or the 32 sierra BK's (keyholes badly). So far it likes everything else out there.
My BTVSS does very well with the 40 gr V-max. Have not tried the 32 gr BK in it yet. Everything out there has also been okay.
I have not tried out the 26 gr varmint grenades yet (picked up two boxes for load testing)
or the 38 and 48 gr WILDCATS. I am expecting that the 38 gr wildcats will be very accurate and I expect the BC to be higher than the bergers.
So far the 39 gr BK's have been the most accurate with both of my tubes.
My 48 and 38 gr wildcats have arrived. Here are some photos I took comparing them with some others. I lined them up from tallest to shortest. The boxes in the background are the order that the standing bullets are in. The two laying down are the 48 and 38gr WC. I took one from overhead to compare the hollow points. The 48 gr is quite long. I bought 6 boxes of 38's and only one box of 48 gr. I am hoping I can do some load development with them sometime in the middle of June.

 

[j_22250]

400-500yrds. is pretty realistic with the .204 ruger. Given that there isn't alot of wind. A buddy of mine shot a coyote at 311yrds. with his and it left a hole so big in it's neck that u could have stuck a football in it!!! I think he was shooting 34gr. v-max's(factory ammo from hornady). All I know is that .204 Ruger + Ground Squirrel = OVERKILL!!!