.204

[Sako 75]

Anyone have the pro's and cons of thisd calibre? Not interested in hearring about .223 or .22-250. Just the .204. Also if one has $750 to spend on one which .204 would you get. Thanks in advance.

 

[snox801]

204 is a great round it is a premiere critter round. Works great on coyote to. By far the best critter round, and I own the other two you don't want to hear about. As for guns I have a howa great trigger and accuracy. I would have never bought the rounds or gun because I have the other two, bu I won mine and would buy this gun again in a second after owning it.

 

[clarky]

I own aRuger M77 VT SHOOTS half inch groups with a10x40 bushnell tactical scope on top.Shoots crows out past 300 with abackline hold and foxes and rabbits even further.I like the 40gn hornadys but the 32s dont damage fox pelts.I got the action glass bedded which stopped elevation movement and stopped groups opening up. It pays to make sure you take carefull aim for the head or the vitals at long range on foxes or bigger because those small bullets are getting pretty tyred when they get way out there

 

[Outlaw6.0]

The 204 is among my favorites. I shoot it more than I shoot anything else. Flat trajectory, stellar accuracy & fairly cheap factory ammo. Interestingly enough, this is the only rifle I own that I don't reload for.... The factory ammo is that good, mine seems to prefer the 32grn HNDY loads. I would without question, buy another one.

I've killed coyotes from 30yds to over 250, results are always the same.




Savage Mod 12 L/H

 

[Tikkamike]

I dont currently own one but have owned 2. the first was a m77 stainless that didnt shoot very well the second was a CZ 527 American and it shot great but had to sell to buy diapers a few years ago. It shot awesome with everything I shot out of it. in my opinion the CZ is very hard to beat and the set trigger is pretty fun too. It kills coyotes and fox pretty well too.

 

[Quackshot]

I'm a long time varmint shooter(prairie dogs are my favorite). Since I got my first of many 204's in 2006, I rarely shoot the beloved 220Swift's that collect dust in my safe. With typical varmint loads in factory twist barrels I find the 204R to excell ballistically to 600 yards in all respects but energy, and that difference is not very much. Once you have some brass the 204 is cheap to load for. Try 39gr Sierra bullets first and you might be done experimenting right there.

 

[Tikkamike]

I'm a long time varmint shooter(prairie dogs are my favorite). Since I got my first of many 204's in 2006, I rarely shoot the beloved 220Swift's that collect dust in my safe. With typical varmint loads in factory twist barrels I find the 204R to excell ballistically to 600 yards in all respects but energy, and that difference is not very much. Once you have some brass the 204 is cheap to load for. Try 39gr Sierra bullets first and you might be done experimenting right there.

I shot a lot of 39 grain blitzkings in mine too i believe and they shot great

 

[DocHolladay]

I just picked up a Savage Model 10 Predator Hunter Max 1. I like it but the price may over shoot your budget. I have only fired 8 rounds out of it but it show potential and I havent loaded for it yet, but there are 39gr Blitzkings waiting on the sidelines right now. This makes my second .204 and I dont think I made a bad choice in the rifle.

 

[toddc]

A 204 with the new berger 55gr will paste a 22-250 at any range. Im looking at an AR in 20 cal(probly a 20 tactical) as my new coyote rifle. The smaller stuff is great also I just want an 800 yd yote gun.

 

[lewwetzel]

I just picked up a Savage Model 10 Predator Hunter Max 1. I like it but the price may over shoot your budget. I have only fired 8 rounds out of it but it show potential and I havent loaded for it yet, but there are 39gr Blitzkings waiting on the sidelines right now. This makes my second .204 and I dont think I made a bad choice in the rifle.

That model Savage or the CZ 527 Varmint would be my choice if I were to buy another .204 to go with my Cooper and Remington. Another option might be the TC Venture Predator for its 5R and (possible) faster-twist rifling, the latter needed to shoot 40 gr. and heavier bullets accurately in the .204. Another big plus of the .204 is the lack of recoil that allows one to watch hits through the scope.

 

[Zen Archery]

.204 is stellar in my book.
Flat trajectory and incredibly accurate. Just DOPE wind conditions.

 

[joseph floerke]

I know a guy that shoots pd with them with a sierra blitz king and it is awesome.

 

[BMF]

A 204 with the new berger 55gr will paste a 22-250 at any range. Im looking at an AR in 20 cal(probly a 20 tactical) as my new coyote rifle. The smaller stuff is great also I just want an 800 yd yote gun.

If you're talking wind....than yes. If you're talking drop ( flatness ) then....no. Strictly looking at the generic numbers only, not one gun compared to another. The 204 pushing the 55 Berger at 3200 fps( the high end on the Berger manual) catches up with the 22-250 pushing a 55 gr nosler at 3600 fps ( a conservative speed) in drop at about 800 yds. The wind drift is considerably better, ( about 24") for the .204. That's because you're in the top weight for the .204 caliber. I ran the numbers for the 70gr bergers at 3300 fps( average speed/ per the berger manual) out of a 22-250. It beats the 204 in both categories out to 1000 yds. Now, I'm not comparing one gun to the next, just running generic ballistic numbers with their posted B.C.s for each caliber.

Bottom line, no matter what caliber you shoot, something is sacrificed. If you shoot a smaller caliber you sometimes sacrifice exessive down range wind drift, down range loss in velocity, which usually means lower P.O.I. at extended ranges. We're talking coyotes and smaller, so ft/lbs shouldn't be too much of a concern.
If you shoot a bigger caliber than you generally have slower muzzle velocities. They kick more, so keeping the scope on target is harder. Lets face, sometimes they're just not as fun to shoot.........sometimes.

That being said, that 204 is one hell of a cartridge.

 

[AH3682]

Hey,
I would go with a Savage, eithere a model 25 lightweight varminter or the 25 lightweight varminter-T. They both have accutriggers and detachable magazines.

Friend had some bench guns in this caliber. Shot pretty flat and with little to no noticeable recoil. Verry accurate.

Happy Shootin'gun)

P.S: Be sure to notify us on your choice. With this caliber it is pretty hard to go wrong.