.204 Ruger for Coyotes, what is your opinion?

[BrentM]

Killed a pile of yotes with my 204. It's my go to for that. I run 39/40 grain bullets and it hammers them.

 

[Ohlongarm]

I've shot a pretty fair pile of coyotes with the .204. A .204 + 35 grain Berger= fur magic. BUT, it WILL blow around in the wind and 400 yards is stretching the limits IME. I've killed them at that range, but it's less than decisive. It's hard to do everything well especially walking the fine line of staying inside a coyote.

The bad press on the .204 is more than likely due to using 32 grain tipped bullets. A broadside shot will poleaxe them but a shoulder shot may splash. Your coyotes are slightly heavier than ours and your fur may be heavier as well. If your rifle will handle a 40 grain Berger, it will probably work a better on both wind and distance, but it will likely take a 1:10 to shoot it. I only shoot a 39 BK on colony varmints but Berger is still my go-to for fur.

Good luck!

Tim Titus

My TC Center is a 1/10 I can shoot 24 to 40 grain with no problems,I think Thompson got it right with a 1/10.With wind any caliber can be a victim of,once your ballistic co-efficient goes above 300 it's less noticable. I don't plan on shooting many yotes beyond a quarter mile,but have killed one at that range,most are under 300.

 

[David Urasky]

Instead of the 204 consider the 20 Tactical.it will out shoot the 204 in speed and precision with less powder. It's based off the 223 brass and can be made from that or you can buy it ready to reload.
I shoot mine from a Savage model 12 using the Berger 40 gr BT Varmint. I can hold dead center out to 300 yards and have made one shot kills out past 500.
My hunting partner shoots a 204 and was blown away when he saw the results of shooting at the range side by side.

 

[Bud LaRoche]

Sir,on that point I beg to differ,a 204 39 grain Blitz King at 500 yards is packing over 400 ft pounds of energy,and experiencing a 24 inch drop. In the long haul the 204 will outshoot the 250 if you do the math which I've done.Now the venerable 250 is a great round the 204 fills a niche long needed.The 204 also will shoot flatter with some loadings,they're are many charts online that corroborate what I'm saying,i'm not just rambling,I take my yote hunting serious and the 204 will flat out keep up with the 250 any day. Good shooting and shoot what makes you happy.Try the 40 grain Berger and tell me if it will drop a coyote at 300 yards,just point and shoot bang flop,the yote got hit with 500 ft pounds of energy,with a 6 inch drop.The list is endless,imagine if one was adept at handloading.Her's a little comparison chart,while not 100% perfect the tiny pill holds up fairly decent,this chart will change dependent upon different bullet weights and velocities.View attachment 187955

Is that a 40g Berger going 4200+ . That's way fast

 

[UplandFreak]

What I have been researching most of the coyote hunters recommend 35 & 40 grain Berger and the 39 grain SBK. Seems "some" have had entry blow ups on the 32 Vmax in the shoulder area....I was wondering will the CZ 527 varmint with 1 in 12 twist stabilize the 39-40 grain bullets?? Thanks for every ones input very interesting reading peoples experience's.........

I had a savage with a 1:12 that wouldnt stabilize the 40gr vmax. It would stabilize the 39gr sbk.

 

[johngibbs222]

I've never seen a coyote here in the UK let alone shot one but my 223 likes barnes 50 grain varmint grenades. They are turning around 3400 fps in my 22" barrel ruger #3. Two chest shot foxes one at about 100 yards the other about 150 yards no exit holes and liquified internally just like it says on the box.
Initially I thought the ad blurb was bs, I sighted in at 100 yds and aimed at the 2x2 target frame, just 22 cal holes all the way through, then tried it on gala melons and granny smith apples, very violent. Apparently they don't start to disintegrate until 2" into the victim.
Headshot rabbits decapitated, chest shot rabbits eviscerated on the spot and what I said about foxes above.
I used cfe 223 powder btw and measured the mv with a magnetospeed sport.
So I'd say spend $10 on a box of them and give them a try, you can always get the 204 anyway. You will probably be getting in excess of 3900 fps in a 22.250, not too far behind a 35 grn 204 load, if at all.

 

[gjn11]

I use a 204 along with the 17 Rem./17 Tactical here in Montana as one of my primary calling rifles and am very happy with it. 95% of my shots are 300 yards or less. Have had very good success with the 35 Berger over IMR 8208 XBR. Generally anchors them on the spot with no exit and no pelt damage with properly placed shots. Gut shots, shots around the edges, etc. are going to lead to problems as with most cartridges short of big 24, 25 and 26 calibers.

 

[Chuck32571]

My son has nothing but praise for the 204 Ruger as a pelt saver on his coyote hunts. Very accurate to 400 yards but the wind can play havoc when its blowing.

 

[Canhunter35]

Sir,on that point I beg to differ,a 204 39 grain Blitz King at 500 yards is packing over 400 ft pounds of energy,and experiencing a 24 inch drop. In the long haul the 204 will outshoot the 250 if you do the math which I've done.Now the venerable 250 is a great round the 204 fills a niche long needed.The 204 also will shoot flatter with some loadings,they're are many charts online that corroborate what I'm saying,i'm not just rambling,I take my yote hunting serious and the 204 will flat out keep up with the 250 any day. Good shooting and shoot what makes you happy.Try the 40 grain Berger and tell me if it will drop a coyote at 300 yards,just point and shoot bang flop,the yote got hit with 500 ft pounds of energy,with a 6 inch drop.The list is endless,imagine if one was adept at handloading.Her's a little comparison chart,while not 100% perfect the tiny pill holds up fairly decent,this chart will change dependent upon different bullet weights and velocities.View attachment 187955

I'm basing my results off actual experience with 40gr Vmax in the 204, I've shot quite a few past 300 out to 400 and a lot of them will run a ways before dropping dead. Inside of 300 it flattens them. But I literally have a 204, ruger Hawkeye predator, I don't need to crunch any numbers, I've done it. But goodluck, it's great little cartridge, but you will be disappointed with its performance if you're making 500yd shots on coyotes

 

[2Rope]

I got one of the 1st 204s in our area years ago for a "fur friendly" coyote rifle. I take 30 to 50 a winter, mostly with my 204. It's my go to calling rifle for fur harvest. I'm a coyote caller so most of my shots are 300 or less... sometimes as close as a few feet! I load 35 grn Berger's and have had good luck with them, however I have some ruined hides due to poor shot placement. Just like any other caliber, there are pros and cons. I've killed hundreds of coyotes with the 204 and will say it's a great round for a calling gun!

 

[Bud LaRoche]

I got one of the 1st 204s in our area years ago for a "fur friendly" coyote rifle. I take 30 to 50 a winter, mostly with my 204. It's my go to calling rifle for fur harvest. I'm a coyote caller so most of my shots are 300 or less... sometimes as close as a few feet! I load 35 grn Berger's and have had good luck with them, however I have some ruined hides due to poor shot placement. Just like any other caliber, there are pros and cons. I've killed hundreds of coyotes with the 204 and will say it's a great round for a calling gun!

Have you any experience with the 40g Berger against dogs ?

 

[ronstone09]

Been looking at a cartridge for coyotes here in Mondamtana, in the past I have used a 22-250 and they are a great gun with 50 grain V-max, exits at times. Just looking at a pelt gun, already have a .17WSM rimfire, just looking at a 0-500 yard calling gun. What has been your experiences with it and what bullet do you prefer that stays in a coyote most times? Right now I use a 6.5 creedmoor as I have not been picking them up (its a little messy, but....have made shots out to 860 yards ) but am entertaining the thought of a .204 as pelts can be worth $100 on a good one...............we deal with some wind and distance out here. Most large males are 35-40 # nothing like those eastern monsters...

I've used my .204 for coyotes out here for years and it drops them in their tracks !

 

[tt35]

My TC Center is a 1/10 I can shoot 24 to 40 grain with no problems,I think Thompson got it right with a 1/10.With wind any caliber can be a victim of,once your ballistic co-efficient goes above 300 it's less noticable. I don't plan on shooting many yotes beyond a quarter mile,but have killed one at that range,most are under 300.

You'll be golden. Don't look back! If you see more than a rare exit, drop down to the 35.

 

[Ohlongarm]

You'll be golden. Don't look back! If you see more than a rare exit, drop down to the 35.

No problems so far,but how does one explain a 24 grain Ntx Hornady 204 blowing a yotes guts out at 100 yards with a direct frontal chest shot?once again nothing is written in stone they're are variables.See picture recently posted.So far I've shot all of Hornadys 204,all of HSM's all worked well,but for out to 300 that Hornady 24 NTX sure puts the smack on dogs.