.204

[Zep]

I know it is a popular caliber in southern NJ for groundhogs. I have been thinking about it myself but I am more seriously considering a 243 to buck the spring winds. There are farms where I have to deliver and long shots and wind are more of an issue than I first perceived. But I would think if I am at in long enough a 204 will also be in my tool bag as less bang has its place. So many different farms and shots. Funny but I spend more time this spring scouting with binoculars and a note book than actual shooting. Love the 223 as it's a good start.

As I look for my next rifle the one thing I am always taking into account is twist rate and bullet weights. Make sure you keep this in mind as well.

 

[swampshooter]

I shoot a re-barreled Rem 700 in 204 with 39 gr Sierras ahead of BLC-2. The original bbl. didn't suit me. If buying another one on a budget I would go with a Savage with an accu-trigger. Tikkas, I'm sure are good but I've never shot one.

 

[Zep]

What twist rate did you go with? Also who's barrel? Thanks.

 

[swampshooter]

I went 1 in 10 in a Shilen med-heavy varmint bbl. Finished out at 26"

 

[Zep]

Sounds great! - you can run with a little heavier bullet.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[65WSM]

My current .204 is a Vanguard that has a custom McGowen barrel and JARD trigger. It is out of your price range. I would not build on the Vanguard again.

I have had Ruger 77 stainless. You will never reach the lands, the trigger will need work or replacement, the rings will need lapping and it never grouped near or under an inch. The stock does not have enough comb to allow you to see through a varmint scope. I put on the rack at Cabelas.

I have a Savage Model 25. It is throated so you will never reach the lands and still fit the cartridges into the magazine. The magazine was designed for .223 and really is short of what you would design for a .204 Ruger. It will fit some factory cartridges. I tried it in the showroom. The plywood thumbhole stock is great with a scope. It comes with Weaver bases which allow you to use very solid rings like Warne. The trigger is about 3 pounds at minimum adjustment. I replaced it with a JARD. It is in your price range. The barrel is pinned in place not threaded. The bolt is a modern design of 3 front lugs like the Browning A bolt or SAKO 75 and 85. My bolt face was rough and machining not what you would want. The barrel seems good. I can get about 3/4 inch regularly with R-15 and 40 gr Hornady seated to the magazine length. I have not developed a 32 gr load.

The CZ 527 looks great to me but the safety is backwards, backward to fire forward is on safe. The stocks are too low for varmint scopes. The high rings that come with it need lapping. Aftermarket stocks are few.

I have a custom single shot Model 700 with PTG bolt at Truetec for nitrocarbuizing currently. It is a .20 PPC. More on that soon.

 

[hynes57]

I have a Remington 700 sps. It shot 1" to 3/4" groups when I got it. I shelled out a few more bucks and picked up a bell and Carlson stock to replace the plastic one it came with and I'm now getting less than a 1/2" out of it.

I've shot various rounds all 40 grains and under but I never could get any noticeable difference out of it. A lot of people were saying that there guns would like one setup or another but I just wasn't seeing it out of mine so now I just buy whatever's the cheapest.

Although I'd probably go with a different rifle (kind of ****ed I had to buy a stock) I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

The round has a coolness factor like no other to people who've never heard of it before. It has a loud thump when you connect. After getting use to it I no longer question when I've hit something. You can tell.

I've shot coyotes, rock chucks and a few rabbits with it. It's worked well on all of them. It can make a mess I things though as well. It will just about cut a rabbit or rock chuck in half if the shots less than 100yds. I've also put some surprisingly big entrance holes in a few coyotes I've taken. Guessing from splashing on a bone or something. I've never really bothered to dig around after one of these messes to figure it out. I've had enough small entry holes without exits to know that's more of the norm than the former.

 

[tuck2]

I got a Ruger Target Varmint .204 rifle when they first came out and mounted a Leupold 6-18 X AO scope on it. It was one of the more accurate rifles I v had just out of the box. It was eazy to find accurate 32 and 39 Gr bullets reloads.

 

[whitely]

I picked up a Remington SPS Varmint in .204 many years ago, and love it. I've been shooting the 39 gr Blitzkings with RL-10x. I had Joel Russo make an awesome stock, and have since put a Jewell trigger, and some other goodies. Out of the box, it shot great.

 

[BrentM]

I see this is a really old Original thread but I suppose that adding to it to help others is a good thing. Correct?

I won a Savage model 10 Predator a few years back. I had very little knowledge or experience with Savage so I thought this rifle would be a ***. WRONG. This rifle with Hornady factory ammo, 40 gr Vmax, shoots .15 inch groups at 100 and 1.5" at 500. The only issue is that the ammo is slow at 3650 fps compared to their advertised 3900.

Keep in mind this is factory ammo so the jump is at .170 !!!!! The reason I mention this one, DON'T get hung up on jump issues fellas.

I worked up some handloads of 4064, 4895, and superformance and the vmax on the hornady brass. Still shooting less than .20 groups. 4064 was the fastest at 3780 to 3800 and shot 2" at 500. Recently I added H4198 to the line up as it is an extreme powder and smaller grains so I don't have to compress the loads like 4064. H4198 at 25 grains gives me 3780 with a ES under 10. .25 or less groups. The sweet spot seems to be right at .100 off the lands and that is right at 2.315 COAL.
Also, I bought some Nosler customer brass and it is way better than the hornady stuff. I had a lot of issues with 27.5 grains 4064 and many cases could not be loaded that high without a bit of drop tube and shaking methods. The nosler brass is very good and consistent.

So, if you asked me about a .204 I would buy another for sure, love the chambering, and with a good LR scope I have made shots out to 700 yards with great accuracy. I want to stretch it further now that I have a new load and stepped BC figured out.

 

[bolski]

I got a Ruger Target Varmint .204 rifle when they first came out and mounted a Leupold 6-18 X AO scope on it. It was one of the more accurate rifles I v had just out of the box. It was eazy to find accurate 32 and 39 Gr bullets reloads.

I love my m77. .380 groups without much effort and new to reloading. Trying the 39 gr next.

 

[17Hunter]

Rem 700 SPS BDL, Leup 4.5-14, 32 grn Nosler BT 29 grns IMR 4320, Win brass, Rem 7.5 primer, .5" group with shots 8-10 New out of the box, velocity-fast enough to catch her, 28 lb female

 

[mrbofus]

I have a Remington VTR and it is a smoker.
The 204 is an awesome little round that will make little critters do back flips.
My longest, comfirmed, witnessed kill is 535 on a rockchuck.
constant kills at 300 and under.
32 g vmax work real good and for a real smoker I shoot 26g varmit gernades at about 4200 fps.

Get one and you will not be disapointed.

 

[Jud96]

Never had the chance to kill anything with a .204 or the privilege to own one but have glass bedded and accurized a couple with my Dad for some guys. At 100yds they shot literally one hole groups! We were astounded by their accuracy. The cartridge is also super low recoiling so seeing your hits through the scope is a breeze. I just never had much interest in one since those little bullets are very wind sensitive and lose their velocity pretty quick.