Why should I not get a 204 ruger

[big ears]

Hi,
i want a long range bunny and fox rifle, capable of killing at 250-350yrds. I already have a .223 set up with a NV scope but want something for daytime/evening use. I have looked at changing the NV scope to a detachable scope but not only the price but also the change in shooting position makes me not keen. This has lead me to think of getting a new rifle. I already home load for the .223 so plan to continue to home load for what ever calibre. I am not keen on the 17 hmr as I do not think them as a suitable fox rifle over 100yds, neither am I keen on a 22 hornet. Another 223 is an option but it seems a shame to have two rifles in the same calibre. I have been intrigued at the claims of the 204 (accuracy at range, flat shooting, ability to hold up against the wind) and wonder if anyone has experience of this calibre and can give an honest appraisal, good and bad, or suggest any other calibres that might fit the bill.
thanks in advance.
BE

 

[jb7x57]

You won't be disappointed with the 204 great little round you need head shots on rabbits or they are not worth picking up, very accurate round using 10x with 32 and 39 grn sierra bullets, foxes don't know what's hit them at 300 yds just fall over

 

[paul o']

you should say why not !!! its a cracking little
cart

 

[easypeasy]

I use the 204 for night vision foxing( Just point and shoot out to 200 yards) and use the .223 for longer range day time. Either one will knock Foxy down.
What is the twist rate on the 223? as you could get out to some decent ranges with it for the day time.

 

[big ears]

I use the 204 for night vision foxing( Just point and shoot out to 200 yards) and use the .223 for longer range day time. Either one will knock Foxy down.
What is the twist rate on the 223? as you could get out to some decent ranges with it for the day time.

It's a CZ 527 with a 1:9 twist. It's very accurate with 52gr amax

 

[easypeasy]

With a 1:9 you could be getting some slightly heavier rounds for greater distances. Use the 223 for day time and get yourself a 204 for the night time fox bashing.

 

[big ears]

With a 1:9 you could be getting some slightly heavier rounds for greater distances. Use the 223 for day time and get yourself a 204 for the night time fox bashing.

Was wondering that but the .223 loves the 52 gr, my present load has an MV 3360 fps and at 400yds has 419 lb ft energy whilst a 204 39gr going at 4000 fps MV will have nearly 500 lb ft at 400yds which on paper would make it the better daytime, fun round for long range corvids, bunnies etc. as I would never shoot that far at night should I not keep the 223 set up as the night scope?

BE

 

[stephentri]

Was wondering that but the .223 loves the 52 gr, my present load has an MV 3360 fps and at 400yds has 419 lb ft energy whilst a 204 39gr going at 4000 fps MV will have nearly 500 lb ft at 400yds which on paper would make it the better daytime, fun round for long range corvids, bunnies etc. as I would never shoot that far at night should I not keep the 223 set up as the night scope?

BE

You will be lucky if you get 4000 fps from a factory rifle as most have short barrel.

 

[big ears]

You will be lucky if you get 4000 fps from a factory rifle as most have short barrel.

What realistically could I expect?

 

[Mr. Gain]

Are you planning to sell your .223? Get a .204 and you soon will be!

Seriously, if you want a day gun and a night gun, the best thing to do is to buy the same model in the same calibre that you use now, and shoot the same load.

Night ranges are short enough that ballistic differences between the .223 and .204 are practically insignificant, and for daytime use (when ranging and reading the wind is easier and your optics are more precise) you should be able to reach out as far as you need with the .223.

A .223 in the daytime will be legal for Muntjac and CWD too, of course.

I write this as a fan of the .204 (and .17RFB) - but that's about enjoying variety, not about making practical choices.

 

[Muir]

I love my 204 but you shouldn't get one.
You'll be buying up components that the rest of us could be using. Stick to your .223.
There are enough .204 shooters now as it is.
Sorry. Move along.....~Muir -D)

 

[JabaliHunter]

If you have lots of .223 brass and a bushing die then why not do a .20-223 (.20 Practical)? Or a .20 Tactical (new dies needed).

 

[big ears]

I love my 204 but you shouldn't get one.
You'll be buying up components that the rest of us could be using. Stick to your .223.
There are enough .204 shooters now as it is.
Sorry. Move along.....~Muir -D)

Sound advice as ever Muir! But if you had to choose between the two which would you pick?

 

[big ears]

If you have lots of .223 brass and a bushing die then why not do a .20-223 (.20 Practical)? Or a .20 Tactical (new dies needed).

OK not thought of theses. 20P looks like it performs as well as 204R, are their any advantages of the tac over the prac? Brass resizing not an issue.

BE

 

[Greener Jim]

The main advantage of the practical is that it's easier to make from 223 brass, hence the name.

 

[plonker]

Was wondering that but the .223 loves the 52 gr, my present load has an MV 3360 fps and at 400yds has 419 lb ft energy whilst a 204 39gr going at 4000 fps MV will have nearly 500 lb ft at 400yds which on paper would make it the better daytime, fun round for long range corvids, bunnies etc. as I would never shoot that far at night should I not keep the 223 set up as the night scope?

BE

2 things to consider,not all factory rifles will stabalize the 39gr bullets.Mine did but many others have had better success with 32gr and not 39gr.And you can forget the advertising bumf of 4000 fps from the 39gr.
Been down the 204 route and if you have an itch scratch it,but shooting at vermin then they don't care weather they are hit at 3500fps or 3300 fps.
dave

 

[Muir]

Sound advice as ever Muir! But if you had to choose between the two which would you pick?

Now that would depend on a couple of variables: Mostly the cost and availability of components. For the longest time after I bought my CZ 204 I could not get brass. Almost 7 months without it. Finally MarinePMI of this site sent me a box he had from some trade he'd made int he past. Bullets I could get easily and inexpensively but with only 100 pcs of brass between me and prairiedog shooting I didn't bother with it and stuck to my .223 which was seriously accurate, for which I has buckets of once-fired police and military brass and a previously purchased stockpile of bullets. I shot prairiedogs (think pint beer bottles) out to 300-350 with it. Last spring the 204 brass made an appearance again so I loaded it for the first time. Super accurate, right from the box with the easily available (and inexpensive) 40 grain V-Max. At 3600 fps they were punching half inch and better five shot groups from the start. When the Soap Creek Prairie Dog Assn annual shoot came up, I set my girl friend up with this rifle and was impressed with the flat trajectory and wind resistance. Even after a long lay-off, her first shot at 260 yards was a clean kill. Towards the end of the week's shooting I used it one day and found that it shot flatter and did a better job with the wind than my .223 on these small targets. That said, there is an issue with my .223 that needs to be added: My .223 is loaded for pure accuracy, not velocity. I shoot Sierra Match 52 grain and have never chronographed them. I'm guessing that they were traveling a good deal slower than the 40 grain 5mm's and in fairness, the bullet was designed for 200 yard shooting on paper. With a 50 grain VM load my enthusiasm for the 204 might be tempered in the comparison. The last item is that prairiedogs are very small compared to rabbits (especially those monsters like I shot in Scotland) and fox. A miss windward of an inch on a 3" wide prairiedog would anchor either of those two larger species. Vertical drop is always there to one degree or another. Shooting most of my varmints with a 22 Hornet has made me tolerant of making adjustments for gravity; I just don't take it personally any more.

All that said. There isn't a best choice from my standpoint unless it is to do what JabaliHunter says: Build a 20 Practical. It is the best of both worlds. If the rifle is made correctly, it is simply a matter of running .223 into a FL 20 Prac die and you're shooting. Cheap brass, plentiful bullets, easy and brainless case forming. I have one in my gunroom belonging to a SCPDA member who leaves it here. He uses once fired Lake City surplus brass and a 32 gr VM and shoots tiny groups. If my CZ ever runs short of brass again, the barrel will be set back and rechambered to the 20 Practical.~Muir

 

[griffshrek]

Dont get a .204

Why on earth do you want a rifle that has no recoil to speak of , is cheap to reload , is devastating on anything up to fox size out to 350m , is flat shooting and hard hitting .

Dont do it

 

[big ears]

Thank you for that Muir as ever sound advice. 20 practicsl has its attractions as it is easy to make brass for it which is a big plus. More to think about!

 

[Claret_Dabbler]

No reason at all, I love mine, very accurate with both 32 & 39 gr bullets.

I shot it last week directly after zeroing my 30/06, the lack of recoil is just amazing. Flat shooting, does well in the wind, and kills stuff really well.