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204 Ruger squirrels

While I have undoubtedly killed more ground squirrels with my .223/.223 AI than I have my .204 I will say that the .204 is my preferred one of the bunch. The .20 Practical would be such a good choice given that you have plenty of brass.

Everyone of the gang that I shoot the local whistlepigs with has a .223 (more than one as we have AR and bolt guns too) and we all have .204's as well. I think that a 40 grain Vmax in the .223 is ideal (12-14" twist) and a 32 grain Vmax (11-12" twist) in the .20 calibers.

If I was shooting at a 400+ yard squirrel I would rather have my .204 than I would a .223. But still, a juice can sized target at a quarter mile away is still a mighty small target. The accuracy of the gun, the quality of the glass, and the man behind the trigger are more important than if it's a .20 or a .22 caliber.
 
On my Savage FV 12 twist, I went from 40s to the 32 vmax's. Was getting much tighter groups with the 32's. At max 300yds I would think faster is better.
 
32's out to 500 yards. If it is blowing so hard that I need a heavier bullet then the wind is blowing me and my table around too much to shoot accurately anyway. It isn't like the 40's are impervious to the wind -- they just get moved a little less. The 32's get moved a little more but they are still very consistent.

When people miss with a 32 they immediately say they should have had a 40. When they miss with the 40 they correctly conclude they read the wind wrong, which is frightfully easy to do when you are talking about 400 yards of prairie with wind conditions constantly varying all over the place.
 
Since the .20's became popular when the 204 arrived in 2004, I've shot bazillions of both squirrels and PD's in five different .20 cal rifles using various brands of 32gr bullets.

My two favorites are the Nosler 32gr Varmageddon tipped (flat base), and their BT in the same weight. Both have shot in the high "ones" and low .2's with their pet loads. I save the 39/40's for the stuff over 500, which is rare as 95% of good rat shooting here is 350 and under. The 32's just do the job, and the 'graphics' are stellar. Lots of flight lessons. :D
 
I agree with Rick In Oregon and use tons of the 32 V-Max as they are fantastic within 300 yards - though can get pretty consistent hits much further in good conditions. If I were to only have ONE bullet to do everything to 400 and some beyond that - Id opt for the 39 sierra Blitz King. The much better BC really shows at 400. Downside is higher cost in high-volume shooting. The V-Max and Varmageddons will do 90% as well, at about 25% to 40% less cost.
 
Ok I bought some 32 gr Varmageddons out of 25.5" bbl what powder ? I've used CFE223 with the 39gr Blitzkings with great accuracy
 
I have had good luck with 32gr nosler varmageddon with benchmark. And 35gr bergers with h4895. I stuck with the bergers due to speed for longer shots. Im getting 3,880fps.
 
The wicked powder with my 32's is Accurate LT32. Really good results with surplus WC842 powder as well
 

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