Just curious on everyone's opinions. Pretty much only a prarie dog shooter, 1-300 yards, unless there is no wind at all, then I'll shoot as far as I can hit. I see that using the lighter bullets the 204 is still much faster than the 17 with lighter bullets. Also, it seems like there is a few more bullets for the 204. Do you believe that the 17 would be a better gun or the 204? The 17 would us slightly less powder, but not enought to make this a consideration with buying a gun. Thanks!
204 Vs 17 Fireball
- Thread starter mitch_04
- Start date
The .204 is a 300 yard cartridge; the .17 at best is 200 yards. The .204 is superior in accuracy, bullet selection, fighting the wind, killing power and barrel fouling. The sub-calibers are not easy on bores but there is less hassle with the .204. Any .17 user I know sleeps with his cleaning rod. Buy a .204 and be happy. But be sure to clean for carbon fouling as well as copper.
Mitch, IMHO all the 20 calibers will out perform the 17's. My 204 Ruger shoots a V-max 40gr bullet flatter at 400yds them my 22-250 pushing a 50 gr bullet. You might look at either the 20 Tactical or the 20 Practical, I prefer the Tactical because of the excellent Lapua,headspamped Dakota) brass. And I prefer the 20 var-Targ shooting 32gr V-maxs over my 17 Remington or my 17 Mach IV. All my 20's seem to shoot somewhat cooler and clean up much easier, I run 50 rounds down them in the dog towns prior to cleaning. The light stuff a hoot, lets you stay behind the scope and watch the red mist.
RJ
RJ
Just depends on what you are after. The two cartridges that you inquire about are both great they just have different purposes, IMHO.
I have a 17 Fireball and a 20 VT. I sold my 204 after shooting the fireball cartridges. The reason being noise and recoil. The VarTarg use approx. 30 percent less powder and is considerably quieter than the 204 with virtually no muzzle jump, you can see all the action in the scope. My 204 really had a crack to the report, not really a problem just made my shooting partner jump.
I have not experienced fouling to be a problem in my 17FB or the VT.I usually shoot 4-6 different rifles when on gopher safari and just clean them all at the end of the day. I expect I don't put enough down the pipe to foul as I have not experienced any noticeable decrease in accuracy, still MOG,minute of gopher) at the end of the day.
I have a 17 Fireball and a 20 VT. I sold my 204 after shooting the fireball cartridges. The reason being noise and recoil. The VarTarg use approx. 30 percent less powder and is considerably quieter than the 204 with virtually no muzzle jump, you can see all the action in the scope. My 204 really had a crack to the report, not really a problem just made my shooting partner jump.
I have not experienced fouling to be a problem in my 17FB or the VT.I usually shoot 4-6 different rifles when on gopher safari and just clean them all at the end of the day. I expect I don't put enough down the pipe to foul as I have not experienced any noticeable decrease in accuracy, still MOG,minute of gopher) at the end of the day.
i think its luck of the draw. Ive had my 204 for a little over 2 years and i love it one of the funniest guns i have. i had some extra cash so i went out and got a 17 fire ball to keep up with a friend that had got one and liked it. it was like shooting a bb gun at 100yrds... ok not that bad but out there, loading wasn't easy either. so in short i sold it in less than a month, and still love my 204! good luck
Take a look at www.remington.com hit ammo and compare their 17 Fireball and 204 Ruger ammo. I have rifles in both rounds. The prairie dogs I shot at about 300 yards with my 25 Gr bullet hand loads out of the 17 Fireball died. You can see that the 204 Ruger is flatter shooting then the 17 Fireball but I like shooting the Fireball.
swd
Silver $$ Contributor
I've owned 3 17 Mach4s and a Tac 20 and for shots out to 350 yards the 17s are fantastic. Don't let Remingtons factory loads make you think the 17 Fireball can't be loaded up much higher. 4200 to 4300 fps in a 24' barrel wit a 20 V Max is no problem with no pressure signs. With a good barrel 200+ rounds before cleaning is the norm when shooting squirrels.
I have been shooting the 17 Mach IV for 7 years. I am getting 4110 FPS out of a 20g Vmax at a max load in a 25' Shilen. I clean just as I do my 22 cals and no more. I can't make any comparison to the 20 cal yet. I can say the Mach IV is great fun out to 300 yards on the prairie dog town, I shoot off the bipod and see my hits and misses. I take 100 rounds and go back and clean when done with them at the bench.
Mike
Mike
Never shot the fireball, but I won't be without a .204, unless I have a 20 practical or tactical to replace it, now that I have experience with one. It has accuracy, power, and is a real flat shooter. My Savage really fouled a lot in the beginning as the rough bore got polished, but strokes with JB and steel wool broke it in quick, and it is a bug holing gun until it starts to foul, but clean it and bughole again. Growing bullet selection too.
put it this way, i haven't picked up my 22-250 or my 223 since getting my 204 4years ago. i just have so much fun with it, the only difference is at loooooonnnnnngggggg distances you can shoot the heavier bullets in the 22-250. other than that i have no use for my other 2 guns as long as a 204 is in my safe.
SongdogHunter
Gold $$ Contributor
1000yardstare said:
You've been reading too many articles and sounds like not first hand experience.
SDH
Ackman
Gold $$ Contributor
Two completely different cartridges. The .17FB uses about 19gr powder with a 25gr bullet, the 204 uses 8 or 9gr more and heavier bullets. Over the years I've had several MIV's - identical to the 17FB - and a bunch of .223's. Shooting those two cartridges at prairie dogs, they're the same. The 17 has 0 recoil and no muzzle jump, burns a lot less powder, and with a good barrel it copperfouls no worse than something larger. However, factory barrels all copperfoul much worse than custom barrel. With a MachIV I've killed rockchucks way up on hillsides at distance that surprised me. Trouble with both .204 and 17FB, factory ammunition is very expensive.....too much for any kind volume shooting. If you don't reload and want to have fun shooting a lot without spending a fortune, get a .223 and shoot the crap out of it.
This person knows nothing about the Mach IV/17FB.
This person knows nothing about the Mach IV/17FB.
1000yardstare said:
As to .17 cal guys sleeping with their cleaning rods, not true[unless they are anal].
I shoot both Savage Mako .17, and Savage m25 .204, and both are very accurate. .204 wins hands down anything over 150 yds or so.
As to cleaning: per good info gleaned awhile back, and found to be true. Do not clean your .17 until it stops shooting quater inch groups at 100 yds.
I clean mine, just for the hell of it after about 300 rounds or so, and it shoots quater and under, with plenty of bug hole shots.
Try it .17 cal guys and see if this is'nt true. Works for me!
'Moon'
I shoot both Savage Mako .17, and Savage m25 .204, and both are very accurate. .204 wins hands down anything over 150 yds or so.
As to cleaning: per good info gleaned awhile back, and found to be true. Do not clean your .17 until it stops shooting quater inch groups at 100 yds.
I clean mine, just for the hell of it after about 300 rounds or so, and it shoots quater and under, with plenty of bug hole shots.
Try it .17 cal guys and see if this is'nt true. Works for me!
'Moon'
P1ZombieKiller
Silver $$ Contributor
wfeher said:
Agreed!!!! My 22-250 has not been out of the safe in 3 yrs. the 204 has taken over. where I used to use the 22-250 for 1-500, and the bigger guns at 500+, I now use the 204 out to 350-400, and just use the bigger one's a little closer in than before. Cleaning my 204's have never been a problem. Once broken in, they clean up fine. Make sure you get a deweys carbon rod.... it really is nice
Remington should have made it the 204 Fireball IMHO. I have killed enough prairie dogs past 500 yards w/39gr Sierras to dis-prove the 204 Ruger is just a 300 yard cartridge. The 204 Ruger gives you less blast and recoil than the 22/250 and lower cost on a high volume shoot. It's not a 500 yard Coyote cartridge, but for anything small, it's effective past 500 yards in the right hands.
Been a while since I looked at this thread. Someone back there said something like 'Sounds like you have no experience with a .17'. My buddy and I each bought a Rem SPS Varmint at the same time - his in .17 Fireball and mine in .204 Ruger. We shoot together regularly at a 300 metre,330 yds) benchrest range. Through side-by-side comparison over the course of dozens of targets at 300 metres, we both came to the conclusion that the .204 beats the .17 in wind-bucking,hence accuracy) and barrel cleaning. I used some Shakespearean licence by saying '.17 users sleep with their cleaning rods'. This was merely a reflection of my buddy`s frustration. He no longer owns the .17. But more power to the owners of custom lead-lapped .17 barrels out there.
In defence of the .17, my fellow Canadians in the far North, the Inuit seal hunters, prefer the .17 because it does not damage seal pelts. Just one clean little entrance hole - nothing out the other side. And the mild report does not disturb other nearby seals. But they would never dream of taking a shot past 100 yards - not in the constant Arctic winds. Only a white man would try something like that,an exact quote). This was all related to me by an Inuit student in Toronto, Ontario.
In defence of the .17, my fellow Canadians in the far North, the Inuit seal hunters, prefer the .17 because it does not damage seal pelts. Just one clean little entrance hole - nothing out the other side. And the mild report does not disturb other nearby seals. But they would never dream of taking a shot past 100 yards - not in the constant Arctic winds. Only a white man would try something like that,an exact quote). This was all related to me by an Inuit student in Toronto, Ontario.
I bought a Remington sps varmint in .17 fireball. Heavy barrel model. We are loading 30 grain Berger hp to make it a better coyote round at distance. The smaller 20 and 25 grain v bullets knock down foxes easily at 300 yards. I expect the 30 grain hp will do the same on a coyote. I also have a .204 ruger rem with standard 24 inch barrel. In a bench rest shoot of 100 yards the .17 is more accurate with groups in 1/4 inch same hole patterns. The .204 will undoubtedly fly one. Might be the barrel but I suspect the round is not as accurate as the .17. With the 30 grain hp Berger in the .17 fireball I would recommend it for any varmint hunt up to coyote size.
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