How Far with a .204?

[chuckw2]

You .204 hot dogs out there let me ask you a question?
I am going to take my .204 on its first PD hunt ever.
This is in West Texas where the winds can really howl.
In the past I have shot three guns a .243AI, .243. and a 6.5 x 284.
I do not have the time or energy to reload to shoot dogs.


Am I spinning my wheels with the .204 with factory ammo?

What factory ammo do you suggest. What distances are you shooting?
How many minutes of wind can the .204 handle?



My rifle is a CZ, I have only shot it at night, lamping song dogs and foxes....

 

[F224]

I have made hit's out past 500 yards in modest winds. But stick with the 39gr or 40gr bullets. The 204Ruger provides 22/250 performance with costs similar to the 223Rem.

One caution to all the 204 shooters out there. I had Steve Satern build me an AR15 barrel with a 1:9 twist. It blows up the Hornady 32gr bullets within 50 feet of the muzzle. But it shoots one hole groups with Federal factory 39gr Sierra Blitz King ammo.

I'm still working up handloads and am using the 39gr BlitzKing and heavier bullets.

 

[22Mag]

I agree with,F224) the 204 will reach out to ~500 yards for P-dogs, but at that range the bullet will,drill) the dogs and not open up very much. I would stay with the 39 - 40 gr bullets also they carry much better in the winds on the P-dog fields.

22 Mag

 

[beartrack]

Wind wreaks havoc with bullets smaller than .243, but if you going to shoot small bores, the 40 gr. .204 will buck them as well as all but the super heavies in the .22s. The BC is comparable to a 60gr. BT. The only down side is that there a more than a few people with factory guns that won't stabilize the 40 hornady. My encore with 1/12 factory won't do it, but it will 39 Sierras and 40 noslers. I think both of those bullets have more bearing surface. My Savage has a 1/10 LW barrel it shoots all bullets fine.

 

[claimbuster]

The 204 is one of the best long range PD rifles out there. Since I started shooting my 204's, the Swifts and the 22-250 get left home more and more. Ditto the comment on 39 & 40 gr. bullets. I shoot the 39 gr. SIE exclusively. One of the best wind loads.

 

[joghotrod]

By F224:

One caution to all the 204 shooters out there. I had Steve Satern build me an AR15 barrel with a 1:9 twist. It blows up the Hornady 32gr bullets within 50 feet of the muzzle. But it shoots one hole groups with Federal factory 39gr Sierra Blitz King ammo.



I shoot a .204 with 1/9 twist and the 39's sometimes will blow up at 2 to 4 hundred yds. I can see them come apart and hit the dirt in several spots to the left and right of the PD I am shooting at. It doesn't do this unless the barrel is fairly hot. I switched to 50 grain Bergers in this upper and they do great. I now just use the 39's in my 1/12 twist upper. I have a 6BR upper ordered to see how it does at 5&6 hundred yds on PD's.

Jimmy

 

[acloco]

joghotrod - your problem is because your barrel is copper fouled. It is keyholing bullets...especially when the barrel is warm.

 

[treeman]

the bullet blow-up is probably from rpm, treeman

 

[treeman]

has any one used the berger 50's on varmints? I have a hart 1 in 9 that shoots them really well. just curious. treeman

 

[chuckw2]

Treeman,


What powder and primer are you using with the Burger 50's?


Do you know your speed?


Chuck

 

[F224]

The guys at Sierra said the 39gr Blitzking could handle 1:9 twist at 4500fps. That's really smoking, in anyones book. I have shot the 32gr Blitzking and it held up just fine, I just like the 39gr bullet for general varmint shooting.

 

[joghotrod]

By acloco:

joghotrod - your problem is because your barrel is copper fouled. It is keyholing bullets...especially when the barrel is warm

If that is true how come I get very little blue color when I clean with Sweets? This is a Shilen match grade barrel and it cleans real easy. What ever is causing this doesn't matter now because I just shoot 50 gr. Bergers through it. I use the 39's in my 1/12 twist upper and my Ruger bolt gun. They shoot fine in those most of the time. I think the jackets are very thin because when I shot the 39's at 600yds a few of them could not be found by the score guy in the pits at our range and this was with 1/12 twist. He could not even hear them go over his head. Who knows?

Jimmy