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How many rounds to burn out a .204 Ruger barrel?

MoneyWaster

I'm thinking about remounting a .204 Ruger barrel that I have onto a PT&G single shot action, but I'm wondering if it's worth it. The barrel probably has 700 rounds down the tube at moderate velocities (3750ish fps). The original action got turned into a .223 Remington tactical trainer, but I still want to have a 20 caliber cartridge for plinking and ground squirrels. Should I reuse the old barrel or get a new one? The old one shot in the .5's. It started out as a Remington 700 stainless fluted in an HS Precision stock. I was thinking that there might be some accuracy to recover by cutting it back and rechambering it with a short throat. The factory throat was crazy long. I couldn't get anything even close to the lands.

Lou
 
When I had a 204 I got close to 3000 rounds before I noticed accuracy started to fall off. Seems most all factory 204 barrels are chambered long with way too much free bore. Instead of 204 I went ahead and bought a new barrel chambered for 20 Practical. I now have two 20 practicals as 223 brass is way more available all with 204 performance. You might be fine with barrel set back and re-chamber if your old barrel is in good shape but you may get the best accuracy with a new one.
Just my thoughts here...let us know how it all turns out. :)
 
Mine burned the throat out in 300 rounds, plus or minus. Not bad though, and I set it back and did a rechamber and it was fine. I was also shooting throttled back reloads around 3800. I maybe only shot 50 or so factory rounds thru it total. The one I had was a 1-in-13" twist and I only ever shot 32 grain bullets.
After the redo, it shot just as good as it did when new. The barrel was a stainless Pac-Nor super match.
 
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Thanks for your experiences guys. You know, if I decide to change cartridges, I'll probably go with a new barrel and make it a Vartarg. The action is a single shot, so I don't have to worry about feeding and ejecting. We'll see.
 
Just food for thought regarding a 20VT rechamber......my VT at this point in time has 4,260 rounds downrange and still shoots in the .2's. Not sure how long this will last, but targets bear this out. It's the best ground squirrel cartridge I've ever used. I've got four 204's, and since getting into the 20VT, really don't shoot them much any more, greatly preferring the VT for work inside 400 yards, which really is where most of my shooting takes place.

I don't think any of my 223's have been shot for rats now for at least three years. I can't remember anyone ever saying anything bad about a 20 Vartarg. :)
 
The really cool part is turning these......



Into these......



Fun in the rat patch with a great shooting little 20Vartarg is about the most fun I've ever had with a rifle. And believe me, I've had some real fun in exactly 51 years in the rat patch! :D
 
I had a 204 that went 2990, at 2991 it sprayed like a shotgun and blew up bullets. I shot 8208 and 32's from day one but not real hot, and I cleaned after every shooting session. It was a factory savage stainless barrel.
 
.20-221 AI for the win.........;)


Lapua brass, Ackley shoulder, sounds like a match made in Heaven for a single shot rifle to me......
 
Hmmmm...... a 20-221 AI sounds interesting. I never even considered that. Does that extra boiler room capacity make shooting 40 gr. projectiles a consideration (competitive with .204 velocities)?
 
msinc said:
Mine burned the throat out in 300 rounds, plus or minus. Not bad though, and I set it back and did a rechamber and it was fine. I was also shooting throttled back reloads around 3800. I maybe only shot 50 or so factory rounds thru it total. The one I had was a 1-in-13" twist and I only ever shot 32 grain bullets.
After the redo, it shot just as good as it did when new. The barrel was a stainless Pac-Nor super match.
Click to expand...


you shot the throat out in 330 rounds? did you stop at all between rounds? I have a 204 with about 2500 rounds at 3850 fps still shoots good.
 
6xcshooter said:
you shot the throat out in 330 rounds? did you stop at all between rounds? I have a 204 with about 2500 rounds at 3850 fps still shoots good.
Click to expand...

Yes sir, I did just that. Now when I say shot out...it wasn't exactly ruined, but the groups which had been easily below 1/2" started to open up. I looked at the throat and saw it was scorched and set the barrel back.
I believe it happened when I shot it one day at my range. It was in the high 90's and I fired about 50 rounds. It's a bolt gun and I didn't think I was shooting it that quick, but it must have gotten hotter than I realized. The 204 is a noted barrel burner, but you can make even the hottest barrel burner live longer if you shoot it carefully. If you have one with 2500 rounds I would say the throat probably for sure will show some burning, but it must not have open up it's groups yet. I probably could have changed my seating depth and shot the thing for quite a few more rounds okay, but I am set up to barrel and chamber anyway so I just wnet ahead and did it. I cannot stand for anything to not be as right as it can be.
 
The 20SCC or 20-221ai will push 32 grain bullets to 4,100 and the 39Sierra blitzking to 3,700+ with great accuracy when I was testing.

MoneyWaster said:
Hmmmm...... a 20-221 AI sounds interesting. I never even considered that. Does that extra boiler room capacity make shooting 40 gr. projectiles a consideration (competitive with .204 velocities)?
Click to expand...
 
My p-dog AR barrel was gone at 3000 ish. I think you could get a few more on a bolt gun and keeping the temp down.
 
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