Is the 204 Ruger on its Death Bed?

[SS427]

That's why they make chocolate and vanilla. Even at only 300 yards the 223 40 gn Vmax drifts 9" with a 10mph wind vs. 6" for the 20 P. If the only thing I had to shoot was a 223 then I would but why live with lower performance when I don't have to? Personally I want to shoot squirrels at 500 yards (or farther) when conditions present themselves and I want the absolute best tool for the job.

If drift and drop is your definition of best wouldn't you shoot a 20BR?

 

[fredhorace77]

I fought the 20 Cal "Bug" for quite a few years and then found one in a Remington XR-100 been reloading for 40 + years and have NEVER found a easier caliber to work Accurate loads for. At the time 204 Brass was like Unicorns so I had it rechambered to 20 Practical both chamberings shot consistent 3/8" groups. It was stolen from my Apartment in 2015 and after looking for almost a year I found a replacement . Using the same loads as the original rifle it too shoots 3/8's consistently I have now accumulated 500 plus rounds of 204 Brass and will likely keep it as is.
The MOST impressive thing about the 20 cal's IMHO they seem to defy Gravity when 1st shooting it was hard not to overshoot the Groundhogs having shoot mostly 22 Cals 22-250,AI and Cheetah in the past.

Jim

I agree it's a great round, but I think it would be safe to say the 6BR and or 6PPC would be the easiest of any caliber to find a good load for. Honestly, these 2 cartridges are hard to find a load that "Will Not" shoot. I think a monkey could put together a recipe and it would bug hole in one of these 2 calibers.

 

[Sniper338]

Some like chocolate, some vanilla, still others prefer strawberry....

I like blue bell pecan praline, and moolinium crunch...

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Have you chronographed your 204 at 4100 fps? If you are truly attaining 4100 fps with 39/40's you are running seriousl overpressures.
Using published max load data from multiple sources I have never been able to attain more than a chronographed 3800 out of any of my 204's with 39/40 gr bullets. I cannot find any reloading data showing the 39/40 gr bullets at 4100 out of a 204, where did you get the data? It appears as though you are confusing the 39/40 gr speeds with the 30/32 gr speed.

As far as performance out to 300 yds the 204 and the 223 with 39/40's are near ballistic twins. After three hundred yards the 204 begins to show an edge in performance due to its better ballistic coefficient. However if you are using either them for varminting it really doesn't have that much effect since in the real world the great majority of varminting is within 300 yds anyway.

I still own a couple of 204's but came to the realization a long time ago that there is no magic to it.

drover

No I'm just guessing and BSing...

Of course I've chronographed my loads. 26" barrel tho. I use 30 or 30.5gr of RL15 behind the 39gr BK...have to look in my load book again to be sure. She's definitely maxed out. tried to go faster with the last little bit i could stuff in the case and had a round blow up on the 4th shot of the 5 shot string. Experimenting with your own loads aint the safest thing to do, but I wanted to see just how fast she'd go. The round actually blew up due to a bullet jacket failure. Bullet came apart in the barrel and blew up my chronograph on the way out. Not a very good day. So I backed her off a bit.

I can't even remember how many loads I've developed using powders in cartridges that weren't published anywhere. Just because you don't see it in a manual doesn't mean it isn't possible. Try finding 73gr of BLC-2 behind a 225gr Nosler partition in a 358 Norma Mag with a 26" barrel and tell me what my speed should be? Or perhaps 76gr of H4350 in a 338-375 Ruger with a 250gr bullet? Ever found data listed for the 204 Ruger using Hodgdon Lil' Gun powder behind the 39gr Sierra BlitzKing? I have data for that from my experiments too.

I own two chronographs now. Always good to verify speeds when not sure.

Every barrel and chambering job may produce different speeds than the next. Can't judge everything off of what 'you' have.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Ledd Slinger:

I was not comparing a 20P to a 204R. I was comparing a 20P 40 grain to a 223 40 grain which Otter stated to be ballistically comparable to each other. Indeed the 204R with it's slightly more case capacity can run a bit faster than the 20P but it is not 250 fps faster. I can run my 20P safely at 4000fps but in the interest of brass life I choose not to.

Sorry about that. Think I misunderstood your post a bit.

20 Practical is a great round. I was thinking about building that instead of my 20 TAC, but came across a set of used 20 TAC dies for $60. Included a Wilson arbor seater and Redding Type S FL sizer with bushings. Basically the same thing anyhow. Its just a 20 Practical with a 30 degree shoulder instead of 23 degree.

All I do is run 223 brass in my sizer to neck it down, load it up and shoot. The 7 degree shoulder transformation sorts itself out while I'm shooting targets or varmints. No difference in accuracy from unfired to fired brass.

 

[shoot4fun]

In the beginning the 204 Ruger was a tough sell to me. All the writers touting super flat trajectories and wind drift proof numbers just turned me off. At the time though I was (still do) shooting the 22-250 with a max load H380 and 50 grain Nosler BT at 3990 FPS and saw no path for the 204 to ever be as good as that. My first field experience with 204 was soon after. A group of friends gathered for a PD adventure in the Texas Panhandle and one brought a 204 Ruger. We all left unimpressed and I simply tossed aside the thought of adding one to my safe.
Several years later a friend who did a little chambering work talked me into the 20 Vartarg. I was woefully disappointed. I was never able to get the numbers others claimed and detested the forming required. So, having a barrel of 20 caliber, I decided to get it opened up to 204 Ruger. The rifle shot accurately and hand loads shot almost to the same speed but with some better accuracy. It accounted for a few PD but never found a home next to my beloved 22-250.
In answer to the question posed I would say it is by far not a dead horse. But there does appear to be other 20 caliber rounds, as evidenced in the posts above, that satisfy not only the need for speed but the need to tinker with reworking brass. And we all know "owning it" is the game don't we?