I’m a die hard 223 AI fan it’s what I use religiously but I’m greeting more and more interested in a 22-204 build and just wondering if anyone has any tips? I’m a commercial shooter for work so I run a couple hundred rounds a week most of my shots are 2-300yards with the absolute longest being no more then 320-350 (very rare to be over 300) and the closest being 80-130. I do shoot in a lot of wind at times thought so would be most interested in what caliber would end up best overall for that distance in terms of bullet drop and Holdover in wind. the less holdover and drop the easier my life is!!
Pros and cons on 22-204 vs 223AI ?
- Thread starter Ozshot
- Start date
urbanrifleman
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What is a "commercial shooter"?
Ballistically the 22-204 might have an advantage but barrel length or even barrels themselves, slow barrel vs fast barrel could even them out.
Where I find the advantage in the 22-204 is there is no need to fire form cases, you just run the 204 cases through your FL sizer and load.
When I built mine (15yrs ago) 223AI dies were custom dies and you could load 22-204 with off the shelf dies. I shoot wildcats in 22-204, 6mm-204 and 25-204 and can load them with the same set of dies just changing out bushings and expander balls.
223AI was problematic to get to feed and the 22-204 would feed through any action that was originally a 204 or 223.
223 barrels could easily be rechambered to 22-204, I do them at home and don't even have to take the barrel off the action. 223AI needs the barrel to be set back, so a gunsmith and lathe are needed.
The only downside to the 22-204 is brass while I've found it to be quite easily acquired, 223 brass is usually scattered around your feet at the range. Being as 223 brass is readily available I shoot 20 Practical's, 223 and 6x45mm rifles, again all are just run through the FL die, load and shoot.
As far as hold over, wind drift you load and choice of bullet will determine that.
Good luck on your choice.
I'm assuming he's a roo shooter or does some type of ADC work.
Where I find the advantage in the 22-204 is there is no need to fire form cases, you just run the 204 cases through your FL sizer and load.
When I built mine (15yrs ago) 223AI dies were custom dies and you could load 22-204 with off the shelf dies. I shoot wildcats in 22-204, 6mm-204 and 25-204 and can load them with the same set of dies just changing out bushings and expander balls.
223AI was problematic to get to feed and the 22-204 would feed through any action that was originally a 204 or 223.
223 barrels could easily be rechambered to 22-204, I do them at home and don't even have to take the barrel off the action. 223AI needs the barrel to be set back, so a gunsmith and lathe are needed.
The only downside to the 22-204 is brass while I've found it to be quite easily acquired, 223 brass is usually scattered around your feet at the range. Being as 223 brass is readily available I shoot 20 Practical's, 223 and 6x45mm rifles, again all are just run through the FL die, load and shoot.
As far as hold over, wind drift you load and choice of bullet will determine that.
Good luck on your choice.
I'm assuming he's a roo shooter or does some type of ADC work.
Thanks for the fantastic information, I think from your explanation I am better just staying with the AI, if the difference really is t that’s much and may be negated with barrel length etc I think brass will become the limiting factor because as you have said it’s a lot easier to come across 223 brass. I’m run a 26inch 8 twist barrel. The ability to run your normal load from first round without fireforming would have been damn handy though!. I usually only run ballistic tip 55gr nosler with benchmark 2 but I’ve had to change to 52gn speers with 8208 as that’s all I could purchase with the shortages. And yes a Roo shooter, well picked!.
A commercial shooter is a bloke that shoots kangaroos for the meat trade, as a living.
mule
Silver $$ Contributor
If it was me I would have my gunsmiths run my 223 Ackley reamer to a 204 go gauge length and you already have the dies just screw them out a little bit and have a 22 204 Ackley
This statement makes me question my own life choices... That's a "job" you say?
The 22-204 and 223AI have pretty much identical case capacity. Other than the parent case (223 wins) or reloading dies with no fire forming (204 wins), no one really has an advantage over the other. If you already have the 223AI "stuff", no reason to change. With that volume of shooting, be hard to get better than what you have without changing barrels more often...
22-250 fast twist won't last long shooting a couple hundred rounds a week. I would stay with 223 AI as there won't be much difference out to 350 yds
Haha you have to remember I have to field dress everything I shoot so it’s not quite as glamorous as it sounds! If I shoot 40-50 that makes for a lot of heavy lifting and messy
Work!. Thanks for the comparison really sound like I have negligible benefits to change and actually probably worse considering the brass side
Ledd Slinger
Silver $$ Contributor
22-204
Pro: Little faster than a standard 223 or 223AI
Con: You are ruining a good 20 cal cartridge!!! Desecrating a 20 cal round by making it 22 cal is treason! Lol!
But honestly, why screw around with the 204 Ruger when 223 brass is readily available everywhere and from just about every manufacturer including Lapua. Having something just because it’s different isn’t a good thing if you can’t get good brass for it.
Whenever I want to build a new rifle, I first ask myself; Does Lapua or ADG make brass for that cartridge or parent case I will be using? If the answer is no then I don’t do it.
Pro: Little faster than a standard 223 or 223AI
Con: You are ruining a good 20 cal cartridge!!! Desecrating a 20 cal round by making it 22 cal is treason! Lol!
But honestly, why screw around with the 204 Ruger when 223 brass is readily available everywhere and from just about every manufacturer including Lapua. Having something just because it’s different isn’t a good thing if you can’t get good brass for it.
Whenever I want to build a new rifle, I first ask myself; Does Lapua or ADG make brass for that cartridge or parent case I will be using? If the answer is no then I don’t do it.
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Isn't a 204 a necked down 222 Remington magnum? If so, how does necking it down and then back up make it anything other than a 222 Remington magnum?
alf
Silver $$ Contributor
Ledd Slinger
Silver $$ Contributor
That’s what it was supposedly based off of when they designed it and case specs state both rounds have brass measuring 1.850”, but when I put a 222 Rem Mag case side-by-side with a 204R years ago, the 204R brass was noticeably longer overall and the shoulder is also set farther forward. I can understand a shoulder position change but I don’t understand how a design can supposedly come from a parent case that is that much shorter in length.
Ledd Slinger
Silver $$ Contributor
When they designed the 204 they modernized the 222 Rem Mag case they moved the shoulder forward because they didn't need the long neck of the of the 224 caliber for the .204 diameter bullet, I doubt it had anything to do with not chambering as most of all the cartridges based on the .378 headed case will chamber in another, also firing a 204 cal in a .224 barrel will cause virtually no damage. They also changed the shoulder angle to 30 degrees, that wouldn't have been needed if they were worried about interchangeability, just moving the shoulder forward would have done that.
They used the 222 Rem Mag length case as the basis but designed it to be a more modern designed 20 and made it into a modern cartridge that gets the most out of the case and still feed reliably.
Thus it makes an ideal cartridge for wildcatting to other calibers getting the most out of the .378 boltface without having to waste components fire-forming or going through a lot of forming gyrations. I can load 22-204, 6mm-204 and 25-204 with the same set of dies and it is just a matter of running through the FL die and loading. What could be easier. Performance is impressive with 25-204 ballistics matching original ballistics of the 250 Sav and 257 Roberts.
They used the 222 Rem Mag length case as the basis but designed it to be a more modern designed 20 and made it into a modern cartridge that gets the most out of the case and still feed reliably.
Thus it makes an ideal cartridge for wildcatting to other calibers getting the most out of the .378 boltface without having to waste components fire-forming or going through a lot of forming gyrations. I can load 22-204, 6mm-204 and 25-204 with the same set of dies and it is just a matter of running through the FL die and loading. What could be easier. Performance is impressive with 25-204 ballistics matching original ballistics of the 250 Sav and 257 Roberts.
I’ve never heard of a 20PPC I take it it’s a wildcat what’s the parent case??
Mark W
Gold $$ Contributor
I would venture a guess that a 20 PPC is just a 6 PPC necked down to a 20 caliber.
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