.204 owners - Want to hear your experience & recommendations

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.204 owners - Want to hear your experience & recommendations

Post by Bruiser64 » 02 Apr 2018, 9:50 pm

I am seriously considering getting a .204 and would like to hear from people who own or have owned a rifle in this calibre. I would like to hear about your experience with this calibre and what rifle you own in it. Are you happy/unhappy with the calibre and your choice of rifle? I am looking to get one to complement my Tikka .243. I have considered a .223 but may struggle to justify it to WAPOL along with the .243. Plus I like the idea of the light weight pill sent outnat high velocity for foxes, rabbits and roos.
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Post by Hooper22 » 02 Apr 2018, 10:11 pm

Had a ruger vt mkii. Mostly used for spotlighting foxes. Loved it. Traded it in for a 7615 and miss it.
Ammo is a bit pricey, local shop only stocked premium ballistic stuff. I found the higher velocity light/ballistic projectile did massive damage compared to 223
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Post by bladeracer » 02 Apr 2018, 10:57 pm

Bruiser64 wrote:I am seriously considering getting a .204 and would like to hear from people who own or have owned a rifle in this calibre. I would like to hear about your experience with this calibre and what rifle you own in it. Are you happy/unhappy with the calibre and your choice of rifle? I am looking to get one to complement my Tikka .243. I have considered a .223 but may struggle to justify it to WAPOL along with the .243. Plus I like the idea of the light weight pill sent outnat high velocity for foxes, rabbits and roos.


Ruger American Predator.
I love the rifles (also have .223, .243 and 7mm-08 RAR's), and really like the cartridge.
But it isn't very versatile. If I could only have one small-game rifle I'd go with the .243 for its versatility, but the .223 is a close second.
I primarily shoot the 24gn NTX at 4400fps for longer ranges and 32gn ZMax at 2400fps for under 100m (most of my shots).
The .204 does not necessarily shoot significantly flatter than .223 or .243, but it is certainly more affected by winds. The .243 can punch the 55gn bullets over 4000fps which is pretty damned quick. The .223 can punch the 35gn bullets over 3900fps. The .223 or .243 with a heavier, high-BC bullet is a better choice if you're shooting in winds.
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Post by Bruiser64 » 02 Apr 2018, 11:21 pm

Hi Bladeracer, I am interested in hearing more about your experience with the Ruger American Predator. How well does it shoot? What optics are your running on it. Being a tightwad I find the Ruger quite appealing. I do have the ruger American in 22 Magnum and I am very impressed by it.
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Post by bladeracer » 03 Apr 2018, 12:02 am

Bruiser64 wrote:Hi Bladeracer, I am interested in hearing more about your experience with the Ruger American Predator. How well does it shoot? What optics are your running on it. Being a tightwad I find the Ruger quite appealing. I do have the ruger American in 22 Magnum and I am very impressed by it.


All of my centrefire Ruger Americans are sub-MoA without any effort on my part. I also have two rimfires in .22LR, the Target and Compact models. My brother also has the .243 Predator. I'll probably get the new Ruger Precision Rimfire as well soon.
I run Bushnell AR Optics 4.5-18x40 223BDC scopes on all my rifles (I have eleven of these scopes so far).

Two minor problems I've found with the Ruger American centrefires, the fore end of the poly stock is very flexible, and the early mags can be a problem, but Ruger will replace dodgy mags.
The stock only shows itself to be a problem when I mount a bipod on the sling swivel. Shooting off bags, rests and such it hasn't been a problem. I think the bipod acts as a lever so I mount a sling swivel just ahead of the mag well in the poly stock for running a bipod. All of my Rugers are in MDT LSS chassis now though, which use AICS 10rd mags, so the stock isn't a problem for me. My brother dropped his .243 into a Boyd lami stock as chassis can be a problem in NSW/ACT.

I've never even tried adjusting the triggers on any of my Rugers, they shoot that well straight out of the boxes.
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by Bruiser64 » 03 Apr 2018, 12:32 am

bladeracer wrote:
Bruiser64 wrote:Hi Bladeracer, I am interested in hearing more about your experience with the Ruger American Predator. How well does it shoot? What optics are your running on it. Being a tightwad I find the Ruger quite appealing. I do have the ruger American in 22 Magnum and I am very impressed by it.


All of my centrefire Ruger Americans are sub-MoA without any effort on my part. I also have two rimfires in .22LR, the Target and Compact models. My brother also has the .243 Predator. I'll probably get the new Ruger Precision Rimfire as well soon.
I run Bushnell AR Optics 4.5-18x40 223BDC scopes on all my rifles (I have eleven of these scopes so far).

Two minor problems I've found with the Ruger American centrefires, the fore end of the poly stock is very flexible, and the early mags can be a problem, but Ruger will replace dodgy mags.
The stock only shows itself to be a problem when I mount a bipod on the sling swivel. Shooting off bags, rests and such it hasn't been a problem. I think the bipod acts as a lever so I mount a sling swivel just ahead of the mag well in the poly stock for running a bipod. All of my Rugers are in MDT LSS chassis now though, which use AICS 10rd mags, so the stock isn't a problem for me. My brother dropped his .243 into a Boyd lami stock as chassis can be a problem in NSW/ACT.

I've never even tried adjusting the triggers on any of my Rugers, they shoot that well straight out of the boxes.


Well that sounds very impressive. Givem that changing out a stock is no huge undertaking, the RAP is something I will definitely look at then. At the end of the day a rifle is principally a hunting tool for me. The RAP seems to be excellent value.
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by Gettingstarted » 03 Apr 2018, 8:03 am

Hi,

I have a tikka hunter in 204R - timber/stainless fluted. Used almost solely as a hunting rifle (bit of paper as well on occasions). Had it for a few years now and extremely pleased with it - my favorite rifle to shoot with. No recoil, see bullet hits. Flat and fast. I spotlight side by side with 223 and I have a personal preference for the 204. (particularly when foxes are a bit skitish and won’t come in).
Ammo can be a bit pricey if you don’t reload, however ive found S&B at reasonable price and shoot fine from my rifle. Fair amount of carnage on small game, not the best round if you want to keep skins and/or meat and you’re not nailing them with headshots.
On paper i can get about half inch - inch at 100 metres from bipod if the all goes well.
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Post by southwest shooter » 03 Apr 2018, 12:43 pm

Buy one and experience the feeling of owning and shooting the 204 ruger.
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Post by bigfellascott » 03 Apr 2018, 4:13 pm

Got a Howa HB Varmint in 204, absolutely love it, accurate and awesome on foxes and bunnies etc, easy to reload for and shoots factory ammo very well indeed. Mine sits in a Boyds Prarie Hunter stock in the colour Pepper.

First time I used it for hunting was snipping bunnies at 220m-255m and managed to nail a few in the head once I worked out where it was shooting, longest shot to date is 305m into a bunnies head (3-9x50 nikon scope). The triggers been worked by the ebay guy and that's all it's had done to it.

Image

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The hilltop I was shooting from using factory ammo
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The valley where the warren was
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Some foxes @273m - both headshot one after the other from the same spot with me resting up against a tree with the bipod sitting on my feet for extra elevation.
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by brinny » 03 Apr 2018, 4:40 pm

Where do i start....i have a Sako 85 Varmint in 204R and one in 223 as well....While they are both very capable rounds, i tend to swing more to the 204 than the 223 these days....one of the reasons for that is that i have the 204 set up as a dedicated thermal rifle, and near 100% of my night hunting is done with thermal now.....I have taken foxes out to 400m with the 204, and have shot literally hundreds of them with it.....The round is as versatile as they come for varminting...IMO you cant go wrong....

fox taken at 392m....
https://youtu.be/irflX-l4Bqs

This one was over the 350m mark....
https://youtu.be/h8uN8et-Whc
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Post by bladeracer » 03 Apr 2018, 5:08 pm

brinny wrote:Where do i start....i have a Sako 85 Varmint in 204R and one in 223 as well....While they are both very capable rounds, i tend to swing more to the 204 than the 223 these days....one of the reasons for that is that i have the 204 set up as a dedicated thermal rifle, and near 100% of my night hunting is done with thermal now.....I have taken foxes out to 400m with the 204, and have shot literally hundreds of them with it.....The round is as versatile as they come for varminting...IMO you cant go wrong....

fox taken at 392m....
https://youtu.be/irflX-l4Bqs

This one was over the 350m mark....
https://youtu.be/h8uN8et-Whc


Why did you choose to put the thermal on the .204 rather than the .223?
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by brinny » 03 Apr 2018, 5:44 pm

bladeracer wrote:
brinny wrote:Where do i start....i have a Sako 85 Varmint in 204R and one in 223 as well....While they are both very capable rounds, i tend to swing more to the 204 than the 223 these days....one of the reasons for that is that i have the 204 set up as a dedicated thermal rifle, and near 100% of my night hunting is done with thermal now.....I have taken foxes out to 400m with the 204, and have shot literally hundreds of them with it.....The round is as versatile as they come for varminting...IMO you cant go wrong....

fox taken at 392m....
https://youtu.be/irflX-l4Bqs

This one was over the 350m mark....
https://youtu.be/h8uN8et-Whc


Why did you choose to put the thermal on the .204 rather than the .223?



The 223 was always my go to rifle, and i used it to cull roos,spotlight foxes, as well as daytime varminting.....When i became interested in thermal, i wanted to keep the 223 setup as it is.(i have a Leupold 6.5-20x56 VX3 on it) for culling and daytime varminting, and i heard a lot of good reports on the 204.....so i bought one and set it up as a dedicated thermal rifle....this eliminated all the farting around swaping scopes over and all the resighting in issues etc.....
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by SCJ429 » 03 Apr 2018, 8:47 pm

The 223 is a 1.3 VW Beetle and the 204 is a 2.0 Sierra Cosworth. The 204 with 40 grain projectiles shoots flatter than any commercial caliber you care to mention. I use a Sako 85 and in 204 it is very accurate and devastating using Hornady Vmax. Only downside is the Hornady brass. Get a 223 if you want to be sensible but get a 204 if you want something special.
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Post by duncan61 » 03 Apr 2018, 8:51 pm

SCJ429 That is the best analogy ever
.22 winchester .22hornet .222 .243 7mm rem mag cbc 12g
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by bladeracer » 03 Apr 2018, 9:15 pm

SCJ429 wrote:The 223 is a 1.3 VW Beetle and the 204 is a 2.0 Sierra Cosworth. The 204 with 40 grain projectiles shoots flatter than any commercial caliber you care to mention. I use a Sako 85 and in 204 it is very accurate and devastating using Hornady Vmax. Only downside is the Hornady brass. Get a 223 if you want to be sensible but get a 204 if you want something special.


Have you got some trajectory tables to show that?
.243 58gn VMax at 3850fps shoots flatter than the .204 24gn NTX at 4400fps. Out past 400m even the 87gn VMax is flatter than the .204.

Some numbers I put together a while back.
.204 Ruger
24gn NTX at 4400fps .170 250Z 150m +2.2” 300m –3.3” (wind 15.3”) 400m –16.1” (wind 30.3”) 500m –41.9” (wind 53.6”)
32gn VMax at 4000fps .210 250Z 150m +2.5” 300m –3.4” (wind 13.1”) 400m –16.2” (wind 25.5”) 500m –40.0” (wind 43.9”)

.223 Remington
35gn NTX at 3900fps .177 250Z 150m +3.0” 300m –4.2” (wind 16.9”) 400m –20.5” (wind 33.6”) 500m –53.1” (wind 59.5”)
53gn VMax at 3400fps .290 250Z 150m +3.2” 300m –4.1” (wind 10.9”) 400m –18.3” (wind 20.8”) 500m –43.0” (wind 34.9”)
60gn VMax at 3150fps .265 250Z 150m +4.0” 300m –5.1” (wind 13.6”) 400m –23.3” (wind 26.1”) 500m –55.7” (wind 44.3”)

.243 Winchester
58gn VMax at 3850fps .250 250Z 150m +2.5” 300m –3.3” (wind 11.1”) 400m –15.3” (wind 21.2”) 500m –36.6” (wind 35.9”)
87gn VMax at 3200fps .400 250Z 150m +3.3” 300m –4.0” (wind 8.2”) 400m –17.6” (wind 15.3”) 500m –39.9” (wind 25.1”)

7mm-08
120gn VMax at 3100fps .365 250Z 150m +3.7” 300m –4.5” (wind 9.5”) 400m –19.8” (wind 17.8”) 500m –45.3” (wind 29.5”)

Shooting flat though is not much use if the wind kills you. All you need to deal with trajectory is a rangefinder, read the range accurately and it doesn't matter if you're using a mortar. The wind is far harder to read accurately.
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by SCJ429 » 03 Apr 2018, 9:16 pm

Thanks Duncan, I am not bagging the 223, I do have one. I do enjoy spotting for yourself when using the 20 cal and they are less effected by the wind compared to the puny 223.
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by SCJ429 » 03 Apr 2018, 9:30 pm

Sorry Bladracer, I ment using a 40 grain projectile is where starts to come together for a 20. At 400 yards it only has 14 inches of drift in a 10 mile an hour breeze.
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by SCJ429 » 03 Apr 2018, 10:54 pm

The 40 grain Vmax is pretty handy, you should try some in your 204. From Hornady the BC is .275 @500 the drop is 32 and wind drift is 25 inches. Hard to beat.
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by brinny » 03 Apr 2018, 11:24 pm

Took these three foxes tonight with the Sako 204 and thermal using 40 grn V-Maxes....
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Post by Bruiser64 » 04 Apr 2018, 1:01 am

Thanks for the replies people.Bigfellascot, your post certainly shows the emphatic nature of a hit on foxes and bunnies. I am certain a .204 is in my future. Have any of you had experience with it on roos? I do a bit of roo shooting for a few cockies and am interested in the 204’s effectiveness. I am assuming a roo headshot with a 204 would drop like a stone.
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Post by Stix » 04 Apr 2018, 1:01 am

This is NOT the fox show-off thread brinny...!!!
:sarcasm: :lol:
Only jokin mate...i love it...!!
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by brinny » 04 Apr 2018, 9:48 am

Bruiser64 wrote:Thanks for the replies people.Bigfellascot, your post certainly shows the emphatic nature of a hit on foxes and bunnies. I am certain a .204 is in my future. Have any of you had experience with it on roos? I do a bit of roo shooting for a few cockies and am interested in the 204’s effectiveness. I am assuming a roo headshot with a 204 would drop like a stone.


I cull heaps with mine mate.....I wouldnt like to get hit in the nut by one i can tell you....it would be all over red rover....not sure where you are, but here in Vic we have regulations in regards to culling roos....if you are here in Vic and your shooting roos you must head shoot, and projectile weight for the 204 is 40 grns minimum.....
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Post by bladeracer » 04 Apr 2018, 2:17 pm

SCJ429 wrote:The 40 grain Vmax is pretty handy, you should try some in your 204. From Hornady the BC is .275 @500 the drop is 32 and wind drift is 25 inches. Hard to beat.


Drop is 32" from what zero?
I have a few hundred 40gn VMax's, plus 39gn TNT and SBK's. Just haven't seen much point in playing with them extensively as yet. I'll endeavour to do some more testing with all three though when I get a chance.

I ran it through a calculator just now and it shows 32.5" drop at 500m from a 250m zero. Wind is 30.4" for 10mph. Impressive, although the Blitzking is slightly higher BC. Have you tried the SBK or TNT?
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Post by Bruiser64 » 04 Apr 2018, 8:01 pm

brinny wrote:
Bruiser64 wrote:Thanks for the replies people.Bigfellascot, your post certainly shows the emphatic nature of a hit on foxes and bunnies. I am certain a .204 is in my future. Have any of you had experience with it on roos? I do a bit of roo shooting for a few cockies and am interested in the 204’s effectiveness. I am assuming a roo headshot with a 204 would drop like a stone.


I cull heaps with mine mate.....I wouldnt like to get hit in the nut by one i can tell you....it would be all over red rover....not sure where you are, but here in Vic we have regulations in regards to culling roos....if you are here in Vic and your shooting roos you must head shoot, and projectile weight for the 204 is 40 grns minimum.....


Thanks for that information. Here in WA the rules in relation to minimum calibre, projectile weight and using headshots are the same as in Victoria. So a .204 is legal to use here. There is a declared open season on western greys, western reds and in some places wallaroos in a number of shires in WA on freehold or leasehold agricultural land. So if they are causing damage the farmer, farm manager or their agent can cull roos for non-commercial purposes to manage the numbers. You can only take roos from the property if you are a licensed pro roo shooter with tags though.

Although legal to cull, the Environment Dept can direct farmers not to do so if the roo numbers fall too low. For all our challenges in WA we at least dont force cockies to do “tag only” culling, which seems to be a real problem for cockies in NSW and Qld when the roo numbers explode.
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by Stix » 04 Apr 2018, 8:31 pm

Well im back from a fox jaunt over easter (had my favourite--the 22-250-& a 204 as the tools of trade) so i cannot resist dropping in a few bob in here...

Being a long time lover of the 22-250, i never saw the need to have a 204--after all what would i want a baby version of a 22-250 for that will get pushed around by the wind more...?

Well time went on, & it so happened that i came into possession of one (its technically not mine, but its in my possession so get use of it when ever i want).

Id like to say that im a convert...if you are a fox shooter/enjoy the art of the fox hunt followed up with a single accurate shot, & you like busting bunnies, you will love the 204.
It is now my staple go to--where the 22lr used to sit on the passenger seat & the 22-250 on the back seat ready to go, now the 204 gets pride of place on the passenger seat with the 22 on the back seat.

It is emphatic on foxes, one shot to the chest & they fall over right there with no argument.
It will make an awful mess of a roos head, & i understand is minimum legal on them (here in SA anyway--although i dont think DEWNR have changed their paperwork to show this as yet).
As for bunnies...well it is so much fun that if you get on a patch of a lot of bunnies you just about want 2 204's to save the barrels..!!!!

My 222 is about to serve me divorce papers, she hasnt seen action in 18 months.

This weekend gone, i got a quick load with my new 22-250 & took her out for a kill--completely obliterated a fox at 180 yds, & as im going through the beginnings of a pelt fetish, i put it away & little 204 sat high on her pedestal & finished the night off.

And i should add that shooting feral pigeons with the 204 on the farm at any distance is one of the most spectacular things you will ever see through a scope...!!!

As for versatility, i think versatility is defined by the direct user & what they want out of a rifle.
Personally from a hunters/varminters point of view, i think the 204 is an incredibly versatile round...not only can you get 270 yard head shots on bunnies...(this is the entry side of the bunny)
2018-04-04 09.29.24.jpg
270 yds, no wind, dusk
2018-04-04 09.29.24.jpg (363.83 KiB) Viewed 7561 times


It does this at 120 yds...
2017-12-18 00.39.48.jpg
120ish yards
2017-12-18 00.39.48.jpg (498.1 KiB) Viewed 7561 times


And leaves foxe & cat skins completely intact if chest shot...
2018-02-23 00.28.31.jpg
2018-02-23 00.28.31.jpg (1.44 MiB) Viewed 7561 times


But wait...there's more...you can also load her up with trailboss & get the equivalent of another great cartridge in the hornet...quiet, easier to shoot, & still a very effective killer on anything in the 100ish yard range...now to me that is versatile, & i still havnt tried 40 grainers in it yet...!!!

There is this point...
[quote="southwest shooter"]Buy one and experience the feeling of owning and shooting the 204 ruger.[/quote

Go & buy one...!!!
(the one i use is a Tikka T3).
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by SCJ429 » 04 Apr 2018, 9:48 pm

Great haul there, a young fox, a good looking moggie and a rabbit, well done.
I looked at the Hornady Superformance ammo box and it has a zero at 200 and has 28 inch drop at 500. The speed at the muzzle is 3900, a bit faster than my reloads. I have had very good results with Speer TNT in other calibers but have not tried them in the 204. How have you found the TNTs, what powder is working for you?
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by Bruiser64 » 04 Apr 2018, 10:55 pm

Well blokes, I am convinced! Clearly a .204 is an excellent addition to a gun cabinet. I am very impressed with all the shooting results shown hear. A bloke I know is selling his .204. If it checks out ok, it will find a new home with me. I think it should fill the gap nicely between my 22 magnum and .243. I will be reloading for it. It is good to know it can be loaded to hornet specs as well. That will be useful on smaller properties. I also think the quieter report over the 243 will have benefits in some situations as well. When it all comes down to it, I just want one.
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by Stix » 04 Apr 2018, 11:16 pm

Bruiser64 wrote:Well blokes, I am convinced! Clearly a .204 is an excellent addition to a gun cabinet. I am very impressed with all the shooting results shown hear. A bloke I know is selling his .204. If it checks out ok, it will find a new home with me. I think it should fill the gap nicely between my 22 magnum and .243. I will be reloading for it. It is good to know it can be loaded to hornet specs as well. That will be useful on smaller properties. I also think the quieter report over the 243 will have benefits in some situations as well. When it all comes down to it, I just want one.


Mate dont be fooled by a smaller round being quiet--make no mistake the 204 is a loud cartridge...!!!

It is however quiet with the trailboss loads...a bit louder than high velocity 22lr with the trailboss. :thumbsup:
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Re: Want to hear from .204 owners about their experiences an

Post by Stix » 04 Apr 2018, 11:29 pm

SCJ429 wrote:Great haul there, a young fox, a good looking moggie and a rabbit, well done.
I looked at the Hornady Superformance ammo box and it has a zero at 200 and has 28 inch drop at 500. The speed at the muzzle is 3900, a bit faster than my reloads. I have had very good results with Speer TNT in other calibers but have not tried them in the 204. How have you found the TNTs, what powder is working for you?


Mate ive only tried the one proj so far--32gr Zmax.
I load it with 28gr 2208 & it falls out the end at around 3600 fps...so not fast for a 204.

I have another load for it with BM2 thats fasterbut i have 4kg's of 2208 & the chrono tells me an ES of 14 & an SD of 6.4, & it shoots half inch with flyers if i squeeze off properly... so although its apparently not the ideal powder or the most expensive proj moving at a great speed, thats it for now...
I get good enough results with it to not be bothered changing things yet. :D

Whats youre load for 204...?
& what other cartridges have you tried the speer tnt's in so far...?
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Post by bladeracer » 05 Apr 2018, 2:28 pm

Stix wrote:But wait...there's more...you can also load her up with trailboss & get the equivalent of another great cartridge in the hornet...quiet, easier to shoot, & still a very effective killer on anything in the 100ish yard range...now to me that is versatile, & i still havnt tried 40 grainers in it yet...!!!


I can vouch for that, I shoot a 2400fps load a lot more than the full-house ones.
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