.204 Ruger, .223 Rem, 22-250, which one?

Last summer I left the 223 home, took my 17 rem AR, 204 r, and a rem 22-250. Hardy shot the 22-250 there wasn't much wind. The 39 gr Sierra is pretty fun, If I go in the early summer sometime I will probably just take my 223 and a 204. I'm thinking about putting together a 20 practical, probably a 11 twist. Since last summer's run 2 suppressors are in house and barrels are being threaded.
 
I take a 204 bolt, an AR in 223 and a RPR in 243. All off benches for the prairie dog adventures. The 204 gets most of the use unless the wind is ripping, then the 243 comes out. The 223 is mostly back-up if something goes wrong with either of the other two. I have a brake on the 243 so seeing hits is no problem. Plus the RPR is 10 pounds empty anyway.
 


After shooting and loading the 220 Swift for 56 years.
This is a easy one. I do shoot 223/5,56.
This my rifle / Ruger M77 220 Swift. Mark II.
Leupold came out with this 4.5X14 scope in gray just for this rifle.
@ 3950fps drops 9in in 400 yards more like 8in, 45gr open point.
They coined the words "PINK MIST" after the Swift.

0r0BVGP.jpg
 
I have had great success with the .223 for prairie dogs. I've used AR's and bolt guns in .223 and like just carrying one kind of ammo with me. If you are worried about long range, last year we tried some 68gr bullets out of a .223 and had successful hits at longer ranges, and they did better in the wind.

I do also love the .221 Fireball. She's a sweetheart!
 
If I had only one P-dog rifle, it would be the 204 Ruger, and for me it would be an AR-15. I don't have one P-Dog rifle, and just that thought makes me shiver!

So here is what I learned over the year. I first started out with a 22-250 Rem, 223 Rem, and a 204 Ruger, in bolt guns. Somewhere along the line, the 204 Ruger, which I loved for P-dogs, got converted to a 260 Rem. because I needed a another deer rifle more than I needed a varmint rifle. But I missed the 204 Ruger, so much, on the next WY trip, that I built a 204 Ruger upper, for the next WY trip. The 223 Rem. bolt gun got replaced by a 223 Rem. AR-15, and the 22-250 Rem. bolt gun gathers dust, while a 6mm WOA AR-15 does the windy long range day duties on the P-Dog fields. I love the fast follow-ups the AR-15s bring to the table, and with three of them, as soon as one gets warm, it cools, while one of the other AR-15s, get some work. But again, the compromise rifle, of these three would be the 204 Ruger, launching 39 gr. BKs. Flat, decent wind ballistics, doesn't warm as fast as larger cartridges, and violent hits make the 204 Ruger an easy choice.

Squeeze
 
If you want to see the "hits", 204R all the way. In my much
younger PD hunting days, we used 55gr .22-250's and a .25-06
with 75gr bullets. We could see parts falling back down from the
"launch site", but never saw the hits unless we observed someone
else's shot.
 
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Originally Posted By: AdamTIf you’re looking for the least recoil, go with the 204. It’s fast and fun.

Go with the 204, then you can watch the splat when you hit the P-Dog.
 
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