Is a .204 Ruger what I want??

T

TheSlink

New member
I haven't quite made up mind yet, but I am leaning towards a .204 Ruger based on what I read about it. Here is the situation. I mainly hunt woodchuck but will also want to hunt coyote, fox, etc. I hunt in settled areas and noise is a concern, so anything like .22-250 .220 Swift etc. is out. They are just too loud for this area. The region does allow for some 300+ yard shots, but I am a terrible judge of bullet drop and don't judge distance very precisely and can't afford to invest in a laser range finder, and besides that it's another thing to carry on my walk in hunts. With those limitations, I am not going to be able to stretch something like the .223's max effective range for the longest shots. Based on what I told you, is the .204 very loud? We are talking an area with mostly hobby farms around small town U.S.A. People regularly shoot .223 here, .30-30, .30-06, and .308. I've heard some thunder boomers here, but they're rare enough that as you walk across a field and hear it they take you by surprise and scare the panties off you. .243 and .220 Swift might be fine in the right place, but it would get me kicked by the landowners. I have to order this sight unseen and I don't know anyone who has one. I will be getting a CZ. I had a CZ in .22 that I was so impressed with I am sold on their entire rifle line, and that's saying something as I never thought I would turn my back on Remington and Winchester.
 
First off, good choice on the cz. I own a 527 American in .204 and it is one of my favorite rifles. 39 grain blitzkings are extremely effective on coyotes and devastating on jackrabbits and other vermin. As far as your range of 300yd max, mine is an inch high at 100, dead on at 2, and maybe 2 inches low at 300. No need to change hold for those distances given low to no wind. Noise is a factor though, 204 isn't the quietest cartridge. Very similar to a 223 but has a slightly sharper crack. hope this helps.
 
Food for thought.........

You "might" consider a CZ527 in 17 hornet as well if chucks are your main target and it would still be effective (although NOT ideal) on coyote with good shot placement. It's a fast/flat round plenty good to 300 yards and probably a tad quieter than a .204 I would think? There is some decent factory ammo available if you look around.
 
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My preference for that type shooting is my CZ 527 Varmint and it's equipped with a Leupold 4.5-14x with the Varmint Hunter Reticle...Mine is zero'd at 200 yards with the next stadia line dead on at 270 yards with my 39gr loads...I love the 'flatness' of the trajectory of the round, as well as the energy rating at 200-400 yards...



I think the round might produce a little sharper crack due to the speed of the round, but not really any louder than some of the others you mentioned...Certainly not a 'boomer'....
 
Originally Posted By: TheSlinkI haven't quite made up mind yet, but I am leaning towards a .204 Ruger based on what I read about it. Here is the situation. I mainly hunt woodchuck but will also want to hunt coyote, fox, etc. I hunt in settled areas and noise is a concern, so anything like .22-250 .220 Swift etc. is out. They are just too loud for this area. The region does allow for some 300+ yard shots, but I am a terrible judge of bullet drop and don't judge distance very precisely and can't afford to invest in a laser range finder, and besides that it's another thing to carry on my walk in hunts. With those limitations, I am not going to be able to stretch something like the .223's max effective range for the longest shots. Based on what I told you, is the .204 very loud? We are talking an area with mostly hobby farms around small town U.S.A. People regularly shoot .223 here, .30-30, .30-06, and .308. I've heard some thunder boomers here, but they're rare enough that as you walk across a field and hear it they take you by surprise and scare the panties off you. .243 and .220 Swift might be fine in the right place, but it would get me kicked by the landowners. I have to order this sight unseen and I don't know anyone who has one. I will be getting a CZ. I had a CZ in .22 that I was so impressed with I am sold on their entire rifle line, and that's saying something as I never thought I would turn my back on Remington and Winchester.

I have a 204 & 22-250. Really like both of them. the 204 if you reload only takes around 28grs. of powder which isnt much. Its a very effecient little varmint round. As far as noise goes its just as lound as the 22-250 I think. As far as the boom, i havent been able to tell much difference between the 2.
 
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I like the 204 and have killed many woodchucks with mine. It freezes them on the spot, I think you will be very happy with the performance of this round on the animals on your list as far as killing goes. You might not be so happy when you see what it does to fox fur but maybe you are not interested in saving fur.
I have never met anyone yet that was offended by the noise of a 220 swift or 22-250 but thought the 204 or 223 was O.K. They all sound the same to me...a big, loud bang. You have to wear hearing protection with all of them.
 
If they are shooting 30-06 and 308 around those parts, certainly any varmint caliber you choose would be sufficient. I don't think there is a whole lot of difference in sound with any of the cartridges you mentioned. Like one of the posts above said if you want a little bit quieter and still wanna effective range of 300 yards, the 17 hornet would be good for the chucks, not sure how well it would perform on coyotes at that range. I really like 22-250, 223, and the 204, they are fantastic cartridges. I think if you can get past the noise issue, those three are your best bet to meet your effective range given the different kinds of game you wanna take with it..
 
you guys are forgetting the mighty 17hmr topped with a snowwis 1x power scope. coyotes are drt at 600 yards, and woodchucks, you would be lucky to find any pieces bigger than your thumbnail.
 
I live in sprawl-crazy Ohio, too; kinda makes this old farm kid sick. I know what you're talking about in regard to shooting in/near built-up areas. If a .22 Hornet's maximum 175 yd. groundhog range (about 1/2 that for our big coyotes) won't do it for you, I'd recommend the .221 Fireball. Somewhat louder than the Hornet but not like the .204 or .22-250, it's very accurate but the trajectory drops quickly much past 300, making it fairly safe. Personally have no use for the .17 c-fires, and they all - including the HH - seem as louder or louder than the .221 to my ears (fwiw my CZ .221 FB I had a louder report than my Cooper and LVSF chambered the same; maybe due to the pencil barrel or the type of steel used in it ?)
Also, if you want to go to the expense of a supressor (I don't), they're now legal for hunting in this state.
 
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I forgot about the 221, also a nice little cartridge. I have one in a LVSF and love it, but I'm not sure that its not as loud as say the 204 or 223 though, mine has quite the crack to it. Probably a suppressor is your correct answer as deathwind has stated. Did I say I love my furball..
 
OK, thanks guys. I think a couple of you are onto something with getting a can. I don't know how much they cost, but I PM'd a guy on this forum (Skinny) who seemed knowledgeable about the subject. I was going to get one for .22WMR/.22LR/.17HMR anyway since we were just authorized to hunt with them and the local law enforcement now are "Shall Sign" on the class III if you pass the background check for the can. Since they are close in caliber and I was going to get one anyway, maybe I can get one that will do .204/.22mag/.22LR/.17HMR??? I don't know anything about them. I did ask Skinny if that was possible. Would make since that one for the slightly bigger, higher pressure cartridge would work for something smaller. Then again, what seems logical doesn't always work out. Better ask an expert.

Thanks guys,
TheSlink
 
Your going to love the 204 round. I have had a few of them.Great cartridge and easy to load for.The 39gr. B/K's are devastating on chucks and fox.To me the round seems as loud as a 250.

As far as gear,I would look at getting a LRF for measuring distance. These are great tools that will allow you to know the exact distance and will even save you some $$$ by not having to walk your shots in by guessing.Just know the drop of your bullet and your GTG.

I too do a lot of walking hunting ground hogs here in WV. Some farms I walk 600+ yds.just to get to a spot to shoot from.

Here is a pic of my typical set up. My field chair has a storage bag under the seat and that is where I store my ammo,LRF,water,hearing protection,rear bag,and a smaller bipod.I wear my binos using a bino harness.

[img:center][/img]
 
204 is a great choice for what you want. I have been using one for similar reasons, less noise, flat shooting, and less worry of a bullet bounceing off frozen ground and hitting something you don't want too, (light bullets).

A can would be perfect but I hear its a long wait.

If a can is in you future you should look to see if there is anyone makeing a rifle that has a barrel threaded for a can. If not your going to have to see a gunsmith.
 
Suppressor is the way to go. Just like buying a rifle but you can put it on just about anything and make it quietER. Do a NFA Trust and get a .30 can and you'll be able to dampen anything up to a .300 win mag. Plus, if you want to be whisper quiet you can.
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Suppressor is the way to go. Just like buying a rifle but you can put it on just about anything and make it quietER. Do a NFA Trust and get a .30 can and you'll be able to dampen anything up to a .300 win mag. Plus, if you want to be whisper quiet you can.
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Originally Posted By: BOWLSEYE
If a can is in you future you should look to see if there is anyone makeing a rifle that has a barrel threaded for a can. If not your going to have to see a gunsmith.

The Ruger American Predator is suppressor ready and can be had in a .204!
 
A 204 would be a good choice as they are easy to find and get ammo for. 221 fireball is another good choice but are hard to find. If you load your own ammo and are building a rifle then I would look at a 20 vartarg. In the end a 223 or any of the above will work just fine for you. There were some bugs with the 17 hh in the beginning and may be on the light side for coyote. Also get a rf if possible.
 
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