I'm looking at a new barrel for my R8. This is going to be coyote and varmit such a whistle pigs and the occasional crow. If I go with the 243 I wpuld use use it for deer and antelope but I have an 8x57 that can fill that roll. Right now they have .204r barrels cheap($500) but then I would have to buy the mini bolt ($375). Or I have a guybwilling to sell me either a 22-250 or 243 for $825. I reload so I'm not worried about factory options. I have owned a 22-250 and 243 and love them both. But 204r is new to me and just intriguing. Which way would y'all go?
.204r ,22-250 or 243?
- Thread starter HardwickN
- Start date
Remingtonman
New member
If you reload check out the 20practical or 6x45. I have the 204 and 6x45 in bolt guns but wish I would have went with a 20prac instead of the 204. Brass is resized from 223 for both calibers and it’s dirt cheap also. Very fun cartridges to shoot and barrel life is good on both if your doing a lot of shooting.
Kevin23
New member
243 is a great round for shooting in the wind, especially for groundhogs since you aren't saving anything most likely. Little much for crows, but I'm sure it would be a fun sight to see if you were to connect with one with the 55 varmageddon or 58 vmax.
I like the 243 myself, it's a really fun gun to shoot and just like you said- good for groundhogs to antelope.
I like the 243 myself, it's a really fun gun to shoot and just like you said- good for groundhogs to antelope.
I load for 4 different 204's, none of them mine. My fast gun is a 22-250 and I shoot 50, 52, and 55 weight bullets in it. I load 70's and up in my 243 for the windy days. Shot 70NBT's at 3,385 fps for the longest time, and I love the Sierra 80 Blitz for ground-hogs but I've shot a lot of 85 HPBT's and now I'm working up something for the 87 V-MAX's for this season.
I've seen 204's shoot great right out of the box, and then I've seen some so finicky they couldn't shoot ANY factory ammo worth a darn. And if you get unlucky and can only shoot 32's, well... you might find you would have been better off with 50-55's on a windy day. But the 204 can be made to be extremely accurate and I do think it's a great round. I just stick to the classics myself. Good CZ 527 in 22 hornet as my main fur gun, a Rem 700 BDL in 222, a Savage Predator Hunter Max 1 in 22-250, and the Tikka T3 Lite then in 243win. Oh yeah and a CZ 453 Varmint with a 5oz set trigger in 17hmr for the really light stuff and for plinking. Those are pretty much my varmint brothers. I do also have an old 1917 Savage Sporter in 25-20 which was the predecessor of the 22 hornet, where the hornet was replaced by the 222 - which is still arguably the most accurate and reloader-friendly of the bunch!
They are all great. I actually bought my 243 first, thinking it could cover as a 22-250 with smaller 55, 58 grain bullets and then still be an effective deer rifle for crop damage work. But then I still bought a 22-250. Sort of like on the low end, had I bought the 22 hornet first, I would have probably never bought the 17hmr - but then again... I'm glad I did, and may have anyway. They all have their place just depending on what you want to shoot.
I've seen 204's shoot great right out of the box, and then I've seen some so finicky they couldn't shoot ANY factory ammo worth a darn. And if you get unlucky and can only shoot 32's, well... you might find you would have been better off with 50-55's on a windy day. But the 204 can be made to be extremely accurate and I do think it's a great round. I just stick to the classics myself. Good CZ 527 in 22 hornet as my main fur gun, a Rem 700 BDL in 222, a Savage Predator Hunter Max 1 in 22-250, and the Tikka T3 Lite then in 243win. Oh yeah and a CZ 453 Varmint with a 5oz set trigger in 17hmr for the really light stuff and for plinking. Those are pretty much my varmint brothers. I do also have an old 1917 Savage Sporter in 25-20 which was the predecessor of the 22 hornet, where the hornet was replaced by the 222 - which is still arguably the most accurate and reloader-friendly of the bunch!
They are all great. I actually bought my 243 first, thinking it could cover as a 22-250 with smaller 55, 58 grain bullets and then still be an effective deer rifle for crop damage work. But then I still bought a 22-250. Sort of like on the low end, had I bought the 22 hornet first, I would have probably never bought the 17hmr - but then again... I'm glad I did, and may have anyway. They all have their place just depending on what you want to shoot.
Blackhawk43
New member
25-20 was the forerunner of the 218 Bee, different than the 22 Hornet.
Donkeynutz
Member
22-250 out of the calibers you have listed.
Flesh Eater
New member
Originally Posted By: basdjsI'd go with the .243 without hesitation due to it's versatility. And you already have some bullets but there are many more great bullet options available in 6mm.
I also went with the .243 for that reason. It seems the .243 is probably one of the most versatile calibers for our area. When calling coyotes it's hard to say what's going to show up. A small female or a 40+ pound male.
I also went with the .243 for that reason. It seems the .243 is probably one of the most versatile calibers for our area. When calling coyotes it's hard to say what's going to show up. A small female or a 40+ pound male.
since you have a supply of 6mm bullets I'm going to throw out the 6x68. Very impressive performance and accuracy with 55's and 58's on coyotes and 90 grain accubond on pigs. Not quite as fast or destructive as 243, longer barrel life and still more than adequate for hogs, deer with accubonds. I have yet to have an animal walk off after getting hit and yet to have explosive exits on coyotes