Is the 204 becoming obsolete?

shelton573

Active member
It seems like a lot of folks talk about shooting them but rifles seem to be getting scarce. I have a savage 12 that I love shooting. My buddy wanted to buy a Howa for our SD trip and they discontinued the 204 unless I’m wrong. Looking on buds guns they only have 2 options and they are both pistols. Is it phasing out? There are still rifles out there for sale but it seems like availability has been cut in half.
 
It does seem like the popularity has died off a little. There's a lot of new stuff out there to capture people's interest.
 
Do you think it's so much that the other or new cartridges are competing for their piece of market share or do the masses just want cheap, and the 223 does that better than the others with it's cheaper bulk ammo that's available for it???
 
Originally Posted By: 204 ARIt does seem like the popularity has died off a little. There's a lot of new stuff out there to capture people's interest.

You can only slice the pie so many times.
 
I certainly hope not, it's a great Predator and Varmint caliber. I don't like to admit it but I use mine more than my 17 Rem. lately.
The 204 was one of the easiest calibers to work an accurate load up for I have used.
 
Originally Posted By: K22I certainly hope not, it's a great Predator and Varmint caliber. I don't like to admit it but I use mine more than my 17 Rem. lately.

Me too. It's been many years now since I took my .204 to the prairie dog fields for the first time. That was eye opening. My .220 Swift and my .22/250 hardly had their barrels get warm that trip. That .20 caliber did all that the bigger .224 rounds did and did it with almost zero kick (love to watch the hits!) and less blast. When the factory (Savage) barrel was toast I screwed on a new Criterion barrel with a 1/11" twist and had it threaded for my suppressor. Man! Hardly another gun came out of my safe for a long time after that.

Since I bought my .17 Hornet a few years back that has become my darling for our local ground squirrels but for an "outchonder" gun the .204 Ruger is tough to beat. At least out to 500 yards or so.
 
Seems everyone is always chasing the newest, latest and greatest caliber. I have never owned a 204 Ruger as I guess I am old school in staying with my 220 Swift, 222 Rem., and 17 Rem..

I remember it was not that long ago when the 204 was all the rage and all anybody in the varmint world was talking about. CZ 527 Varmint is still chambered in the 204 and probably a couple of other models of CZ as well. That is what I would look at if I were to get one today.
 
It took me a while to play with the 204. I won’t say it will replace anything I already had, but I have found it to be easy to work with. I did throw mine into a Choate stock, then filled that up with #9 shot, rig weighs around 28 lbs, ;-) you can see your hits.
 
I've been wondering the same thing about the 204 and then lately the 17 Hornet too. Love my Hornets (and my 204), but I'm seeing things like Hornady discontinuing the 25 gr HP bullet option and way less sellers of Hornet ammo. Sure hope both are here to stay for the long term.
 
I can't speak to cartridge trends, but my 204 Ruger isn't going anywhere. I had a Savage 16, in 204 Ruger, and one year, not going to WY to shoot speed goats and p-dogs, I converted the Savage 16, into a 260 Remington. Very happy with that rifle, so not likely it will ever go back to a 204 Ruger. But I missed the speedy 20 cal, so I built an AR-15 with a 1:10 twist 22" barrel. I really like the fast follow-ups the AR-15 gives, and I can't say I gave up much in accuracy. I will always have a 204 Ruger, of some kind. I have a pile of brass, as a result of the last shortage, and then a healthy supply. So I guess I need to put in a big hoard of 39 gr. Sierras.
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Squeeze
 
I like to take 1 of my several 204 rugers with me to the range when I am doing load work up on a deferent caliber rifle as all my 204 shoot well and it helps me take myself out of the equation. I find the 204 is the easiest caliber that I have ever loaded for.My 1 in 12 twist shoots 32gr sierra and my 1 in 10 shoots 40gr under 1 in consistently.
 
I finally broke down and traded into an A bolt stalker 204. Figured it had been around long enough now that i would give it a try after all the good I've read about it. Shoots better than I do. It will never replace my trusty ol 222 though.
 
I finally broke down and traded into an A bolt stalker 204. Figured it had been around long enough now that i would give it a try after all the good I've read about it. Shoots better than I do. It will never replace my trusty ol 222 though.
 
Or you can always bake another one.
Originally Posted By: tripod3Originally Posted By: 204 ARIt does seem like the popularity has died off a little. There's a lot of new stuff out there to capture people's interest.

You can only slice the pie so many times.
 
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