deadrabbits
New member
So I fell in love with the .204 a couple years ago when I shot my buddys! At the time I was shooting a custom 22 250 AI with a pacnor barrel and a Winchester action but besides that it was done up from the trigger to the stock and barrel. I got it from a good friend and it was a tack driver no doubt! It always kicked enough to pull me of the dog though, even with a custom brake. Ive never been a real high end rifle guy and was born and raised on longbows and recurves. Gun hunting or even compound big game hunting were froened upon by my Dad. He for whatever reason believed that way and never once sais hunting with any weapon was wrong or bad just that traditional archery was what he believed in and a fair sport that took a lot to be successful in taking animals consistently so I followed suit....
Until the day about 15 years ago I was introduced to calling dogs and cats and I got hooked as much as anything ive been into! Fast forward 13 or so years and as I was shooting my 22 250 and shot my friends 204 I had to have one! now im a cheap a$% anyway except for my hunting and fly fishing gear. I would love to have a super nice custom 204 and a couple years back looked hard for one in the middle of the road? I was using a 243 (still do at times) as well. I stumbled across a Mossberg MVP .204 at this tiny gun shop in a tiny town in Neb and it was new and if I remember it was $580ish? Anyway it felt good, fit good and to me looked good. Im an avid upland bird hunter and have always shied away from mossbergs and for no real reason I guess, I just handled a couple and they felt "cheap" to e and this MVP felt a little loose in the bolt but noyhing terrible and I bought it on the spot.
I put a VXiii 3.5-10x40 on it grabbed 2 40 round boxes of VMAX 32 and 40 grains and headed to the range with my main hunting buddy who is a [beeep] of a shot and a wealth of knowledge with guns. So we got it on paper at 50yds and then zeroed it at a hundred. If I could post pics or knew how I would bc at a hundred yards my last 3 shot groups were easily covered by a quarter and almost a dime, the actual holes were covered by a dime in a couple. we backed her up to 200 and I shot two 3 shot groups that were roughly quarter sized. never tried the 40s that was w the 32s....according to him he cant reload or make a custom gun, round that's better than that and just leave [beeep] good alone.
since then Ive killed 10-15 dogs with it and its a lazer and Ive ruined two pels, both broadside shoulder hits when the dogs were running. Other than that its planted them right there along with a badger and a bobcat.
So ive been wanting a back up gun in 204 since I only have 2 243s and my beretta M1 12 gauge as dog and cat guns. I was online and looking and I forget which site but they had a compass in 204 for $200 NIB. I bought it on the spot and delivered it to a friend with his FFL and just picked it up, honestly a little surprised in a good way! Ive held plenty of Americans, Axis, etc and it felt to me as equally made and I prefer some of the features more.
So I only had one scope that was for a 243 and undecided if I was keeping it or not and that's a burris xtr 2 5-20x50 illuminated, FFP etc and was too much scope for me anyway as im proficient to 300 but fall off from 300-500. most of my shots are in the 5-250 yard range. S I found a new 3-9x40 Nikon BDC with a 4" sunshade, a clearance brake and claw sling for 150 for all 3...…..so I have about 350-400 total into the finished gun and I love it!
My question is do any of you guys own one? its a 1
10 twist and Im debating betwenn ammo? Facory. I have a bunch of 40 vmax left and is a 1 10 twist ok for 40 grains of weight? otherwise I thought about trying the 24 grain ntx bc I love fast small rounds otherwise ill just hope it shoots the 32s and just carry one type. im open to suggestions on ammo though and also im going to either sell or trade that burris xtr as its never been shot for either money or a lesser valued scope and some money. Do you like the Nikon BDCs? Bc ive been looking hard at the vortex crossfires with vplex reticles or the leupold freedoms 3-9x50s also w the vplex reticle......theure anywhere from 170-250 for those 2 scopes. So do you guys like the gun for my back up, would you keep the Nikon or get something else? for sure the XTR is getting sold and Id rather just keep the money but don't mind buying one of those cheaper scopes bc the Nikon is clear I just don't care for the circles. they pull my eye away from the cross hairs. lmk what you guys think?
cheers
Until the day about 15 years ago I was introduced to calling dogs and cats and I got hooked as much as anything ive been into! Fast forward 13 or so years and as I was shooting my 22 250 and shot my friends 204 I had to have one! now im a cheap a$% anyway except for my hunting and fly fishing gear. I would love to have a super nice custom 204 and a couple years back looked hard for one in the middle of the road? I was using a 243 (still do at times) as well. I stumbled across a Mossberg MVP .204 at this tiny gun shop in a tiny town in Neb and it was new and if I remember it was $580ish? Anyway it felt good, fit good and to me looked good. Im an avid upland bird hunter and have always shied away from mossbergs and for no real reason I guess, I just handled a couple and they felt "cheap" to e and this MVP felt a little loose in the bolt but noyhing terrible and I bought it on the spot.
I put a VXiii 3.5-10x40 on it grabbed 2 40 round boxes of VMAX 32 and 40 grains and headed to the range with my main hunting buddy who is a [beeep] of a shot and a wealth of knowledge with guns. So we got it on paper at 50yds and then zeroed it at a hundred. If I could post pics or knew how I would bc at a hundred yards my last 3 shot groups were easily covered by a quarter and almost a dime, the actual holes were covered by a dime in a couple. we backed her up to 200 and I shot two 3 shot groups that were roughly quarter sized. never tried the 40s that was w the 32s....according to him he cant reload or make a custom gun, round that's better than that and just leave [beeep] good alone.
since then Ive killed 10-15 dogs with it and its a lazer and Ive ruined two pels, both broadside shoulder hits when the dogs were running. Other than that its planted them right there along with a badger and a bobcat.
So ive been wanting a back up gun in 204 since I only have 2 243s and my beretta M1 12 gauge as dog and cat guns. I was online and looking and I forget which site but they had a compass in 204 for $200 NIB. I bought it on the spot and delivered it to a friend with his FFL and just picked it up, honestly a little surprised in a good way! Ive held plenty of Americans, Axis, etc and it felt to me as equally made and I prefer some of the features more.
So I only had one scope that was for a 243 and undecided if I was keeping it or not and that's a burris xtr 2 5-20x50 illuminated, FFP etc and was too much scope for me anyway as im proficient to 300 but fall off from 300-500. most of my shots are in the 5-250 yard range. S I found a new 3-9x40 Nikon BDC with a 4" sunshade, a clearance brake and claw sling for 150 for all 3...…..so I have about 350-400 total into the finished gun and I love it!
My question is do any of you guys own one? its a 1
10 twist and Im debating betwenn ammo? Facory. I have a bunch of 40 vmax left and is a 1 10 twist ok for 40 grains of weight? otherwise I thought about trying the 24 grain ntx bc I love fast small rounds otherwise ill just hope it shoots the 32s and just carry one type. im open to suggestions on ammo though and also im going to either sell or trade that burris xtr as its never been shot for either money or a lesser valued scope and some money. Do you like the Nikon BDCs? Bc ive been looking hard at the vortex crossfires with vplex reticles or the leupold freedoms 3-9x50s also w the vplex reticle......theure anywhere from 170-250 for those 2 scopes. So do you guys like the gun for my back up, would you keep the Nikon or get something else? for sure the XTR is getting sold and Id rather just keep the money but don't mind buying one of those cheaper scopes bc the Nikon is clear I just don't care for the circles. they pull my eye away from the cross hairs. lmk what you guys think?
cheers
