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Bluto65
Guest
how far can you shoot this cal accurately. Does anyone have experience with it,
do you like it or hate it.
Thanks in advance.
do you like it or hate it.
Thanks in advance.
There's a website specifically for this round......204ruger.com. Had one in a Rem. 700 LVSF and was disappointed despite considerable gunsmith re-work....it now wears a 221FB bbl.
I am told it was the exception to the rule.I really wanted it to work as I have been a fan of the .222 mag since the mid 60's.
I am told it was the exception to the rule.I really wanted it to work as I have been a fan of the .222 mag since the mid 60's.
Stephen Perry
New member
Bluto
I don't own a Ruger .204 but have seen a couple at the Range. It's very hard to judge a rifle's performance without knowing how the shooter sets up for practice. By this I mean is a shooter shooting for group instead of just shooting. If shooting to get the best accuracy out a rifle I feel a shooter should set out a couple of flags, home made flags do fine, to be able to judge wind pick ups/let-ups and directional changes. If you can determine the conditions of the day at a range you have your best chance of seeing how well your rifle will shoot.
From what I see at the range groups under an inch with a factory rifle are not common. Some shooters get under an inch but these are shooters that shoot regularly and have a good sense of what it takes to shoot well. But if these better shooters show you all their groups that day you will see that some of their groups had fliers usually caused by missing a wind condidition or not being consistent in their bench skills.
I shoot BR mostly but pull out my factory guns from time to time. I don't expect to shoot one hole groups like my BR guns will do but I know from many years of shooting my factory guns what they will do. To me if I get 3/4" groups with my Rem 722 in .222 at 100yd I am doing well, some groups will be 1/2" and some will be just over an inch. If I misjudge the wind I could easly get a 1 1/2" group, by the end of the day it all averages out.
Bluto shoot your .204 and be happy. Work on reading conditions and using a solid setup at your bench. Be realistic about your shooting, when somebody claims 1/4' groups with a factory rifle just ignore them they are lying to you and themselves.
Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
I don't own a Ruger .204 but have seen a couple at the Range. It's very hard to judge a rifle's performance without knowing how the shooter sets up for practice. By this I mean is a shooter shooting for group instead of just shooting. If shooting to get the best accuracy out a rifle I feel a shooter should set out a couple of flags, home made flags do fine, to be able to judge wind pick ups/let-ups and directional changes. If you can determine the conditions of the day at a range you have your best chance of seeing how well your rifle will shoot.
From what I see at the range groups under an inch with a factory rifle are not common. Some shooters get under an inch but these are shooters that shoot regularly and have a good sense of what it takes to shoot well. But if these better shooters show you all their groups that day you will see that some of their groups had fliers usually caused by missing a wind condidition or not being consistent in their bench skills.
I shoot BR mostly but pull out my factory guns from time to time. I don't expect to shoot one hole groups like my BR guns will do but I know from many years of shooting my factory guns what they will do. To me if I get 3/4" groups with my Rem 722 in .222 at 100yd I am doing well, some groups will be 1/2" and some will be just over an inch. If I misjudge the wind I could easly get a 1 1/2" group, by the end of the day it all averages out.
Bluto shoot your .204 and be happy. Work on reading conditions and using a solid setup at your bench. Be realistic about your shooting, when somebody claims 1/4' groups with a factory rifle just ignore them they are lying to you and themselves.
Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
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Ralph Grant
Guest
It eats varmints as needed.
Bluto,
I have had the .204 Ruger chambered in a factory Remington 700 VLSS Thumbhole since about '06. I didn't think the X-Mark trigger was that great but anyone that shoots Jewell triggers wouldn't. Mine now has a Jewell set at about 1.5lbs. I also mounted a Mueller Eraticator 8.5-25 x 50mm scope on it as a test which I am very impressed with for the 249.99 I paid.
Mine shoots 39grain Sierra Blitzkings wonderfully (about .80 MOA) with 24.3 grns of IMR 3031 over a CCI BR-4 primer. This load is not a barn-burner at around 3500'/sec but I'm not one to turn up the heat on my rifles. I'm not a big fan of trading barrels for a few hundred ft/sec. The 39 grains at 3500 smokes groundhogs and punches paper just as gloriously as a faster round.
To be honest, I really don't see me shooting this rifle at anything over 250 unless conditions are absolutely perfect due to the windage affects.
Here are the ballistics for my load zeroed at 100yards:
100 yards - 0" drop - 1" windage per 10mph 90° crosswind
150 yards - 0.6" drop - 2.3" windage
200 yards - 2.2" drop - 4.1" windage
250 yards - 5" drop - 6.7" windage
300 yards - 9.1" drop - 10.1" windage
I have seen winds as high as 25 mph up in the dakota's so I'm not sure how good I could be on turf poodles at much over 200. When your shooting at something 3-4" wide it doesn't take much to move that little bullet.
I personally don't get much better performance out of my 22-250 with a 55 grain V-Max but the difference is that I can watch the show through the scope of the 204 with almost NO recoil. It's kinda fun to see the holes appear in the paper and the confirmation of the kill right through the glass. That's what I like about it.
If I had to do it again, I would have one custom chambered with a neck at about 0.226". The one in my rifle is about .233" or .234" so I only get about 5 loadings out of my Winchester brass before the necks start to exhibit signs of cracking from hardening. Perhaps I'll learn to anneal them someday when I get more time....
Bluto,
I have had the .204 Ruger chambered in a factory Remington 700 VLSS Thumbhole since about '06. I didn't think the X-Mark trigger was that great but anyone that shoots Jewell triggers wouldn't. Mine now has a Jewell set at about 1.5lbs. I also mounted a Mueller Eraticator 8.5-25 x 50mm scope on it as a test which I am very impressed with for the 249.99 I paid.
Mine shoots 39grain Sierra Blitzkings wonderfully (about .80 MOA) with 24.3 grns of IMR 3031 over a CCI BR-4 primer. This load is not a barn-burner at around 3500'/sec but I'm not one to turn up the heat on my rifles. I'm not a big fan of trading barrels for a few hundred ft/sec. The 39 grains at 3500 smokes groundhogs and punches paper just as gloriously as a faster round.
To be honest, I really don't see me shooting this rifle at anything over 250 unless conditions are absolutely perfect due to the windage affects.
Here are the ballistics for my load zeroed at 100yards:
100 yards - 0" drop - 1" windage per 10mph 90° crosswind
150 yards - 0.6" drop - 2.3" windage
200 yards - 2.2" drop - 4.1" windage
250 yards - 5" drop - 6.7" windage
300 yards - 9.1" drop - 10.1" windage
I have seen winds as high as 25 mph up in the dakota's so I'm not sure how good I could be on turf poodles at much over 200. When your shooting at something 3-4" wide it doesn't take much to move that little bullet.
I personally don't get much better performance out of my 22-250 with a 55 grain V-Max but the difference is that I can watch the show through the scope of the 204 with almost NO recoil. It's kinda fun to see the holes appear in the paper and the confirmation of the kill right through the glass. That's what I like about it.
If I had to do it again, I would have one custom chambered with a neck at about 0.226". The one in my rifle is about .233" or .234" so I only get about 5 loadings out of my Winchester brass before the necks start to exhibit signs of cracking from hardening. Perhaps I'll learn to anneal them someday when I get more time....
204 Ruger
I've had three 204 Rugers now and not one of them has shot to what I consider sufficient accuracy for varmint hunting, this despite endless rounds of load development and gunsmith work. In my opinion the round is a sales gimmick and not much more than that. There are other 20 caliber rounds that perform much better and I would suggest you check them out before spending money on a 204 Ruger.
I've had three 204 Rugers now and not one of them has shot to what I consider sufficient accuracy for varmint hunting, this despite endless rounds of load development and gunsmith work. In my opinion the round is a sales gimmick and not much more than that. There are other 20 caliber rounds that perform much better and I would suggest you check them out before spending money on a 204 Ruger.
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Ralph Grant
Guest
Good point....
Onomrbl does have a point. Truth is that when I bought that rifle I bought a factory gun for dinking around and didn't want to spend a fortune. If I was truly doing a "custom" on the twenty caliber bullet, I would most likely go with a 20 Tactical or maybe a 20PPC. I heard you can buy 20 TAC brass from Lapua now also....
Onomrbl does have a point. Truth is that when I bought that rifle I bought a factory gun for dinking around and didn't want to spend a fortune. If I was truly doing a "custom" on the twenty caliber bullet, I would most likely go with a 20 Tactical or maybe a 20PPC. I heard you can buy 20 TAC brass from Lapua now also....
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Bluto65
Guest
Thanks for the info...
Stephen yes yes yes I will shoot for pleasure, thats what its all about.
I was intrigued with the 204 after I purchased a CZ 453 Varmint 17HMR
to try out this new peashooter Cal. Put an Eraticator on it and shot,
consistent groupies of 5 shots, smaller than a penny and some smaller than
a dime at 50 yds & 100yds with Hornady 17 gr V-Max. A factory gun without
any trigger work, has a single set trigger. Surprised the heck out of me for a
rimfire. So next step up will be the 204 [20 cal] sure seems to be a shooter,
will see how the Hybrid/Factory Cooper does as a shooter. The CZs seem to
be what everyone claims, tack drivers! All my shooting buddies shoot 6mmBR
or BRX. That will come next for me but not in prone comp @ 600 & 1000yds,
I would have to do a lot to catch up to them, these guys are GOOD!
Stephen yes yes yes I will shoot for pleasure, thats what its all about.
I was intrigued with the 204 after I purchased a CZ 453 Varmint 17HMR
to try out this new peashooter Cal. Put an Eraticator on it and shot,
consistent groupies of 5 shots, smaller than a penny and some smaller than
a dime at 50 yds & 100yds with Hornady 17 gr V-Max. A factory gun without
any trigger work, has a single set trigger. Surprised the heck out of me for a
rimfire. So next step up will be the 204 [20 cal] sure seems to be a shooter,
will see how the Hybrid/Factory Cooper does as a shooter. The CZs seem to
be what everyone claims, tack drivers! All my shooting buddies shoot 6mmBR
or BRX. That will come next for me but not in prone comp @ 600 & 1000yds,
I would have to do a lot to catch up to them, these guys are GOOD!
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okbob51
Guest
I have a cooper m21 in 204 ruger and I love it. It is easy to shoot under a 1/2" with several different loads. Mine shows a preference for the Sierra's, both the 32 and the 39. I shoot mine at just over 4000 fps. Because it is so fast it seriously reduces drop and drift. Also, it has a higher BC than a similar weight 22 cal. I consistently hit eggs with mine at 300 yards....that is as long as my range. I think it will be effective to 400 pretty consistently.
JC in Calif
New member
20 vt
I'm shooting a 20 VarTarg in model 36 Cooper. It is a great round and accurate as well as very efficent. You might want to have a look!
I'm shooting a 20 VarTarg in model 36 Cooper. It is a great round and accurate as well as very efficent. You might want to have a look!
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vicvanb
Guest
Love It!
My 204 Ruger is a Savage Long Range Precision Varmint. For many years I shot 220 Swifts but bought the 204 just to try something new. I really like the Savage 204--it is one of the most accurate rifles I've owned. Topped with a Leupold 8.5-25X Long Range Target Scope I have shot prairie dogs out to 425 yards which I feel is about the maximum for this cartridge. I like the 39 grain Sierra with Winchester 748 in Nosler custom brass, but everything I've tried has been accurate including Hornady factory loads.
One complaint--it's ugly, at least to my eyes that were raised on walnut and blued steel. Someday I might just build a pretty 204 to replace the Savage, but in the meantime I'm going to do my best to shoot out that Savage's barrel.
My 204 Ruger is a Savage Long Range Precision Varmint. For many years I shot 220 Swifts but bought the 204 just to try something new. I really like the Savage 204--it is one of the most accurate rifles I've owned. Topped with a Leupold 8.5-25X Long Range Target Scope I have shot prairie dogs out to 425 yards which I feel is about the maximum for this cartridge. I like the 39 grain Sierra with Winchester 748 in Nosler custom brass, but everything I've tried has been accurate including Hornady factory loads.
One complaint--it's ugly, at least to my eyes that were raised on walnut and blued steel. Someday I might just build a pretty 204 to replace the Savage, but in the meantime I'm going to do my best to shoot out that Savage's barrel.
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jo191145
Guest
In 2004 I bought one of the first 204R Savage VLP's to come off the line.
Accuracy with factory ammo was amazing to me. Usually around 5/8'' groups at 150yds. (Had to clean the barrel after every 6-7 shots to do that tho)
Started reloading and learned powder choice could negate the need to clean by reducing copper fouling.
I'm not a rich man. That Sav has my only 12X42NF bolted on top of it. I've replaced the barrel five times now. One tube does'nt count as it came with no stamp or flutes. Not legal for factory so it just sits. The original barrel and the fourth were capable of agging groups folks on this forum would need to ignore. That ability usually does'nt last long before you need to start retweaking.
The other two barrels are dogs although I haven't totally given up on #5 just yet. I won't accept a Sav factory 204 tube that can't agg under .5moa. It gets unscrewed and tossed. In my expierience if they'll agg at .5 they'll agg even lower with a few more tweaks to the ammo.
Takes a lot of expierimenting and barrel life to get there. Not worth it to most people. I'm getting to that point myself.
If that first barrel had'nt been such a hummer I probably would have given up on the 204 too.
Its easy enough to shoot a tiny group occassionally. You want to get a factory 204 to even think about agging near .25moa its gonna take a whole lot of work but mostly its understanding what fouling does to accuracy. Both copper and carbon.
Thats a subject rarely discussed on shooting forums.
In short the 204 is capable of some excellent accuracy. Theres been matches where I wish I had left the ppc at home and brought my Savage.
It can also be a real turd if you haven't gotten all the planets aligned just right or the barrel just says no. YMMV
Accuracy with factory ammo was amazing to me. Usually around 5/8'' groups at 150yds. (Had to clean the barrel after every 6-7 shots to do that tho)
Started reloading and learned powder choice could negate the need to clean by reducing copper fouling.
I'm not a rich man. That Sav has my only 12X42NF bolted on top of it. I've replaced the barrel five times now. One tube does'nt count as it came with no stamp or flutes. Not legal for factory so it just sits. The original barrel and the fourth were capable of agging groups folks on this forum would need to ignore. That ability usually does'nt last long before you need to start retweaking.
The other two barrels are dogs although I haven't totally given up on #5 just yet. I won't accept a Sav factory 204 tube that can't agg under .5moa. It gets unscrewed and tossed. In my expierience if they'll agg at .5 they'll agg even lower with a few more tweaks to the ammo.
Takes a lot of expierimenting and barrel life to get there. Not worth it to most people. I'm getting to that point myself.
If that first barrel had'nt been such a hummer I probably would have given up on the 204 too.
Its easy enough to shoot a tiny group occassionally. You want to get a factory 204 to even think about agging near .25moa its gonna take a whole lot of work but mostly its understanding what fouling does to accuracy. Both copper and carbon.
Thats a subject rarely discussed on shooting forums.
In short the 204 is capable of some excellent accuracy. Theres been matches where I wish I had left the ppc at home and brought my Savage.
It can also be a real turd if you haven't gotten all the planets aligned just right or the barrel just says no. YMMV
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Bluto65 - I had a Cooper Phoenix in 204 and it would consistently shoot under one-half inch with 32, 35, and 39 gr bullets. It liked the 35 Bergers and 39 Sierras best though.
I am one of those folks who also think that it is a 250 to 300 yard cartridge. Not that it can't kill past that point it just doesn't do it as decisively. But realistically most of us are 250 to 300 yard shooters anyway, once it gets past that point there are a lot of other factors in play besides cartridge choice.
drover
I am one of those folks who also think that it is a 250 to 300 yard cartridge. Not that it can't kill past that point it just doesn't do it as decisively. But realistically most of us are 250 to 300 yard shooters anyway, once it gets past that point there are a lot of other factors in play besides cartridge choice.
drover
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realm-aw
Guest
204 is fine
I have two 204 Rugers . A Rem XR-100 and a Stiller/Krieger/Jewell that both have Leupold varmint scopes. A test of 3 seating dies (Redding, Forester and Hornady 'custom') fired two 3-shot groups from each die. The six groups averaged .2375 inch. Load was 28gr Varget, 39 SBKs and CCI sr mag primers. The OCLs were 2.41, 2.351 & 2.361, with the 2.41 from the Redding shooting the best two groups at .161 & .227. (85 degrees, 20% humidity on a calm evening 8/27/09) Groups fired over flags from a bench using the Stiller. The Rem XR-100 will shoot nearly that well, but the Stiller has the advantage of the Krieger/Jewell.
I have two 204 Rugers . A Rem XR-100 and a Stiller/Krieger/Jewell that both have Leupold varmint scopes. A test of 3 seating dies (Redding, Forester and Hornady 'custom') fired two 3-shot groups from each die. The six groups averaged .2375 inch. Load was 28gr Varget, 39 SBKs and CCI sr mag primers. The OCLs were 2.41, 2.351 & 2.361, with the 2.41 from the Redding shooting the best two groups at .161 & .227. (85 degrees, 20% humidity on a calm evening 8/27/09) Groups fired over flags from a bench using the Stiller. The Rem XR-100 will shoot nearly that well, but the Stiller has the advantage of the Krieger/Jewell.
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Silverfox
Guest
Bluto65--I've been shooting a Savage 12VLP in .204 Ruger since June of 2004. I have nothing but praise based on my experience with this caliber. I'm not a very skilled shooter, but I have nailed prairie dogs at 300+ yards, but I usually confine my PD shooting distances to under 250 yards. This rifle has also downed coyotes at distances of from 25 yards on out to 300 yards and most of them are dead right there.
The 39 gr. Sierra BlitzKing is the most accurate bullet out of my Savage and the 35 gr. FBHP Berger and 40 gr. Nosler BTs are almost as accurate. The 40 gr. Nosler BTs give me the best acrobatic action on prairie dogs, but the 39 gr. Sierras aren't bad either.
Besides using the .204 Ruger for prairie dogs, it is also my go-to rifle for coyotes using the 39 gr. Sierras. The 39 gr. Sierras have been very fur friendly and deadly on coyotes. The 35 gr. FBHP Bergers have also been a very good coyote bullet and don't cause a lot of fur damage, but they have a tendency to deflect a bunch more in the wind than the 39 gr. Sierras.
I'm in the process of gathering up parts to build a .204 Ruger on a Savage target action this spring. I'll probably use only the 39 gr. Sierras in this rifle, mainly because it will have a 1 in 12" twist Lilja barrel on it and some 40 grain and heavier bullets don't seem to work too good out of a 1 in 12" twist barrel. I do have a super match grade stainless steel 1 in 11" twist three-groove barrel in .204 caliber waiting to be installed on my Savage 12VLP if and when the barrel wears out. I have 2,644 shots down the tube and it is still very accurate. Here's a photo of the last coyote I shot on February 20, 2010.
The 39 gr. Sierra BlitzKing is the most accurate bullet out of my Savage and the 35 gr. FBHP Berger and 40 gr. Nosler BTs are almost as accurate. The 40 gr. Nosler BTs give me the best acrobatic action on prairie dogs, but the 39 gr. Sierras aren't bad either.
Besides using the .204 Ruger for prairie dogs, it is also my go-to rifle for coyotes using the 39 gr. Sierras. The 39 gr. Sierras have been very fur friendly and deadly on coyotes. The 35 gr. FBHP Bergers have also been a very good coyote bullet and don't cause a lot of fur damage, but they have a tendency to deflect a bunch more in the wind than the 39 gr. Sierras.
I'm in the process of gathering up parts to build a .204 Ruger on a Savage target action this spring. I'll probably use only the 39 gr. Sierras in this rifle, mainly because it will have a 1 in 12" twist Lilja barrel on it and some 40 grain and heavier bullets don't seem to work too good out of a 1 in 12" twist barrel. I do have a super match grade stainless steel 1 in 11" twist three-groove barrel in .204 caliber waiting to be installed on my Savage 12VLP if and when the barrel wears out. I have 2,644 shots down the tube and it is still very accurate. Here's a photo of the last coyote I shot on February 20, 2010.
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RayfromTX
Guest
Great round. I have two based on Savage target actions. One has the accutrigger and the other has a Jewell trigger. Both are bedded in tracker stocks and wear Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20x scopes. They weigh in at 15.5 lbs. and do not move when shot.
I use 40 gr. Bergers and 39 grain Sierras. Both are very accurate and it is competitive with my Benchrest gun but not quite as accurate with it's occasional flier. I guess they agg as an honest .3 or better. Kris Whitman shot a group with one of them that was under .4 at 200 yards and my wife's only five shot group with one was a .282 at 100 yards.
Last year I took my foreign exchange student with me to CO for a week of prairie poodlin'. His longest kill was at 630 yards downwind. He held 4 dogs high and 6 dogs to the left on his second shot and flipped it in the air. My longest was 555 yards into the wind. At 800 yards into the wind the bullet wouldn't make it even if I held 10 feet high. We confirmed both kills.
One afternoon, I was shooting a 10 mph crosswind by holding on the second mildot and hit 18 of 20 at distances ranging from 300 to 330 yards.
The 204 is quiet and non disruptive to dog activity past 200 yards. All shots are easily self spotted through the scope and there is no shooter fatigue. We use vv133 and run around 3900 to 4000 fps at the chrony.
I use 40 gr. Bergers and 39 grain Sierras. Both are very accurate and it is competitive with my Benchrest gun but not quite as accurate with it's occasional flier. I guess they agg as an honest .3 or better. Kris Whitman shot a group with one of them that was under .4 at 200 yards and my wife's only five shot group with one was a .282 at 100 yards.
Last year I took my foreign exchange student with me to CO for a week of prairie poodlin'. His longest kill was at 630 yards downwind. He held 4 dogs high and 6 dogs to the left on his second shot and flipped it in the air. My longest was 555 yards into the wind. At 800 yards into the wind the bullet wouldn't make it even if I held 10 feet high. We confirmed both kills.
One afternoon, I was shooting a 10 mph crosswind by holding on the second mildot and hit 18 of 20 at distances ranging from 300 to 330 yards.
The 204 is quiet and non disruptive to dog activity past 200 yards. All shots are easily self spotted through the scope and there is no shooter fatigue. We use vv133 and run around 3900 to 4000 fps at the chrony.
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Bluto65
Guest
Thanks for all the info.....
I am very pleased to hear all the good news about the 204. I was worried that I
had messed up in ordering my Cooper 204. Darned rifle wont show up until May/June this year. Cant wait to go sight it in and shoot some groups and fiddle with loads/bullets. I already have a scope for it NF BR 12-42x56, most probably overkill but I can always re-scope and use the NF for benchrest. I ordered a plain vanilla Cooper, no cosmetic stuff, just looking for a shooter out of the box.
Time will tell. I will post pics after the shoot.
I am very pleased to hear all the good news about the 204. I was worried that I
had messed up in ordering my Cooper 204. Darned rifle wont show up until May/June this year. Cant wait to go sight it in and shoot some groups and fiddle with loads/bullets. I already have a scope for it NF BR 12-42x56, most probably overkill but I can always re-scope and use the NF for benchrest. I ordered a plain vanilla Cooper, no cosmetic stuff, just looking for a shooter out of the box.
Time will tell. I will post pics after the shoot.
J
jo191145
Guest
Ahhh Bluto
I missed the sentence where you mentioned Cooper.
I think you'll be quite happy.
Never heard anyone complain thier 204R Cooper could'nt shoot straight.
I missed the sentence where you mentioned Cooper.
I think you'll be quite happy.
Never heard anyone complain thier 204R Cooper could'nt shoot straight.
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okbob51
Guest
You are going to really enjoy the Cooper. They are beautifully made guns that fit together well, are very smooth, look tremendous and shoot very accurately.
Mine has shot well with any appropriate powder. Mine does not like the 40 Hornady but does shoot the 32 well. It loves both Sierra's. The Nightforce is a great scope but looks really big on the tiny Model 21.....how do I know that? It served me very well to develop loads but now I changed it out to a smaller sized scope. BTW....I did the 1 shot and clean for the first 20 rounds and then moved to 3 shots and clean of the next 21 rounds.
Mine has shot well with any appropriate powder. Mine does not like the 40 Hornady but does shoot the 32 well. It loves both Sierra's. The Nightforce is a great scope but looks really big on the tiny Model 21.....how do I know that? It served me very well to develop loads but now I changed it out to a smaller sized scope. BTW....I did the 1 shot and clean for the first 20 rounds and then moved to 3 shots and clean of the next 21 rounds.
Dissenting opinion
I do 2 week-long PD shoots a year and have been doing so for years.
Had a guy with a 204 ruger in the wind this past year. He got disgusted with it out in the real world and stuck to a 6MM BR after 1 morning in the wind. Based on what I saw with him, I would stick to calibers with heavier bullets available. I personally now shoot a 6X47 lapua with 80 & 85 grain Sierra varminters. This is after 22-250's, 223's, 6mmBR's, a 300 Weatherbys and a 6.5-284. Tried numbers of calibers and gun weights. 6mmBR is a good choice for low recoil, good spotting, good bullet selection. I like 70gr bullets in that. I would go to a 22-250 or a 220 Swift next.
My experience has been that the close PD's quickly drop into their holes and your shots then are 300+ yards. Tough shots with little bullets in the wind. And the wind always blows.
FWIW.
I do 2 week-long PD shoots a year and have been doing so for years.
Had a guy with a 204 ruger in the wind this past year. He got disgusted with it out in the real world and stuck to a 6MM BR after 1 morning in the wind. Based on what I saw with him, I would stick to calibers with heavier bullets available. I personally now shoot a 6X47 lapua with 80 & 85 grain Sierra varminters. This is after 22-250's, 223's, 6mmBR's, a 300 Weatherbys and a 6.5-284. Tried numbers of calibers and gun weights. 6mmBR is a good choice for low recoil, good spotting, good bullet selection. I like 70gr bullets in that. I would go to a 22-250 or a 220 Swift next.
My experience has been that the close PD's quickly drop into their holes and your shots then are 300+ yards. Tough shots with little bullets in the wind. And the wind always blows.
FWIW.
W
Who Me?
Guest
379 yards. At least that the farthest shot I made on a prairie dog that was a little skinnier than a pop can!
