.204 ruger or 22-250?
Anybody have any experience with the .204 ruger good, bad, or otherwise. My local shop is sure pushing it. Or would a 22-250 be a better choice. Thanks
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Tell us what you want to do with it. The 22-250 is a classic long range (350yd) varmint round. The 204 may not ever become a real viable cartridge. Like the 284 & 358 win the 204 may become an under ground hit and a commercial flop. A local custom riflesmith told a friend of mine he would not want to re-barrel a 222 sako to 204 as my friend wanted. 0 -
The 204 actually outperforms the 220 Swift in both bullet drop and wind drift out to 500 yards. You'd probably end up with a little less energy b/c of the lighter rounds, but it maintains a higher velocity down range than the 220 Swift or the 22-250. All in all, it's a flatter shooter and I'd go with the 204.[:)]
Eric
All American Arms Company
www.galleryofguns.com
VIP Code: AAAC
Veteran Owned and Operated0 -
Thanks for the info. I'm leaning a bit towards the .204. Most of the shooting I'll be doing will be at the bench, but I'd like to get into the field some. As to the rifle, I'm considering the Kimber Longmaster VT or Pro Varmint or a Cooper Varminter or Varminter Extreme. I've seen a few of both advertised in .204 both here and at ***********, though I'm not sure if its a current offering from the companies or a custom chambering. Any recommendations? Thanks.
Greg0 -
I've shot a lot of varmints with a 22-250 and now have shot several with a 204. Two different beasts! Both are great chamberings for a short range varminter out to 300 yards. Both are good chamberings for mid range out to 500 yards. I haven't got to test the 204 at long range but do know that the 22-250 can make the trip a long ways out there! For the LONG stuff....I have to feel the 22-250 would offer more than the 204. For shooting off the bench and shooting shorter ranges, the 204 offers the advantages of neglible recoil(not the 22-250 is exactly a shoulder buster!!!) and you get to watch the impacts on the varmints! Accurracy for me hs been great(in the .3's and .4's consistently) with the 32 grain bullets but my Savage VLP does not like the 40's no matter what I try! If this is your first varminter, the 204 would be a good choice. GHD 0 -
The only thing I see against the .204, at least at the moment is the same as the .17HMR was. The ramp up on producing ammo and bullets and the relatively high cost, at least at first. That may have changed lately. Also, Savage is also offering rifles in .204. With their Accutrigger, should be a good setup. 0 -
Yep, the .204 does appear to outperform the .220 Swift. Personally, I wouldn't consider ther 22-250, I'd be weighing the options between the .204 and the .220 Swift since they are the better cartridges. The Swift is established and it's ammo is expensive enough. If you're one of those kind of people that needs the biggest, fastest, baddest, of whatever and are not worried about 5 years down the road then heck yeah I'd get the Ruger. If not, then you could play it real safe and get the .22-250 (everyone has one, the ammo is cheap). Or, split the difference, haev performance in a proven winner than has stood the test of time - the .220 Swift.
Hmm, I didn't answer anything did I - just tried to give it to you in a way you might not have thought of it before.
P.S. dunno why I'm saying this, but the .220 Swift was the most accurate factory rifle I ever owned (not saying it was the caliber, could have just as easily just been the rifle). It was in a Remington 700 VS-SF and would shoo 3/8" at 100 yards 3 shot ground and 1/2" 5 shot group with premium factory ammo.0 -
You've heard some good stuff on caliber. Setting the commercial ammo ramp up aside, unlike the 17 HMR you can readily load your own. Less powder is used than 22-250 and the ballistics of the 204 are better as well.
With the above reinforcement to what others have already given you I'll switch to your mention of potential manufacturers. Between Kimber and Cooper there is no real comparison. If you have the cash and don't mind waiting the Cooper's are better. Now with that said, the Kimber is no slouch, but they just aren't in the same league.
In fact if you had said Kimber and Savage I would be pointing toward the Savage as, out of the box, I think Savage is one of the best performing, for the money, rifles you can get, and the accu-trigger is a fine piece of work, a little strange at first, especially the feel, but the break is clean, crisp and repeatable. So on the rifle side ... if ya got the bucks buy a Cooper, if your like most of the rest of us and have to budget for things ... by a Savage.[;)]
If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!0 -
IMHO, the 20-222rem mag (aka the 204ruger), is not the 220swift or the 22-250. Speed is impressive on paper,..but in reality, it has NO power. A hunting partner has the 77VT in 204 and has been playing with it a good bit. A whitetail will expire only if hit in the neck or head (out to 250yds thus far) However,..wind drift is reportedly Horrible!! Now I understand the 204 is made to fit a different nitche, and it does that well. As GHD has stated, for an intermediate range varmint gun with almost no recoil (so I have been told) then it is a better choice than say the 17hmr because it is reloadable and brass abounds for the 222rem mag. That being said,..any live target with any real mass to it will likely cover some distance before exsanguinating from one of the little 20cal pills, even if they are a balistic tip. For varmints and a neat new caliber, go with the 204,..but for a rifle capable of taking a whitetail down with a boiler room shot to 300yds and beyond,..then the 22-250 or the 220swift is the way to go. I will second bambihunter,..my vssf 220swift is nothing but nasty on paper and even worse on meat[;)]
why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?0 -
for your purposes i would go with either the .220 swift or the 22-250
just my opinion[;)]0 -
BGH42, He didn't define his purposes!!! All have submitted some legitimate discussions except JUSTC!!!![:D][:D][:D] Sure is fun to watch the 22-250 do it's thing!!! So far for the summer 758 yards has been the best witnessesd on the "big" varmints!!! I said witnessed!!! And the guy shoots factory stuff!!!!! And he has an STW (ala from GHD) for the long ones!!! [:)]GHD 0
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