{"id":549,"date":"2019-07-29T12:34:01","date_gmt":"2019-07-29T17:34:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lg-outdoors.com\/blog\/?p=549"},"modified":"2020-01-31T09:49:00","modified_gmt":"2020-01-31T14:49:00","slug":"204-ruger-the-best-varmint-cartridge-by-craig-boddington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lg-outdoors.com\/blog\/204-ruger-the-best-varmint-cartridge-by-craig-boddington\/","title":{"rendered":"204 RUGER: THE BEST VARMINT CARTRIDGE? By Craig Boddington"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was a perfect setup for prairie dogs; we had a big shade tree to our left, three of us in line on portable benches, with a big colony stretching away before us. Stephen Shen was on the left, Gordon Marsh in the middle, me on the right. Interestingly, all three of us were shooting the 204 Ruger<\/a> cartridge: Stephen a Savage 116, while both Gordon and I were shooting Ruger No. Ones, his in blue\/walnut and mine stainless\/laminate.<\/p>\n

\"Left
The .17s run from very fast to \u201cmedium\u201d and all are useful but, in common, the light .17-caliber bullets hold up poorly in wind. Left to right: .17 Remington, .17 Remington Fireball, .17 Hornet,<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It wasn\u2019t universal; Bill Green was off the right, popping away and having a ball with a semi-auto 17 HMR<\/a> . This was Gordon and Bill\u2019s annual prairie dog shoot out of Cheyenne, hunting with Craig Oceanak and Nick of Timberline Outfitters. It was my second shoot with them; for Stephen, CEO of Vector Optics, his first ever. We had other rifles, 223’s and 22-250’s. However, except for Bill, who clung to his 17 HMR<\/a> and walked in some amazing shots, the 204’s did the majority of the work.\u00a0 There are many excellent varmint cartridges, so it struck me as unusual that three among our foursome were shooting 204’s\u2026but I think we made good choices.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"The
The various .22 centerfires are the classic varmint cartridges\u2014but only a few have become popular. Left to right: .22 Hornet (1930); .222 Remington (1950); ,220-250 (1965); .220 Swift (1935); .223 WSSM (2002).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When I say \u201cvarmint cartridge\u201d I\u2019m thinking rodents that eat grass and dig burrows, and thus cause problems for farmers and ranchers. Woodchucks in the East; prairie dogs, rock-chucks, ground squirrels and gophers in the West. Developing cartridges and rifles for this class of pest is primarily an American phenomenon, and we\u2019ve been doing it for a long time.<\/p>\n

\"The
The .204 Ruger is readily adaptable to the AR action and is chambered by numerous manufacturers. This super-accurate AR in .204 Ruger was made by MGA in Spring, Texas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The requirements are simple: Accuracy, range, and minimal recoil. Accuracy because we\u2019re dealing with small targets. A \u2018chuck is comparatively large, but an upright prairie dog is only a couple inches across. A \u201cone-MOA\u201d rifle is thus a 200-yard prairie dog gun. One-half MOA is really the starting point. Ranging capability does depend on how you go about it. The rim-fires are great fun for short-range work\u2026and stalking the edges and shooting from field positions with center-fires is excellent training. But if you set up from deliberate shooting positions and try to reach out several hundred yards, fast, flat-shooting cartridges are essential.<\/p>\n

\"My
My Ruger No. One .204 Ruger in stainless and laminate regularly turns in half-inch group with both 32 and 40-grain loads. Although a bit slower, I prefer the 40-grain load because the heavier bullet holds up better in wind.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a big \u2018dog town you might shoot steadily all day, with numerous breaks to cool and clean barrels. When I was a kid, I did a lot of prairie-dogging with a 264 Winchester Magnum<\/a>\u2014but it\u2019s silly to take that much pounding. The 6mm’s and 25’s remain excellent crossover cartridges: Varmints with lighter bullets, big game with heavier bullets. Power is not an issue; at close range the 22 LR<\/a> is plenty good for the job.<\/p>\n

\"We
We all have our favorites, but without question these are the three most popular centerfire varmint cartridges, all made by numerous manufacturers and readily available: Left to right: .223 Remington, .204 Ruger, .22-250 Remington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, the biggest problem with cartridges above the 22 center-fires is even that modest amount of recoil makes it impossible to call shots through the scope. This is especially important in the windy West. As range and wind effect increase, not every shot will hit. The ideal situation is to observe the strike through the scope and correct. You can\u2019t do this while you\u2019re lost in recoil! I\u2019ve often said that prairie dogs are great teachers, both for precise shot placement and for calling wind. The buddy system works, taking turns spotting and shooting\u2014but you\u2019ll learn more if you can call shots through the scope and make your own corrections.<\/p>\n

\"Velocity
Velocity is important in a versatile varmint cartridge, but extreme speed isn\u2019t everything! Few factory loads break 4000 fps, mostly with lighter bullets. Left to right, these are most of the modern 4000 fps merchants: .17 Remington (25 gr.); 204 Ruger (34 gr.); .22-250 (40 gr.); .223 WSSM (40 gr.); 220 Swift (40 gr.); .243 Winchester (55 gr.).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We have multiple choices, and the arguments for one cartridge versus another are actually pretty thin. The little 22 Hornet<\/a>, introduced in 1930, was probably the first center-fire intended for varminting. It retains a following and I love it\u2014but with modest velocity it\u2019s limited in range. Introduced in 1935, the 220 Swift<\/a> was the first commercial cartridge to break 4000 fps\u2014and it\u2019s still among few that do. Accurate as well as fast, the Swift still has fans, but for many years the 22-250 Rem<\/a> has been the most popular fast<\/em> 22 center fire.<\/p>\n

\"Gordon<\/p>\n

In the 1930s there were several wildcats based on the 250 Savage<\/a> case necked down to .224-inch. The most common was a 1937 version called \u201c.22 Varminter,\u201d legitimized by Remington in 1965 as the .22-250 Remington. The 22-250 Rem isn\u2019t as fast as the Swift, but close<\/em>, and is very accurate. Other fast 22’s have included the 224 Weatherby Magnum<\/a>, 225 Winchester, and 223 WSSM<\/a>, but the 22-250 Rem<\/a> is today\u2019s preferred long-range varmint cartridge.<\/p>\n

\"Wholesale
Wholesale Hunter\u2019s Gordon Marsh on the bench with his Ruger No. One in .204 Ruger. A great varmint rifle isn\u2019t just the action and cartridge! Also needed is a good, clear scope with plenty of magnification and a sweet trigger. Marsh modified this Ruger with a crisp, light Jard trigger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If there\u2019s a problem with the 22-250 Rem<\/a>, it\u2019s simply that, unless gun weight is fairly extreme, there\u2019s just too much recoil to call shots through the scope. So, over the years, many of us have consciously sacrificed velocity and range and used milder 22 center-fires. Developed by Remington\u2019s Mike Walker as a bench-rest cartridge back in 1950, the mild and super-accurate 222 Remington filled this niche perfectly. Its lack of popularity today is coincidental. In the late 1950s the U.S. Army was looking for a smaller-caliber military cartridge. The 222 Remington<\/a> didn\u2019t have quite the velocity they wanted, so the 222 Remington Magnum was created with a longer case. It wasn\u2019t popular as a civilian cartridge and wasn\u2019t adopted by the military, losing out to the 223 Remington<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\":
: I like to spend at least part of my time in a prairie dog town shooting from field positions. Misses increase, but the training is invaluable! Here, I\u2019m shooting sitting with the .204 over a tall bipod<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 223 (5.56x45mm) is also based on the 222 Remington, with a lengthened case and shorter neck. We could argue that the .222 Remington is the more accurate cartridge, and the 222 Remington Magnum is faster. But what\u2019s the point? As our military (and NATO) cartridge, the 223 Remington\/5.56x45mm<\/a> is today\u2019s most popular center-fire cartridge, and it\u2019s a marvelous varmint cartridge.<\/p>\n

\"Vector
Vector Optics\u2019 Stephen Shen on a portable bench with his Savage 116 in .204 Ruger, of course with a Vector high-range variable scope. Inexpensive, accurate, and with a great trigger, Savage offers several variations of excellent heavy-barreled varmint rifles.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With a 55-grain bullet at about 3300 fps it\u2019s effective on small varmints to at least 300 yards, and even in a fairly light-barreled rifle it\u2019s mild enough to call shots through the scope. New contenders such as the 22 Nosler<\/a> and Federal\u2019s 224 Valkyrie<\/a> will also run through the AR15 platform and offer more velocity. We could also argue that they are \u201cbetter\u201d cartridges\u2026but it remains to be seen if they can approach the 223\u2019s popularity.<\/p>\n

\"Stephen
Stephen Shen of Vector Optics, Boddington, and Gordon Marsh of Wholesale Hunter on a fine Wyoming morning with a huge prairie dog town stretching away behind us! All three of us used the .204 Ruger as our primary rifles, in my opinion one of our very best varmint cartridges.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Australian fox hunters created 17-caliber center-fires because the light bullet wouldn\u2019t exit, thus minimizing pelt damage. In 1971 Remington necked down the 222 Remington Magnum to create the .17 Remington, a 4000 fps-cartridge with bullets up to 25 grains. The 17’s are useful, and today we have choices, from rim-fires up through the 17 Hornet<\/a>, 17 Remington Fireball<\/a>, and the granddaddy 17 Remington. Accuracy can be astounding and there\u2019s plenty of power for prairie dogs and such, although I question the milder 17’s on coyotes. The big problem: The 17-caliber\u2019s light bullets just don\u2019t hold up in wind!<\/p>\n

The 20-calibers, bullet diameter .204-inch, are a recent development, spawned by good old American wildcatters in the 1990s. There are a number of wildcat and proprietary .20-caliber cartridges, but the 204 Ruger<\/a> is the only factory .20-caliber. Introduced in 2004 as a joint project between Hornady and Ruger, the 204 Ruger<\/a> is based on the .222 Remington Magnum case.<\/p>\n

The theory is to split the difference between the 17’s and .22 center-fires\u2026and the actual result, to me, offers the best of all worlds. Again, we\u2019re talking the specialized world of varmint cartridges. The 20-caliber doesn\u2019t offer the heavy-bullet flexibility of the 22 center-fires for larger game. They are certainly effective on fur-bearers up to coyotes, but don\u2019t minimize pelt damage like the 17’s. Also, the faster 17’s are prone to rapid fouling; the 20’s are not.<\/p>\n

The 204 Ruger<\/a> took off fast. All major manufacturers load it, with bullet weights from 24 to 45 grains. At about 34 grains and lighter the 204 Ruger<\/a> reaches or exceeds 4000 fps. I\u2019m not usually quick to pick up on a new cartridge\u2014especially in an unfamiliar bullet diameter! My usual mantra is (grumble, grumble<\/em>): \u201cWe\u2019ve got enough calibers and cartridges!\u201d A Ruger No. One in 204 Ruger<\/a>, stainless and laminate in heavy-barrel configuration, came in as a test rifle. I was impressed enough to buy it and, nearly 15 years later, it remains my go-to prairie dog rifle.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what I like about the 204 Ruger: Accuracy is consistently good with all loads. My preference is the 40-grain load, not the fastest at 3900 fps, but with that heavier bullet it holds up in wind better than the faster, lighter bullets. More importantly, it seems to perform about as well as the 22-250 Rem at similar velocities with varmint bullets from 50 to 55 grains. Most important: With the lighter bullet and heavier barrel (smaller bore equals more steel for equal barrel diameter) it has less recoil than a 22-250 Rem, so I can easily call shots through the scope.<\/p>\n

Requirements for an ideal varmint cartridge are simple: Accuracy, velocity, shoot-ability. If I had to cut down to just one, it\u2019s the 204 Ruger<\/a> I\u2019d hang onto!<\/p>\n

LG Outdoors Caliber Dictionary<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n