I just completed 3 days of Ground Squirrel Hunting here in Montana. I had two friends out from the coast and they brought with them a small horde of Varmint Rifles and gear!
Rifles of note along on this mini-Safari were 4 Varminters in caliber 204 Ruger, a Cooper Varminter in caliber 17 HMR, a couple of Carbon Fiber Remington 700's and my new S&W revlover in 17 HMR! These Varminters had plenty of others for company but those were all outshined (outshown?)by the 204's!
I had two of the 204's and I was shooting my handloads with 35 gr. Berger bullets in each. Both my friends though were using the newish Sierra 32 gr. 20 caliber bullets. For pure wreckage and havoc on these diminutive Varmints the Sierras were a skosh more "mystifying" than the Bergers - so to speak!
I usually abhor using centerfires (I am cheap!) on the fields full of Ground Squirrels but my two friends are "bucks up" kind of guys and could not wait to put their new 204's to extensive use on these (and other) Varmints.
It did not take long for both of the men to reach the jaw dropping stage once their 204 barrels began warming up! Their two CZ Rifles were simply awesome out on the flat and very windy Gopher grounds! The wind was constant and could be described as from blowing hard to howling every moment of our Hunting!
The 204's simply outperformed every other Varmint cartridge I and they had along!
One additional plus factor of the friends Rifles was their ability to shoot long strings of shots and not loose any apparent accuracy. You might say now how do you know if a Varminter has lost accuracy in winds that blew at times up to 30 MPH! Well you simply manuever your set ups to allow you to shoot straight downwind at the Varmints and assess the hits ratio then.
Both my friends had taken the time over this past winter to develop loads for their new Rifles using the Sierras 32 gr. bullets with Moly-coating!
After seeing how well their 204's performed I may just get out the NECO kit and Moly-coat some of the Sierra 32's I just bought recently for my own use.
It would be great if the Sierras shot well in my 204's also! We will see!
Other equipment along of note was Laser rangefinders by Leica (mine) and Swarovski (theirs), 3 sets of electronic ear protection muffs (theirs - and I will own a set of these by later this spring!), a Remington 700 Carbon Fiber Rifle in 22-250 and another in 223! Great rigs these! Scopes were mostly Leupolds and went in power from straight 12x's to 4.5x14's and 6.5x20's. Some with fine cross hairs and dots but most with Du-plex's. Also along for scopes were several Zeiss models in power ranges from 3x9 (on the 17 HMR's) to 4.5x14's! The Zeiss scopes were the heavy barred (European style?) du-plex style and the heavy portion of those Zeiss scopes was just way way way to thick for most effective Colony Varmint Hunting. Both my friends wish to change or buy in the future the Zeiss scopes with the dot option. They were clear though and had handy focus features and they looked pretty good! Binoculars along were Zeiss 10x40's, Zeiss 7x40's and I had along my 12x Nikons and my 9x35 Bausch & Lomb Zephys (made in Rochester, New York).
The coolest looking and handling Varminter shooting this venture out, though, was a Cooper deluxe Varminter (I forget the Model name!) in caliber 17 HMR! This little rig was just death on the Ground Squirrels though at the more moderate ranges! And it looked so wonderful! It had a Zeiss scope on it and its trigger was sublime! The owner had a few "over shoots" when he first brought it out and this caused him concern! We set up a target a 100 yards and it was quickly proven that bullets shoot higher at 6,200' elevation than they do on the tide flats of the Skagit Bay area of Washington State (sea level) where my friend lives! The atmosphere is only 85% as dense at 6,500' feet (I have read) than it is at sea level! His 3 shot group was just over an inch higher at 100 yards here at high altitude than it was when he sighted it in back at his home last week - there at sea level! That 3 shot group over a hood and sand bags in a tailing wind measured just at 1/4"! I was impressed!
I have proven this over shooting phenomenon to myself several times as I used to shoot on the tide flats of the Duwamish River in Seattle and when I would travel to an un-named moutain range in Wyoming and start shooting High Mountain Whistling Marmots at 9,500' feet you really had to "hold low" for first shot hits at that altitude.
The highlight of the Safari, shot wise, was a tie between my two friends! One killed 3 Ground Squirrels with one shot from his 204 (180 yards Laser ranged) and the other most impressive shot was a first shot kill in a 20 MPH plus crosswind on a standing Gopher (2 inch wide target!) at 320 yards! Both these shots were double-witnessed!
I was just flabergasted at this 320 yard shot though. It was made with the 204 Ruger CZ Varmint Model.
Both the 204 CZ's had had $60.00 trigger jobs which included trigger disassembly, spring modification and parts being set up in a jig and then being stoned square and ultra smooth! Those were fine triggers!
Other game seen on our outing including Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, Ravens, Crows, Magpies, Elk, Mule Deer, Moose, Antelope, Whitetail Deer, Jack Rabbits, Cotton-tails and a very lucky Fox!
Both my friends have EXTENSIVE Hunting and Varminting backgrounds and one has 3/4 of a Grand Slam of North American Sheep. They are both in their mid 60's and have seen and used all the new Guns and cartridges for many many decades now! Each night the subject of the AMAZING performance of the 204's took up at least an hour of our wonderful conversations! Not only the accuracy, amazingly flat trajectory, lethality and the wind bucking ability of the new cartridge but the slow to heat barrels quality and the mild recoil!
This new 204 could revolutionize Varminting in my opinion!
I was so impressed with the 204's performance in the high winds that I placed a committed order for another one!
I have the hots again now for the upcoming Remington XR-100 Varminter due out later this spring!
Oh - by the way my friends both were making their 204 brass from 222 Remington Magnum brass and neither encountered any problems. No 204 brass has shown up in NW Washington State as yet according to my friends anyway!
What a great Hunt! Many stories told and many plans made!
No equipment failures of any kind in some long days of Hunting!
But I was so very impressed with the performance of those Sierra 32 gr. 20 caliber bullets that I might just have to try and gear some up for myself right away! I would be in a real quandry then if they shot as well or better than my stash of Berger bullet handloads. The Sierras are a lot cheaper and that may just force my hand.
Long live the 204!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Great report VarmintGuy--I sure would like to see some photos of the carnage you fellows left out there on the killing fields!!! Glad to hear the .204 Rugers worked out for your partners and I'm glad to hear you all had a great outing.

sounds kewl VG, why did the CZ's need a 60$ trigger job, both my CZ's I have just brought them home gave them a good once over, took them out of the stock and within 10mins of adjusting a couple screws I have the trigger breaking to my likeing. back in the stock set the action screws to just snug and I am good to go. VG I still say you need to get a CZ instead of that new remmy

on edit, just looked at that new remmy xr 100, you guys don't really want a single shot rifle that is over 9#'s do ya, I say get the CZ 204 varmint at 7.5#'s and you still have a repeater

Cummins cowboy: I have (and for most uses prefer) Varmint Rifles much heavier than 9 pounds!
I have a 17 MachIV that was custom made for me that weighs 12 pounds 11 ounces (with scope and mounts)! It is one sweet Varminter and swings with moving Varmints about as steady as can be expected!
More mass in a Rifle under field shooting conditions generates a steadier sight picture and less recoil! Both in my mind are prefferable over the results in similar conditions with a lighter Rifle.
Oh yes, I was impressed with those CZ's! I fired them both by the way!
I am not sure what prompted both CZ owners to have their triggers "tuned up"! Neither mentioned a specific shortcoming in the original triggers!
Yes single shots are fine with me! The only time I can envision a shortcoming to the one shot Varminter is when I am shooting Jack Rabbits during the daytime (I also Hunt them at night with spotlights and single shots are fine for this). I will live with that lone shortcoming of the single shot! And I will more than make up for it with the enjoyment and the safety and stiff action of the single shot. I think I have 5 or 6 single shot Varminters now and like I say no big problems with the single load feature.

Silverfox: Hoping to have computer compatible photo technology this year!
I am just today dropping off some old fashioned technology film from my 35mm Nikon for developing.

Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Great to hear, VG!

FWIW, I spent much of yesterday afield with my CZ in 17 Rem doing the same. Aside from a few "Hail Mary" shots, all shots resulted in gopher-goo. The polymer tipped bullets work better for me than the Bergers. I wonder why Berger makes .172" MATCH bullets - for what match? Shouldn't they all be rat-poison bullets? Just a thought...

BTW, I've nearly eradicated Gopherdom from the 400 acres of my neighbor's ranch - which was the intent from the beginning BUT after demonstrating that I really could do it, he's singing my praises to the other ranchers who want me aboard their spreads. Yay! Gopher Jihad.

Gotta put together a bulk buy of 20 gr V-Max's

Redial

Redial: I just had to run downstairs and check my stash of Berger 17 caliber bullets! Mine are the 17 caliber 25 gr. MEF (maximum expansion factor) style! I agree on the .172" not being used in any match's I have been to! I am sure its been done but like I said not that I have seen in person.
Long live the 17 Remington!
If you have, or plan on getting a 20 caliber anything be sure and try the Sierra 32's in it someday!
Great to hear from you!
Remind me which Model CZ in 17 Remington you have please. Is it a heavy barrel is what I mostly am interested in?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks for the post VG.....as always a very enjoyable read.

Lofter: Thanks for the kudos! I like your post sign offs! "Every day above ground is a good one"! Yeah I like that one!
One of the fellows I Varminted with last week had this cool saying! He always invoked it as we were spotting for Varmints and bemoaning the constant wind velocity! It went like this - "as long as there's lead in the air - theres hope"! I chuckled every time he uttered it!
Thanks again.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG and lofter, There is a shortage of the 39 grain SIERRAS here in the east!!!!! I've got a bunch ot=f the 32 SIERRAS loaded up and have some of the original 33VMAXS I'd trade for some more SIERRAS....32's or 39's!! MontanaDoug where are you???? The 39 grain SIERRA is the go to bullet in the .204!!!! Loaded ahed of AA2520 it's the cat's meow!!!! I can live with 3700-3800fps with the downrange capabilities of this one!!! GHD

Hello VarmintGuy,

Thanks for the excellent report. I think you've sold me on the .204. I have its big brother, the .222Rem.Mag., and that's also one sweet shooting caliber. From what I've read recently there's little not to like about the .204. I have a .17Rem. and while I like it, it is just a bit too tempermental for my tastes. I think the .204 may be more suitable. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

VG, I have a 527 with a heavy-ish barrel. Like all the rest, it's a hammer!

For varminting, CZ's are my first choice anymore despite them all being Wrong-Handed!

Cheers

Redial

one can always add weight to the CZ if its not heavy enough for them and the kewl thing is you can take it off if you want. I think CZ's heavyish barrels are great, just heavy enough to make long shooting strings doable but not with so much weight. plus the actions are sliky smooth

Cal Sibley: Every real person I know that has a 204 raves about their accuracy and now that nearly a year has past for real in the field experiences every real person I know raves about that also! The one negative I have heard of is in regards to a gun writer that was having trouble getting his 204 Ruger to shoot for him! I did not read that one but it was relayed here on AR somewhere.
More later
Neighbor coming down the lane
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I am also a big fan of the .204 Ruger. Had one of the Cooper MachIV's that would not group and Cooper finally rebarreled it to the .204. What a difference.

Redial: Mark I just got a new 2,005 CZ catalog from the pawn shop here in town today and I am visually studying your Model 527 on page 13 of said catalog!
My friends had the same model! One of the guys had switched his 204 out of its Walnut stock and had traded it for a "Prestige" Model's American Walnut fancy checkered type stock! The prestige I see is not offered in the 204 caliber just 22 Hornet and 223 Remington! I heard my firends talking about this "swap" but did not catch on at the time! This "Prestige" stock was awesome! One of my buddies owns a very prestigious Gun Shop on the coast and I am sure these two schemed this swap up "after hours" so to speak! The figure in that "Prestige" stock was just beautiful!
I can almost feel your pain being a southpaw! I have three real close friends that are lefties and they about split 50/50 with Rifles they buy being either right handed bolts or lefties! They also enjoy the ambidexterous Rifles out there on occassion (like Ruger #1's, Browning 1885's and some lever and pump Rifles). Bless the Remington and Ruger folks and a couple of others that do show proper respect to our left handed bretherin by mass producing some!!
Continued good luck is wished upon you and your CZ 527 in 17 Remington!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Conger: Welcome to the AR Forum and especially to the Varminting section!
Thanks for the report on the Cooper! That was great of the Cooper people to help solve your problem with the less than satisfactory shooting MachIV!
If you need any loading info for the new 204 then this (and the reloading and small caliber section) is the place!
Wishing you continued good luck with the 204!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy