I have been answering a LOT of personal E-mails and Private Messages lately regarding the 204 Ruger. The typical questions I answer go like this - "do you like the 204 Ruger cartridge", "do you recommend the 204 Ruger over the 223 Remington", "does the 204 Ruger OUTPERFORM the 223 Remington, the 22-250 etc", "how is the barrel life of the 204 compared to the 223, 220 Swift etc", "is the 204 Ruger a better performer than the Tac20" etc etc etc.
I wonder why folks are hesitant to ask questions in a public forum - as I am sure that the questions they have are shared by others.
Anyway some of the questions I am asked I do have answers for and others I have as yet to obtain answers for them.
I heartily endorse the 204 Ruger caliber and have for some time now. I have as yet to personally come across a careful and deliberate Varminter who is displeased significantly with the 204 Ruger.
So I open this thread to others who have used the 204 Ruger for some time now - and for them to chime in with their thoughts and observations regarding their use of this cartridge.
Both pro and con views and observations are more than welcome.
I just don't feel to comfortable being the "lone voice" basis, advocating that folks give this new cartrdige a try.
Personally I find it (the 204) lacking nothing for my myriad of uses but maybe someone has other opinions and I (and some shy ones out there) would enjoy considering those views as well.
One of my E-mails was from a father wondering if the 204 Ruger would be a good choice for his teenagers "first" Varmint Rifle.
Among other good attributes of the 204 Ruger cartridge I pointed out to this E-mailer regarding the 204 was the lack of recoil and the result for his son would be he could spot his own hits (and misses!) afield.
I recommended the 204 Ruger in a Rifle for his son without much reservation (ammo expense - if not a handloader was about the only negative I could dream up).
So - in short - would you all recommend the 204 Ruger to a Varminter considering one or a new Varmint Rifle?
Personally I would be happy as a clam to find another new 204 Ruger under my Christmas Tree.
Hold into the wind
VamrintGuy

Great caliber. I do prefer it over the 223 and right in line with the 22/250. Cheap to shoot. Accurate. Barrel life, I don't know yet. Couple of issues to the downside. First is wind. The little bullets do blow around. Second is equipment additions. New cleaning rods, jags, trimmer pilots, powder funnels, etc. The small diameter requires some new stuff.

The only reservation I have is what 30378 brought up and that is wind. On a calm day it is fun to shoot and I would recomend it.

You don't get the "explosions" with the 204, it just leaves big holes and they go down.

However, a calm day has been rare in my experience when I go out to shoot at prairie dogs. Then I prefer my 220swifts, 22-250AI,etc.

I bought a Ruger #1 and out of the box it has been very accurate. I have only shot ~ 500 rounds though it using Hornady's ammo, so I don't know what the barrel life is.

I haven't reloaded for it, but the listed loads that I have are lower than what Hornaday has for velocity, so I kind of wonder what powder they are using, or if they have a large drop funnel to get in more.

I'm not sure I would recomend it for Coyotes yet, since I haven't tried it out on one.

I also have a center fire .17 remington that I like to shoot as well. I put the 204 in the same class as this gun.

I guess though if someone were to ask what gun you would recommend as a first gun for someone I would go with a 22-250, with a 22-250AI as a very close 2nd.

For you guys reloading for it, what powders are you finding work the best...I have a Barrel on order in 204....

I was looking at H 322, and RL 7 as two potential candidates....

Mine is going to be on a heavy magnum sporter contour, with a 26 inch length....I haven't decided to have it threaded to a Ruger 77 Mk 2 action or a Winchester Model 70 action... I was leaning toward the Model 70... since I think that would be kinda of a rare bird.... and we all like to walk the road less traveled...

Doing a little more research, I am coming up with the opinion that it is best used with the 32 and similar sized bullets....

The ones that are at or around 40 grains are performing the same numbers as the 223's with 40 grain bullets...and I admit, I am not giving up the 223 in favor of the 204....

But a varmint shooter has to have a few different things to play with...if nothing else to either get it out of your system or to see what everyone else is crowing about...

I did that with the 17 HMR and while conceding it is an accurate little round and some of the rifles made for it, are pretty nice.... if one handloads, I can't see it replacing the 223, downloaded to the same velocity....223 reloads are cheaper than 17 HMR rounds at the store.. and one has more bullet choices...

It has it's niche, but my needs don't resident in its neighborhood... the price of ammo killed my need for it...

I do think the 204 will offer me a little more...

I am also interested in the 17 Mach 4 or what Rem is going to call the 17 Fireball...

I'd like to see a 19 Fireball by Calhoon, personally...

cheers
seafire

Well I entered a raffle with a Rem 204 as first prize. Find out in two weeks if xmas will be happier.

can't complain about mine...i have had 3 of them, all on TC products...two encores and a G2 Contender...plus I have shot my dad's Savage in .204 and all four of them shoot well under MOA. in fact, two of the TC guns shoot .300" groups regularly...when I can hold 'em still enough that is...gotta back off on the coffee when they can shoot THAT good. both of those use Varget and 32 grain Sierras.

-Matt

Rainman1882: Best of luck on the raffle! I hope you win!
I have a quick "raffle" story you!
I was on the board of directors of a 16,000 member arms collecting organization out in Washington state. I was in charge of our building fund and raising funds to place there in!
I decided to have a "raffle" to raise some more funds.
Arms collecting organization... raffle... well naturally I decided to raffle off some GUNS!
All went well and tens of thosuands of dollars were obtained and then I get a registered letter from the Washington State Gambling Commission as some "helpful" person had contacted them and informed them of our organizations "raffle" and the raffles prizes!
It seems we ("I"!) had fallen afoul of a little known law in Washington State that specifies that one and ONE only type of prize, CAN NOT be raffled in Washington state and you guessed it - the only thing that can't be raffled off is a GUN!
Dancing whores as prizes - no problem!
Bibles as prizes - no problem!
Printing presses as prizes - no problem!
But try and raffle off a Second Ammendment "protected" item (a GUN!) and a felony was your reward!
My anus literally went into a charlie horse at the reading of this registered letter!
I literally was paralyzed with fear (and by the unfortunate location of my "charlie horse"!) - I mean at the time I only had a few months to go to my 25 year civil service qualification for a life long cozy retirement pension benefits and a nifty pension check!
The lawyers were flying for a while and I eventually was cleared of any criminal responsibility!
By the time that was settled though it was time for the next years round of fund gathering! And since I had then attained my "25" I felt miffed and bruised by the State of Washingtons ludicrous law and I had the audacity to offer as several of our raffles prizes for that year "Gift Certificates" redeemable at some local GUN SHOPS!
I was tickled with myself for thinking of that and for being brave enough to render this new "prize" to our members! Admittedly I did so ONLY AFTER lengthy consultation with our organizations legal staff.
But it still miffs me that a legal item (GUN) can not be raffled off in Washington State!
Liberals!
Again I hope you win that Remington 204!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG - good luck in finding another rifle under the tree - you really need some more to keep up

Thanks for the good story VG, way to find a second path around the Admin Retards. If I get it there are going to be some prarie dogs that wished they had stayed in the hole.

I am getting the same fps with Blc-2 and 32gr Vmax through a Chronoy that I am getting with factory ammo, 4125 fps. This thru a 26 inch TC barrel on a Oncore.

I have to go a little over listed max but I am not getting signs of high preasure a all.

Seafire,

I am currently loading H4895, recommended over
on the .204Ruger forum. I have not chronied
my loads yet, since I am working for accuracy,
but the 35 gr. Bergers, are going into sub .5
MOA groups, with my first attempts. I am
sneaking up on the max. published charge weight,
with this Savage 16, and it is still grouping
well. Once I find this rifle's "comfortable"
max, where I have some brass life, I will
chrony the load.

Squeeze

I am going to get a .204 in a Savage 12LRPV when I find one.
I will also make a .223 switch barrel for it, as I don't hold out much hope that the .204 barrel can shoot all day without fouling.



But maybe I will keep it in my pants [the money].

Seafire,

Couldn't tell a whole lot of difference in powders with the light bullets, but with heavier bullets (especially the 39 sierra) Squeeze has it right. 4895 rules.

I found Rem SRBR primers to work very well also. Was surprised at the difference these primers made in my group size.

Jim

Personally , I find the 204 very good in the wind with the 39 to 40 grainers, about as good as any high speed light bullet varmint load. I think you are going to have to move to a 6mm with 87 and heavier slugs to better the 204 in the wind.

I also beleive the 39 to 40 204 s outperform the 223 at 300 yards and beyond......much flatter. No magic there , just much better B.C.

I think H322 is just a bit on the fast side for full power 204 . I like TAC , and stuff like H4895 thru BLC2 should also be great......

If you get a good smooth barrel , you can shoot a 204 a long time with minimal fouling.......

I shoot air rifles and to me the 5mm(20 cal)is the best of both worlds between the .177 and .22's. If this holds true in the .204 it would be good. Im thinking of a CZ.

I have a Kimber Varminter in .204 and love it. Both of my kids shoot it my Daughter is 8 and my son is 11. I put to gether a load for PD's that shoots great!!! 32 grain Seirra Blitz Kings with Reloader 10X. Shoots between .400 and .300 inch groups at 100 yards every time. I chronoed the load to average 4066 ft/sec in 10 shots.
I shot two coyotes with this load a couple weekends ago. It killed them no problem but the bullets blew up badly on the entry side. It ooks like the shock was the primary killer in both cases. One was shot in the chest head on at 115 yards and the second running in the neck just fwd of the right shoulder at 30 yards.I am going to load some heavier bullets for coyotes and try them out. You definatly can cut you lead down on running shots with this cartridge.

Sdgunslinger: You, OF COURSE, are absolutely right about the 204's superiority in the wind and about the 204 Ruger having a flatter trajectory than virtually all the other "common" Varmint calibers.
I thought that "argument" had been settled LONG ago - apparently I was wrong?
I did not intend for this thread to be a rehashing of the superiority of the 204 - I was more interested in other folks being interested or not in promoting the 204 Ruger cartridge as a, and, for a newer Varminter or someone just getting started.
I easily dealt with the few extra items a "new to 20 caliber type" needs. I had a 17 caliber powder funnel. I bought two 20 caliber cleaning rods and a batch of 20 caliber jags and brushes and I "been carrying on" quite happily since!
My Wilson Case Trimmer of course does not use pilots so no problem there.
As far as the 204 in the wind - I live here in Montana and Montana is where the wind is BORN!
I mean on those rare days when the air is calm there is literally a blue streak of flame and smoke comin out my ass - leading from my house to my range!
And like most everyone else I plan my Hunts most often days and weeks ahead, so no chance of avoiding wind there!
The 204 Ruger's performance in the wind is ONE reason I have three of them!
It is simply unbeatable in the wind out to 400 yards and matches up with any common caliber out to 500 yards. I don't shoot very often beyond that anyway so the 204 Ruger is pretty much tops in my book!
No recoil, slow to heat barrels, splendid accuracy, efficient, superior ballistics (both windage and trajectory wise), easy on barrels, easy on brass, lots of quality bullets available, amazing lethality on small game and Varmints - I mean whats not to like about the 204 Ruger?

458Lottman: I have also had somewhat limited experience with my 204's on Coyotes (about 7 or 8 now) and all have been one shot kills. One was quite long though at nearly 400 yards.
I have, as well, killt Badger, Porcupines, large Jack Rabbits and a fair number of large Rock Chucks with my 204's and I feel the 204 has plenty of lethality even for the larger Varmints.
And I, as well, obtained instant accuracy from all three of my 204's - and this includes with the the factory ammo I had to shoot with each just to obtain brass so I could begin handloading! Try that with some other Varmint calibers!
And I am sure one of the reasons your youngins enjoy the 204 is because of its lack of recoil and their ability to spot their own hits.

Anyone: That doubts the 204's ballistic prowess I simply refer you to Remingtons 2,006 catatlog page 81 or any ballistic computing site of your choosing!

Tnekkcc: I don't know of ANY substantial performing centerfire Varminting cartridge that CAN "shoot all day without fouling"!
I have put two hundred rounds through a 22 Hornet on occassion but then again I said "substantial performing" didn't I! On those occassion I was shooting Prairie Dogs near a ranchers house and corrals trying to eradicate ALL the pests.
And maybe I forgot to add the relatively mild report of the 204 Ruger to my above list of its attributes. The 204 simply won't "muzzle blast scare" a Colony Varmint population like a 220 Swift or a 6mm/284 etc, will!
I have run 50 rounds through my various 204's several times without noticing a loss of accuracy (excessive fouling).
I might stretch that to 60 rounds if the occassion called for it but that is why I have more than one 204 - I simply swap guns and clean barrels after sundown!

Bythebook: I am in the mood to buy and try one of the new T/C Pro-Hunter Rifles as I can opt for a 28" barrel for it in caliber 204 Ruger!
I kind of like the looks of the Pro-Hunter and the 28" fluted barrel that is an option for it.
I wonder what kind of muzzle velocity a carefully constructed handload would achieve with that much barrel?
AND - once that barrel was shot out I could just buy another barrel and avoid the significant costs of buying a custom barrel and having it smithed to one of my actions. Any thoughts on that Rifle or barrel length?
Dreams.

Anyone else have any hesitations about recommending the 204 Ruger as a Varmint cartridge?

Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I bought my wife a 204 for Xmas last year, and it has been an outstanding success. So much so, that she sold off her 6/250 and is using the $ to pay for a custom 204.

Very pleasant to shoot. Excellent range, and performance in the wind that matches, and in many cases exceeds, the hot 22s.

You can use .130 weed trimmer line to push a patch through a .177 or a .20 barrel. I also use .065 and double it and push through the barrel of larger bores and then put a cloth in the loop and drag it through. Can easily be carried in your pocket.

Jb747: Now yours is a wife to "write home about"!
Good for her and good for you - if I might ask what kind of Varmints does she Hunt for (if any?) with the 204?
Long live the 204!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

After doing A LOT of load testing when the .204 first became available, I settled on Accurate 2520 for the 39 grain Sierras and Accurate 2230 for the 32 grain pills.
27.5 grains of Accurate 2520 , 39 Sierra
28.0 grains of Accurate 2230, 32 grain Horn or Sierra
My Savage VLP has around 1600 rounds thru it and is still doing .3-.4" consistently at 100 yards and made shots of 600,691,778 yards on groundhogs the last varmint hunt of the year so I guess i'll keep it for at least another season! GHD

Groundhog devastation: Good to hear from you - its been a while!
And congratulations (publicly now!) on those great long shots with your 204 Ruger Rifle on those Ground Hogs!
I think my longest shot on Varmints with a 204 is in the mid 400's! And thats my way of saying that I KNOW what a feat a successful shot at 776 yards IS!
Congratulations again.
Yeah my 204's aren't going anywhere soon either!
Would YOU, GHD, recommend a 204 Ruger Varmint Rifle to a new or budding Varmint Hunter (as a FIRST or second caliber for them)?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy-

I have had two encores in .204 and one contender rifle. I would recommend the contende rifle over the encore if you don't plan on doing any big game hunting, because its so much lighter and compact and easy to carry and hold while aiming.

That said, i have an encore and sold off the contender, as i plan on using the beefier encore frame to add other barrels that the contender cannot handle the pressures of.

All 3 TC products in .204 that i have owner have shot less than .5 MOA regularly and yes, i do love the idea of simply spending $235 on a new barrel and pushing the pin through the frame as opposed to paying someone to screw a new barrel on for $150 more.

i do not have the prohunter...just doesn't appeal to me...the old style encore is good enough and i like the looks better anyway.

my current encore likes 27.5 grains of varget.

-Matt

quote:

Dancing whores as prizes - no problem!

VG, I've been a WAC member for many years an I don't remember no raffle for the above mentioned

which bullet and weight do you recommend for penetration? up here in alaska, i'll be using my .204 for seal. some of the seal up here have thick fat that might make it hard to penetrate. what bullet do you suggest? are there any fmj offerings?

thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by VarmintGuy:
I heartily endorse the 204 Ruger caliber and have for some time now. I have as yet to personally come across a careful and deliberate Varminter who is displeased significantly with the 204 Ruger.
So I open this thread to others who have used the 204 Ruger for some time now - and for them to chime in with their thoughts and observations regarding their use of this cartridge.
VamrintGuy

Killa Killa, A 45 grain Hornady maybe, they are lead tip. 50s made by Berger are match/varmit bullets. I would cut the load back to about ~3500fps with the Hornady and see if that works. I do not know what ranges you are shooting at, slower will keep the bullet together and get into them better

My wife bought me a 204 in a CZ 527 for Christmas. My son and I shot it last weekend. Great groups. Excellent accuracy.

any factory loads you recommend?

quote:

Originally posted by Blueprinted:
Killa Killa, A 45 grain Hornady maybe, they are lead tip. 50s made by Berger are match/varmit bullets. I would cut the load back to about ~3500fps with the Hornady and see if that works. I do not know what ranges you are shooting at, slower will keep the bullet together and get into them better

Mjbgalt: Thanks, I have printed out a hard copy of your post and will save it. I would like to have a T/C in 204 online by spring!
Thanks again for your input I appreciate it. I have never owned a T/C centerfire Rifle of any kind, muzzleloaders yes, T/C pistols yes but no Rifles. I am just not up to speed on them and appreciate your info and explanation.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG, DEFINITELY A YES!! as to pointing a new varmint hunter towards a first rifle!! The accuracy of the .204's I've owned, worked on, put together has been a real pleasure! The lack of recoil so shots can be seen through the scope and the ridicoulously pleasing of the ballistics of the round, not to mention the killing effect on varmints make it a no brainer for getting a new hunter HOOKED on varminting!! 300-500 yard shots are VERY DOABLE with outstanding repeatability!! Actually the 300-385 yard stuff is quite mundane!! Playing the wind is EASIER to learn with this round too!! (my opinion)!!! GHD

quote:

Originally posted by groundhog devastation:
After doing A LOT of load testing when the .204 first became available, I settled on Accurate 2520 for the 39 grain Sierras and Accurate 2230 for the 32 grain pills.
27.5 grains of Accurate 2520 , 39 Sierra
28.0 grains of Accurate 2230, 32 grain Horn or Sierra
My Savage VLP has around 1600 rounds thru it and is still doing .3-.4" consistently at 100 yards and made shots of 600,691,778 yards on groundhogs the last varmint hunt of the year so I guess i'll keep it for at least another season! GHD

Charlie, those guys at the Radford Arsenal that let you have exclusive rights on ground hog eradication there, know that you are NOT using Alliant Powders????

Sneaky.... very sneaky...

seafire, It's not ATK (Radford Arsenal) property that I hunt.........it's the VA TECH, Kentland Research Farm which is across the New River............directly across the river from the Powder plant! You can hear them test batches of powder there when you're hunting! And see the clouds of gas and smoke rise from the tests! Usually a PRETTY GOOD boom also!!..I tested the Alliant powders when I was doing load developement in the .204 but settled on the Accurate powders for the .204. Alliant gets a good chunk of my powder money for other stuff though! Reloader 19 and Reloader 7 are ususally found on my powder shelves in BIG cans!! GHD

Groundhog devastation: I just returned from the west coast where among other things I set up at a very large Gunshow!
I sold a BUNCH of stuff and in fact the first thing I sold was 3 boxes of Hornady 204 Ruger factory ammunition!
They sold as I was setting up on Friday afternoon!
Then on Saturday and Sunday I really got the "feel" of the show - 204 stuff (guns, dies, cleaning gear, loading components ect) was selling like hot cakes!
I saw one fellow sell three savage Rifles in 204 Ruger caliber - he was advertising them as "salesmens samples"! They were unfired but had been used as "demonstraters" or something.
This same fellow also sold a savage Rifle in 22 Hornet to a friend of mine. I will say this that 22 Hornet savage Rifle (stainless, single shot, laminated stock) was the closest looking thing to a Rifle that savage has made in a very long time!
It actually appeared pleasant (not "homely" in other words).
But again the 204 stuff and the Guns in particular "moved"!
Speaking of 204 Ruger stuff I bought a Wilson case holder for my Wilson Case Trimmer. The case holder box stated ("For New Cases - 204 Ruger").
I wonder why the shell holder would be for "New Cases"?
Hmmmmm.....?
I have seen this marking (For New Cases or For Fired Cases) on some Wilson shell holders in the past but IIRC these were for belted magnums?
Any ideas out there?
Long live the 204!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
P.S.: Keep an eye on your Varmint Rifles as I now have some mad money!
P.P.S.: I looked everywhere for info on the new 17 Remington Fireball but could not find a picture, one in person or even info on which Models Remington will be offering it in.

VarmintGuy;I went to the BZMN gun show and saw some of the model 40 savages in 22hornet and like you was dumb struck great looking gun.I will admit Savages shoot but are butt ugly.I need another 204 ruger but cant make up my mind as to what I want.The Savage 12 w/laminated stock is interesting but damn heavy.I lean to Remington 700,s what would be your choice?How important do you think is barrel length in this caliber?w/regards

Gophershooter: Yes - make your move in plenty of time prior to the upcoming Gopher Season!
5 months?
I'll never make it.
I am partial VERY to my Remington XR-100 single shot in 204 Ruger - if I had to choose one on looks and "feel"!
Performance wise all three of my 204 Ruger Rifles shoot REALLY well and the ballistics out of all three of them should be very similar!
All three of my 204's have the 26" barrels.
If you can live with the "looks" and "cheesey" feel of the savage Rifles then give one of them a try!
All my buds with savages Varmint Rifles like the way they shoot!
And personally the heavier a Varmint Rifle is the more I like it for most all Varminting uses!
I even like my calling Rifles to have some "heft" to them.
Maybe that heavy savage model would do you nicely?
Yes go with lots of barrel length to get that "free" extra velocity and that extra mass for steady aiming afield!
If you are gonna do some Coyote Hunting then I think I would go with the Remington 700 VLS in 204 Ruger and then use it for Prairie Dogs and Gophers and Rock Chucks and Jack Rabbits and on and on. The repeater may be important to you in your considerations.
If the accuracy is more of a concern for you than quick follow-up shots then I really like my XR-100's (I have one in 223 Remington also) and their wonderful triggers and stiff action will lend a hand accuracy wise.
I will say this - my Ruger 77 V/T in 204 Ruger is a tack driver and the two stage trigger (once I got used to it!) is a dandy - crisp and repeatable! I really like the looks and the design of the Ruger 77 V/T's laminated, wide forearmed, stock!
And it comes with integral rings.
Choices?
Good luck with whichever you choose!
Just get one and begin enjoying the amazing performance of the 204 Ruger cartridge ASAP.
Also, how was the Bozeman Show? I hate to miss that one but I had family and business out on the coast and got to do the 900 table show there.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy;The Bozeman gun show was excellent a lot of quality and selection.Fish and Wildlife was there scoring mounts which is always interesting.This in my opinion the best gun show we have.I was there on saturday and read in the Chronicle monday that after we left a dealer discharged a round into the floor which ricocheted and struck someone in the leg.That is the first time I have heard of something like that.w/regards

Thanks for the reloading info guys, up until a month ago I’ve been shooting factory loads (I couldn’t get empty brass at the time, now it’s everywhere). I started working with Benchmark powder and Sierra 32-grain bullets and I’m not very happy with the results.

I like this little round, it hasn’t been my first choice of weapon in the dog towns (I’ve been braking it in slowly) but it will be when I get a load worked up for it. It doesn’t produce as many spectacular bouncing kills on PDs as the 22-250 or the Swift, mostly “pop & flops†(they get popped and then flop dead) but that’s OK. So far I have 400 rounds through it, none in winds any higher then around 2-4 mph.

This rifle is easier to clean than my 17 Remington and it doesn’t get dirty as fast as the other rifles I shoot dogs with (17 Rem, 223, 22-250, 220 Swift, 243, 25-06).

Time will tell as to how long the barrel will hold up to 4000 fps but so far so good.

gophershooter, I shoot the 12VLP SAVAGE and yes it's heavy for a carry gun! I also put together and broke in a 700VLS in .204 for a friend using a 4.5-14 burris Balistic Plex scope. It liked the same 39 grain Sierra ahead of 27.5 grains of Accurate 2520 and also loved the 32 grain Sierras ahead of 28.0 grains of Accurate 2230! I was everybit as good a shooter as my SAVAGE and he would tell you it's the most accurrate rifle he has ever owned!! I don't think you'd go wrong with the VLS! And VG has already extolled on the virtues ofhis Ruger Heavy in .204! Main thing is, just join the pleased .204 owners group!! GHD

I also shoot the Savage 12 VLP and it has been my most accurate gun as of yet. I have used H-322 for the 32 gr V-max's but have found RL10X to be the most accurate powder so far with all of my bullet selections. H-4895 accuracy is very close with the RL10X. I have also found that the 39 gr sierras and the 40 gr noslers are the best for accuracy with the smaller varmints, they buck the wind better than the 32 gr, and they have better "splat factor" that can be seen in the scope. I do not use these for yotes (especially the sierra's) as they are to "frangible", and have experienced surface splash with them.
For the bigger stuff like yotes, the 35 bergers are the KING. Bang, flop, done, insides are like jello. The 40 gr bergers are also very accurate but sometimes I find them to be to hard on fur under 150 yds. I have also tried the Hornady 45 gr softpoints and the accuracy was amazing. I have not been out to test them on yotes yet, but I feel they will do very well. I would like to re-load these but they still don't carry them out in my area near Edmonton, Alberta.

Gube204: I want to thank you for your wonderful posting on the 204 and your experiences with it!
Its posts the quality of yours that keep me coming back to these type forums!
I now know that my choice of the 32 gr. Sierras for use in all three of my 204's is a questionable choice - come Coyoting times!
I have killt several Coyotes with my 204's but they were all shot with either Hornady factory ammo or the Berger 35's in my handloads!
The berger 35's have done EVERYTHING I had asked of them and done it exceptionally well (accuracy, lethality and dependability wise)!
The reason I ventured away from the Bergers was because of availability problems here in remote SW Montana!
I tried the 32 gr. Sierras in each of my Rifles and they shot VERY well so I decided to switch without having tried the 32 gr. Sierras on Coyotes - I have used the Sierra's on all manner of smaller Varmints and again I was thrilled with their performance there!
SO.... now, I have to decide based on your first hand experiences if I should stick with the 32 gr. Sierras and risk lost Coyotes or inhumane and slow kills but they are available here and very accurate and lethal on all other types of Varmints?
Again I do so very much appreciate your first hand experiences and you posting them. I normally only shoot 8 to 10 Coyotes a year and have many Rifles to choose from for my Coyoting ventures.
I am just hesitant to use a less than "good" bullet for any purposes.
I did finally speak to a Hunter here in Montana that harvested some Deer with his 204 Rifle during this just concluded Deer season!
He was using his 204 Ruger Rifle to harvest Doe Whitetails and killt two of them both with one shot apiece!
I neglected to ask which bullet he was using.
I will see him again and report back ASAP on that.
Thanks again Gube204 I really appreciate your posting. I have printed it out and have some decisions to make based on it.
AND ... by the way - WELCOME to the AR Varmint Hunting Forum!
Best of luck in the future with your savage 204!
I have talked to at least 40 owners of 204 Ruger Rifles IN PERSON - and have yet to find ONE that is not impressed with the accuracy AND the performance of this cartridge and their Rifles! In addition most all the folks I converse with via the internet regarding the 204 Ruger are impressed with it as well.
Long live the 204!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy