Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Twist rate for .204 ruger?

Suggestions welcome...

Have a Rem 700 VTR in .204 ruger that I bought here on the classifieds. Really like the round, the barrel copper fouls like crazy though and the plastic Rem stock is a POS. I'm working with Tom Manners to send me a stock to try, thinking EH-1 for prone shooting.

Anyway, if this barrel doesn't hold up, I'll rebarrel and stay with the .204. Heard it's good juju on coyotes too.

So when rebarreling, what twist rate works best? looking at staying with Hornady 40 grain VMax, or maybe the 32 grain.

Thanks,
Marty

My 204 Kimber is a 12 twist and loves everything from 35gr. to 45gr. The only plastic tip bullets I've shot out of it were 39gr. Sierra's, which shot quite well.

12- twist is perfectly fine.
Personally, is avoid the V-max if you want to coyote hunt, they tend to splash....
Honestly my go-to because of accuracy, which I then discovered is fantastic on coyotes; 34gr. Midsouth Varmint Nightmare.

They are essentially a Nosler without Nosler's street price tag on them. I'm into my 3rd thousand already.

12 twist will get ya there. Go with the hp I shoot 34 dog towns and 35 gr Bergers .

My RAR-P in 204 came cut 1-12" ROT and is an excellent shooter.

A 1-12" twist is on the cusp of what will or will not stabilize a 40 grain VMAX. My first 1-12" twist PacNor wouldn't stabilize them, the current 1-12" PacNor handles them fine. Other 39s and 40s are shorter and worked fine in both barrels.

The 40 grain VMAX isn't my first choice for coyotes anyway, the long boat tail that makes it sometimes too long to stabilize in a 1-12" twist also gives it the highest BC in its weight range which is good in the wind but the construction is somewhat soft. You're better off with a little tougher bullet IMHO ... my choice is the 40 grain Nosler since the ballistic tips seem a bit tougher. Or, if you can find them (good luck), the 45 grain Hornady soft point.

32 grain bullets are fun but I save them for little fuzzy things.

Kimber7man: Sorry to hear your Remington 700 in 204 Ruger is fouling. None of my 204's show that propensity at all.
Three of my 204's are Rugers and three are Remingtons (1 700 VLS and 2 XR-100's).
Are you "hot-rodding" that VTR by any chance?
I don't know what to suggest to interrupt that copper fouling but do strongly suggest you stick with the 204 Ruger caliber - it indeed is a wonderful Coyote cartridge.
Good luck with that Rifle in the future.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks guys.

I'm shooting the Hornady Superformance 40 grain Vmax factory loads. Seemed to be the best combination of price and availability before I went to Wyoming.

So I'm going to try a new stock and see how that works. Dyna Bore Coat is on the way also...

If not, I can grab a Mullerworks .20 cal 11 twist Rem Varmint contour barrel pretty quickly from Bugholes. Anyone used one of Dan Muller's barrels?

Everything I've read tells me the 204 is a great round and I should stick with it, rather than going to the boring old .223.

So tell me your stories...