Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 17hmr, 17wsm, 223, 222, 204 ???

Good info....PNor Varmint contour with flutes for me in 27” tube. I do like a longer stick like Tikknut since I also bag it.

223AI.....Salvage large shank 28" no taper/full cylinder....9 twist.......

The past few years I've been using 2 rifles for rodents. I shoot a Ruger 77/17 varmint target .17 HMR with the barrel cut back to 20" for volume and a custom fairly light 700 in .204 Ruger for the rest.

The .17 HMR was a game changer for me. I haven't shot a whole lot of centerfire varmint ammo since I bought mine .. probably does 90% of my shots now.

Tom

20PT.......high mileage 12 twist tube........approx 9K rds......

IMR 8208 works too.........safe in my rifle/work up in yours

only 100 yds....3 shots

I shoot sage rats with .22LR up close, .223 Rem not close out to 600. I just ordered my first .17HMR in a Tikka, I'm hoping it gets here in time for the first rat trip.





P

Except the 222 Magnum and 75s; the Mag Deuce kicks the crap out of it with more wind and more distance. There isnt a 40 204 that beats a 69-75 tipped .224 for wind slip.

Actually, the 222 Magnum with 50's launched past 3,500 'splodes ground squirrels a trifle better than the 40/204, if one is inclined.....

222 mag = 223 AI

I shoot thousands of rounds a year at p-dogs.I use:
17HMR
17 Hornet
204 Ruger
223 Rem
17HMR is lots of fun when the pups come out, very good to 175yds. 17 gr. bullets
17 Hornet is now my favorite excellent to 250yds good to 275. 20 gr. bullets
204Ruger I start at 300yds. I don't shoot past 500 32 gr. bullets 223 for years 50 gr. blitzkings but now shoot 40 gr. noslers
223 when I think it is getting lonely, used to be my only 1. It does get better air than the others. It just doesn't do anything as well as the 204.
Retired in eastern MT mainly because of the targets.
I don't reload for the 17 hornet, just sell the brass. used a 22-250 for awhile but I like to see my hits and misses.

no 17M2 ?

Quoted for absolute truth.

Boatammo:I have the same line up of rifles as you. Tonly change is my 222 Rem where you have a 17 Hornet and I throw in my 17 WSM when I want to see a little more squirrel death jumps that my hmr won’t produce at 150 yards. My 17 wsm seems to send them flying at that range.

A fast twist 223 with heavies will absolutely outshoot a 204 in the wind, and works the same as a 204 when both are fed 40s. Plus the 223 doesn't need small easily-broken cleaning rods, and factory ammo is available for good prices if one doesn't want to reload - or really cheap surplus or free range pickup brass is readily available for the reloader.

I'm still using the Remington 788 with a Tasco 8X scope I purchased in 1973. Mostly with Hornady 50 gr. bullets. The vast majority of the varmints I hunt are ground squirrels on private land. Usually I also take along a Ruger 10/22 auto with 5 25 round Ruger clips. When I get a bit bored I'll use an old Ruger target model MK 1. I've even used a .50 caliber muzzle loader
loaded with round balls propelled by FFG black powder, and a Super Black Hawk .44 Magnum. I plan on resuming hunting for them again this coming spring as I haven't gone in several years.

Hard to beat those faithfuls right there! If you are not a reloader the centerfire 17 FB may not be your cup of tea. If you are a reloader the 17 FB is a great asset, especially if you collect fur. A little sorry this never went more main stream yet I don't let that slow me down!

I don't want to start an argument here but feel someone should defend the 204 a bit. No doubt, the 223 shooting longer, heavier bullets will outshoot the 204 but comparing the 40 grain VMAX 204 Ruger against the 40 grain VMAX 223 Remington is a different story.

Using the highest velocity published loads for both calibers I can find, the 204 has higher velocity, greater energy, less wind drift and shoots flatter than the 223 at every distance I measured. B.C. of the Hornady VMAX 40 grain 223 round is .200 compared to the same bullet & weight in 204 at .275.

We've gone over this before.

Compare the best 40 grain bullets in each caliber for BC (40 grain 22 caliber Ballistic Tips to 40 grain Vmax or even the 39 grain BlitzKing). Load them bother to similar pressures, in equal barrel lengths. The 223 will gain velocity when loaded to potential and not kept to 55K. It ends up so close as to be a wash, at the distances small varmints are normally shot with these bullets. The 204 comes out to like 1" less drift at 400 yards in a 10mph wind, which is meaningless when you're already aiming a foot and a half off a prairie dog for windage.

Practically speaking, they're same/same.

Some folks claim the 204 kicks less with similar bullet weights, allowing them to see hits through the scope versus a 223 shooting similar bullet weights, but I've never seen it.

Roundup: Your reply made me laugh MY A$$ Off....🤣😂 Blackpowder 50 Cal... 44 mag when you’re bored. Reminded me of the old days with my hunting buddy who would bring along his 454 Casull hog leg and start a war with the ground squirrels. The first time he touched off a full load at a squirrel, the Casull sent it air-born across the farm road. When we checked on it’s condition “for curiosity sake”. The squirrel was basically untouched except for a dime sized dent in it’s head. He’d missed it completely except for fragmentation from the road where the Casull had hit killing the little fella. Whole new meaning to being “fragged”. Blackpowder 50 cal wins the day!

Will not initiate an argument.

shoot three 20 cals.......along with a std 223 Salvage carry gun...Predator IIRC....

along with an 18# 223AI table gun...9 twist...sure the 223 will shoot 77-80 gr boolits

with the correct 7-8 twist....but these boolits are heavy target style boolits.....

not really suitable for p/dog or ground squirrels.....they'll punch a hole but no V max splat factor

even with an 18# 223 AI you get to watch your hits..53 V max...but what I've learned over the years

the 20-222 burning 23 grs H322 & a moly 40 V max is the cats azz in a p/dog patch....yes 18# also...

ricochet is also an issue if livestock are in the area using heavy 77+ gr boolits..V max do not go far IF you miss

have to agree with the 20 cal clean rods...PIA...I use carbon fiber......pic 20-222 Salvage/Pac-Nor

OSUSig: I got you on this. I load for both my 204 and 223. I have to push the envelope on powder for my 223’s to get velocity that my 204 handles with no problem....Here is my personal thoughts. And everyone can pile on me for it. For my 204, I try to load for FPS in low 4K’s with 40 grainers “no big deal”. Some may say it’s a barrel burner, but I take two 204’s in the field and rotate rifles when warm. On my 223’s I load for high 3k FPS. I rotate my 223 rifles also when barrel heat get’s a little past warm. I’ve found “bucking” the wind was better with my 204 than my 223. Here’s my limitation though: My longest consistent kills on squirrels and Pdogs has been 565 yards and closer. In wind at these ranges I can usually hold one to one half mils and hit. But, wind is subjective to each shooter on any giving day. 20 mph windy day versus a 10 mph wind day is significant. Personally, I hate those high wind days. It always feels like I throwing curve balls at the rats with my 223’s, when I want to be throwing straight fastballs. My 204’s accomplish this for me....Swing away guys!