Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints .204 Ruger

What's your favorite factory ammo for the .204 Ruger? Please feel free to post handload experience also. All input would be appreciated.

Brand?
Weight?
Accuracy?
Fur friendly?

Can't find any ammo for it locally.

Just picked one up and wiggin to get it out. Ruger American FWIW

Thanks

If you have a scheels around, buy some Fiocchi and give it a try. They sell it in a 50 round box and it is fairly inexpensive.

None of my other local gun stores except Scheels had any factory ammo and they had only Fiocchi with 40gr V-Max
They shoot OK but nothing to get excited about. One of my 204's is also a Ruger American, do yourself a favor and get a Timney trigger for it. the AICS magazine is awesome on that model.
Best accuracy by far is with handloads

Legit company. Buy $99 and get free shipping.

https://www.rogerssportinggoods.com...llistic-tip-varmint-ammunition-box-of-20

Yeah, accuracy kind of sucked with mine too. The reason I sent it down the road...

Of course the op wanted to know how the ammo did on critters too. Small ones it turned inside out:

This one was at 320 yards:


Didn't do quite as much damage at 410 yards:


Then back to 311 yards:



For factory ammo, the Fiocchi works just fine. Easily sub moa for 10 shots at 100 yards. I wouldn't blame poor accuracy on ammo, as the rifle I had shot it well enough. Of course handloads are going to shoot better, but the op was asking about factory ammo options.

OP modified as any factory or handload experience is appreciated. Thanks to all.

The 40 grain Fiocchi shoots at least MOA in my RAR-P, better than the 32 grain Winchester.

For this rifle, I've settled on 27.2 grains of Varget in the Fiocchi cases with CCI primers and the 40 grain VMax.

The RAR-P in 204 RUG has become my favorite varmint rifle and cartridge combination, even better with the Timney trigger installed and bedded in a Boyds laminated Heritage style stock.

I've also had 204 RUGERs in a Remington 700 and a Savage 10. Both had longer heavier barrels and were accurate rifles, but I like the RAR-P package better.

The 40 grain VMax is not fur friendly, but it sure does put a smack down on 'cats, coyotes, and foxes.

Handloads, look at TAC, BL-C(2), or CFE-223 and the 32 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip, if you can find the components... Great results for me. Not fur friendly.

The 35 grain Berger hollow point has worked well too, more fur-friendly for me. Accurate.
,
Factory, I've only shot the Hornady in 32 & 40 grain V-Max versions. Both shot well.

Am using a CZ rifle.

Guy

The 32 gr Hornady Vmax shoots cloverleafs out of my two 204s. It shot so well I bought two cases of it so I haven’t tried other options. I will say the Fiocchi ammo shoots really well in my 223s though.

For PDs, 32 gr V max
For coyotes, 35 gr Berger
Benchmark powder in both.

It's funny how the Campfire finds a 223 more than enough for deer, yet a 204 isn't enough for a coyote. Bullets will always be a deciding factor, but small is OK until it's not.

The 204 shines with a 32 grain V-Max at 4,000 fps...

True story shrap, or the “elk ain’t bullet proof” crowd!😆

I’ve killed a pile of coyotes, bobcats with my 204 with 32’s the last 10 years, never once had a “run off”, just knocks the wiggle out of em. There’s simply not a coyote in the fuucking world that can withstand a 32 in the boiler room, period. Or the guts for that matter. Do love the “oh I’ve heard this”, “oh my brother says that” crowd though.

Shagalicious, I’ve only run Hornady 32’s and 40’s, 40’s shoot a 5” group, 32’s, 1/2” group. Another interesting fact, outta the 10 years or so I’ve owned the rifle, I’ve never once cleaned the barrel! 😂👊🏻

I've only used mine on Prairie Dogs and it messes them up.



In a left to right wind with gusts around 15 to 20 mph the little guy gets pushed around (it pushes me as much as the bullet) It's still not to bad for a 32 grain round.

I know that it should be "cartridge OAL" instead of AOL but when you print up 500, you go ahead and use them. Damn spell checker (me).

Shaq: I bought my first heavy barrel 204 Ruger Varmint Rifle back in 2,004 and back then no factory brass was available - so I bought and shot some Hornady 32 grain V-Max ammo to "get started" with.
It shot extremely well in that first Rifle and has shot well in EVERY 204 Rifle I have shot that ammo in since.
I currently own and shoot 10 (ten) factory heavy barrel Rifle in caliber 204 Ruger and every one of those Rifles has shot the 32 grain factory Hornady VB-Max rounds at least VERY well and most shot it EXTREMELY well.
Most of that usage was for barrel breakin, brass accumulation, Hunting and accuracy testing for a couple of "used" heavy barrel 204's I have bought in the last 18+ years.
I highly recommend the Hornady 32 grain V-Max's to you for accuracy and for performance afield on all manner of Varmints and predators.
I have kill't Coyotes, Fox, Badgers, Porcupines, Rock Chucks, Prairie Dogs, Skunks, Raccoons and Ground Squirrels with my various 204's and the 32 grain V-Maxs - those factory rounds really "shine".
Best of luck to you with whichever you choose.
Let us know how you fare.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I think I've only used Hornady factory ammo in mine .. maybe Remington, too. 32 grain works well. My current gun likes 40 grain Hornady handloads though I hvaen't tried their factory ammo in it.


My current rifle has proven extremely simple to load for. I've played with a lot of combination. In the end .. start with WW brass and Rem 7-1/2 primers. Then 32 grain Nosler or Hornady bullets, 28 grains of H335, or 40 grain nosler or hornady or 39 grain Sierra or Speer and 27.5 grains of Varget.

.. and go forth 'n' slay stuff.

im hand loads, 40 v max for critter getters , 30gr berger shoot very very well..

I’ve had 3 204’s and the first two wouldn’t shoot the 40’s so I was stuck with the 32’s and oddly enough the 39 grain loads. Lost a few coyotes and had way more spinners than I cared for. That’s not hearsay, that’s personal experience.

I found the 35 grain Berger was a much tougher bullet and when I found a Kimber Montana in 204, I bought it and the 40 grain bullets shot very well. It turned the little 204 into a giant killer. I’ve killed lots of coyotes and a few cats with the 40 grain Berger and Hornady bullets. I prefer the 35 Berger’s on cats but the 40’s work so much better on coyotes, I won’t buy anything else.

For hand loads, TAC is the best powder I’ve tried.

39 gr. Sierra Blitz King. 26.5 gr. of Reloader 10X, 9 1/2 Remington bench rest primers. Deadly on groundhogs.

I prefer the 40 gr BT's over the boogers, vmax or BK's......