Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints "Best Prairie Dog Cartridge" - Article & Opinion

I cheated because I already read the article.

I have shot prairie dogs now for 35 years, ever since I was a 16-year-old ranch hand and one of my "jobs" was to whack away at a town on a southeastern Montana ranch with an old .22 every time I drove past it. Since then I have used cartridges from a .14 wildcat to the .375 H&H and .45-70.

Today if I had to own only one PD rifle it would be a .204. I have owned three and shot them a lot over the past few years, and the .204 beats the .223 slightly but noticeably in trajectory, "lift," and being able to watch through the scope.

That said, my favorite prairie dog rifle/cartridge is a Ruger No. 1B in .22 Hornet. With a 40-grain Ballistic Tip or V-Max at 3100 fps (13.0 Li'l Gun, the max load in the Nosler manual) it is a sure-enough 300-yard PR round, and is not only very accurate but cheap to shoot (over 4300 rounds in 8 pounds of powder), and VERY easy to see results. It doesn't have the lift of the .204, but it has enough.

Mule Deer, I vaguely remember someone giving you a light load-220 grainer for the .375 that you used quite successfully on PDs.
I have to agree with you and varmintguy, the voyeurism through the scope is all part of it- also my reason for not picking out the .22-250.
Like the "lift", Love the " Hang-time"

Yeah, my buddy Tom Brownlee suggested around 35-38 grains if IMR4227 and the 220-grain Hornady flat-point made for the .375 Winchester. Playing with this load can often produce a point of impact the same as full-power loads in the .375. It is real pleasant to shoot, plus a great moderate-range deer AND prairie dog round as well. I was shooting it out of a Ruger No. 1 with an NECG aperture sight, so could see the results. For some reason it never produced super lift out to 175 yards or so (as far as I hit any dogs) but the horizontal splatter was at least as wide as a .22-250's...

How much lift are we talking out of the .204, say out to 300 yards? I like lift like the next guy but really prefer it to look like someone lit a blockbuster off in their azz.

I am sure the popular consensis isn't going to be my two picks...

but all I know, is that nothing has shown me it will do better with all things considered than the good old 223 and 22.250...

and being a handloader, I can make them cover anything from their chambering right down to a 22 LR.. and ya know what.. no other calibers offer that flexibility except the 220 Swift...and with the 22.250s I really don't need a Swift..

a 223 will do everything for me a 204 would do...with a few decent 30 and 35 grain bullets on the market in 22 caliber such as the Bergers.. I can duplicate the 204's MV if need be...

they may not be tops on anyone's elses list.. but they will always be tops on my list...

eastplace,

Actually, the highest lift I have ever seen happened this year with a 40-grain Remington factory load from the .204. I was hunting in Wyoming with a very experienced PD shooter, and we both estimated the height as close to 20 feet.

But that is unsual. Actually the .204 doesn't average as much life as a .220 Swift or a 6mm with a 55. But it does a very fine job. I have gotten the best average lift out of the .204 with Sierras plastic-tip 32, whatever it is called--and when combined with the light recoil of the .204 I am happy. I generally only use the 40's when the wind starts to really blow, as they drift about half as much as the 32's.

Seafire: Your consensus "picks" are indeed good ones - BUT - not good enough to be the best!
The 204 Ruger easily outperforms the 223 and is a better choice than the 22-250 as well!
And its not just the superior ballistic qualities of the 204 over the 22-250 and the 223 but other things like amazingly light recoil, slowness to heat a barrel and laser like accuracy!
I own 15 Varmint Rifles right now in your two favorite Prairie Doggin calibers but would forsake them all for 10 more 204's!
Sure the cartridges you mention have versatility - are you saying that the 204 Ruger cartridge isn't versatile, as well?
I will come out of the closet now and make it public - I think the 204 Ruger cartridge is the BEST Prairie Doggin cartridge ever made!
Period!
And I was happy to see the author of the article I referred to came to the same conclusion even though his Prairie Doggin career is only a decade long!
I have been shooting PD's and other Varmints for over 50 years and this new 204 Ruger is something special - or "superlative" may be a better way to describe it!
You may be able to duplicate the 204's muzzle velocity with a 223 but you won't be able to duplicate its straight as a string trajectory!
More later - I think Santa is coming down my chimney!
I hope he has a new 204 Ruger Rifle for me!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Mule Deer: There is no cheating here in cyber-space!
You can read the article and comment before or after, or both for that matter.
I enjoyed the article in many ways and agreed with most all of his contentions!
I have a Ruger #1-B in 22 Hornet myself - I love the little Rifles looks, feel, quietness and this one has stunning wood on it!
It does not shoot very well though?
On its best days it NOW shoots in the 8's!
To begin with it shot in the 1.5's!
I have a Leupold 6x18 variable on it.
The reason I like to see my bullet's impact point is not so much to watch the terminal effects of a hit but to see where THAT bullet hit in case subsequent shots need be taken!
It took me years, NO, decades to figure out why and how the Varmints would shoot straight up (vertically!) in the air at the instant of a bullet striking said Varmint.
I wonder how many folks here know why they "go vertical" when hit by a bullet that is travelling horizontally?
I think I will pose that question here and now as a tangential question to interested parties.
Why do many Varmints fly straight up "vertically" when struck by a bullet with so much energy, that is travelling horizontally?
What causes this transferance of horizontal energy to vertical energy?
In my own circle of friends (long time Varminters) I am surprised at how many and varied and how blatantly wrong the answers are that I get from them to this question(s).
Anyway enjoy your Hornet and I hope yours has nice "wood" on it also.
Long live the 22 Hornet!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I don't know where you guys are lucky enough to shoot prairie dogs that are close enough to get that kind of explosive results with a .204 Ruger. The prairie dogs we shoot won't let you get closer than 250 yards, with most shots over 350 and 400.

I have found that a 220 Swift and a 6mm Remington to be the best prairie dog rifles for the extreme end, .222 and .223 Remington work great if you have the closer shots. A 204 Ruger may work great as well, but I use the same 22 caliber bullet for all of the mentioned rifles, and it does save money over specialized bullets that are needed for the 204 Ruger, 19 Calhoon, etc.

Having custom rifles built for varminting by Dennis Olson in Plains MT I have found these calibers more than adequate, and the components for reloading are easy to get and work great.

The first 2 rifles are built on Sako Riihimaki actions with Lilja barrels. The second 2 are Sako L-57 actions with a Lilja heavy 27 inch, fluted barrel for the Swift and the 6mm has a 26 inch Lilja standard barrel.





The first picture is a prairie dog hit with a 220 swift;
The second picture is a crow hit with a .223;
The third is a Jackrabbit hit with the 6mm...

Very nice varmint rifles and excellent action shots.

Travis

Schrapnel......."specialized bullets needed for the 204 " ???


I guess a 204 does require "specialized" bullets , like some that fit the bore (big grin)!


Seriously , that comment has me scratchin my head a bit . But I will say I've seen more than adequate lift , destruction , or whatever out to a quarter mile with 204 s . I can't hit them much further than that .

.

I agree with Seafire, The 22's work best for me, too. More versatile, easier to work with, and they do the job. They may not be the latest fad, but they work for all the reasons Seafire stated. But then, I hunt more than just the prairie dog.

The greatest varmint/PD rifle in the world is the NEXT one you want. If it were not you wouldn't want it.

Sound as if someone has done a great sell job on VarmintGuy. Oh well, if it works for him that's good.

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204's and all the rest of the sub 22 caliber offerings are fine with me, if you want to look to something new that doesn't improve on something old. Specialized bullets are just simply defined by me as "why pay twice as much for something that doesn't work any better?"

The 22 bullets that I use are about $86.00/1000, and at the volume I shoot, economy does matter. Besides that I had custom rifles made to shoot great/proven rounds, that still aren't beaten with anything new.

I had a nice 2005 GMC truck that had low miles on it and there was nothing wrong with it. I went to the Dodge dealer and saw a new Dodge Cummins diesel truck and got the deal of my life. Now I drive a new Dodge truck. I won't own a 204 Ruger, but I did buy the Dodge, Hmmm...my lack of consistency shows no bounds, but I live a wonderful life!

BLEDSOE: Are you fool enough to publicly say the 204 Ruger is NOT an excellent Prairie Dog cartridge?
If you are that foolish let me be the first to correct you!
It IS an excellent Prairie Doggin cartridge - I know I have been using it for quite some time now!
There you have been corrected.
According to my loading log, in a few days I will be into my 6th year of using the 204 Ruger cartridges on all manner of Varmints and at all manner of ranges and conditions - it is a superlative Varminting/Prairie Dogging cartridge!
No "one" "sold me" on the 204 Rugers "superlative" performance!
I tested it thoroughly and I convinced myself of its superior attributes and I now own and shoot 5 Varminters in 204 Ruger caliber!
I simply have to ask what makes you think the 204 Ruger is NOT an excellent AND versatile Varminting (Prairie Doggin?) round?
I have killed all manner of Varmints from large Coyotes, Porcupines, Badgers, Rock Chucks, Skunks, Snowshoe Hares, Crows, Ravens, field lions (feral cats), Priairie Dogs, Weasels, Ground Squirrels, Jack Rabbits, Raccoons, Cotton-tail Rabbits and a few other types of Varmints with my 204's!
I have found the 204 Ruger to be extremely versatile and efficient in every application I have asked of it - bar NONE!
Weasels to Coyotes - now that is VERSATILE if you ask me.
I suggest you get some trigger time with the 204 Ruger and make specific note of what it can't do!
I would like to know what that is.
Then PLEASE relay that to me.
I have as yet to discover what that might be!
More later!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

The best cartridge - lets you see your hits, for me that means the 204 Ruger.

That works until your shooting 400+ in the wind you loose that ability because it requires a heavier bullet - aka the 243 or better.

Spot

Shrapnel - If you need some more room in your garage I have storage available for the GTO.

drover

I agree with the 22 caliber contingent. I had a Cooper Varminter in 204, it was very accurate, but no more so than my Cooper Varminter in 223 and Cooper Classic sporter in 222, they are all consistent 1/2" rifles.

I used 35 grain Bergers and 39 grain Sierras in the 204 and 40 grain Nosler ballistic tips in the 222 and 223. After using the 204 for a year on PD's and gophers I could not see that it did anything that the 22 calibers did not do, so the 204 went down the road.

While the 204 is a decent PD and gopher caliber there is a bit better selection of components available for the 22 calibers, and definetly more of a bullet weight selection.

But the main reason it was sold was that it was found lacking in any outstanding attributes, while it is easy to cite lack of drop or how much it is unaffected by wind at various distances under real world field conditions they are pretty much irrelevant - simply hold a little higher or hold off a little more, isn't that what it is all about anyway - riflemanship.

In my opinion the 204 is just another chambering to sell more rifles. I recall reading that like most other items the 90/10 rules apply to rifle sales - that is 10 percent of the people buy 90 percent of the rifles, if they don't keep selling us on new chamberings the sales will drop.

Merry Christmas to all whether you are a 204 fan, a 22 caliber fan or any other choice - isn't it great to have the freedom to choose.

If you like the 204 Ruger then take a look at the 223 necked down to 20. Same ballistics but with the advantages of tons of good brass available, no loooooong Weatherby-style throat, and you don't have to tell folks you shoot a "Ruger".

But for a factory rifle the 204 Ruger is a great cartridge. I have one and love it.

Read my article I wrote about the 20 Practical (20-223) about 4 years ago here: http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek061.html

ps Inexpensive Nosler-made 20 caliber bullets at Midsouth for less than $70 per 1000.

Ditto 221........I stocked up this fall on the 204 Midsouth bullets myself at about $70 per 1000 .

Still , I bet most of the 22 bore fans are using plastic tip bullets , and the cost is identical whether 20 or 22 .

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VarmintG If you cannot shoot any better than you read the prairie dogs are safe. My post said not one word about a 204. You must be hallucinating again. I have had two 204 Rugers, one a Ruger 77 varmint and one Rock River. Both were very accurate but so are my .22 cal. rifles. I could see no advantage in 204 so I sold them. The 204 is a great cartridge but I'm sorry I just don't believe all the printed hype that I read.

Now, what can a 22 do that a 204 cannot? How well does the 204 handle the 60 - 70 grain bullets?

Reason and logic can never overcome pride and emotion.

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