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Has anyone built one of these yet? Could just use a 223 rifle as a donor. Seems like this would surpass the 223 AI pretty easily. Could use the 204 Ruger reamer w/live pilot and use a 224 pilot instead of a 204 pilot. Hornady could do die modifications. Should be able to hit 4000 fps with a 40 gr bullet easily. Anyone have any info or first hand experience?
Dick
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The .20's have better ballistics than .224"
Why would you want to take a step backwards?
Then again I'm biased since I make .204" caliber bullets.
ML
My biggest fear is when I die my wife sells all my gear for what I said I paid for it.
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Sounds like a 222 Rem mag to me!
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I would be interested in seeing the data for this cartridge too. As Panhandle stated you could rechamber a 223 and it should be a bit faster than an AI.
Mntngoat, I have a 204 and it's a great cartridge but I wouldn't mind bumping up the performace of one of my 223's for the price of a rechamber job.
Hrnhuntr, I believed that it would amount to an improved 222 Mag.
Doc
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." Thomas Jefferson, 1776
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The 22-204 Ruger looks like it would have a little more capacity the the 222 mag AI. Made up a dummy round and it looks very impressive.
Dick
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I built one, shot it a little, and decided that the performance upgrade from 223 AI was not worth the extra trouble and brass costs. There was a long thread about my rifle about two years ago. It can be done, it is fast for the format, but not enough improvement to trade the effort and cost in my view. If one needs or wants more speed than a .223, just get a 22-250 or, as I did a 22-250AI.
LOVE God, LOVE your family, LOVE your country, LIKE guns and sports.
About 2016 team "R" candidates "We definitely need a crew with a sack of balls the size of hot water bottles, bloviated estrogen leaking feel-gooders need not apply." Gunner 500
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Has anyone built one of these yet? Could just use a 223 rifle as a donor. Seems like this would surpass the 223 AI pretty easily. Could use the 204 Ruger reamer w/live pilot and use a 224 pilot instead of a 204 pilot. Hornady could do die modifications. Should be able to hit 4000 fps with a 40 gr bullet easily. Anyone have any info or first hand experience? You'll wind back up at the 222 Rem Mag, or real close to it. I'd say any improvements in ballastics would minimal if not miniscule.
Old Corps
Semper Fi
FJB
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I have some loaded 222 Mag AI rounds; capacity is the same/no discernable diff from a 204 necked up since the 204 has a 35 deg. versus the 40 deg and less taper of the 222 Mag AI. Case make can play a role too. Check it with water.
I hit 3,900 safely at high temps with a 21" 222 Mag and forties; pretty much what guys using the 223AI do since the capacity between them is the same.
The 22-204 or 222 Mag AI would prolly both hit 4,000 and still be safe with the forties. Any big diff would be in the barrel or loads used more than cap..
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Guess the effort and money isn't worth the gain. The bolt face on the Ruger Varminter I have looks like it would be easy to open up for the 22 BR so I think that is the route I will go. Thanks for your inputs.
Dick
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I've been playing with the 204 case and have built a 25-204, 22-204 and a 6mm-204 in that order. The 25 turned out to be a great coyote deer combo with performance matching the 250-3000 factory loads. The 22 is my go to coyote gun with 40's I'm only running them at 3900 but it's a 22" 9 twist barrel and extremely accurate. The 6mm was just completed this fall and I haven't had a day to set up the chrony but I'm guessing 60's in the 3600 range, again very accurate and at the end of the week I'll be heading out to wring it out on coyotes for nine days.
The thing I like about the 204 case there is no fireforming needed just load and shoot.
erich
After the first shot the rest are just noise.
Make mine a Minaska
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Erich;
Tell me some more about the .25-204 and 6-204.
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Erich - Since the .204 is the .222 Rem. Mag. necked down, what do you hope to get with necking it back up?
Kevin
Kevin Haile
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Campfire Kahuna
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Actually, the .204, IIRC, is the .222RM necked down and then basically AI'd.
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..so 100 fps more, or 4,000 fps with the 40gr. bullets 
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What I'm getting is a very efficiant cartridge on a small bolt face gun with no fireforming, no custom dies and a good selection of quality brass. My three will cover the same things that my 22-250, 243 and 250 Sav will and use about 8-10grs less powder. I consider it a win-win deal.
erich
After the first shot the rest are just noise.
Make mine a Minaska
Heaven has walls and rules, H-ll has open borders
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Campfire Kahuna
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Erich;
Ballistics, please, with loads if you can, for the 6mm-204 and 25-204.
Thanks,
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25-205 - 75gr Sierra HP 3150fps, 85gr NBT 3000fps, 100gr NPT 2800fps. Loads are pretty much the same as the 257 Kimber in the Hodgdon manual, start low and work up.
The 6mm-204 I have not chronographed but my load of 32.5 gr of AA-2230 under a 55gr SBK and 32gr under the 60gr Sierra HP are not showing any abnormally high pressure signs but are way beyond anything I can find in that load class (6x47 Rem & 6mm PPC ), that load shows 3500fps in a 6mm Rem BR. THIS LOAD COULD BE DANGEROUS IN ANY OTHER RIFLE OR TEMP RANGE, IT WAS DEVELOPED IN THE FALL AND USED IN THE WINTER.
All loads for these two are at or near max for my rifle which have long throats.
erich
Last edited by erich; 12/29/08.
After the first shot the rest are just noise.
Make mine a Minaska
Heaven has walls and rules, H-ll has open borders
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Left to right: 222 Magnum, 222Mag AI and 22-204 (I made it by necking up). ![[Linked Image]](http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff127/nkhoff/100_1530.jpg)
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25-205 - 75gr Sierra HP 3150fps, 85gr NBT 3000fps, 100gr NPT 2800fps. Loads are pretty much the same as the 257 Kimber in the Hodgdon manual, start low and work up.
The 6mm-204 I have not chronographed but my load of 32.5 gr of AA-2230 under a 55gr SBK and 32gr under the 60gr Sierra HP are not showing any abnormally high pressure signs but are way beyond anything I can find in that load class (6x47 Rem & 6mm PPC ), that load shows 3500fps in a 6mm Rem BR. THIS LOAD COULD BE DANGEROUS IN ANY OTHER RIFLE OR TEMP RANGE, IT WAS DEVELOPED IN THE FALL AND USED IN THE WINTER.
All loads for these two are at or near max for my rifle which have long throats.
erich
Interesting. Thank you!
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