Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 22-204 Ruger

Ya'll boys got me thinking...

IMO, the 22-204 makes more sense nowadays than the 223AI. You can get 100fps faster and do it with no fireforming. What's not to like?

I think hotrodusa made one of these a couple years back and posted about it.

For loading I use a 204 Ruger Redding Type S FL Bushing die and swap out the expander button and bushing for the different calibers. I did have to ream out the neck openning a little to clear the larger necks.

erich

Looking at these photos, it appears that the .222 Mag AI has the shoulder moved slightly forward. If so, that would be harder than fire forming the .223 AI. The .22-204 looks like a much easier conversion. Just neck up and load.

DF

I'm headed in that direction with a Model 7 currently in .223. I priced the custom die route. Redding's custom die cost is $175 with an initial $50 set up fee. If someone orders one first, then the second customer pays just the $175. Lee Precision wants a $130 set up fee, $42 for the dies, and $5 shipping, or $177. Lee needs 5 fired cases and 3 bullets. Turn around time is 180 days. Not sure about Redding turn around. So, until someone make a set of dies, the Redding Competition Match "S" type FL .204 die set with alterations is the best way to go. Midsouth Shooters Supply, IIRC, charges around $130+ for this set with a Redding MSRP of $222.30.

DF

No need to go with the over priced Competition dies.

Just get the regular Type S bushing die and have the machine shop open up the neck area to clear the 22 neck diameter, same as the quote from erich.

aalf,

What about the seating die? My smith was wanting the competition die to change out the floating bullet guide. How did you rig your seater?

DF

I don't follow the harder to form over the 223 AI part? Note the 222 Mag case on the left is an unfired case, which the non-Ackley folk complain about fireforming, I say EVERY case needs fireformed to wring out top-flite potential, and to fit said chamber.

On die cost, these will all work for a 222 Mag AI:
http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/Bro...ategoryString=9315***731***702***8344***
http://www.ch4d.com/

I like the concept of the 22-204; it just needs a bit more help at present in the die situation.

Hawk,

In looking at the pictures, it appears that the shoulder was set forward with fire forming. If so, that would be more complicated than fireforming the .223 AI with a mild "crush" programmed into the equation so that the parent .223 case head is held hard against the bolt face. If the shoulder is being set forward, then other methods would be needed to keep the case head against the bolt.

DF

Yes, especially with new brass, stuff IS set forward quite a bit.

The 222 Mag AI has this crush fit as well, but only if the smith has properly set it. This chamber still has a datum point for headspace; its at the base of the neck. The photo just looks off because of the new factory case and variance in shoulder angle.

My point is that all brass needs fireformed.

I use Wilson inline bullet seaters for almost all my stuff.

The smith just needs to run the reamer into a die blank. Best served with an arbor press, though.

I have an arbor press and use several Wilson seaters, some reamed by the reamer used on the specific rifle. With this round, I was wanting a conventional seating die for faster loading. This is a light weight rifle, not a match rifle and I don't want to take the time for Wilson/arbor press seating. Couldn't the smith open a conventional .204 seating die with the reamer and get a .224" bullet seating stem? Seating die shouldn't be hardened steel like a sizing die. There would be no need for crimp.

DF

DF,

I know that Forster BR seater sleeve is easily cut, not hard at all.

All you would have is a short neck 222 Mag . I would much rather stay with the 204 .

I can seat bullets faster with an arbor press and Wilson die, than with a conventional die,


but I don't usually enter that race......

Bea,

I already have a .204. My Model 7 is in .223 and I want a fast twist barrel to shoot heavy bullets at hogs. The .22-204 reportedly has a bit more capacity than a .222 Mag, more like a .222 Mag AI. And the ease of necking up the .204 case with no fire forming is a big + for me. .222 Mag is getting pretty obsolete and one is stuck with Rem brass. Whereas, the .204 is a rising star with a much better brass selection. The 30 degree Gibbs type .204 shoulder cycles smoother out of the box mag than the steeper 40 degree AI shouldered cases. The main problem with the .22-204, as I see it, is the dies, and if I can solve that one, I'm off and running.

DF

DF,

So long as you have 204 brass, you have 222 Mag brass, FWIW.

How easily does the .204 become .222 RM? Never thought about that. Would be much less of a reloading die fiasco...

I currently make .257 Wby cases out of new WW 7mm Rem Mag brass w/o a problem. One stroke with enough Imperial Die Wax. Of course, I'm using a big, compound press.

DF

a 22-250 ends the argument.

I'm beginning to think you should just stay with a 223.......