.204 bullet weight

[Rick65Cat]

I'm looking for input into bullet weights for my 1 in 12 26" barrel .204

Since new this rifle has fired nothing but 32gr Vmax's at gophers (quite spectacularly I might add).
I want to give coyoting a try. Is a 32gr bullet gonna hit hard enough to drop a 'yote humanely? I reload and have dropped my FPS to about 3600 to save barrel erosion. Is that fast enough and heavy enough to do the job?
How heavy a bullet can I load before it starts de-stabilizing?

 

[Viper225]

My brother and I built a couple AR15's with 1/10 twist to shoot 40's. We set them up dual purpose to varmint hunt, and to shoot in Lite Tactical Division in our clubs Sniper Match and Multi Range F Class match. Lite Tactical only shoots back to 600 yards, and is for 204, 221 FB, 222, and 223 rifles.

A friend shoots a HB CZ 204 with 1/12 twist. He mainly shoots 32's. He also shoots 39 Sierras. From what he tells me the 39's are doing ok from his gun.

No idea about 40 V Max or 40 Nozlers. They are what we have been shooting in our 204 AR15's. They shoot very well in a 1/10 twist rifle. I guess the best bet is to get a box and see if they will stabalize in the 1/12. A 40 gr. would definently be better coyote ammo.

Bob

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

Don't go less than 40gr; and get a bullet that won't blowup in the surface, even if you don't want the hide.

 

[helotaxi]

40gn are the same length as the 39gn BKs. The 45gn Hornady spire-points are actually shorter than the 40gn pills. All of the above were designed with the SAAMI standard 1:12 twist in mind. I've shot 40gn BT, VMax and Accu-Tip and 45gn spire-points from my 1:12 Handi with good success. It's not until you get into the 50gn Bergers that a faster twist is really called for.

 

[magnatecman]

32's are a bit light for coyotes, I know several guys who swore off the .204 Ruger for coyotes because of the many times that they put one down only to have it get back up on them.

I have only used the 40's and have never had this happen to me. I started with the Hornady V-max's and now I reload Berger's and have had about the same result with either one - they are both great !

I did try the 50's also and they were tumbling thru the paper at 100 yards with my 1-12"
barrel.

I hope this helps some.

 

[helotaxi]

The 50gn Bergers are REALLY long. A 1:9 twist is required to stabilize them. Out of a 1:12 you're lucky that you were hitting the paper at 100yds the bullets were tumbling so bad. The 55gn Bergers are almost comical. They look like icepicks.

 

[Grumulkin]

It doesn't get much better than this...





It works on deer at 252 yards.



The coyote was DRT at 108 yards with a neck shot. Hide damage was minimal.

 

[magnatecman]

Helotaxi,

Ya I was surprised to see that they were tumbling and yet I still got about a 3 inch group at 100 yards.

 

[helotaxi]

It doesn't get much better than this...

Those bullets look funny loaded that long. I've found them to be incredibly accurate loaded to mag length out of my AR.

 

[targetback]

I shoot the 50gr berger in a 1to 10 twist 5R rifling no tumbling, all touching at 100yds . A friend of mine shoots 40gr killed 6 yots this year still hunting.same set up.

 

[Damon555]

My 12 twist Remington 204 does not like 40 grain Vmaxes.......

(the big holes are 44)

 

[helotaxi]

1:12 is going to be sensitive to the atmospheric conditions and velocity when it comes to shooting the 40gn VMax. At sea level on a standard day, it's going to be close. Depending on powder used, a cold day could give you the double whammy of slower MV and a higher atmospheric pressure leading to instability from a 1:12. The 45gn are shorter bullets and more forgiving in that regard.