.204 Ruger: 1:10 or 1:12?

[Swifty Morgan]

I have been trying to choose a new caliber for small animals up to coyotes. I decided I want to try the .204 Ruger. Then I read that most guns in this caliber have problems shooting 40-grain and larger bullets accurately, due to the common 1:12 twist rate. I want accuracy. That's part of the fun of this caliber.

Thompson/Center makes .204 Ruger rifles with a 1:10 twist rate, and they are said to shoot 40-grain bullets well.

My question: if that's how it works, why do other manufacturers go with 1:12? I must be losing something by going to 1:10.

Should I just not worry about it and shoot lighter bullets? People seem to like the 39-grain Sierra Blitzking.

Right now I will be using the gun on varmints and targets at up to 200 yards, but I would like the option of doing well if I ever go somewhere where I can shoot at longer distances.

 

[Sniper66]

If you want bigger bullets, why not go to .223? In my Ruger #1 .204 I shoot 32 gr Sierra BKs and in my Kimber 84M .204 I shoot 39 gr Sierra BKs. In my Remington 700 VSF .223 I shoot 50 gr Sierra BKs. I shoot these bullets because they are the best performers. These 3 rifles have accounted for many 100s of prairie dogs and several coyotes. Each rifle has it's own set of conditions under which it performs better than the others. BTW, the .204 is an excellent choice for varmints. Someone gifted me a box of 40 gr Hornady for .204, but I've not bothered to experiment with it since the Sierras are so perfect. As for distance, the .204 is a very flat shooter out to around 300 yds. The other day I was shooting 300 yd gongs with my Kimber with 39 gr bullets. I wanted to see first hand how much it would drop at 300 so I sat the horizontal cross-hair on top of the gong. The shots grouped about 2"--3" below the top. That is consistent with most trajectory charts. BTW, both of my .204s are 1:12 twist rate. Let us know what you buy.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

I just wanted to know if there is a downside to a faster twist. I have a lot of faith in Savage, but if the twist limits the gun, and TC is just as accurate, I might as well go with TC.

 

[Varminterror]

I personally prefer the 40grn pills in 204R, so mine are 1:10” twist. If I were only shooting the 32’s, I could push a little faster in a 1:12”, but I would give up as much ballistic coefficient and on-game performance as I gained in speed. So I shoot the 40’s, and I shoot 1:10’s. In my 204’s, I also used 3 caudle rifled barrels, such I pick up about 50fps, which offsets my faster twist, and then some, AND avoids compromising the jacket integrity of these thin jacket varmint bullets, which can be an issue for faster twist cut rifles barrels, for example.

Despite a faster twist, I wouldn’t buy the TC over a Savage. The Savage 12 BVSS is one of my favorite varminting rifles of all time.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

Thanks. I'm going to give the T/C a try. It's only going to run me about $375, and I figure at that price, I can afford to make a mistake.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Thanks. I'm going to give the T/C a try. It's only going to run me about $375, and I figure at that price, I can afford to make a mistake.

Haven't heard people complain about them so it'll probably not be a mistake.
Your 17 will gather dust like my did. I brought it out of hiding when you started posting about shooting yours. I forgot how nice they are for quiet shooting.

 

[Chief 101]

I shoot .204 in a Ruger 1:12 and 40's are my mainstay...if I listened to what I hear on the internet I would probably have not even tried the 40's

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

I've not been able to get 40's to shoot in my Hart barreled 1:12.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

Haven't heard people complain about them so it'll probably not be a mistake.
Your 17 will gather dust like my did. I brought it out of hiding when you started posting about shooting yours. I forgot how nice they are for quiet shooting.

It's tough to beat the price of .17 HMR. I may replace it with .17 WSM, though. Nearly as cheap, and seems to do all the same things better.

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

If cz made a WSM I’d have one. The savages have been pretty dismal.

 

[Varminterror]

If cz made a WSM I’d have one. The savages have been pretty dismal.

This seems to be pretty popular online.

Mine’s sub-moa to 200yrds. For a $300 rifle, I’m not complaining. I haven’t bothered trying to tighten it up, but will do so this spring. The glass I put on it is a major weakness, 4-12x40mm Nikon, which I picked up for $120. I have a new Bushnell, new Burris rings, and some devcon to get it a little tighter, so I’m expecting good things at 400yrds with it this summer.

 

[Bfh_auto]

It's tough to beat the price of .17 HMR. I may replace it with .17 WSM, though. Nearly as cheap, and seems to do all the same things better.

Hmr is borderline on squirrel and rabbit, supermag is a no-go. For everything else a 204 will be way ahead of the supermag.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

What about FMJ? I read that you can take squirrels with HMR with FMJ without shredding them, and I was hoping the same would apply to WSM.

 

[Varminterror]

Is there a 17 WSM FMJ load? Not all states allow hunting with FMJ’s either.

With HMR or WSM, or 22WMR, 22 Hornet, 204R, 223rem, etc for that matter, if you run off of the shoulder and through the ribcage, you don’t ruin meat. Doesn’t take much power to cut through a squirrel, just depends what you run into on the way through.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

It never occurred to me that they might not make .17 WSM in FMJ. I just assumed that since CCI had taken the time to create a round for .17 HMR, they would naturally use it for .17 WSM as well. Looks like I was wrong.

In Florida, the regulations say you can't use FMJ on deer. I can't find anything regarding other species.