Here is a few of the combinations I have played around with and chronoed:
32 grain Nosler BT 29 grains of Tac....4100 fps.
32 grain Nosler BT 27 grains of H335...3900 fps (book lists 4056).
32 grain Nosler BT 27 grains of H 4895.3900 fps
35 grain Berger 25 grains of Tac........3350 fps.
39 grain Sierra BK 26 grains of Tac.....3600
39 grain Sierra Bk 27 grains of H4895..3800
The numbers are not the exact read out from every shot but they are close enough that gives one an idea of how fast the bullet is travelling.
What I find interesting is bullet construction in the 204. For example I shot a coyote in the chestat 112 yards, (it was a frontal shot) with theberger bullet. He went maybe 10 yards certainly not more than 15 after the shot. I found a couple of pieces of shrapnel in his heart but for the most part his lungs and heart were intact. Of the 35 grains in the bullet I can account for 9.5 grains that I recovered and weighed. The entry of course was just the size of the 20 cal projectile but one inside it tore agood size hole in his chest. Obviously there was no exit wound.
I have also done some very unscientific but fun testing with the Nosler 32 grain BT, the Berger bullet, and the 39 grain Sierra Blitzking BT at the velocities mentioned above.
I filled five 12 oz plastic pop bottles full of water and lined them up in a row. They are approximately 3 inches in diameter. The 32 grain Nosler went through three of the fivebottles. I then put a 1/2" piece of treated plywood between two of the bottles filled with water and shot. The 32 grain Nosler went through the first bottle, went through the plywood, and then through the last bottle.
I then placed a half gallon milk jug filled with water in front of the plywood. The milk jug is approximately four inches in width. Behind the plywood I set a 78 ounce detergent jug filled with water. I then shot the 35 grain berger bullet into that combo. It blew the half gallon jug up like a bomb, propelling it up and over the back stop. The entry hole was precise but the back of the milk jug had numerous places where shrapnel had gone through. There was one piece of shrapnel in the plywood but it did not penetrate the plywood. It did blow the cap off of the detergent jug but there were no holes in this jug.
I did the same setup with a 39 grain Blitzking BT that I did with the Berger bullet. It also blew up the 1/2 gallon jug though not quite as dramatically as the berger but what was left of the bullet penetrated the plywood about half to three quarters of the way through. What was left of the bullet weighed 6.5 grains. It should be mentioned that although it didn't penetrate the detergent jug it did force the plywood tohit the detergent jug with such force that it blew the lid off of the 78 ounce jug by breaking the plastic where it threads into the lid.
All of the "water" tests were performed at 100 yards. You will have to draw your own conclusions as to what it means; if anything
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204 ruger info
