.204 Ruger
 

I am wanting to get a rifle in the .204 Ruger, but the cheapest I could find so far is almost 60 cents per round.

As I would be using this for non-comp target shooting, that's a bit high.

So my question is, what can I expect to pay in reloading .204, and/or where are good places to find low priced .204 Ruger ammo??

Thank you for your help.

RE: .204 Ruger
 

204 costs about the same as 223 to reload, for a middle of the road costing reloads say using H4895 powder and sierra game kings comes out to 22 cents a shot not including the cost of the brass assuming you are loading once fired casings, if you buy new brass then add another 12 cents per shot which would put you up to 34 cents per shot. good luck

RE: .204 Ruger
 

Hi Jade:

My .204 ruger loads come in at $.22 each. The problem, at least for the time being, is the least expensive bullet is the 32gr Hornady vmax at about $.12 each, 50%+ of the cost. If Rem or Win comes out with bulk bullets, I could get the cost down to about $.14 each. These costs will come down a few cents as I was paying a fortune for once-fired cases. Midway now has 500 case packages of unfired win brass for about $65.

Good luck

CE

RE: .204 Ruger
 

So if I hold off buying the gun untill the end of summer or early fall, would that allow time for the costs to drop?

I'm also considering the same rifle in .223, are the eloading costs similer?

RE: .204 Ruger
 

Hi Jade:

I don't know if anyone will actually produce a $.05 bullet for the .204 (like the Rem 55 gr PSP, $94.99/2000). I checked the price, and these bullets went up $15/2000 since I bought them last, at Midway.

The advantage of the .223 is that you can purchase once fired Lake City cases for something like $30/1000. If you can get along with once-fired cases, the .204 will always cost considerably more than the .223 to reload.

I like the .204, but there isn't much performance difference between them. The .223 is probably going to be better for your situation.

CE

RE: .204 Ruger
 

Okay, thanks a lot CE.

RE: .204 Ruger
 

You need to ask if the .204 really offers you something the .223 don't....

RE: .204 Ruger
 

I tried to talk my brother out of a 204, but was really impressed by its perfromance 200 yards and above. You got speed, you got amazing flatness. And claims about 223 barrel life. I ain't buyin that one though. I was really sceptical about the flatness until I shot it.

RE: .204 Ruger
 

id dont care for the 204 much and would deffinately choose the 223 over it anyday, as for being flatter shooting yeah it is flatter shooting then a .223. but any skilled shooter who knows how to use hold over techniques can easily make up the difference in trajectories.

RE: .204 Ruger
 

The price of shootign pretty much decided for me, At this point I'll probably go with the .223 Rem. However, by the end of spring things may have changed, so we will see.

My shooting budget has to work around a shotgun in the near future, so the new rifle is on hold untill after that.