.204 RUGER FOR YOTES
01-22-2009, 01:57 PM
#11
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Michigan, USA
Posts: 182
RE: .204 RUGER FOR YOTES
ORIGINAL: Howler
If you are just wanting to kill coyotes and don't give a rats batooty about trying to sell the hide, than there are better choices. BUT for every big hole blown out the back side of a coyote, $4. comes off of the lowly $10. price that they are worth.
Of the 64 coyotes that I've shot with my .204, I lost 3. Simply do to bad bullet placement, no blame can go to the caliber or bullet. I do reload and have used the 35 and 40 gr. bergers, and they both seem to work very well.
Some guys seem to think that you gotta use a .25 cal. even. [8D]
If you are just wanting to kill coyotes and don't give a rats batooty about trying to sell the hide, than there are better choices. BUT for every big hole blown out the back side of a coyote, $4. comes off of the lowly $10. price that they are worth.
Of the 64 coyotes that I've shot with my .204, I lost 3. Simply do to bad bullet placement, no blame can go to the caliber or bullet. I do reload and have used the 35 and 40 gr. bergers, and they both seem to work very well.
Some guys seem to think that you gotta use a .25 cal. even. [8D]
01-22-2009, 02:37 PM
#12
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: N. Illinois
Posts: 552
RE: .204 RUGER FOR YOTES
I shoot the 32grn. from honady, and I've shot the 40grn for a while. They both put the hurtin on a dog, I like the 32s acount they are just a bit faster, and do just as well IMO. Like what Howler said if you ham one you can;t blame it on the cal., or the bullet weight.
01-23-2009, 05:33 AM
#13
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 285
RE: .204 RUGER FOR YOTES
ORIGINAL: Howler
If you are just wanting to kill coyotes and don't give a rats batooty about trying to sell the hide, than there are better choices. BUT for every big hole blown out the back side of a coyote, $4. comes off of the lowly $10. price that they are worth.
Of the 64 coyotes that I've shot with my .204, I lost 3. Simply do to bad bullet placement, no blame can go to the caliber or bullet. I do reload and have used the 35 and 40 gr. bergers, and they both seem to work very well.
Some guys seem to think that you gotta use a .25 cal. even.
If you are just wanting to kill coyotes and don't give a rats batooty about trying to sell the hide, than there are better choices. BUT for every big hole blown out the back side of a coyote, $4. comes off of the lowly $10. price that they are worth.
Of the 64 coyotes that I've shot with my .204, I lost 3. Simply do to bad bullet placement, no blame can go to the caliber or bullet. I do reload and have used the 35 and 40 gr. bergers, and they both seem to work very well.
Some guys seem to think that you gotta use a .25 cal. even.
If I were docked $4 for a hole, I would owe the buyer for taking my coyotes. Many buyers in this region aren’t even buying fur this year… it has little to NO value. A little sewing with save you a deduction, especially $4!!! Bottom line is they aren’t worth skinning this year so exit holes are of no concern to most of us. If I wanted fur I’d be trapping.
3 losses out of 64 coyotes is phenomenally good performance for a .204. Probably the best I’ve heard of from any shooter. This is probably due to your confidence in calling coyotes, patience with shots and your shooting ability.
In many regions of the East and Midwest, callers lack that confidence in calling coyotes for a variety of reasons. Not the least of which, is the fact that we have FAR fewer targets than small caliber toting callers of the west. Hunters here also often lack the patience, shot placement and even the shooting ability of those guys in the wide open spaces of the west. Factor in that our coyotes are 10/50 percent LARGER and you have a perfect storm for small-caliber failures.
Although your loss percentage hovers around 5% I know callers hovering closer to 10% and 20% with the .204. With poor bullet selection its much higher! In my world of limited coyotes, limited access and limited coyote knowledge… it’s unacceptable to wound that many coyotes after I bring them to the call. I lost a few with my 22-250s, but it was very rare. I think the 22-250 is the perfect round for predator calling.
I’ve yet to lose one with the 25WSSM’s and that’s the way I like it. I like to leave myself room for error, room to misjudge yardage and room for zigging coyotes to zag. If I hit them, they’re down. I’ll worry about skinning and selling them later.
I’ve probably killed more coyotes with a 22lr than most folks in the Midwest have with their center fire coyote rifles- I’m certainly not saying a .204 won’t kill coyotes. I’m just saying this piddly little caliber is a poor choice for an aspiring caller that isn’t a great shot, comfortable with working coyotes or has few targets to choose from. It’s a “neat” and “trendy” round… but it doesn’t live up to the hype on this side of the river.
01-23-2009, 05:58 PM
#14
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: N. Illinois
Posts: 552
RE: .204 RUGER FOR YOTES
Your right JB, the 22-250 is a great round. You can load them up for deer, or load them down for varmints, we don't have that option with the 204. It works well for me, that's all I care about.
01-23-2009, 07:07 PM
#15
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Michigan, USA
Posts: 182
RE: .204 RUGER FOR YOTES
ORIGINAL: yodeldog3
Your right JB, the 22-250 is a great round. You can load them up for deer, or load them down for varmints, we don't have that option with the 204. It works well for me, that's all I care about.
Your right JB, the 22-250 is a great round. You can load them up for deer, or load them down for varmints, we don't have that option with the 204. It works well for me, that's all I care about.
