The .204 Ruger was conceived to be the fastest and flattest-shooting varmint cartridge, and it is in fact slightly flatter-shooting than the classic .22-250.
August 14, 2024
By Lane Pearce
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Shooting Times reader Dale Baldwin recently acquired a used Ruger No. 1 rifle chambered for .204 Ruger and asked for a few good handload recommendations. He also asked how the .204 Ruger compares to the .22-250 as a varmint cartridge . Fortunately, I’ve had quite a bit of experience with both rounds and currently have a pair of bolt-action rifles chambered for each round. The .22-250’s legacy began around 1915 when Charles Newton (a brilliant firearms and cartridge designer) designed a powerful .25-caliber round for Savage’s 1899 lever-action rifle. Based on a shortened .30-06 case, the .250-3000 Savage originally pushed a 100-grain bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2,800 fps. Savage wanted a bit more marketing shazam, so Newton reduced the bullet weight to 87 grains and bumped up the velocity to an unheard of 3,000 fps. Experimenting further with the .250-3000 case, Newton necked it down to .22 caliber to come up with the .22 Hi-Power, also intended for the Savage 1899 lever action. Unlike today’s typical 0.224-inch-diameter .22-caliber bullets, the .22 Hi-Power (or IMP, as it was casually labeled) was topped with 0.227/0.228-inch-diameter bullets.
Newton often shared the results of his experiments with other industry friends. J.E. Gebby visited Newton and obtained a sample .22/.250-3000 cartridge. Years later, circa 1935, Gebby and Grosvenor Wotkyns resurrected Newton’s wildcat but topped it with 0.224-inch bullets and copyrighted the label .22 Varminter. The Varminter rapidly became popular in the varmint- and competition-shooting circles. Remington adopted it in 1965 as the .22-250 Remington. Most .22-250 rifles featured 1:14 twist rifling, and factory ammo was loaded with 40- to 55-grain jacketed bullets at muzzle velocities of 4,100 and 3,600 fps, respectively. Because typical .22-250 rifles have that slower twist rate, bullets weighing more than 60 grains won’t stabilize and are not accurate at extended ranges. In recent years, however, several new and heavy-for-caliber 0.224-inch bullets have been introduced, and faster-twist-rate barrels are now available, such as the Bergara B-14 HMR with 1:9 twist. The .20-caliber .204 Ruger cartridge was a joint venture between Ruger and Hornady . In 2014 Dave Emary, Hornady’s chief ballistics guru at the time and now a Guns & Ammo contributor, conceived the .204 Ruger as the fastest and flattest-shooting varmint cartridge. It’s best described as a modified .222 Remington Magnum (.222 RM) case with a shortened and reduced diameter neck. The case length is the same as the .222 RM; however, the .204 Ruger’s shoulder is located a bit farther forward (0.075 inch) to maximize case capacity. Hornady’s 32-grain V-Max loading pushes 4,100 fps, and its 40-grain V-Max goes 3,900 fps. I’ve fired hundreds if not thousands of rounds, and out to 300 yards or so, it is quite effective on varmints.
Mr. Baldwin’s No. 1 rifle has a 24-inch barrel with a 1:12 twist rifling, so the ballistic values shown in the accompanying chart may not be quite achievable within safe pressure levels. However, if he limits the range to 300/350 yards, any varmint should be humanely dispatched. Answering the question, “Which one is the best varmint round?” is not so easy. They’re both great! The typical .204 Ruger rifle barrel has 1:12 RH twist. Factory ammo is typically loaded with bullets weighing 45 grains or less. Comparing similar .204 Ruger and .22-250 bullets (i.e., sectional density, ballistic coefficient), you’ll find the .204’s muzzle velocity is a bit faster than the .22-250’s. So if drag characteristics are almost equal and velocities favor the .204, the .204’s bullet is also traveling a bit faster and flatter out to extreme range. But not enough so that a groundhog or prairie dog struck by either bullet will notice! Theoretically, similar-weight .204 Ruger rifles generate a little less recoil, meaning the optic sight picture on a .22-250 rifle may be a bit less stable. I’ve actually never noticed any difference. In my shooting experience and based on my studious analysis of ballistics charts, with a 200-yard zero, the .204 Ruger is surely the “flattest and fastest” as advertised when comparing 40-grain bullets. Of course, if you’re hunting coyotes or bobcats, I think the .22-250 is preferable. The heavier bullets can be launched accurately even in 1:12 twist barrels. The improved ballistic coefficients of typical .22-caliber bullets compensate for the reduced muzzle velocities, ensuring optimal terminal performance on larger-size varmints.
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