204Ruger

Well the season is over and the 204 did well this year with 5 deer taken. They were all taken with the 40gr V Max bullets. First was a 120lb doe at 70yds in the white part of the neck. Dropped in her tracks! Second was a 2 1/2 yr old 7 pt buck 163lbs at ~200yds quartering to me with shot placement in the neck where it meets the shoulder. Dropped in his tracks! Third was a 70lb doe at 220yds just behind the shoulder and it ran ~50yds! Fourth was a 70lb button head at 220yds quartering to me with shot placement where neck meets shoulder and deer ran ~40yds! Fifth was a 70lb button head at 125yds with shot placement between eye and ear with head quartering to me and dropped in it's tracks! The only downfall I have found to shooting deer with the 204 is the low amount of blood the animal looses to be able to trail with. I do know that it does more damage than most calibers that I have seen deer shot with.

Well I'll be darned. I never really thought of the .204 as a deer cartridge. Have taken one small buck with a .223, but decided that was really too small for my comfort zone.

Congrats on your good results!

Dam how many deer are you allowed to kill? Only 2 here...

We can't use a .204 here in Michigan. It has to be a .22 or larger. My buddy uses his 22-250. He usually does the double lung shot and they act just like they've been hit by a bow. Hey Medic, here we can take up to 7 deer depending what part of the state we're hunting.

Speaking of large deer bag limits, when I lived in logging camps on the big island in BC, we could shoot TEN deer per season. The critters (Island Blacktail) were about the size of a great dane though, so you needed that many to feed a regular sized family for the winter.

Even though they were dinky deer, I never considered using any of my varmint rifles for them. The trusty .270 Win always came out of the safe, and no deer was ever lost. I'm not going to get into a caliber-for-deer debate, it's just the way I feel. Do what you feel is right......

Rick, I personally like seeing the deer slam to the ground. I use either a 300WSM or my muzzleloader. Both do the chore splendidly!

Medic52 wrote:Dam how many deer are you allowed to kill? Only 2 here...

Which part of Missouri do you hunt in?

I hunt in the north-central part of the state and I can buy as many doe tags as I want. I'm limited to one "any deer" tag, but does are unlimited.

Bergcrane2 wrote:We can't use a .204 here in Michigan. It has to be a .22 or larger. My buddy uses his 22-250. He usually does the double lung shot and they act just like they've been hit by a bow. Hey Medic, here we can take up to 7 deer depending what part of the state we're hunting.

Brian - Actually we can use the 204, the rule is just worded terribly. I actually sat next to a friend who is a CO this fall and watched him drop a big doe at about 175 yds with his 204. Doe was facing us, head down, he took her right where the neck meets the body. Used a 40gr VMax. She was DRT.

Rustyaxecamp wrote:

Bergcrane2 wrote:We can't use a .204 here in Michigan. It has to be a .22 or larger. My buddy uses his 22-250. He usually does the double lung shot and they act just like they've been hit by a bow. Hey Medic, here we can take up to 7 deer depending what part of the state we're hunting.

Brian - Actually we can use the 204, the rule is just worded terribly. I actually sat next to a friend who is a CO this fall and watched him drop a big doe at about 175 yds with his 204. Doe was facing us, head down, he took her right where the neck meets the body. Used a 40gr VMax. She was DRT.

By god, you're right!
<All Firearm Deer Seasons - Rifle Zone
In the rifle zone, deer may be taken with handguns, rifles, bows and arrows, shotguns and muzzleloading firearms including black powder handguns. It is legal to hunt deer in the rifle zone with any caliber of firearm except a .22 caliber or smaller rimfire (rifle or handgun). Crossbows are legal to use by a person 12 years of age or older during the Nov. 15-30 firearm deer season. During the firearm deer seasons, a firearm deer hunter may carry afield a bow and arrow and firearm.>

Bergcrane2 wrote:By god, you're right!

Can I get that in writing to show the wife?

Rustyaxecamp wrote:

Bergcrane2 wrote:By god, you're right!

Can I get that in writing to show the wife?

At least yours allows you to buy guns! I have to sneak mine. Ooops, did I say that out loud?

I have to sneak mine.

nope. its all in lower case

now if you need to whisper something on here

Glen wrote:

I have to sneak mine.

nope. its all in lower case

now if you need to whisper something on here

I'll have to remember that. Shhhh

Mike wrote:

Medic52 wrote:Dam how many deer are you allowed to kill? Only 2 here...

Which part of Missouri do you hunt in?

I hunt in the north-central part of the state and I can buy as many doe tags as I want. I'm limited to one "any deer" tag, but does are unlimited.

What town are you by in north centeral MO?