204 Ruger, which factory rifle?

[Tom Kat]

I dont suggest in any way that my production rifle could hold a candle to a custom rifle, Cooper is top of the line. I just wanted the original poster to know what the full spectrum is that is he could do.

I am am the Walmart end of things. Its your money, spend it as you see fit.
Signed, Retired in 2 years and 10 months.

[SecretCode]

MTPual welcome!

Seeing your in a bit of a pickle about which one to choose I'll throw my 2 cents in on the Savage VLP. Mine would hover around .75"-.85" with factory superformance ammo when I first bought it. Have since gotten into reloading which I see is not on the docket for ya which is just fine. But after I did it really woke up and started being able to achieve groups in the .3's. That's just loading to book specs and not messing with overall length.

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39 grain speer TNT's over Benchmark, Dogtown Brass
Take .204 from .501 and that was a .301 4 shot group.

I started with a Vortex for glass but saved up and picked up a Leupold with Varmint Hunter Reticle and love it so much more. Don't necessarily need that reticle but the fine cross hairs really make a difference.

As others have said if a custom isn't out of the picture or pocket book, then definitely look at one especially with an 11 twist barrel for the 40's. Regardless if you find a Cooper or something else you like, you'll probably end up loving this little cartridge. It still amazes me how it hits those little furry targets with authority. Easily one of my favorite cartridges and calibers.

[MTPaul]

Now that we've established three rifle manufacturers are no longer providing the 204R as a factory option (Sako, Tikka, CZ) the only option to pick one up from one of these gun makers would be on the open market (eg. Gun Broker, Guns America, gun shops, pawn shops or private sellers). While the possibility certainly exists to find one in a NIB (new in box) condition, in all likelihood it would be used and to be acceptable it would need to be in a lightly used condition. I'm not holding my breath.

I think it's a safe bet to say the Cooper Montana Varmint is the standard factory option by which all others will be measured. I have contacted Cooper and asked about their current production timeline to deliver a 204R in the MT Varmint. This leaves the Savage 12 LRPV, Savage 12 VLP and the Kimber Varmint still in the running as far as the only factory options still being produced. I do not have any experience with any of these three rifles, so I am asking those with first-hand knowledge of their build quality and accuracy to chime in with your thoughts. (thank you secretcode!)

I will continue to pursue the custom build option with Pac-Nor and Bryant and see what they too can provide without necessarily costing me an arm or a leg or rivaling the national debt in the process.

[Rick in Oregon]

Paul, I totally forgot the Kimber 84M Varmint, which I also have in 204R and forgot to list....sorry.

I have done nothing to mine whatsoever, it's still factory stock, even the trigger, which is completely acceptable for a walkabout rifle, right at 2.5 lbs after some tweaking. I got this one for a walkabout rifle for chucks and coyotes of opportunity, and for that purpose, it's about perfect in terms of handling, carry weight and accuracy. It's the only 204R I own that is a repeater, hence the 'coyote and walkabout' criteria.

Mine is not a bench-quality rifle in terms of accuracy, it shoots very good, but being a repeater, it has the magazine cutout, reducing the action stiffness like all repeaters. This feature alone is one of the primary reasons the Cooper rifles shoot so well.....the actions are indeed stiff. My Kimber could be called a 1/2" or a bit less rifle, and for the intended purpose, that's acceptable accuracy.



The Kimber 84M (short action) is available in more than a few configurations, which is a nice option. Kimber uses grades of wood not commonly found in production rifles (like Cooper), offers synthetic stock options, carbon steel or stainless barrels, fluted barrels and barrel contour/weight options last time I looked. I scoped mine with a Leupold VX3 4.5X14 LR (30mm tube), 40mm objective, VHR, and I added the excellent military M1 elevation turret from the custom shop which I usually do on my varmint rifles, and seated in Leupold STD Low rings to get the scope as low to the bore axis as possible. A lifetime of shooting has taught me that for me at least, Leupold is the only brand I'll consider, has the best lifetime warranty in the business, and stellar customer service too. Leupold has served me well for my entire adult life. Since that pic was taken, all my Leupold scopes have had their nice Alumna scope flip-caps added.....a very nice piece of kit.

These rifles are more practical than my Coopers in terms of field-worthiness/carrying all day, and look good doing it. They are basically a mini-Pre-'64 Model 70 Winchester with controlled-round feed, are priced at a lower price point than the Coopers, and seem to be more readily available in the pipeline. Worth a lookie-see, and offers another factory rifle option to the shrinking list of factory 204R offerings.

Good luck with your quest, keep us posted as to your progress. "Helping" other shooters spend their money is our job here, we like to think we're good at it.

[SecretCode]

Don't rule out a Savage target action to build on or even the LRPV with HS Precision stock. I've been a day late or a few dollars short on some used ones for sale locally and online forums the past few yrs. I'm like you don't have unlimited or even a fun limit to spend. Kids are still growing and teeth need straightening.

[SecretCode]

Rick it seems your gettin' furrgetful. Better send that Kimber my way so as to not have to keep track of it no more.

[Rick in Oregon]

Rick it seems your gettin' furrgetful. Better send that Kimber my way so as to not have to keep track of it no more.

HA!

But you're right. A lifetime of buying and trading guns, a safe so full that I occasionally "find" something in the back that hasn't been seen in a few years. When 'found', it's like a new gun magically appeared!

I suppose it's a good 'problem' to have, another feature of the joys of "Geezerhood"!

[MTPaul]

I appreciate all the helpful suggestions on how best to spend a few of my hard-earned silver certificates! Yes, the Kimber did catch my eye due to the apparent build quality and now having a personal endorsement from Rick only adds to the allure of this rifle. I noticed on the "Swap Meet" page there was a Lilja barrel listed for the Cooper. I don't yet know whether it is still available. It shows the Lilja barrel as having a 11:1 twist and I would imagine since it is a blank, it might well be long enough to provide a 26-inch barrel when finished. I recall many people saying the factory stock 12 twist barrels generally a tough time stabilizing the 40 grain bullet offerings so this swap could potentially open up a wider window of shooting opportunities, particularly for bullets with higher BCs, therefore improving the odds of making more accurate and longer shots, particularly when the wind becomes a factor.

I also have a Lilja barrel on my Savage 17 Hornet and can attest to the improvement in accuracy it provided over the stock factory barrel. I wonder what others think about the Lilja barrel (11:1 twist and possibly 26 inch) as a possible improvement over the stock Kimber barrel offering (12:1 twist and a 24 inch)? Is it worth the $400 cost? I understand "worth" is a subjective measure relative to each person. It will bring the total cost to just under $2,000 if I add the Lilja to the MSPR of the Kimber.

[Rick in Oregon]

Paul, check your PM's IRT the Lilja barrel. I'll add that I've got a few Lilja's, and all have been tip-top in every regard....very accurate and easy to clean up after a hot time in the rat patch.

The 11T is most likely the very best twist for the 204R, and why the factories did not change over to that twist rate after a few years of owners field experience is beyond me and others. It will stabilize about any bullet weight up to 40grs in the 204R very well as I found out myself.

[skipper]

Plus one on the Lilja barrels. I'm amazed at the bench accuracy of this barrel.

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Right bolt left port has its advantages when shooting groups. Becomes second nature.

[Rick in Oregon]

Plus one on the Lilja barrels. I'm amazed at the bench accuracy of this barrel.

Right bolt left port has its advantages when shooting groups. Becomes second nature.

And that configuration is the hot setup when bench shooting PD's or ground squirrels too. I wish more manufacturers offered that configuration as production items other than Savage.

I put a Lilja barrel on my Ruger 77/22 Mag as a 17HMR, and it shoots like a CF bench rifle now.



It turned out to be a great GS rifle for work in the mornings when the wind is light, and good for just over 250 yds on those critters...and NO reloading!

[jsh]

I am another Savage fan. I have swapped numerous barrels on mine. I have used prefit and been happy with them. An easy quick chore for most smiths if your not sure about taking it on yourself.
I prefer a heavy rig so I have come to like KRG and Choate stocks/chassis. The empty spots can be used for weight by adding shot.

My factory Savage 204 prefers 32-34 grain bullets. I figure after this year a new barrel is in order and will address twist and groove when I get there.

I have or have had other actions but I still tinker with Savage of various calibers and models. I can’t or won’t complain about them as I have an ugly duckling that has made a few eat crow.

I like Leupold also but I have found Arken to work well for me. They are a large optic and not what I would call graceful. Nonetheless my rigs are purpose built for the task, so the somewhat large optic doesn’t t bother me. Yeah a Cooper or Kimber deserves some cosmetics.
Between four I hunt with we have close to two dozen between us now. I have one spare just waiting for another build of some type.

Forgot to mention. My first 204 was a CZ Varmint it preferred 32 grain factory ammo. The Fiocchi was great ammo when it could be found. The 40 grain Hornady shot ok, suspect it may have been a twist issue.

[Tom Kat]

A little sad no one on this forum owns or shoots an American Predator. I had several Ruger 77's in the past, they make a good production rifle.

[MTPaul]

New Kimber rifle update. After contacting my FFL about purchasing a Kimber Varmint in 204R with a walnut stock (not that the type of stock really mattered), they reached out to their Kimber Regional Sales Account Manager who told them the following;

"We will not likely be building that rifle in 2024, and it cannot be ordered at this time. We are hoping to have some new models late this year to offer."

The search goes on...but the factory options continue to dwindle...

[skipper]

I was just looking at the Sportsman's Warehouse website and I see two pages full of 204 Ruger rifles for sale. Even if they don't have the specific one you want right there in MT, they can probably ship it to a store near you.