204Ruger

I have two rifles chambered in 204 Ruger. I have had a 204 since they came out and my only complaint has been the lack of bullet selection. I got several splash impacts on coyotes and beavers with the 39 grain sierra and the 32 vmax. I switched to the 35 Berger and haven’t had any more splashes, but i wish there were more options for quality hunting bullets that would stabilize in 1/12 twist barrels, and something built for better penetration. Sierra needs to build a .204 35 grain Gameking constructed like the 55 grain #1365. Or a Hornady 35-37 grain SST.

Instead of posting that here, why not go to the Sierra site and tell them under the "Contact Us" tab.

That just might have more effect/results. Just sayin'......

I have called and emailed Sierra about it several times. I thought maybe suggesting the idea on here might spark an interest in others and they would call/email sierra too. I thought that’s what this forum was for… to discuss ideas with other 204 owners. I’ve been a member of the forum for years and everyone has been helpful. This is the first time for a smart a$$ reply (and it was from a moderator). Maybe why the forum no longer gets much activity.. just saying…

Well then deltahunter, my remarks were not intended to be smart arse, quite the contrary. And you're correct, the purpose of the forum is to exchange ideas and share information. But consider this....

Had you prefaced your post saying that you had indeed called Sierra several times about your wanted bullet, the response may have been a bit different. You failed to mention that.

Had you suggested that you wished other members to try as a group to petition Sierra for your wanted bullet, the response might have been different. You did not mention that either.

No one is a mind reader, including myself. If you post your wants and needs clearly and plainly, most here are willing to help. Cryptic posts get the appropriate responses, pity you took offense; it was not intended. Perhaps being more upfront and giving us a detailed request with full disclosure would get the answer you're looking for.

But as you appear to be a seasoned shooter and handloader, I'll offer this....from experience.

Bullet makers, like any company, work on profit by selling products that are in demand as you well know. The .204R is/was intended as a varmint cartridge, primarily intended for ground squirrels, prairie dogs and the like. Most shooters here over the years tout the accuracy and terminal performance of the 39gr SBK in 12T barrels. We also see most shooters after coyotes prefer the 35gr Berger as you mentioned. The 32gr SBK is intended for colony rodents, and not larger varmints as you've discovered.

In order to be profitable tooling up for a new bullet specifically intended for penetration on large mammals such as beaver, there would have to be a very large portion of the shooting public wanting it and willing to buy it before any major bullet maker would even consider the up front costs of different jackets, dies, dedicated bullet presses, marketing, engineering time and design. I've had a close relationship with an un-named bullet maker and am quite familiar with initial costs to introduce a completely new bullet.....moral: it ain't cheap and must have many potential customers willing to buy it.

Over time, forum participation here has waned as we've all seen. We've considered changing the forum title to include more small caliber cartridges instead of only one. To date, the forum owner has not made a decision in regard to this. As a suggestion, I'd advise posting your bullet want over on forums such as Shooters Forum and the like that are not dedicated to a single caliber in their internet listing as this one currently is. The AS forum gets a quantum amount of daily traffic, and your want would gain much more attention there compared to only listing it here. And trust me, bullet makers do indeed monitor these forums with their IT guys.

In the quest to shoot any and all the 40gr bullets and designed to reach the lands, I commissioned a match reamer and a Pac-Nor 11T barrel and could be more pleased with the results. You might consider that option too.

So I hope you understand and will admit I'm trying to help you with your request by the above. We all gain when we get clear and concise requests with all the pertinent information, and only by knowing the full details can anyone be of real assistance. Good luck with your quest, I sincerely hope it bears fruit in the end and you get the bullet you want. It may be an uphill trek, and only perseverance will make it happen....if enough shooters want it.

Late Edit: After pondering your post, for what you want to do, I'd suggest a .223 Rem, as you'd have a much wider range of bullet weights and styles, and I'd wager you already have at least one .223....who doesn't?