204 Maximum Effective Range

[Malazan]

What do you all think the realistic max range of this caliber is?

[Rick in Oregon]

IMHO, about 500 yards realistically, and that's with the 39/40 grainers. I've got there with 32's also, but the wind is really a factor with those. Shooting this caliber at greater distances with 12 twist barrels is really a 50/50 proposition in terms of first shot hit probability. JME

[Jim White]

My 204 loads w/39 SBK avg 270 lb/ft @ 500 yds. Not sure where that fits on the scale, but its great for sage rats

HTH

[fishy]

I can honestly say that my 204 was effective at 420 paces from the shooting bench I was sitting at. The prairie dog was DRT when we got out there and I wouldn't have believed I hit it but another guy had watched the hit in the spotting scope (thats why we walked out to it). I would have to say though that My personal effective range is in the 300 to 350 range. I start to shoot at stuff any farther than that and I start to miss alot more ( which is could have to do more with the shooter than anything else )

[Mike]

I've taken prairie dogs at 700 yards with my .204, but I certainly couldn't do that consistently. Rick summed it up nicely, as usual.

[204_au]

I've taken foxes out to 400 yards with the 204.

[Malazan]

I guess I should have stated, not so much the killing power, but when the bullet will start to get squirrely

[Trent]

Well that's easy! Everytime the bullets go through a squirrel... they get "squirrely".

[Jim White]

I guess I should have stated, not so much the killing power, but when the bullet will start to get squirrely

As the bullet approaches the speed of sound and definetly when it goes below it.

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

If you have long enough a barrel and tight enough a twist, you should be able to easily drive a 55-gr Berger to more than 3000 fps, which will remain supersonic to about 1000 yards. Almost 1100 with a near-max pressure load.

[Mike]

I guess I should have stated, not so much the killing power, but when the bullet will start to get squirrely

In my experience, weather conditions limit the effective range of the .204 much more than the bullet getting squirrely. As you go past 400 yards, even the 39 and 40 grain heads get pushed around badly by the wind.

[Rick in Oregon]

My experience mirrors what Mike said above. Environmental conditons will dictate the 204's maximum effective range....usually right about the 500 yard mark as previously stated. If you plan to shoot greater distances, there's much better cartridges available. The 204 Ruger is excellent for what it was designed for; varmints at 'typical' ranges (inside 500 yards).

Are you really asking when the bullet becomes sub-sonic?

[Malazan]

My experience mirrors what Mike said above. Environmental conditons will dictate the 204's maximum effective range....usually right about the 500 yard mark as previously stated. If you plan to shoot greater distances, there's much better cartridges available. The 204 Ruger is excellent for what it was designed for; varmints at 'typical' ranges (inside 500 yards).

Are you really asking when the bullet becomes sub-sonic?

No, more or less, when the wind really starts to mess it up

[Jim White]

Not trying to be cute...but if the 204 has an effective range of say...500 yards, the round is still effective regardless of the wind. Doping the wind falls to the shooter.

HTH

[Trent]

Not trying to be cute...but if the 204 has an effective range of say...500 yards, the round is still effective regardless of the wind. Doping the wind falls to the shooter.

HTH

I've always considered this to be true as well. If you know your gun in the wind (as you should if you shoot in the wind) then it doesn't matter what your drift in a 10mph wind is. If you know your deflection for your gun/ammo then it doesn't matter if it is 4 inches or if it is 8 inches.