Any love for the .204 Ruger?

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Ive got scads of AR lowers not in use, then I've been cranking out 80's like a third world sweatshop, I just cant decide what to build. My current AR's are carbines, quality built wearing Aimpoint PROS, and perform well. Been thinking of a precision AR for some time, mostly for target and sporting use.

I've long been a fan of small tiny bullets going really fast and punching tiny holes for small groups. I also love to varmint hunt. I have several .223's, 22-250's all in heavy bolt gun configurations, but never had a precision gas gun. Looking at the 204 Ruger, it looks like speed is king for the performance it boasts. One would think such a light bullet wouldnt do good at distance but it hangs right in there if not surpasses most all varmint rounds. I liken it to explaining why the 17hmr was/is so accurate. It gets to the target faster therefore having less time in the air for conditions to affect it.

When it comes to varmint rounds and wildcats, the sky is the limit, but i want this to be commercially supported with available components. I'll splurge on a barrel, trigger and optics. For a barrel I'm looking at a Lija, Hart, Douglass, all the known performers. Wilson has a match grade 204 barrel for half the price, and while Wilson is certainly known for quality, I wonder why they are half of the price as other top players? Optic will be a Leupold.

Typical use will be rangetime out to 200, and out to 400 tops in field conditions with most shots on wiley coyote being 75-150 most typical. Not concerned with weight too much. Areas I hunt are easy in and easy out access for different stands on different properties so I'm not walking miles or anything.

So, anyone run an AR in 204?
 
I have always been interested in getting a 204 upper but they are difficult to find nowadays. At one point they were all over the place it seemed but that has dried up.
 
308Rifleman, Id go with a 22-24 inch barrel, no desire to shorten this thing up. Most available barrels are of the appropriate length.

Boilermaker, plenty of uppers out there, but I'm leary of the barrels they use. Its easy enough to build one so thats my planned rout. I have everything needed already except the barrel.
 
My only experience with the .204 Ruger was a Savage bolt-action Model 110 with a 24" barrel. .204 ballistics are published using a 24" test barrel. How the round performs out of a typical 16" AR barrel would be an entirely different matter.

Howd you like the rounds performance out of that 24" tube?
 
Years ago in varmint mags, there was some guy pitching the .19Calhoon or something like that. Every month there was a big ad by the guy. I don't think it ever took off. It was mega-specialized.

My biggest gripe with all of the sub-.22 rounds (besides being odd ducks in the first place) is that you have to watch out which cleaning supplies you get. Some rods and jags and such are too fat for a 17, 19 or 20 caliber bbl.
 
I don’t have an AR setup but I have a Cooper Firearms 204 Ruger. The round is incredible from a ballistic and shooting experience. It’s my chuck gun and it’s freaking deadly. I took it to South Dakota last summer for a Prairie Dog hunt and it’s a round you can shoot all day. I like that the recoil is so minimal that the scope never comes off the target. The only limitation was taking very long shots the round is susceptible to wind a fair amount. I shoot the 32 Grain V-Max and it’s blazing fast, it chronographs at 4250fps from my Cooper.
 
I have built a number of 204 Ruger AR's this is a great round for the AR platform. A great long distance varmint round build on with a 24 or 26 inch SS barrel don't worry about a muzzle brake not needed and make sure you free floor the barrel and use a bipod. You will also want a powerful scope
 
We had a local guy who wanted to try his hand at Highpower Rifle prone shooting. He went out (before asking any advice on what to buy) and bought a Savage bolt rifle in 204 and quickly found out it couldn't hang with a .223 out past 300 yards.
The good news is that he donated the rifle to our range to raffle off and I won the raffle! That thing really puts a smack down on porcupines.
 
I have built a number of 204 Ruger AR's this is a great round for the AR platform. A great long distance varmint round build on with a 24 or 26 inch SS barrel don't worry about a muzzle brake not needed and make sure you free floor the barrel and use a bipod. You will also want a powerful scope


Thats my plan. No muzzle device, just a nice crown, free float tube and a quality bipod.
 
Right at advertised velocity, +/- 30 fps or so. Damned good accuracy; lives up to its reputation if the shooter does his part.

Thats good to hear. About the only downside is that brass is a little on the high side compared to similar cartridges. This isn't going to be a range blaster, ripping through mags though.
 
Thats good to hear. About the only downside is that brass is a little on the high side compared to similar cartridges. This isn't going to be a range blaster, ripping through mags though.

I have been saving all of my brass but I don’t have the dies to reload. If you decide to build this thing and you want to reload send me a PM. If I decide not to reload 204 I will send you my brass. It’s all Hornady brass that’s been shot once.
 
I have been saving all of my brass but I don’t have the dies to reload. If you decide to build this thing and you want to reload send me a PM. If I decide not to reload 204 I will send you my brass. It’s all Hornady brass that’s been shot once.


Much appreciated.
 
mostly dumb
there are very few situations where one really benefits from a 204 chambering over a 223
barrel life in .204 ruger is a serious consideration
there's a reason why these oddball chambered uppers are available and cheap, because you can sell a 223 upper with syphilis faster than a 204 upper
if it's a why-not build then sure go for it
personally if i wanted to F around in 204 ruger it would be with a bolt gun not a gas gun
 
Thats good to hear. About the only downside is that brass is a little on the high side compared to similar cartridges. This isn't going to be a range blaster, ripping through mags though.
I contacted my friend who owns the Savage .204 Ruger. He told me to let you know that you should clean your barrel every 20 rounds. Copper fouling builds up quickly in that caliber.
 
I contacted my friend who owns the Savage .204 Ruger. He told me to let you know that you should clean your barrel every 20 rounds. Copper fouling builds up quickly in that caliber.

Your friend is shooting some shit ammo or his barrel is junk, I have almost 600 rounds through mine and the barrel is perfect. I have cleaned it four times and there was not any buildup.
 
I have a pet rifle, its a Rem700 VLS in .223

It consistently shoots .2's and .3's with IMR 4198 and the 45gr Sierra #1310

No fancy optics, nothing special done to the rifle. I had a trigger job done to it and it breaks like a glass rod at 2lbs. This rifle shouldn't shoot as good as it does for being pretty much bone stock. The only thing that goes down the bore are bullets. I've never cleaned it in the past 10-15 years aside from a patch with some J&B non embedding bore compound.

In theory, if you have a quality barrel, the best shot its ever going to shoot is its first shot, and the more shots you put through it just eat into its life. I've had several rifle builders and gunsmiths tell me they see more damage from over zealous and unneeded cleaning that actual use.
 
Do you hunt in MA? .204 Ruger seems appealing in an AR pistol for some coyote sets.


Don't hunt MA, but the appeal to the 204 is speed. I imagine it would lose a good bit in a pistol length barrel, and at that point a .223 would be better. .223 still loses velocity in shorter barrels, but at least one can run heavier bullets.
 
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