.204Ruger VS 22-250 Age old Question

[Fordevr]

I have seen this discussion in many forums and you always hear back and forth banter about which is better.
If you compare identical bullets
If you compare the best bullet for that caliber
Better wind handling capabilities

Here is a chart showing the best bullet for that rifle in hornady ammo.

LOOK AT THE BOTTOM ROUND FOR EACH CALIBER.

I am a Die hard .204 Ruger guy but in energy the .22-250 may have a slight edge. But the gap closes the further you get. I want a fur friendly round for coyotes that kills quickly. I think both do that very very well.

[tikka250]

and now just to make things more confusing look at the ballistic coefficients between bullets in each caliber. long story short is you can analyze this until your head explodes but in the end both calibers kill coyotes dead with minimal damage and both can be shot to fairly extended ranges.

[southernman]

We're are the 55 gr and heavier hornardy bullets,

53 gr v-max or a 75 gr a-max or Eld, and the .204 won't even be close once the distance stretches out,
Mind you a .204 with a fast twist, and a 55 gr Berger is pretty impressive,
I've sold both my 22-250 and .204, nothing wrong with either, the 22-250 was too heavy rifle ten plus lbs and the .204 I could get the heavy weight 39,40 gr to shoot well.
6x47 Rem, 20 Vartarg, & a fast twist .223 have me covered. Gophers to coyotes,

[ramonmark]

I thought that age old question was 220 swift vs 22-250. 😜

[Fordevr]

Originally Posted by southernman

We're are the 55 gr and heavier hornardy bullets,

53 gr v-max or a 75 gr a-max or Eld, and the .204 won't even be close once the distance stretches out,
Mind you a .204 with a fast twist, and a 55 gr Berger is pretty impressive,
I've sold both my 22-250 and .204, nothing wrong with either, the 22-250 was too heavy rifle ten plus lbs and the .204 I could get the heavy weight 39,40 gr to shoot well.
6x47 Rem, 20 Vartarg, & a fast twist .223 have me covered. Gophers to coyotes,

Comparing a hornady to a hornady it was the best I could find in there website.

[Fordevr]

Originally Posted by southernman

We're are the 55 gr and heavier hornardy bullets,

53 gr v-max or a 75 gr a-max or Eld, and the .204 won't even be close once the distance stretches out,
Mind you a .204 with a fast twist, and a 55 gr Berger is pretty impressive,
I've sold both my 22-250 and .204, nothing wrong with either, the 22-250 was too heavy rifle ten plus lbs and the .204 I could get the heavy weight 39,40 gr to shoot well.
6x47 Rem, 20 Vartarg, & a fast twist .223 have me covered. Gophers to coyotes,

Havnt looked at it a lot but just from the shows and videos I have watched the .223 is a Shani Twain round..."Don't impress me much"

[nube]

204 vs 22 250 for fur friendly it is not even a question. I've shot the 22 250 for years and if not hit just right with the right bullet then good luck sewing your coyote up.
The 204 it is a rare thing a coyote is blown up.
I have a buddy who shoots his beaver with body shots with a 204. No exit and the hole is so small he grades very hi wit his fur and does not get Damaged when graded.
204 is the only way to go if your keeping fur and has a huge advantage. Not sure why but if you use the same bullets in both it is quite noticeable if you kill a lot of stuff

[Fordevr]

Originally Posted by nube

204 vs 22 250 for fur friendly it is not even a question. I've shot the 22 250 for years and if not hit just right with the right bullet then good luck sewing your coyote up.
The 204 it is a rare thing a coyote is blown up.
I have a buddy who shoots his beaver with body shots with a 204. No exit and the hole is so small he grades very hi wit his fur and does not get Damaged when graded.
204 is the only way to go if your keeping fur and has a huge advantage. Not sure why but if you use the same bullets in both it is quite noticeable if you kill a lot of stuff

I agree the .204 is a great fur round. If I'm close (under 50 yards) the .204 can make a big entrance hole, (have a video of a close up 20 yard shot coyote with the .204 with 32 gr.vmax and it made a huge entrance hole) but I have a 12 gauge and hornady coyote nickel plated BB to fix that problem between 10-45yrds. I watch Les Johnsons show Predator Quest and not many ppl have shot more coyotes than him and he loves the 22-250 and factory 55gr. vmax and they appear to be very fur friendly.

[nube]

Originally Posted by Fordevr

I agree the .204 is a great fur round. If I'm close (under 50 yards) the .204 can make a big entrance hole, (have a video of a close up 20 yard shot coyote with the .204 with 32 gr.vmax and it made a huge entrance hole) but I have a 12 gauge and hornady coyote nickel plated BB to fix that problem between 10-45yrds. I watch Les Johnsons show Predator Quest and not many ppl have shot more coyotes than him and he loves the 22-250 and factory 55gr. vmax and they appear to be very fur friendly.

But I bet you don't get exit holes with that 204 at close range do you very often?
Anything will blow a big hole at close range. But you will see it twice as bad with a 22 250 at under 50 yards especially if you hit bone.
I find with the larger heavier 22 250 bullets you get 2 holes and that is not fur friendly. If i can hit further back in the ribs on a yote I can usually be o.k with a 22 250 half the time. Problem is that you usually don't hit them where you like a lot of times.
Baiscaly both guns shoot as flat as each other. Downside of the 204 is wind drift which most days is not a big deal.
If you want to keep fur then 204 hands down is the best chance for fur survival compared tot he 22 250.

[southernman]

Hay nube.
You ever give the .17 fireball or .17 Remington a run on coyotes, I only shot a few, a year, and aren't doing it for a living, so don't much worry about condition.
the 3 or 4 I shot with the .17 fireball, I had a difficult time finding the entrance hole,
Seemed to me,that they would be good pelt calibiers, esp the . 17 Rem With a 25 v-max, or Hp,

[tikka250]

The big drawback with the 17s is knockdown power at distance. If you are shooting 150 yards only i think they would be awesome.

[stob]

Originally Posted by nube

204 vs 22 250 for fur friendly it is not even a question. I've shot the 22 250 for years and if not hit just right with the right bullet then good luck sewing your coyote up.
The 204 it is a rare thing a coyote is blown up.
I have a buddy who shoots his beaver with body shots with a 204. No exit and the hole is so small he grades very hi wit his fur and does not get Damaged when graded.
204 is the only way to go if your keeping fur and has a huge advantage. Not sure why but if you use the same bullets in both it is quite noticeable if you kill a lot of stuff

x2 ... you put the 204 pill into the lungs out to 450M and it is a clean kill ... PS: I shoot a 22-250 with 40gr nosler at 4150fps and I have had no issues with pelt damage past 150M... inside of that I can have some coyotecatasktophies

[Fordevr]

Originally Posted by nube

But I bet you don't get exit holes with that 204 at close range do you very often?
Anything will blow a big hole at close range. But you will see it twice as bad with a 22 250 at under 50 yards especially if you hit bone.
I find with the larger heavier 22 250 bullets you get 2 holes and that is not fur friendly. If i can hit further back in the ribs on a yote I can usually be o.k with a 22 250 half the time. Problem is that you usually don't hit them where you like a lot of times.
Baiscaly both guns shoot as flat as each other. Downside of the 204 is wind drift which most days is not a big deal.
If you want to keep fur then 204 hands down is the best chance for fur survival compared tot he 22 250.

Now that you mention it the exits are far and few between. My brother in law came out for his first coyote hunt and got all jacked up on adrenaline when 3 came in and said he shot at the chest on a frontal shot but smoked it between the eyes(beginners luck). Was only a 50 yard shot but didn't exit. That one surprised me. If we wanted to keep the fur it would have blown a hole through the back of its head but because they were outta season there was no damage. 😦

[Battle Rat]

I've switched to 204 with 40gr Hornady a while back and it's been killing dogs every bit as good as the 250 with less pelt damage.
I've shot tom cats with no exit.
For an added bonus there is no barrel jump so you can see the gopher or pigeon explode.

[Camdec]

Originally Posted by nube

204 vs 22 250 for fur friendly it is not even a question. I've shot the 22 250 for years and if not hit just right with the right bullet then good luck sewing your coyote up.
The 204 it is a rare thing a coyote is blown up.
I have a buddy who shoots his beaver with body shots with a 204. No exit and the hole is so small he grades very hi wit his fur and does not get Damaged when graded.
204 is the only way to go if your keeping fur and has a huge advantage. Not sure why but if you use the same bullets in both it is quite noticeable if you kill a lot of stuff

X2

[nube]

Originally Posted by southernman

Hay nube.
You ever give the .17 fireball or .17 Remington a run on coyotes, I only shot a few, a year, and aren't doing it for a living, so don't much worry about condition.
the 3 or 4 I shot with the .17 fireball, I had a difficult time finding the entrance hole,
Seemed to me,that they would be good pelt calibiers, esp the . 17 Rem With a 25 v-max, or Hp,

Nope I havn't but I am sure they would do very well. The only issue would be maybe lacking in range abilities and knockdown power on a bad shot but I am sure at a decent range they would be great

[Fordevr]

Has anyone shot coyotes with Federal Premium 40 gr nosler ballistic tip? Shoots better outta my gun than the hornady 40 or 32 vmax. Says slower on the box but hit the target slightly higher so makes me wonder🤔 Need to chrony it.

[nube]

I'd stick with the v max if fur is wanting to be kept. Better chance of no pass through.
Every bullet will usually hit different than one another with different ammunition. Just because it hits higher does not mean it is a hotter load.
Those little 204's are sure impressive flat shooting guns so a hot load is not going to get you much extra in my mind

[Fordevr]

Think I'll sacrifice a couple of my wife's zucchini and put cardboard 5 ft behind them. See if either bullet makes it through both.

[ForwardBias]

Personally im a 223 rem man for coyote hunting. 50gn sierra varminter has been quite fur friendly for me. I do admire the 204, and have run 22-250s. Id love to play around with a fast twist 22-250 one day. It would be neat to have that powder capacity behind them heavy 22 cal pills.

[lclund1946]

Originally Posted by stob

x2 ... you put the 204 pill into the lungs out to 450M and it is a clean kill ... PS: I shoot a 22-250 with 40gr nosler at 4150fps and I have had no issues with pelt damage past 150M... inside of that I can have some coyotecatasktophies

The 55 Berger at 3060-3200 has about the same energy at the muzzle as your 22-250 yet more energy at 500 than a 55 grain bullet from a 22-250. It is perhaps the ultimate coyote caliber to 500 yards and the only choice if you want a 55 Berger to fit to the lands and still fit in the magazine.

Originally Posted by lclund1946

The 55 Berger in at 3060 is has more energy and drifts less in the wind than a factory Hornady 55 V-Max in a 22-250. However it has similar energy at the muzzle as the 22-250 at 150 yards which makes it much more fur friendly. As well much less powder is required to do the job.

[IMG][/IMG]

20 Extreme fits in a standard 2.26" magazine and will run 3060 to 3200+ fps, in a 24" barrel, with 22.0 grains of powder and stabilizes with an 11" Twist.
[IMG][/IMG]

20 Practical with 24" barrel and 23.5 grains of powder will stabilize with a 10" twist.
[IMG][/IMG]

[QUOTE=lclund1946;3564644]I finally got to try the 55 Berger loads that showed promise on my initial pressure /accuracy ladder. I didn't quite get the 1/4 MOA group that I was hoping for as I had a flier on the 22.2 grain load before putting 4 into 0.222". Perhaps next time, when I shoot for accuracy I will get it right. I was a bit low on my initial velocity estimates as this load flew across the Lab Radar at 3223 fps. The temperature was at 22.2 Celsius which likely helped as I tested it initially at 14 Celsius.

[IMG][/IMG]

The 20 EXTREME is also great for gophers:

Originally Posted by lclund1946

Got a chance to chronograph my 39 grain BK gopher load in the Kreiger 25", 9" twist barrel. The Lab Radar confirmed that this load shoots 3500 fps, on average, as did my Chrony. This load has shot this good or better in all of the 20 Extreme rifles I have shot it in.
[IMG][/IMG]

[bucksnbears]

I,d have a .204 if someone would make a good 35 grain bullet in a soft point.
Seen WAY to many getawy getting shot with light jacketed varmint pills

[Battle Rat]

Originally Posted by bucksnbears

I,d have a .204 if someone would make a good 35 grain bullet in a soft point.
Seen WAY to many getawy getting shot with light jacketed varmint pills

Use a 40 gr Hornady and they don't get up.
I don't know what the attraction to the lighter bullets is.

[bucksnbears]

Originally Posted by Battle Rat

Use a 40 gr Hornady and they don't get up.
I don't know what the attraction to the lighter bullets is.

Cuz most .204's have a barrel twist that won't shoot a heavy long bullet

[Fordevr]

This is Factory Tikka T3 HB in .204 with Factory 40 gr ammo. Just tried them and got 2 more boxes on order. Zucchini tests soon to follow. 😁

[Fordevr]

Originally Posted by bucksnbears

I,d have a .204 if someone would make a good 35 grain bullet in a soft point.
Seen WAY to many getawy getting shot with light jacketed varmint pills

Give me a 32 gr vmax and if I do my part there not walking anywhere and usually they just tip over. They go in 2 inches and explode. Skinned many and it's always the same story...Bang, flop.

[6tmile]

I have used both over the last 5+ years and always have gone back to 22250. I reload the 250 with if I recollect right 34 grains of varget with a 55 grain hornady soft point. Head shots, rib shots and even a couple of Texas heart shots and this recipe seems to work very well for me. Very little fur damage at all. My father inlaw loves his 223. He bought a savage and it shoots like a lazer for him.

[Battle Rat]

Originally Posted by bucksnbears

Cuz most .204's have a barrel twist that won't shoot a heavy long bullet

That could be.
My Savage I think is a 1 in 9.
I'm getting tight groups with both 26gr Barnes Varmint Grenade ( don't try that on anything bigger than gophers) and with 40 gr V max.

[Fordevr]

Originally Posted by 6tmile

I have used both over the last 5+ years and always have gone back to 22250. I reload the 250 with if I recollect right 34 grains of varget with a 55 grain hornady soft point. Head shots, rib shots and even a couple of Texas heart shots and this recipe seems to work very well for me. Very little fur damage at all. My father inlaw loves his 223. He bought a savage and it shoots like a lazer for him.

What features do you not like about the .204 that makes you go back to the
22-250? Starting in oct I'm gonna start a tread where ppl can post coyote pics they have shot and we can see what causes damage and what doesn't. For that to work ppl will have to post them all not just the good ones...🤔

[bucksnbears]

Coyotes/cartridge/bullets will
L always be a contraversial subject.
Coyotes ain't a varmint!
I've shot 100's and have been involved in coyote tournaments where l00'smore have been shot.
The ONLY plastic tipped bullet that what I would be comfortable seriously hunting coyotes with in smaller calibers is a nosller ballistic tip.
V-max bullets are the worst!! (good for prairie dogs though)
Coyotes are tough and need a good/stought bullet.sure, millions of coyotes have been killed with v max type bullets but I've seen WAY too many get away.