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Thread: COAL - 204 Ruger

  1. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by jackal1 View Post
    Firstly well done Elliot on the group, good shooting. I knew you would come to the dark side eventually and get a 204.

    Dave don't ask me why because the answer will simply be "i don't know", however i had far, far more runners with my .223 than the .204. Whether i used 40grn or 53grn it made no difference. After trying my current night vision equipped Supervarmint in 204 for about a fortnight i realised the 223 would remain in the cupboard, so i sold it and bought another Supervarmint for day use. I did briefly try my 243 at night but didn't like the fact that i lost sight picture due to recoil so gave up on it. I use 32grn bullets and rarely get a runner, certainly not if they have been hit in the engine room. They don't often leave any marks on the fox, you sometimes struggle to see an entry wound but on recovery of the carcass it sounds like a bag of jelly.
    Sounds similar to my experience with 50 gr z-max out of the .223 AI, apart from my permission n west wakes where the foxes are of slighter build.

    Surprised you're losing sight picture with a light bullet in .243, I have no issues with 85s in the creedmoor at 3350 fps, though that a 24" varmint so weight may come in to play.
    Thanks for looking

  2. #32
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    Its not just the recoil from the 243, its the burnt power smoke that drifts up in front of the n/v, some times i see the shot strike some times i dont -----tend to listen for the impact sound.

    Dave (warbucks)
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  3. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by warbucks View Post
    Its not just the recoil from the 243, its the burnt power smoke that drifts up in front of the n/v, some times i see the shot strike some times i dont -----tend to listen for the impact sound.

    Dave (warbucks)

    Listening for impact sound i:e a pop, is ok but it can make the same sound on a complete miss when the bullet hits soft ground.

  4. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by jackal1 View Post
    Firstly well done Elliot on the group, good shooting. I knew you would come to the dark side eventually and get a 204.
    Aye, not a bad little varmint calibre

    .22LR CZ452; .22 Hornet CZ527
    Tikka T3 Varmint .223; .204 Ruger CZ527 Varmint;
    6.5 Creed Bergara B14 HMR

  5. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by warbucks View Post
    Its not just the recoil from the 243, its the burnt power smoke that drifts up in front of the n/v, some times i see the shot strike some times i dont -----tend to listen for the impact sound.

    Dave (warbucks)
    Maybe try a cleaner burning powder? Have never really had an issue with this in any calibre with and NV.

    Juts a thought too, when your barrel burns out on the .243 a rebarrel to a slow twist .22-250 for £700-900 then the world is your oyster, 69 gr TMK out of a 1:9 22-250 is gong to be good medicine for any fox.

    Quote Originally Posted by jackal1 View Post
    Listening for impact sound i:e a pop, is ok but it can make the same sound on a complete miss when the bullet hits soft ground.
    I had this last week, head shot a rabbit, got on to a second 30 yards behind, lights out (battery went on IR with recoil) but exactly same sound, thought it was 2 for 2 but scan with the thermal and the second is running up the hill so the strike into the soft ground mimicked the head shot sound.
    Thanks for looking

  6. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Elliott View Post
    Aye, not a bad little varmint calibre
    So has this superseded the hornet as your favourite?
    Thanks for looking

  7. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by 223AI View Post
    So has this superseded the hornet as your favourite?
    Tough call!

    Summer time, calm weather and the 22 Hornet still has it for anything sub 300 yards. Handy 200 yard fox rifle on the small perms, too.

    Bit of a wind, or past 300 yards and the 204, I reckon. It's pretty versitile. Probably the perfect corvid calibre.

    .22LR CZ452; .22 Hornet CZ527
    Tikka T3 Varmint .223; .204 Ruger CZ527 Varmint;
    6.5 Creed Bergara B14 HMR

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