223 or 204 Ruger?

[Deerhntr71]

I am trying to choose between the two for coyote, fox and plinking.

 

[velvetfvr]

Have both, and both are ver accurate, kill yotes and other varmints. Pretty flat shooting out to 300 yards

 

[Hilltop]

I have owned both. I now only have the .223. The .204 shoots great but in my opinion it has no real world advantages over the .223 in hunting situations. The ammo is more expensive and not as easy to find. Hide damage is very similar and I haven't noticed any difference in killing power.

 

[lostriverproductions]

Here where I live the 204 does more pelt damage then the 223, mainly on fox. I have both but tend to only use the 223 which I have 3 different set ups in. Plus ammo is cheaper

 

[go_deep]

.223 just like it was started above the ammo is cheaper and there is a huge variety.

 

[25contender]

.223 here and love it. Great fun shooting rifle.

 

[missjordan]

I was just trying to make the same decision and bought a Sako A7 25-06 because it was on sale

 

[Deerhntr71]

AR platform or bolt action?

 

[In God We Trust]

I just sold my .204. And picked up a .243. The .204 is a flat shooting round and mine was very accurate. It just doesn't have enough versatility and the rounds are pricey like others have stated. I think a .223 does everything a .204 does and more.

 

[roknHS]

I really like my .204 as a dedicated varmint rifle. Less recoil, less muzzle blast, shoots like a laser to 400yds and I find factory ammunition readily available. I load for mine so, my ammo is cheaper but, I don't think factory ammo price is scary.
.223 is a fine cartridge, if you like to shoot FMJ it can be cheaper I guess. I like the ballistics of the .204 better. The .223 can be used for deer so, maybe its more versatile. I wanted a dedicated varmint rifle and found the .204 to be just what I wanted. I wouldn't trade mine for a .223 of any kind. The first rifle I bought for my son was a .223. He killed his first deer and his first coyote with it. It performs flawlessly if he does his part. I think I can out shoot him with my .204...........maybe?

 

[JPSeveland]

I love my 204 ruger much better them the 223. I reload and also shoot hornady vmax ammo. Its a very accurate round for me and for what i use it for. The price diffrence in my 223 and 204 for a 40 grain vmax from hornady is about 3 cents diffrent when buying a box of ammo. I have shot alot of coyotes with the 204 ruger with both 32 and 40 grain bullets for me the 40 grain bullet performs better and i have very small intrence holes and exit holes smaller then my 223 so less stitches for me = thumbs up. If you are just wanting to go plinking all the time yes you can go buy a 6.00 box of 223 and throw some lead. My 204 is for hunting and its fun to shoot i have cut down some of my cost with reloading for this cartridge and still pleased with it.

 

[Musket Man]

The 204 Ruger has interested me since it came out so I built an AR 15 in it. I havent shot it alot yet but sofar I like it alot! Part of why I went with the 204 is the 223/5.56 is so popular and I wanted to do something different. There is alot more factory ammo avaliable for the 223 but I reload so that doesnt make alot of difference to me.