SmallCaliberCentral

been lurking around for awhile now and thought i would join in so i could ask a few questions .
been wanting to get a 204 , was wondering how accruate a remington sps model would be as compared to their varmint guns with heavier barrels .
i happen to have an older leupold 6.5-20 40mm scope laying around . this rifle will most likely be used for woodchuck hunting at no greater distance than 300 yds . the only time this rrifle would see any greater distance would be when i retire in a few years or sooner , i have a friend who goes out west prarrie dog hunting every year and he has been bugging me to go .
i realize that inherantly that a varmint barrel will probably do better , just wondering how well the sps models do ( alot cheaper too ) . i would probably pillar bed it and the front recoil lug and make sure the barrell is free floating . thats about it thanks , dan

It all depends on the type of shooting you will be doing. Regarding buying a "walk about" rifle (lighter in weight) vs a "Shooting Bench" type of rifle (heavier) that will be sending many more shots downrange. IMHO if the majority of your shooting is going to be for groundhogs the lighter rifle with the standard barrel will serve you well. If prairie Dog shooting plans are in the near future, the heavy barrel rifle wont heat up as fast and it would be my choice. Either one can produce the accuracy you desire. If you have the shooting skills and the knowledge and equipment to reload accurate ammunition you are half way there. The .204 Ruger is an excellent choice of cartridges for the type of shooting you mention. Welcome to the forum.

Welcome to the forum doobie

Check out a Savage with an Accu-stock in thier lighter models (11 & 16?)
No bedding required and chances are good it will outshoot a Remy.

As for shooting P dogs. If you can work a load using Win-748 your well ahead of the heat game. Stuff burns much cooler than other powders.

Giterdone is right on regarding the barrel type. I also would suggest looking at a Savage as most of them will shoot small groups right out of the box. I have a heavier Savage 12 VLP for bench shooting and a lighter Savage 11BTH for a carry rifle. Both will shoot 3 shots under a dime at 100 yards right out of the box, with the same load. Head shots on sage rats at 200 yards were no problem. Welcome to the site. Lots of great information and friendly folks lurking around here.

I just measured the barrels on a Rem VLS and SPS and their basically the same diameter. The VLS is .308 and the SPS is .204. Another 2cents worth!

thanks for tweeking my mind about a savage . i was on their web site looking at a mod. 12 fs , this is still a little heavier than a walking gun but just might fill the ticket . i'll have to go back and look at the mod. 11 mentioned by a couple of you guys . thanks for the info , dan

Not to get your head swimming all around the place, But you might want to check out the CZ varminter. I forget the wieght of this gun but you can find it on their web site. this barrel is not a sporter or a bull but lands somewhere in between.
you will love the 204 no matter whos gun you shot it out of.
Sportingly
Cracker

i just looked up the cz varmint , and was wondering if the triggers are adjustable . also how they were bedded ?

Doobie:

I do not believe that the Remington SPS is available in .204, but the SPS Stainless is available in .204. However, someone may prove me wrong. I have several shooting buddies with the SPS in .243 and they have been quite pleased with them and are getting good accuracy.

The SPS Varmint in available in .204, and it has the longer, heavier barrel. Check the remington.com website to confirm.

Regardless, you have a wide choice, including Savage, Ruger, CZ, and many others.

I do like the CZ Varminter, because its weight is between the heavy varminters and a sporter. The CZs have true, miniaturized mauser actions, set triggers, and other features that you may like.