SmallCaliberCentral

Hey guys new to the forum and looking to buy a .204...I just bought a .223 then started reading about the .204 and am wishing my rifle was a .204 now! I love the speed and lack of recoil and my question is..

How light of a rifle could I get and still be able to see my shots hit through the scope? I'm interested in something along the lines of a tikka t3 lite or possibly a 22" fluted .750 barrel varmint upper as well.

whose got lightweight rifles (without muzzle breaks) and can see their shots hit through their scope?

Thanks!!

I have a 700ADL that I put a Richards MicrfoFit stock on. Depending on the scope setting & shot distance I can not see every hit on groundhogs. Anything above 12x & I need at least a 250yd shot. Any shots under that distance I will run 6-8x to see the hit.

Interesting question. I don't know if I can see my hits when shooting from a bench, but I can see them when shooting a Coyotes. My lightweight 204 is a Kimber Montana. All setup it is right at 6lbs.

My 6.5# Remington LVSF with 22" light fluted barrel lets me see most groundhog hits through the 6-18X Buckmaster (usually set on highest power, and shooting 39-40 gr. bullets.) When I don't, it's usually because of a flinch/blink, but that's my fault. Actually it and my Cooper Varminter .204 seem to have less muzzle jump than their respective "twins" I own chambered in .221 Fireball.

oh wow- that would be amazing!!! I can get those results from my 17 hmr but I didn't think I could do that with any centerfire, certainly nothing lightweight without a break. Now I gotta decide between an AR or a bolt gun. With a bolt gun I can get something pretty neat looking but I already have a bolt .223 so I'm thinking an AR is probably the way to go so I get something a bit different.

Thanks for your replies!

I can generally see hits from a stock CZ 527 American, with a 3-9 scope, at least on a coyote, I can. It weighs under eight pounds, all up, maybe a good deal less than 8, I've never scaled it.

Cooper Classic, advertised at 6.5 lbs.

I can see all hits/misses with all four of my 204's shooting either the 32's or 39/40's. How you handle the rifle really is meangingful here also.

If you want "zero" recoil from a .20 caliber rifle, see virtually EVERYTHING through the scope, and still have 450 yard live varmint capability, then look at a 20 Vartarg, the 204's "Lil Brother".

204 Ruger alongside 20 Vartarg, both loaded with 32gr SBK's:



If you're an advanced handloader, and don't mind forming cases, this may be the most efficient varmint caliber to ever come down the pike (like a 32gr bullet at 3,700-3,800 fps using 18grs of powder). I'll always have a few 204's about, and this little gem is the perfect companion caliber IMHO. A nice light Tikka T3, CZ 527 American, Cooper Jackson Varminter or Kimber Varmint would all make a nice walkabout 204R or 20VT.