SmallCaliberCentral

I don't expect the 204 to outshoot a 6BR or any of the BR cartridges for that matter but anyone tried the 204 in open F class or 600 - 800 yard matches?

With a 157 views when I looked I imagine most thoughts are...You're kidding ...????

you better be a master wind reader!!!

Or perhaps be shooting a nine twist 204 launching 55gr Bergers.....then, it may be viable.

see my post and pics of my 600 yard target on the 731 yds & 734yds shooting thread. That was a NRA high power target at 600 yards. Once I started to get the scope dialed in I was getting 2 - 3 inch groups with 4 of my shots while one of the 5 head out to the 8 ring. Definitely minute of prairie dog though. Wind 5 - 10 from 6 OClock at the line, at the 200 yard mark shifting to 2- 3 Oclock and at the 600 yard target it was fairly calm. Mirage was shifting from mild boil to slight left to right. The SWAT boys showed up for their training and we had to vacate the range just as I had the scope dialed in and was ready to head to 800. Next Monday or Tuesday I want to get there early and do a couple of groups at 600 then try the 800 target. At 300 I was getting some decent 1.5" groups but I did not salvage the target or take a pic so it never happened

Hound: Sounds like you're gettin' her dialed......let us know how the venture goes at those extended ranges next time out.

worst part of our range is in the morning you are shooting dead east into the rising sun, afternoon the wind starts kicking up so you are screwed one way or the other. 300 and beyond range is just a 50 yard wide swath cut through the trees and you get all these weird wind "swirls" that are unpredictable as heck so the lesser of the evils is the sun in the scope. Anyway this is just fun and wind reading practice , for serious LR I have a .308 and a .260 that tend to buck the wind a bit better. I love shooting this little 204 though, accurate as heck, easy on the shoulder, and cheap to shoot both powder and bullet wise

Will post pics of all the targets, next weeek

HoundofSC wrote:...you get all these weird wind "swirls" that are unpredictable as heck....

It's the "unpredictable" bit that makes the .204 a less than ideal choice.

The 55-gr Berger has about 1/2 the BC of the heavy 6mm bullets, which means the .204 will be subject to significantly more wind drift, regardless whether it's predicted or not.

Fred_C_Dobbs wrote:

HoundofSC wrote:...you get all these weird wind "swirls" that are unpredictable as heck....

It's the "unpredictable" bit that makes the .204 a less than ideal choice.

The 55-gr Berger has about 1/2 the BC of the heavy 6mm bullets, which means the .204 will be subject to significantly more wind drift, regardless whether it's predicted or not.

exactly Fred, if you have a steady 10 or 20 mph wind you just dial in the adjustment and shoot the relay before the wind changes. Our club has a a lot of rimfire benchrest shooters and they absolutely hate if they draw the benches on the treeline side of the range because of the unpredictability of the swirls where the wind hits the trees. I enjoy observing those matches just to watch the wind flags. Had a friend who is now deceased that set several national records in rimfire prone at 100 yards. He found any centerfire boring because of his wind reading skills.