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  1. #1
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    Default What size animal do you call cut of for the .204 Ruger - Impala ?

    Question for the T Stone Messor Pre 64 kinda guys. I will be taking off some Impala ewes generally they not impressively big animals. I am short a rifle.
    I have a 223 shooting 65 gr game king bullets at about 2900 fps .
    I have a .270 Win shooting 150 gr interlock bullets at about 2900 fps.
    I then have a 204 shooting 40 gr V Max at the speed of light squared.
    I always felt the 270 to be bit much as a meat hunter (meat damage) which lead to head shots.But it kills very efficiently and is forgiving when shot is less than perfect. I like it as a client loan weapon.
    My son will use his 223 and I am confident in his ability ( more so his ability to pass a shot he is not 100% sure of) at his given ranges.
    I do not want to use one of the 30 cal + rifles.
    I am perfectly confident that the 204 behind the shoulder with 40 gr vmax will be bang flop results, I am relatively sure that meat damage in that area will be one sided and not to bad even with the vmax. I am also confident in high neck, back of head shooting ability and feasibility. Would any of the experienced guys have strong words of warning against doing using this rifle under controlled conditions CAI inclosed farm. I have shot many many Springbuck head neck shots with said caliber, but a Springbuck is not a Impala.
    What say Yee all.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: What size animal do you call cut of for the .204 Ruger - Impala ?

    It will work for brain and maybe high spine shots. I have seen .204 bullets fail on springbok on shoulder shots, I would not try it on impala. Use your .270 or a larger caliber.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: What size animal do you call cut of for the .204 Ruger - Impala ?

    Quote Originally Posted by TStone View Post
    It will work for brain and maybe high spine shots. I have seen .204 bullets fail on springbok on shoulder shots, I would not try it on impala. Use your .270 or a larger caliber.
    .................
    Suppose one experience is enough - will use the 303 I guess, thank you

  4. #4
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    Default Re: What size animal do you call cut of for the .204 Ruger - Impala ?

    I know an opinion is like arshole.... but rather use too much gun. You never know if you might need to put a wounded animal down only to find the small bullet is not penetrating the shoulder. Wind will also throw that little round in allsorts of directions

  5. #5
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    Default Re: What size animal do you call cut of for the .204 Ruger - Impala ?

    On foot, something bigger, if culling from a vehicle, I would use the 204.
    With a vehicle you could just back up with a bigger cal if body shots are needed, for example we always have two long guns in a vehicle.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: What size animal do you call cut of for the .204 Ruger - Impala ?

    Treeman,the 204 will not put an Impala down on the spot. I have culled a lot of Springbuck and it is deadly on head shots and would also be so on Impala.
    But,body shots in boiler room..no ways.Springbuck are half the size of an Impala ewe and of the 30 or so i have shot on or behind the shoulder,only 1 or 2 have gone down on the spot. Some have walked off,some have trotted off and some have run off to distances of up to 150m before going down. Even then,as sick as they are,we have had to head shoot some of them from close range to kill.
    We no longer do this as body shots just do not work.
    We were using 40gr Hornady V Maxes at 3800 fps.
    Had any of these shots been taken with for eg. a 243,these springbuck would all have dropped on the spot or very close to.
    204...deadly on geese,jackal or culling.....hunting? nope...lacks oomph

  7. #7
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    Default Re: What size animal do you call cut of for the .204 Ruger - Impala ?

    thank you guys, I would have used it with great start out confidence. I did shoot a large S/B/Ram once behind shoulder - had forgotten this, it did walk far. Now that reminded - I recall 64 telling me same. Some one on site mentioned the 32 gr was almost useless but the 40 gr so much better.
    Thank you all again.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: What size animal do you call cut of for the .204 Ruger - Impala ?

    I went on a springbok cull with two professionals, they routinely shoot a 243 with frangible lead bullets- head shots only. The one guy decided to take his 204 out for the day. On head shots it was brilliant. Very explosive with no failures. As a flat shooting caliber with no recoil, it was a revelation. We kept the 243 for back up, but didn't need it. The same guys took out a gemsbok with said 204, shot to the back of the head. It dropped where it stood. So I guess it is safe to say you can use it for head shots, as long as you have second shooter backing you up.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: What size animal do you call cut of for the .204 Ruger - Impala ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Againstthegrains View Post
    I went on a springbok cull with two professionals, they routinely shoot a 243 with frangible lead bullets- head shots only. The one guy decided to take his 204 out for the day. On head shots it was brilliant. Very explosive with no failures. As a flat shooting caliber with no recoil, it was a revelation. We kept the 243 for back up, but didn't need it. The same guys took out a gemsbok with said 204, shot to the back of the head. It dropped where it stood. So I guess it is safe to say you can use it for head shots, as long as you have second shooter backing you up.
    ....................
    if you shoot with a caliber that needs a back up you may as well use the back up.................else you like that guy trying to shoot pigs with a home made cannon - shooting for giggles.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: What size animal do you call cut of for the .204 Ruger - Impala ?

    I hunt a lot of Impala. Mostly rams. Have hunted them with

    .22 LR (Controlled culling from a hide at 18 meters)
    .22 Hornet
    .222
    .223
    .243
    .270
    .7x57
    .8x57
    .30-06
    .44 Mag
    .375
    .404 Jef
    .416 Rem
    .458 Lott

    From the list above if I have to choose only 1 as my Impala rifle I will take the .30-06 with premium bonded 180 gr bullets. Works at all angles and shot presentations at all Impala shooting distances. Killing in with authority and not a lot of meat damage with decent shot selection. I really like shooting the small calibers, but all of them have dropped me on the tracking road for wounded animals. The 30-06 never have done that.

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