Velocity
Ruger's claim to being the velocity king with the .204 was based on two points.
First, no other high performance 20 caliber cartridge was commercially produced. Second, the ammunition used to achieve the 4225 ft/s was available only from Hornady using a special powder not available to the general public.
Note that handloaders typically achieve velocities more in the area of 4,100 ft/s (1,200 m/s) using a 32-grain (2.1 g) bullet.
Note also that handloads using a 40-grain (2.6 g) bullet in other commercial cartridges such as the .22-250 Remington also achieve velocities similar to those of the .204 Ruger. The advantage of the .204 Ruger is that it achieves these velocities with less powder, less recoil, and less heat than the larger cartridges. The 204 Ruger has a maximum range of approximately 500 yards (460 m).
- Ballistics Chart By Hornady
| .204 Ruger 32 GR V-MAX 83204 | Muzzle | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Velocity/Energy (fps) / (ft-lbs) |
4225/1268 | 3645/944 | 3137/699 | 2683/512 | 2272/367 | 1899/256 |
| Trajectory (inches) | -1.5 | 0.6 | 0.00 | -4.1 | -13.1 | -29.0 |
| .204 Ruger 40 GR V-MAX 83206 | Muzzle | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Velocity/Energy (fps) / (ft-lbs) |
3900/1351 | 3482/1077 | 3103/855 | 2755/674 | 2433/526 | 2133/404 |
| Trajectory (inches) | -1.5 | 0.7 | 0.00 | -4.3 | -13.2 | -28.1 |
| .204 Ruger 45 GR SP 83208 | Muzzle | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Velocity/Energy (fps) / (ft-lbs) |
3625/1313 | 3188/1015 | 2792/778 | 2428/589 | 2093/438 | 1787/319 |
| Trajectory (inches) | -1.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -5.5 | -16.9 | -36.3 |
Read more about this topic: .204 Ruger