Since you already have a 223 I would recommend against the 204. Pretty much a wash between those two in terms of their ballistics and capabilities. That said, I have both and don't mind the overlap. But if you're looking for something different to the 223 the 204 isn't very different.

 

The 204 clearly outperforms the 223, it has a slightly larger case capacity and bullet weight to bullet weight the .20 cals definitely have the BC advantage. Now, does that mean the 204 is a much better choice than the 223, not at all. I love my little CZ 527 Varmint 204 but I've got five different 223's and still only one 204.

As for the 17 Hornet VS 204 Ruger, IMO, you're comparing apples and oranges. In theory, no cartridge should really be anymore "accurate" than another but some will definitely have a wider sweet spot and if you reload, that's always a good thing.

The 17 Hornet will definitely have a longer barrel life than the 204 but that's not to say a 204 has a short barrel life so unless you are an extremely high volume shooter, as in thousands of rounds per year, both will last a long time.

The 204 has a significant advantage in the fact it shoots a heavier bullet faster than does the 17 Hornet so the natural elements will have less time to affect the bullet while it's in flight. The shorter the time of flight, the heavier the bullet, and higher the bullets ballistic coefficient, the easier it is to shoot a particular cartridge, more accurately.

 

lol,
ok bring your 204 to the 600 yard line and prove your "opinion". you artificially limit the 223 to 204 limits....not a valid comparison at all.
223 was not DESIGNED for light bullets, tho with the right twist they do work.

sorry just ain't so.

 

To shoot paper @300yds (or woodchucks) it isn't a question-204. They explained why. Here is the rest of the story. 204 lots of powder, big noise, more expensive to load. Not much different than a 223 with 26 " barrel. 17HH alot less noise, a finesse cartridge. Can shoot and watch impact on targets. 204 can do more than 17, but not as sweet. Shooting in wind I would give that to 204 also. I thoroughly enjoy shooting my hornet. Good luck.

 

i would do neither.
just my opinion.
a 20 practical would be a better choice over the 204.
i'll admit to NEVER being a fan of anything 17.
buy a used 223, get it rebbl'd in 20 practical.

 

so in reality there is NO COMPARISON as they do
not shoot bullets in the same weight class,
across the board.

you would have been better off just pointing out what the 204 can do, not compare it to something way out of its class.

 

I'm not really sure what point you are trying to make but up to 55 grain bullets, the 204 shoots flatter than a 223 and for what it's worth, I believe the 223 was originally designed around the 55gr FMJ so to say the "223 was not DESIGNED for light bullets" again, not sure what your point is.

 

lowburb...sir I am going to go a different route...since you already have a 223...I would suggest going for the 17 Hornet...its a much milder round and if your just bench shooting...if it was me I would rather have something that has low to no recoil...and something that would give me a challenge to my shooting skills...so what if there is a little wind...just makes it nicer when you do get a fantastic group.

On the other hand the 204 Ruger is a flat, fast shooting round...louder than the 223...cost more money to shoot if you don't reload.

I just got a 527 American in 17HH...I can't wait to sight it in this weekend.

Just one guys opinion...it's your rifle, your money and needs you need to fill...so good luck on your quest. :bthumb:

SM

 

They both have their niche....you really need to get both IMO. I would get the 204 first because it is more flexible though...more range would be covered immediately with it. But, the 17HH is awesome and fun in it's own right.

 

Best answer so far and I completely agree but I am a bit partial to this response because I have both in CZ 527 Varmints.:bthumb:

 

What you are going to find is that the 204 is more finicky than the 17HH in getting a load to really shoot. With the Hornet and factory ammo you are practically guaranteed superb groups. Serious 17HH shooters find it very difficult to match factory loads and generally revert to factory rather than handload. This includes dedicated pdog shooters.

 

I'm planning to reload. Are you saying I may not be able to get as good as factory accuracy?

 

The external ballistics of the 17 hornet with 20's, is awful close to the 223 with 55's......enuff so, that 223 BDC scopes are a good fit for the Hornet to 400.......

 

Huntsman22 sir that is good to know :bthumb: I was wondering what rifle I was going to put my spare V-16 223 BX scope on...I have a GS 4-16x on my 527 in 17HH right now...will just have to see which one works best for me.

SM

 

Thanks for all the replies! I have been leaning towards the .17 and there seems to be support for that. I just didn't want to miss something with.204. I may eventually get both... The spousal support just isn't there yet.

 

lowburb...sir don't worry once you get one there will be others.


My three 527s...front to back 17 Hornet, 22 Hornet and Rem 222.

Signalman

 

I'm sure you guy are enjoying this discussion but it's really not relevant to the OP's question.

I'll also remind you that it's fine to disagree but please make your points without resorting to the use of rude, insulting, or abusive language.

 

Signalman, your collection is beautiful and it is one of the reasons I am looking at this... Sorry for stirring up a hornet's nest... Heh heh

 

.204 for me. I do not have a Hornet, but I will be buying a .221 Fireball before buying a Hornet in .17 or .22. My CZ 527 in .204 is super accurate, no recoil and a blast to shoot. You won't be disappointed if you buy one.

 

Get Freaky http://shop.nosler.com/nosler-custom-rifles/rifles-ready-to-ship/independence-day-edition.html

 

They're ALL fun rounds, and have their place in one's arsenal. The 17 HH is much milder to shoot, but still zips right along at 3600 fps. The 204 has all the boom of the 223, while shooting flatter, at 4000 fps with the lighter projectiles.

There's really no need for arguments; they're just different tools. Which tool do you need next? If you really want a challenge at 300 yards, get the 22 Hornet. About 20 inches or better drop from a 100 yard zero!

I've had good luck with the 17 on varmints out to 245 yards, without the 204 boom, and that suits me just fine. I also have the 204 American and 22 Hornet American and Full stock. Love them all.

 

They're ALL fun rounds, and have their place in one's arsenal. The 17 HH is much milder to shoot, but still zips right along at 3600 fps. The 204 has all the boom of the 223, while shooting flatter, at 4000 fps with the lighter projectiles.

There's really no need for arguments; they're just different tools. Which tool do you need next? If you really want a challenge at 300 yards, get the 22 Hornet. About 20 inches or better drop from a 100 yard zero!

I've had good luck with the 17 on varmints out to 245 yards, without the 204 boom, and that suits me just fine. I also have the 204 American and 22 Hornet American and Full stock. Love them all.

mmpsteve...sir yesterday was the first time I ever shot a centerfire rifle that I could see the hit and it was super neat and strange for me. But the 17Hornet was a blast shooting off hand at about 100 yards...watch out gophers at Cedarville Signalman is coming to turn your lights off...and will send you to the dark side.

Signalman

 

So lowburb sir what did you decide on the 204 or the 17HH?

Signalman

 

So lowburb sir what did you decide on the 204 or the 17HH?

Signalman

Well, several things happened... I have decided that I want the .17. Then I read jaia's thread on the .223 and realized that I had lots to with the .223. Then I bought a GP100 and an AR... I spent my little pile for now. My wife is tolerant but there is no sense pushing it. Heh heh The Hornet is next on the list...

 

I'll resurrect this thread because I'm leaning towards the .17 Hornet CZ 527 Varmint 24" Heavy bbl. and I'd like your thoughts.

Here's my thoughts.

(1) I have a set of p-dog rifles currently that all have done me very well with accuracy and effectiveness in many past p-dog shoots out to ~450 yards:
.17 HMR - Cooper 57M - Leupold VX-3L 4.5-14x50 - 100 zero
.223 - Savage 12 VLP-DBM - Leupold VX-3 6.5-20x56 - 200 zero
.22-250 - Savage 12 LRPV-DBM - Leupold VX-3 6.5-20x56 - 300 zero

(2) I'm thinking I could relegate the .17HMR to squirrel hunting (less wind in squirrel habitat around here) and replace it with the .17 Hornet for p-dogs.

I'd be curious as to your collective wisdom of my thoughts on this.

 

Personally I prefer a 20-cal. bullet for p.d's. The 32-grainers buck the breeze pretty well and provide great visuals, yet in a varmint-weight rifle still let you see your strikes, which is critical out where the best range-finders do not work past 100 yards or so.

I would get the .204. My 527V in .204 is exceptionally accurate, averaging just under 1/2" at 100 yds.

 

I think your on the right track...I bought the American 17 Hornet. I have not gone hunting with it yet...so the weight of the Varmint model might have been a better choice for me...I will report back after my first real hunt with that rifle...but I can tell you my 527 American in 22 Hornet is one of the sweetest CF rifle I own...deadly accurate. I even bought another 500 rounds of factory ammo for it. Totally love the rifle and the round...not much noise...no recoil at all...and its so much fun to shoot. Its like a 22mag on steriods. So far the 17 Hornet is just as quiet...and pretty accurate. I am just tired of the big boom stuff...The smaller rounds are more of a challenge. Which for me is pretty cool.

Signalman

 

I've got a 17HH 527V I used a few times this summer for gophers and other varmints. I love it!! It doesn't bark like a .223/.204 and the splat factor is pretty good. The extra 1000 fps over the HMR is dramatic.

 

So, to update my status... I decided to get Boyd's stock and a new barrel for my Remington .223. Then I picked up a 6.5 Creedmoor Savage Axis II with a heavy barrel. Two days ago, I picked up a 527 Varmint... In .223... I sure hope I get the .17HH 527 next... I'm all over the map with my choices. Heh heh I'm sure having fun, though!

 

Fun is what its all about next a 243???? If you reload almost as cheap as a 223 for components and much easier to see the hole at 300yds.just my two cents

 

No-one has mentioned the versatility of the 17HH. I don't have a problem getting within 150yds of my quarry (rabbits, fox) and because I shoot around farm buildings sometimes a low quiet load is a bonus (I'm very close to developing a very accurate low load with Trail Boss). I can also load for the 300yd rabbit if I choose with a 20gr bullet zipping along at around 3500. I also have the choice of 17gr bullets (Henry Krank) or 20/25gr bullets from Hornady. I don't think Berger make the 30gr any more.
It's also cheap as chips to reload. 700 rounds out of a 1lb tub of LilGun or similar, Trail boss comes in 9oz tubs and I've forgotten how many grains in 9oz but I think it's about 6000 and my T/B rounds use about 2.5gr. Do the math.
You couldn't get my 17 Hornet out of my hands with a team of horses.

 

17 not for coyotes

I think the HH is good for everything up too but NOT including coyotes. I have shot 5 now with mine and only recovered two of them. One shot in the head dropped in its tracks but held right behind the shoulder on the other 4 and only found one of those. All shots were within 150 yards with 20gr v max. I have some 25gr bullets on the way as well as some controlled chaos 20gr stuff to try. I really want it to kill coyotes on contact but I wanted that with the 17 HMR too and it disappointed me.

 

I think the HH is good for everything up too but NOT including coyotes. I have shot 5 now with mine and only recovered two of them. One shot in the head dropped in its tracks but held right behind the shoulder on the other 4 and only found one of those. All shots were within 150 yards with 20gr v max. I have some 25gr bullets on the way as well as some controlled chaos 20gr stuff to try. I really want it to kill coyotes on contact but I wanted that with the 17 HMR too and it disappointed me.

Hmmm, The boiler room is a bit more forward than other 4 legged critters. https://www.google.com/search?q=coy...als+diagram&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiy4buE0uDYAhVG1WMKHfQqBc4Q1QIIaygA&biw=1233&bih=736

 

I've killed over a dozen coyotes with my Whore-Gnat. One at 400 yards.All with 20 gr V-maxes. Have yet to lose one........