Interesting gbal. But unfortunatley reality sometimes goes astray from the sales pitch.
I never saw the claimed velocity from factory ammunition in the 204. I couldn't achieve the book figures from Hornady either. The best I could do was 3600fps (25inch barrel) with a 40gn pill. This load was cratering primers and I tried all the powders on offer, nothing worked. Any faster was sticky case time and hammering the bolt open. It was however laserlike out to 250yds.
The other interesting thing is my 223 tight neck, long throat and bushed firing pin seems to be better than your quoted figures. A 70gn VLD 200yds 10mph wind. = 2488fps 963ft lbs 3.1 inches drift
400yds 10mph wind. = 2065fps 663ft lbs 13.65 inches drift
The wind from 9 o clock pushed the bullet a bit further to 3.3, I suspect due spin drift but generally those figures seem to work in the field for me. Of course non of that really matters if you miss, if you connect it just needs enough to do the job. 600ft lbs or 900ft lbs, Charlie won't care either way.
I suppose the one thing I have learned over the years, it's all down to what you can get hold of ammo wise in the end. Wizzbang uber booming cannons are all very well, but not much cop without a ready supply of ammo wherever you happen to be.
Atb