The 20 Cal' conundrum

[User00044]

I don't normally get involved in these sort of calibre questions , this one requires a little bit of thought . I decided sometime ago to replace the 17hmr with a .20 cal , there's a possibility it'll make the 223 redundant , a risk I'm prepared to take .
There isn't a short list at the moment , the Vartarg being the only exclusion . It seems to me the 204 ruger , 20 Practical and Tac20 are a muchness performance wise . The main difference from a reloaders perspective being , varying degrees of case prep' , powder volume and possibly brass availability for the 204 . I haven't excluded the 20br or any others, for that matter .
It won't be a build , whichever I finally decide on will appear in classifieds at some point I'm sure .
I'm hoping that the 20 cal' users on the SD will share their views and experiences , both the positives and the negatives .
Thoughts please and thanks in advance.

FT

 

[finnbear270]

Practical. (clue in the name)

 

[Klenchblaize]

Do you need to factor the use of all-copper projectiles in the future?

K

 

[User00044]

Do you need to factor the use of all-copper projectiles in the future?

K

Not really , I'll worry about it when or if it happens . I may get lucky with a faster twist rate when I buy . The biggest concern at the moment seems to be bullet availability .

 

[User00044]

Practical. (clue in the name)

I've plenty of 223 brass , may well be a deciding factor.

 

[Bramble]

I only have experience of the 204, lovely to shoot and easy to load for, can't help with the .20 cals I'm afraid,cheers

 

[204rips]

I’ve been using a .204 for a few years now and can only speak for the .204r but from my experience it’s a belter of a round. Total child’s play to load for and performs very well indeed on target. Used for it’s true purpose of vermin I have never felt I needed anything else.

 

[hcm1]

I have a .20 Tactical and its a great little rifle but realistically I would say go .20 Practical. Loads of options with quality brass around, or get your mates to collect their once fired .223! Unless you truly love reloading, every extra step in case prep becomes a pain. If you're willing to stump up for factory .20 TAC brass then that's grand but I'm not sure what availability is like these days. That's my 2p anyway, but whichever way you go you will love the .20.

 

[Neddle]

Can't really see what the exotic 204s offer that the standard doesn't, my T3 supervarmint 20" barrelshoots 0.25moa at 400yds with 39gr Bk and Vit N133, but as said before that my tuppence worth

 

[scotch_egg]

I have a .20 Tactical and its a great little rifle but realistically I would say go .20 Practical. Loads of options with quality brass around, or get your mates to collect their once fired .223! Unless you truly love reloading, every extra step in case prep becomes a pain. If you're willing to stump up for factory .20 TAC brass then that's grand but I'm not sure what availability is like these days. That's my 2p anyway, but whichever way you go you will love the .20.

I do believe that the .20 Tac brass was commissioned as a one off run by Dakota. There are non left.

I had a .20 Tac and ran .223 through a FL die and have to be honest it chambered and shot really well.

Now days just go with .223

 

[hcm1]

I thought that was the case. For some reason I thought someone else had picked up the production but I must have imagined it. Once my stash of Dakota dries up I will be doing the same with .223 cases.

 

[243ack]

Go 'left field' with a 5-35SMC.

 

[User00044]

Go 'left field' with a 5-35SMC.

.20 br on 'roids. I'm guessing that barrel life would be sufficient to do load development before a rebarrel and you'd have to shoot monolithic to stop the jacket delaminating .
Sounds like fun though.

 

[User00044]

Can't really see what the exotic 204s offer that the standard doesn't, my T3 supervarmint 20" barrelshoots 0.25moa at 400yds with 39gr Bk and Vit N133, but as said before that my tuppence worth

I'm not dismissing anyones experience as I stated there's a bit of a muchness performance wise between 3 chamberings .
Cheers

 

[243ack]

.20 br on 'roids. I'm guessing that barrel life would be sufficient to do load development before a rebarrel and you'd have to shoot monolithic to stop the jacket delaminating .
Sounds like fun though.

Not a bit of it. I don't use mine much and keep the velocity down to a modest 46-4800fps. Mr. Kershaw built it for me many moons ago. Quite flat shooting though!.

 

[xavierdoc]

I haven't had a problem getting 204Ruger brass thus far and my cheap CZ527 rifle shoots 39SBK beautifully. It also likes 24grNTX should lead be banned.



The 24gr NTX are understandably more sensitive to wind (no effort to hold off: I wanted to get an idea of dispersion in a full value, changeable crosswind):



I'm not averse to case prep but didn't see the point in complicating things when the gun is only going to be used as a workhorse field tool, hence the lazy choice.

 

[old keeper]

I've been more than happy with my 204. Accurate, and very easy and forgiving to load for. It's a lovely rifle to shoot, I'm not saying it's better than a 223 (that I used for years) but I certainly wouldn't go back now.

 

[243lee]

Sorry to hijack the thread, i fear if i started another calibre thread id be banished as they seem to be whipped to death!
Im a fan of short, pointy rifles, 222 and 17h shopped to 18”, blasers are short anyway ect ect.
I have a slot for a 204R, this will be a “off the roof” fox rifle or sit up and wait so have no care about weight or length, perfectly happy with a scaffold tubed barrel, the few iv seen have 20” barrels, will these supp the last bit of goodness from the cartridge or would i be be better going for a longer barrelled rifle to glean more performance, say 24” or even longer or is anything over 24” not really gaining any oerformance?
Will be either a sako 75 rebarrelled or a tikka super varmint is the general concensous is 20” is fine for long range stuff
Thanks

 

[Rick]

I have a 20 practical and love mine, 4200 fps with 32 grain

 

[25 Sharps]

I don't normally get involved in these sort of calibre questions , this one requires a little bit of thought . I decided sometime ago to replace the 17hmr with a .20 cal , there's a possibility it'll make the 223 redundant , a risk I'm prepared to take .
There isn't a short list at the moment , the Vartarg being the only exclusion . It seems to me the 204 ruger , 20 Practical and Tac20 are a muchness performance wise . The main difference from a reloaders perspective being , varying degrees of case prep' , powder volume and possibly brass availability for the 204 . I haven't excluded the 20br or any others, for that matter .
It won't be a build , whichever I finally decide on will appear in classifieds at some point I'm sure .
I'm hoping that the 20 cal' users on the SD will share their views and experiences , both the positives and the negatives .
Thoughts please and thanks in advance.

FT

20 ackley hornet?

20 creedmoor?

20-250?

20-243?

I’m going with hornet at some point just to be different and because anything else will crossover with the .223 Ai too much.