20 Vartarg

Browning X Bolt 2 Cashback
I have one, do a search on here, its been discussed before.
I don't have a 204 so I can't comment on that, so I can only say that I love the vartarg. For me its advantages are:
It's extremely efficient, mine gives 3450Fps from 18.8 grains of powder with a 39 - 40 gn bullet
Because it uses so little powder it has hardly any recoil, you can see your shot impact with good follow through technique.
Its inherently accurate, its short fat case and bore to case capacity make it very accurate. (supposedly) I have nothing to back this up its just what I have read.
My avatar is a 20VT next to a 7-08...
On paper its almost as fast as the 204/20tac/20prac but does so with 40%less powder.

The downside is its reload only.
 
I've had both, but currently don't have either.......a decision I regret !
Both were fantastic varmint calibers...the Vartarg was probably inherently more accurate but with reloading both, probably not much in it.
Pro's of the 204...factory ammunition, bit faster, brass a bit more readily available.
Cons 204.....more powder needed to get the same speed.
Overall not too much between the two.....you can run the 204 a few hundred feet per second faster, but the big plus for the Vartarg is as Tom says, very efficient case that uses much less powder to get the same speed.
It's not all about speed though...or is it ?
My next 20cal will be either a 5/35Smc or a 20x47 because....Yes it is all about speed ! Lol
Regards, Rob.
 
thanks both,

i do reload so it isnt much of an issue,

am i right in saying just get .221 Fireball case through a 20 VarTarg full-length sizer die and your good to reload?
is the brass more expensive for the vatarg?
 
I bought a box or 100 lapua 221 from Edinburgh rifles the other day, it was no more expensive than 223 as I recall. in fact it might have been less. Its a smaller case and therefore less metal.
In terms of forming yes just put the 221 case through a VT full length sizer, pretty simple...
I got Lee to make me a custom neck sizer for it too, it wasn't expensive..
 
I have one and its lovely to shoot and has been said very efficient mine likes 39 Sierra bk at 3450 with 18.4 n130 or 17.2 of n120 common neck size is 232 and with Lapua brass you will have to neck turn the brass, no big deal a good neck size for Lapua is 235 but not that common, if you get one you won't regret it
 
I've had one for a few years.
As Tom D said very accurate little round.
Mine uses 32gr V-max with 18.5gr N130 it's gets them going at 3550 ft/sec.
Don't get it out as much as I should.
I have tried lapua brass but found Remington 221 fireball brass works better on my rifle.
 
Barrel life is pretty good as your not using a lot of powder.
My rifle started out as 17 fireball on a Remington 700 action.
Becouse it was already a short action a can load the magazine up with 5 rounds and it will feed them without any problem.
I have tried N120 powder and it will push the rounds to nearly 3800ft/sec but I loos accuracy so only use N130 now.
 
Brass life seems very good, for a donor you need something with a 222 / 223 bolt face. Because it is very efficient and a low case to bore ratio barrel life is excellent.
 
The CZ 527 was available in 221FB and CZ still produce the magazines .
Steve Kershaw highly recommends the 527 as a base for the 20 Vartag .
I should add that I have no experience of the Vartag , love that mini Mauser action though .
Just putting it out there .
 
IMO the cz 527 action feels really ‘ agricultural’ and I wouldn’t want to build off of one personally.
I also don’t care for the trigger at all
 
Scooby-3 said:
IMO the cz 527 action feels really ‘ agricultural’ and I wouldn’t want to build off of one personally.
I also don’t care for the trigger at all

I bought mine incredibly cheap, purely for a project build .It's incredibly slick , probably due to the amount of use it has had . I have heard a few say they find them agricultural , perhaps they improve with use or I got lucky. All the same it's an old design with a lot of charm .

As for the trigger, I've read comments elsewhere and watched videos where the trigger is praised . Possibly these people were drunk in charge of a fire arm ? I'm with you on this ," the trigger sucks". It's an easy fix if you don't mind spending money, Timney for the 550 sorts the job right out .
Of course this is just my opinion , based on my experience others may well have had a different experience and therefore formed a different opinion . Opinions are , after all , just that and by their very nature of little value .Including mine !
Click to expand...
 
Had a semi custom Rem 700 originally 17 fireball rebarled in vartag. Shot very well with a 24" trueflight barrel. Cases were easily formed from 22 fireball It had a tight chamber so neck turning
Was necessary. Loved the cartridge but not so fond of the rem action and floor plate mag.
I would certainly have another in a less agricultural action. High velocities were achieved with a sprinkling of powder behind 32 grain Vmax.
 
Just a FYI.
If you decide to use a Rem. 700 action, make sure it used the fireball length case originally as Rem. changed the indexing of the extractor/ejector, which caused 223 based actions to drop Fireball/ Vartarg cases before ejecting them....I think.
Ken.
 
i've got a dasherman .20VT on a sako l46 action. Such a good rifle/calibre no recoil, super accurate, flat, nice brass, great with SBK39gr.
I would cosider building one on a cz 527 if i did it again.
 
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