Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Vartarg and CFE-BLK powder

Been varminting for half a century, tried a large variety of cartridges and the Vartarg stands out as the best.Called Hodgdon to see if they had any data on their new powder and the Vartarg,they did not, so I was on my own.Is CFE-BLK compatible with the Vartarg,indeed it is.Here's what I came up with,34 gr. dog town hollow point,20 grs of powder wsr primer=3870 fps, best group 100 yds one hole measuring .215,next 40 gr v-max 19 grs. powder wsr primer=3543 fps, best group 200 yds. 3 shots measure .273,I believe these are top end loads, so caution work up carefully, the great quality of this powder is it strips the copper from the barrel.I have a 204 ruger and the Vartarg is right on it's heels just uses 10 grs. less powder.

CFE BLK is side by side on the burn chart with AA1680.......

Figured it would work just fine too........my 20 VT burns 19/H322 & 40 V max.........10 yrs now.....

whats better than a Vartarg ? 20-222 with 23/H322 & 40 V max........

tikkanut, can you give me the differences you've seen in the 20-222 and the 204 Ruger?

my experiences......had 2-204's....12T Pac Nor's......heavy SS SM tubes.......Savage s/shot actions

that was back 2006 or so.....got bored with them......27-28 grs powder......40 V's...so tore them down

back to Pac Nor & rechambered to 20 Vartarg & 20 Practical........one barrel had 1200 rds out..the other

had approx 2K rds out......the Practical (20-223) will run side x side with the 204R........less powder......never ending

supply of brass.......same velocities......oh....20-222.....this barrel started life as a 20BR......9 twist 28" Pac Nor...Savage Target

Got bored fast with the 20 BR & 30-31 grs powder.......the Deuce 20 was the answer.....sooo mild mannered & easy to shoot

600 yd p/dog gun.....23/H322.......Lapua brass ...Redding & Forster dies......of my three 20 cals..its my favorite...why 9T 20BR ?

Berger makes a 55 gr match boolit....great for paper.....not so great on p/dogs...thus the Deuce 20 & 40 V max

http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/20caliber/

Tikka,

I think that is the Savage Single Shot action I picked up from you...many moons ago..

It lives a leisurely life as a 22.250 nowadays...

and as far as a 204 Ruger...

I spun that barrel off of the one I had put together ( Ruger) and had another barrel chambered
in 20 Practical...I enjoy it...

I think the 20 Vartag is a practical round...

but then you can pretty much use 20 Vartag load data in the 20 Practical
and end up with the same results...

I'll have to try the Black Out powder in the 20 Practical tho...

Thanks Emery for the suggestion...

Tikkanut & Seafire: Don't get me wrong in the last 50+ years I have bought, built, owned, shot and Hunted with my share of "wildcat" chambered Varmint Rifles!
I still own several of them, from 6mm Remington Ackley Improved on down to 17 MachIV!
Frankly I am very happy I got that out of my system - pursuit and useage of "wildcat" cartridges and building Rifles for them causes problems like spending lots of money for Riflesmiths, barrels, expensive dies and wastes time!
I will never contract for another wildcat Varmint Rifle or Hunting Rifle for the rest of my life.
Been there done that - and don't intend ever doing so again.
When I find SOMETHING that one of my seven Varmint Rifles in the wonderful factory direct off the shelf 204 Ruger caliber CAN'T do I will be stunned!
And I doubt that will ever happen seeings I have been trying to find that elusive thing since the 204 Ruger first came out way back in early 2,004.
Since buying my first 204 back then I have taken all manner of Varmints, small game and Wild Turkey with it.
And when I say Varmints I mean virtually every type of Varmint from Weasels up to Coyotes and including Prairie Dogs (galore!), Ground Squirrels, Rock Chucks, Jack Rabbits, Badgers, Porcupine, Fox and Snowshoe Hares.
Yeah when I find something the 204 doesn't do in the world of Varminting extremely well, I'll get back to you.
Again I went through the "wildcat" phase (about 40 years worth!) and do not condemn either of you for that but I do draw the line at anyone denouncing/decrying/ignoring the wonderful and amazing 204 Ruger cartridge.
Personally I think you both should have stuck with the 204 Ruger and used the 32 grain and 35 grain bullets more.
To each their own though.
Have fun is the most important objective in the end.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

well we all experiment......sure the 204R is a good round......you can buy ammo at Walmart........

as you know...once you have a wildcat set up with brass & dies....you shoot & load it...my 20's.....

20 Vartarg......Lapua 221 brass.....neck down.......kill p/dogs

20-222....Lapua 222 brass...neck down........kill p/dogs

20 Practical.......Lapua 223 brass (or others)....dies from Redding & Forster make these three rds very simple.......

My VT & PT barrels are bushing 9K rds each.....20-222 is only 4K (ish)

Like you've said......to each his own.....I found the 204R boring.......getting off subject

yes......CFE BLK will work in the very efficient 20 Vartarg

My 20 VT is hands down the very best varmint/small game cartridge that I have used or seen used, for the terrain I hunt here in NZ. 19.2gn 4198 equivelent ADI 2207 for 3700fps makes for a dandy rabbit to goat cartridge with the 35gn Berger bullet but for the last 7 -10 years my hunting style has changed and I use the (thanks to Seafire) blue dot load under the Nosler "shots" bullet for 2700fps efficient and very accurate rabbit load where my ranges seldom excede 150 yds and I have to shoot standing over a bog pod. Was out 2 days ago and got a very nice bag of young rabbits for the freezer. Didn't take enough ammo with me and had to stop before my pack was as full as it could have got but still it was a great day with excellent results but that is what I have come to expect from the VarTarg.
Serious ammo is from Fireball cases but the low velocity loads are all from 222 and 223 brass. One of the easiest rifle I have had to get shooting spectacularly well. Will do me although I am going to get the bull barrel turned down to a more portable friendly weight and possible get a lighter suppressor to handle the under 10 grains of powder these light loads use.

Gotta luv the 20 Vartarg !!!!!!!!!!!!!

here's mine......Salvage s/shot w/Accue trigger.....19/H322 & moly 40 V max

Pac Nor 12T high mileage tube........Vortex HST 4-16

S O effective......the gooseneck hay trailer was the catt's azz for elevation !

Nice rig. I have the same stock, but in black, for a HB 6x45mm. Have you ever tried firing off a bipod? Any problems getting bullets? I don't imagine you do. Up here, supply is spotty. That's why I never built 20 cal rifle.

no prob here with 20 cal boolits...........

Hornady needs to pkg them in bigger than 250 pc pks.......

1000 pc like Nosler does........