Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 20 Var-Targ experience

Looking at putting together a 20 Var-Targ. This will be done on a CZ 527 Action. Thinking 24" varmint barrel with a 11 twist 3 groove Pacnor. Would anyone care to share there experiences with the Var-Targ & or offer input on this build?

I would highly recommend going .20 Practical instead. Nothing you shoot will be able to tell a difference except your wallet.

Build one if you want it, I sold a 20VT on a set back 204 barrel on a 527 and it shot really well and feed from the mag box only reason I sold it was because I have 3 others.
I get some reformed LC brass there couple guys on accurateshooter that sell it and stay away from the Horny dies they over work the brass. Get you a Redding type S bushing die with a .226 bushing and you will be set.
Theres 2 reamers out there one for 221 fireball brass thats basically non existant and the other is more common set up for Rem 221 fireball brass or reformed LC 223 that has a .232 or .233 chamber nk.
I have my own zero freebore .233 nk made by JGS p.m me if you wanna build one I would entertain renting it out if I know of the smith, its had 3 chambers cut.
I've also got a 20 Prac, 20PPCAI, and 20BRA they all have there place. For high volume sage rat shooting out to 300 or a little better the VT is great
2 of the VT I have are 3G pac-nor 11tw that shoot everything really well upto 40 gr bullets

Grafs has a 20VT Redding FL type S bushing die for 108.00 a 223 Type S is 88.00 so its only 20.00 more.
Get a LE Wilson 20VT inline die for 82.00 you will thank me latter if you haven't used these kind of dies there better than any 200.00 " competition " die out there.
They take an inline press if you wanna be crude you literally can use a rubber mallet.
Once you start using inline dies you won't go back to other seater dies.

Thank you for the input guys. 20 Var Targ it will be, as I am sitting on a pile of 221 FB brass. Not sure why, 22 calibers have yet to do much for me, & I like miser cartridges that haul the mail.

I’ve owned three 20 VarTarg rifles and still own one. All my brass has been made by necking down Rem 221 fb brass. I’ve done no neck turning.
My powder of choice has been H4198 and I use mostly 32 grain plastic tip bullets. I’ve also shot some 35 grain Berger bullets. The cartridge seems very accurate.

H4198 is no where to be found. I tried it but AA2200 won out in all ive tried with 7.5 primers.
V120 would be another powder I would try that seems available and its pretty temp stable, only knock I have with AA2200 its not the most temp stable out there but I use it in 7- 17 and 20 cals and have 32lbs of it.

20VT is a sweetheart. I have built two, one likes H4198 and the other AA2200. One is a heavy barreled prairie dog rifle and the other is a walking varminter I use for woodchucks and predator calling. Probably my two most accurate rifles. I make my own brass from LC 223 brass. Not necessary but I was looking for a winter project at the time. You will like it.

Not a lot of load data out there, Though what I am noticing is 32 gr bullet over A2200, A1680, H4198 & maybe CFEBLK - are coming up as common preferred loads. Sitting pretty good here on most components, Seems the dies & the barrel are are the main thing I am short on.

Looks like Pacnor offers a pre-fit barrel with Var-tag as an option.

I would like to give 32 gr v-maxes a try as well as 40 grain v-max & maybe a few Hornady 45 gr spire points, a try as well. The 204 Ruger got me into the CZ527 action initially. Since that 1st 527 in 204 Ruger a quit a few CZ527's have come along. 20 VarTarg has been one I have been wanting to try for a long time now.

Suppose I have opted to stop, or slow down on new rifle purchases. Some how re-barreling a few of my existing rifles, works out to be a fine progression.

My 1st re-barrel was a 7.62x39 switched over to 6.5 Grendel, followed by 6mm ARC worked out good & very well.


Have high hopes for the 20 VarTarg as well.

Don’t overlook Sierra 32 grain Blitzkings. Great bullet in the 20VT.

Ran mine 15+ yrs....

Salvage s/shot action & 12T Pac Nor barrel

Have since parted ways with it...

Kilt a ton of p/dogs with it

40 & 32 gr V max.......

H4198 & H322

Stepped up one notch

20-222 now

Pac Nor 9T barrel

Running it prob 15 yrs now too

What bullets are you liking in the 9T barrel?

The original chamber was 20 BR

Built for 55 Bergers

Bergers poked a hole in p/dogs and had too many crawl offs

No expansion & 30 grs of powder......

40 V max solved the problem and 8 grs less powder with the 20-222

Sweet cartridge.......18# set up......

i have a TC Encore with a 23" GM heavy factory barrel in 20 VT. i use 32gr Hornady Vmax, 32gr Nosler Varmageddon and 34gr Midway/Midsouth hp and Reloder 7. it is dang accurate!!! i have killed groundhogs, foxes, coyotes, crows, feral cats along with some other stuff.

when i was in a "one-hole" phase, i shot on average a .173" group at 100 yards (5 shots/bench) and a 10 shot was .217" at 100 yards. i did a .133" group at 100 yards (5 shots/bench) only once. i used 32gr Hornady Vmax and Reloder 7 to do it. i also used Redding dies, 221 Remington brass, turned the neck and whole bunch of other stuff.

when i was done with the "one-hole" phase, i do now a 34gr Midway/Midsouth HP and Reloder 7 with a SRP (Winchester, CCI, Federal...) that goes on a good day 3/8" group at 100 yards (5 shots/bench), when the shooting gods are mad, it is around 1/2 to 3/4" group.

i used H4198 and some other powder, but the 20VT preferred Reloder 7.

ya!

GWB

this was fire forming the 20VT and sighting in at 200 yards right to left.

I'm in the process do doing almost the exact same build. Rebarreling a CZ527 Varmint from 223 to 20VT, using a krieger light target 11twist. Kevin Weaver is doing the work, he has the .233 neck reamer. Got some brass off a guy on Accurate Shooter. Can't wait to light up the local gophers with it!

20 Vartarg is sweet....

Especially when Lapua 221 FB brass was available

Suppose the 20 VT will be obsolete by this summer when my barrel arrives:)