Recently got a barrel back and mounted on a Ruger Action...
With tons of 223 brass, and due to there being a shortage of 22 caliber bullets when Obama first got re elected.. but 20s were available... I had a 20 Practical Built...
instead of the 20 Tactical that a lot of people were ranting about, I like the idea of the Practical that just required necking down 223 brass to 20 caliber...
had a 204 barrel on this rifle before but 204 brass hasn't been seen at local stores for quite a while...
my intentions were 32 grain bullets, 34 HPs, 26 gr Barnes and 24 grain NTX Hornady bullets...
I can let you know in a few weeks. I am building its little brother - a .20 VarTarg. From what I read and hear it is the cat's a$s for crows and groundhogs which accounts for about 95 percent of my shooting.
What's not to like? Same accuracy or better than the FireBall. 3800 fps with a 32 grain pill and only a pinch of powder.
More Uber than the Hornet, and that's saying something.
You can't trump the 223/AI for best on the .378 casehead. Everything else is just everything else. I built the 6x45 for a few of those states, should I ever go, that don't allow 22's.
It really is a fun cartridge. I have no desire to mess around with tiny bullets as I get older
go straight 223AI, with a slow twist barrel - like a 24 twist.
Load your rounds with trail boss and a single #FF buckshot.
I call it the "223WTF".
Do you think I could get Seafire to give me some Blue Dot loads for it?
That way I could get the speed down so slow Id never burn the barrel out and wonder WTF the bullet went every time I pulled the trigger.
any time...
a little tip tho, don't close your eyes when you pull the trigger, and flinch over the anticipated recoil of those Blue Dot loads and you'll see where the bullet goes every time...
$10 says Seafire is checking his stash of Trail Boss as I type.
Compelling, not so much on the powder, but that it's the first time I've seen you make 2 posts in a thread without whining about Stick.
Awwwww it just seems that way to you, since you are always lurking on Schmuck's threads looking to see when it is that I give him his crap right back...
you forget, Schtick's my hero... he's Friggin AWESUM.... just ask him....Mac Davis wrote a song about Schtick...he was so impressed with him....
Schtick was so impressed with it.. he bought 10 million copies to give to all of his groupies.... Did you get your copy/copies?
I know two centuries is a long time and you have acquired a fair amount of wisdom in that span. But please hear me out...
You're just rehashing the same old schit. It's time to expand out of the peasant realm. First thing, order a suppressor.
Next thing, build a Blackout. It's obvious you've found love in North Mexico and I can assure you, you'll have far more fun with this rig, in that country, than you ever will with another same ol', same ol'.
Take the plunge.
Travis
PS- Don't use the guy in Helena.
Originally Posted by Geno67
Trump being classless,tasteless and clueless as usual.
Originally Posted by Judman
Sorry, trump is a no tax payin pile of shiit.
Originally Posted by KSMITH
My young wife decided to play the field and had moved several dudes into my house
I have a 1-9, but would do a 1-8 every time over the 1-9; I've never had issues with the 75 A-Max shooting great, but would hedge even more. At the time, I barreled it for 69 grainers.
Sako used a 1-12 on their .223's and 222 Mags, not that it gains anything over a 1-14. Remington used the 1-14.
My 1 in 9 twist on my factory Savage BVSS had no problem stabilizing any 80 grain bullet put thru it...so don't let that handicap ya if that is what yours has...
but if you are going to do a barrel, a 1 in 8 cost no more than the one in 9.... so go with the 1 in 8...or you can do what I did with my first 223 fast twist and go with a one in 7... I did that since that is what some of the military AR barrels where twisted at...so I thought what the hell...
The rifle got given away, but kept the barrel and had it rechambered to a 22.250....
I have a 1-9, but would do a 1-8 every time over the 1-9; I've never had issues with the 75 A-Max shooting great, but would hedge even more. At the time, I barreled it for 69 grainers.
Sako used a 1-12 on their .223's and 222 Mags, not that it gains anything over a 1-14. Remington used the 1-14.
I didn't know that about Sakos...and I have noticed a difference between the 1 in 12 and the 1 in 14....
Likewise the 1 in 10 I mentioned that I loved was built with 68 and 69 grainers in mind....which it shoots well indeed.
But again...the 1 in 8 digests everything I put in it.....
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
Yeah, but take your 1-12 to Texas with those 68-69'ers and you won't! I think 60-65grs. is about all the universal goody a 1-12 gets here.
At my present eles, temps and density, I've had NO issues with my 1-9 and bullets up to 77 grs; some of which can spin easier than the 75 A-Max.
I don't think .478 cases can do much better with bullets heavier/slicker than the 75 A-Max, unless we're talking maybe a 5.5x50 Magnum (I wish those cases weren't dodos)....meaning I'd not go faster than 1-8 unless a 22-250 case or larger. Even then Ive seen the 1-8 Rocket cluster 1/2 MOA at 300 yards with the 90 VLD.
Hedge on the twist is probably sound advice. But odd you mention Texas. Don't know about the temps and density but the last time Steelhead gave me crap about altitude I checked it. Where I was hunting in Texas ( both places) was higher in Elev. than I am here!
Oh, and the 68-69 grainers get shot in the 1 in 10....Though I had a 1 in 12 that shot them REALLY GOOD.....even I was confused at that....
Last edited by ingwe; 10/24/14.
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
I just wonder if it would make more sense to take a 204 Ruger reamer and run it in far enough that a 223 case could be sized to fit. The Practical seems a little short in the neck to me. Maybe grind down a set of 204 dies? I am getting a 204 custom reamer for a conventional re-do of a problem child Ruger 204, maybe when I am done with that I will conduct the experiment on another rifle.
Up hills slow, Down hills fast Tonnage first and Safety last.
Not that it makes any difference in this thread, but I keep wondering wonder what references you use for finding altitudes.
Sonora, Texas is at 1825 feet, which is only 5 feet higher than the LOWEST place in Montana, where the Kootenai River flows into Idaho. Even the highest point in Texas, Guadalupe Peak, is only slightly higher than Fort Benton on the Missouri River.
You also once posted that the Prickly Pear shooting range is at 4000 feet, but the Helena airport, down on the valley flats, is at just under 3900 feet, and the range is a noticeable drive uphill into the mountains. The USGS topographic map puts the shooting range's elevation at just about 5300 feet.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
I just checked again today John, Sonora has risen..Instead of your 1825 ft. It is now at 2129....significantly down from the 4023 I first found it at...but its trying to get better....
Maybe we should go down just to see the ebb and flow of things....
Van Horn is still at 4000 ft. which explains why when I aimed at the javelinas eyeball, I hit him in the eyeball....
Last edited by ingwe; 10/25/14.
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
You also once posted that the Prickly Pear shooting range is at 4000 feet, but the Helena airport, down on the valley flats, is at just under 3900 feet, and the range is a noticeable drive uphill into the mountains. The USGS topographic map puts the shooting range's elevation at just about 5300 feet.
Prickly Pear was a WAG...the top of Mac pass is only 6500...so I took a shot at it
Last edited by ingwe; 10/25/14.
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
As a matter of fact I just rechecked the highest point in Texas, and one Internet source gives it in feet and one says its exactly the same in meters. Apparently it's actually over 8000 feet--but it's a long way from Sonora.
I do know the highest "peaks" in the Hill Country are around 2500 feet--but that's from being there with a GPS. The really low places are in East Texas. A few years ago I hunted near Cuthand, a tiny town in the northeast part of the state, not far from Texarkana, and the elevation was under 1000 feet. Of course, some parts of Texas are at sea level!
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
As a matter of fact I just rechecked the highest point in Texas, and one Internet source gives it in feet and one says its exactly the same in meters. Apparently it's actually over 8000 feet--but it's a long way from Sonora.
Same in feet as in meters.....I think you should check your source tomorrow and see if the numbers change!
Anyway...Im gonna shoot some pigs in Florida come February ...in two different places...but I think there I can personally measure the elevation with my dial calipers
If it aint under water, it'll be above see level.
Gotta say though, if figures are correct I was surprised with Van Horn.
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
You also once posted that the Prickly Pear shooting range is at 4000 feet, but the Helena airport, down on the valley flats, is at just under 3900 feet, and the range is a noticeable drive uphill into the mountains. The USGS topographic map puts the shooting range's elevation at just about 5300 feet.
Prickly Pear was a WAG...the top of Mac pass is only 6500...so I took a shot at it
This is exactly why I've been telling you to hedge....you are being deplorable.
And I hope you're still not contemplating ruining perfectly good 222 cases...
The .20/.222 is also known as the .20 VarTarg Turbo, which may or may not make you feel like it's something special.
No offense, but they're not the same and the .20/.222 is not known as the VarTarg. They are different cartridges, though load data is prolly close to identical. To form the .20-.222, you just neck it down with a bushing die, load and fire. Its kind of an odd looking cartridge 'cause the neck and bullet are so long, but there's no brass forming involved and its a flat shooter. I have one, but have never fired it; just repeading what I've read. With the VarTarg Turbo, you have to trim .100 off the mouth and blow the shoulder out a tad (change the angle).
Jordan
Last edited by RobJordan; 10/25/14.
Communists: I still hate them even after they changed their name to "liberals". ____________________
My boss asked why I wasn't working. I told him I was being a democrat for Halloween.
Trust me, you can't sound like a gun counter guy until you've recited a story about a family heirloom handed down over the generations that is now worth about $48 and has no bearing on any part of the conversation as it started.
And you also need a heaping dose of stupid pills before you come in.
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
Yeah butttttt....we just hashed this out on another thread...its easier to get your voyueristic jollies in the 20 cal...least wise it is in my rifle and Johns rifle....
That was the upshot of that thread.
Besides, you should be busy cutting elk up.....
Bastid.
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
They spoiled last night driving them around through Boulder, Helena, Townsend and Bozeman. We were cruising up and down Main Street in all those towns and didn't get them home until they were spoiled. Thank goodness we got some pictures...
I didn't originally think the 20 cal would catch on and I for one thought of it like the 17s. But after some raving reports from a few of my respected customers, I try's out a 20 tac and must say it might truly be the only varmint rifle needed. I think the 20 VT turbo would be great. Eventually I will try out one of each chambering..
I had one in 20-222AI Kevin Weaver calls it a 20Bobcat. Insanely accurate with N133 and anything you put on top of it. Don't have any data anymore because it went down the road with the rifle. Sold it because I had custom action 20 tactical. Fed great no mods in a 700BDL. 11 twist Pac-Nor spun everything including 55s. 35gr Berger knocked some coyotes in the dirt out to around 200yards.
Tom if you chamber for something named the 20 VarTarg Turbo, you're going to have to wear a pen protector in your shirt pocket, carry a slide rule, and put some tape on your glasses.
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