I want quiet, fast enough to shoot at least 350 yards, but low enough recoil to spot my shots.
The 20 Vartarg may be your huckleberry, but I don't think you could get one for $800. I lucked into a used Cooper 38 in 20 Vartarg, but I have not had time to shoot it, yet. I plan to post something later when I finally get around to doing it.
You never mentioned whether you plan to reload or shoot factory ammo. If you plan to reload, I think you could make the 223 Remington and 204 Ruger behave ballistically very similar to a 20 Vartarg. I wish I had some empirical data for you on the 20 Vartarg. Like you I have been looking for that perfect blend of recoil and performance.
