Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 20- Tactical Preferred Powders?

anyone shooting this cartridge?

just was wondering about what are the popular powders for velocity and accuracy together?

for 39 grain Sierras or 40 VMaxes or Noslers...

currently looking at the shelf at H 322 and CFE/223...

but there is what books say, and then what people who used it in the field say... I'd rather have the latter...

Thanks in advance...

Addendum: Bolt action rifle, not an AR...

2520 is the powder for this cartridge, 39 gr Sierra is super accurate out of my Lilja barrel. I'll have look up the charge my rifle likes, easily shoots sub 1/2" and 3800fps

20 Practical for me......but Tact is close......

Benchmark & H4895 w/moly 40's in mine....

you hang out at this link ?

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

thanks, that was the load data page I was looking for...

hadn't visited it in a couple of years and Google was bringing up an older version of that page...

Mine is a 20 Practical, but since the "tactical" is more common, I just figured their load data would be a good starting point....

I shoot Reloader 10 in mine with either a 32 vmax or 35 Berger or 39 grain Blitzking. Anywhere from 23 grains to 25 grains.

I've noticed there isn't a lot of 20P data out there, which surprises me considering how easy it is to form brass. Even the 20T doesnt have a lot of data compared to the 204 Ruger and 20 Vartarg.

FWIW I was playing today with 32g Vmax in my 20P. I took the load data for H322 from the link Tikkanut provided and knocked 10% off the max load. First group at 24.4 put 5 in a group I could cover with a dime.

Thanks Bassi...

I'm actually loading one for me and one for a campfire friend...

in the other gentleman's 20 Practical, I'm going to load CFE223, with a 39 Sierra... his bullet of preference.

in mine I'm starting out loading a 32 grain V Max, with some BR 2015 I picked up...guess it's burn rate is right at H 322s... which I have about 25 to 30 pounds of.

I'll see how it goes as I expect it will be pretty darn good...my load isn't at Max, its at 22.5 grains.

I don't think it will be handicapped on sage rats out to around 250 or less, which is pretty much where I limit myself on it...

now I'm start looking to run down some time to get away...

muddy farm fields is the handicap really...

I set the breech and shoulder back on my 204 Ruger R700 to use 223 brass. I run the 223 in a 20 cal. neck-sizer, load and go.

I haven't experimented with commercial powders much but I bought a keg of WC844 and Russian 4198 from Bartletts a few years back. Based on load development in several cartridges (the 222, 223, 17 FB) the R4198 is very similar to IMR 4198 and the WC844 of course is similar, if not the same, as H335. Both of these have yielded very promising accuracy from my 204 PraTac (as I call it) despite the barrel being toast after 7000+ rounds of 204 Ruger over the years.

Being able to load bullets to longer OAL has restored some degree of accuracy for this 13 year young rifle, these powders keep 10 shots of 26-40 gr bullets inside .500" @ 100 yds, when I'm able to do my part behind the gun.

25 gr of WC844 behind a 40 gr B-tip is what I used to kill my Mt. Lion, exit hole on the far side of the chest was pointer finger size. 27 gr of WC844 and a 26 gr HP match the 17 FB at 3800 fps, 23 gr of R4198 pushes the same bullet up to 4200 fps. Not the fastest but sufficient enough for me to eek out a couple thousand more rounds of life from the barrel...I hope.

If the 20 P won't shoot H-4895 or Benchmark with the 39-40 Grain bullets it more than likely NOT SHOOT.

R-10 seems to do better with the 32 gr

Good Luck

Jim

10X

If that doesn't work out, 24gr H4198 is very accurate with the 32gr pills in my Tac20.

I use 10X also with 39gr Blitzkings and have been very happy.