Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints 20 Vartarg....near perfect p/dog cartridge ??

This is my second summer with the cute little 20 Vartarg..(20 Fireball)...it never ceases to amaze me...a mere 19.5/H322 pushes the moly 40 V max out at 3500 fps...easily takes out dogs from 200-500 yds...the sleek 40 gr V max has a BC of .275 compared to a 40 gr .224 Nosler of .221 BC..these suckers really fly..the biggest disadvantage is brass...Rem 221 FB brass is the quickest source...but Rem FB brass sucks...I have formed 223 Win brass down to VT...good brass yes...time consuming....yes yes...dies are easy..I'm using a Hornady FL VT sizer..when needed to form brass..a Redding VT bushing neck die...a 221 FB Forster BR seater die...the rifle shown in pic is built on an Accue trigger s/shot Savage..Pac Nor 12 twist barrel (from a rechambered 204R) finished length of 24" x 1.055" no taper..scope is 4-14 Weaver Tactical & Choate Varminter stock..weighs about 15#...watching hits (or misses) is very easy....hard to leave this one at home on 'doggin' days'..

Tikka (formerly dogbuster , right... ? )

I agree that the 20 VT is an awesome small caliber round and pleasant to shoot.

Over looked by many probably b/c it's not a factory chambered round. Once you shoot one you're hooked !

cb <*)))>{

Yept...still Dog Buster too...other sites...

Tikkanut: Good for you and the 20 VarTarg Varminter!
My close friend Jack is wanting to build a 20 VarTarg himself.
He lives out in the Puget Sound country but is here in Montana now on a combo fishing and Varminting trip.
I have several of the Weaver 4x16 variable scopes and very much like and trust them!
I do not have the Tactical models just the standard 4x16's some with Du-Plex type reticles and some with the fine dot reticles.
I have been using Remingtons 221 Fireball brass for many, many years now.
I have not had any issues with it so far myself.
I have two Rifles in 221 Remington Fireball caliber (Kimber Ultra-Varmint and a Remington 700 Classic) and I get very good accuracy and brass life with them.
And I also use the Remington 221 Fireball brass as the basis for the handloading of my custom 17 MachIV Varminter. I have shot some sensational groups (in the low 2's) with this 17 MachIV and the Remington brass. Again no issues of longevity or case loss while forming from and using the Remington brass.
I noticed your "sturdy" looking shooting bench - it appears to have TWO layers of either 3/4" or 5/8" plywood for the top!
I made a similar shooting bench some years back - with two layers of 5/8" marine grade plywood that I glued and then brass screwed together for its top.
This bench top is VERY rigid!
If you can imagine a bench very similar to yours but add an axle and two wheel barrow size quality pnuematic wheels on the front leading edge of the bench.
When you want to move you simply turn the bench over onto its top side (the tires are now down and in contact with the ground) and I grab it by the large brass handle that is on the underside of the bench top and you can pull it along over even rough terrain with one finger!
I can get LONG distances away from the VarmintMobile (and other shooters!) with this bench - quickly and easily!
I have a folding chair that then rides on the bench legs (after its folded) and I carry my Rifle on a sling and all the sand bags and ammo inside a day pack.
Like I mentioned my "mobile" bench is VERY rigid and makes for a superb shooting platform, that in 30 seconds I can get it moving to a new spot with!
Back to brass - I wonder if you might like the new and now available 17 Remington Fireball brass any better (than the 221 Remington Fireball brass!)? This stuff performs really well in my new 17 Remington Fireball Rifle (700 VSF).
Anyway I am rather impressed with your Rifle and the jumbo "tube" you have on it!
I only have a couple of Pac-Nor barreled custom Rifles - but they sure have served me well. I think the Pac-Nor's are a good value.
I do have LOTS of shooting buddies that use them on their customs and they are as happy with them as I am.
Maybe the 20 VarTarg should get on my "bucket list" of Rifles?
The ranges you mention (200 to 500 yards) are exactly when I start and when I stop (for the most part) shooting Prairie Dogs.
Sounds like the 20 VarTarg can sure "get it done"!
Let me ask this of you - are you "PUSHING" the little case to get that 3,500 FPS using the 40 gr. bullets?
And have you tried the 32 gr. bullets in your VarTarg?
I prefer the 32 grain bullets in my 4 Varminters in 204 Ruger caliber because they shoot a tad flatter than the 40's do - out over the distances you mentioned (to 485 yards or so anyway).
Thanks for the info and the great picture - by the way.
Long live the 20's!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

My 20 VT barrel is in the rack, for now. Took it off of my Savage Target action so that I could work on my 22/6mm AI.

The 32 gr Hornady, Sierra, or Nosler bullets worked VERY well in this barrel. 500 yard kill is the longest. The 32 gr missiles do not like the wind though.

http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/

The 20 Vartarg made the R-P poll list, but I chose to vote for the fun 17AH.

Mulerider: I voted for the 20 Vartarg myself. But before I did I made a mental list of the other cartridges in the poll and the order of importance "I" thought they should be in for factory ammunition production!
My mental list was EXACTLY backwards from the polls current results!
I mean exactly backwards!
I won't spoil the poll for anyone else (anymore than I already have anyway!) who might want to use the link you supplied and vote for their favored cartridge.
Thanks for posting the link to the poll as I have been to the Remington site fairly often in the past and had not noticed it.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy