What caliber would you choose

[Ackman]

Which caliber would you choose to build between 17 Fireball, 17 Mach IV, 20 Practical or 20 Tactical. Not shooting past 300 yards. Very light recoil and super accurate is a must. Have lots of 223 and 221 fireball cases.
Thoughts and why.

I would choose the 17MIV because I've been shooting it since the 80's and have 2 of them, and a ton of brass. Also this little 17 is way fun, has no muzzle rise or recoil, doesn't burn much powder and doesn't make much noise. I've used it on about every varmint from ground squirrels to rockchucks and it did the job at 300yds. *** But I don't shoot paper other than for load develop or sight in. For mostly paper and since you have lots of brass, easy, just go with something in .223 caliber.

 

[JSH]

300 yard max paper punching, skip all mentioned and build a straight 222 then go get yourself about any 52 or 53gr match/target bullet a jug of H322 powder and commence to shooting tiny little groups that'll make you giggle like a little girl.

^^^^
That is very hard to argue with, and that is from a guy that was late in getting a 222.

 

[chuckshooter]

Regarding which caliber, I would chose a 20 cal, if you are asking which cartridge out of the ones in your post, I would choose 20 tactical or practical, reason is simply, brass is easy to come by, it takes just one pass through the die to form and proformance is spectacular, The last reason to go with 20 cal. is my bore scope does not fit into a 17 cal.

 

[B23]

Would you recommend a 1:12 twist for that weight bullet?

Either a 14 or 12 twist. The 222 with Berger 52gr FB Target or Sierra 53gr MK have won countless BR matches over the years. H322 is a temp stable powder that works extremely well in the 222 as does H335.

If I was looking for a short range paper puncher I could shoot tiny little groups with a 222 would be exactly what I'd build. It may not have a cool name but the Rem 222's just flat shoot.

It doesn't get any easier than a 222. A couple boxes of Lapua 222 brass will last forever. Good dies are available and reasonably priced at just about any of the places you'd order dies from. The barrel/throat in a 222 will last longer than any cartridge mentioned so far. The 222 will feed, extract and function, smooth as silk, in nearly if not any small bolt face action out there without doing a single thing to it. There's just nothing not to love about a Rem 222.

 

[drover]

Either a 14 or 12 twist. The 222 with Berger 52gr FB Target or Sierra 53gr MK have won countless BR matches over the years. H322 is a temp stable powder that works extremely well in the 222 as does H335.

If I was looking for a short range paper puncher I could shoot tiny little groups with a 222 would be exactly what I'd build. It may not have a cool name but the Rem 222's just flat shoot.

It doesn't get any easier than a 222. A couple boxes of Lapua 222 brass will last forever. Good dies are available and reasonably priced at just about any of the places you'd order dies from. The barrel/throat in a 222 will last longer than any cartridge mentioned so far. The 222 will feed, extract and function, smooth as silk, in nearly if not any small bolt face action out there without doing a single thing to it. There's just nothing not to love about a Rem 222.

OP - another thing to consider is that there are many match grade 22 caliber bullets available while the 20 caliber bullets are more for varmint shooting rather than match shooting. Since you are wanting to shoot paper the logical answer is given above.

drover

 

[varmintshooter]

I would agree with the above as to bullet selection. Nothing wrong with a 222.

 

[L.Sherm]

I think anybody who has shot the Blitz kings and Bergers in 20 cals will argue there every bit as accurate in a 20 cal as in a 22 cal especially to 300.The 35 Berger in a 20 Prac is a ballistic twin to a 222 or 223 with the 52 Berger.
If he ever wants to shoot cheap high volume sage rats 20 Prac for the win

 

[Yamess191]

Def 20 practical if u want 20 caliber.

 

[drover]

I think anybody who has shot the Blitz kings and Bergers in 20 cals will argue there every bit as accurate in a 20 cal as in a 22 cal especially to 300.The 35 Berger in a 20 Prac is a ballistic twin to a 222 or 223 with the 52 Berger.
If he ever wants to shoot cheap high volume sage rats 20 Prac for the win

When the 20 first starting getting popular a decade or so ago there were some articles in Precision Shooter about benchrest shooters giving it a try and it wasn't long before they gave up on the 20 as being competitive.

I tried the 204 three times and finally gave up on it and stayed with the 223 Rem. It is not that the 204 is not a good ground squirrel / PD cartridge but for bullets the 22 caliber has a lot more availability. Then there is the brass issue for anything besides the 20 Practical the choices are few and spotty. Then there is also the feeding and ejection issues with some of the other shorter 20 calber cases.

For ease of developing loads and working with a wide range of powders and components IMO it is hard to beat the 222 for a casual paper-puncher cartridge.

drover

 

[L.Sherm]

Maybe they should have talked to the guys shooting the 55's on here shooting the 20 cal

 

[K22]

Why not the 223 Rem?

I mean if you're max distance is 300 yards, and just paper, the 223 Rem in my opinion would be ideal.

As far as "super accurate", the 223 Rem is capable of sub 1/2 moa groups with tailored hand loads, a properly bedded action, and a stiff stock. I would also recommend a Douglas match barrel or equivalent with a No. 5 contour if you're seeking ultimate accuracy. Mine shoots in the .2's and .3's. It's a Rem 700 action mounted in a B&C medalist stock

Incidentally, my Tikka Varmint in 223 Rem, out of the box with no after-market modifications shoot sub 1/2 moa with 60 Vmax Hornady bullets and H4895. The factory stock has a vertical pistol grip which significantly enhances accurate shooting, The factory trigger is great and easily adjustable.

 

[swd]

The MK IV and 17 Fireball perform the same. I've had a MK IV for 20 years, love it. 20gr V Max at 4250fps is a hoot. If it had any less recoil it go forward, lol

 

[AckleymanII]

Go 11 twist....HELLO!

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Nice thing about the 20 practical or 20 tactical is that you can buy Lapua 223 brass for them and really up your game in the accuracy department.

 

[Mark W]

Out of the OP’s listed cartridges, I would definitely choose 20 Practical for the brass availability. In reality I would never build a 20 caliber for mostly paper shooting. Bullet selection is so much better in .22 caliber. I think the .222 recommendations are spot on.

 

[AckleymanII]

Since the OP is considering 300 yd paper punching....hummm.....some missed that issue!

You need Accuracy, but you also need speed and bullet BC, and for this application, most of the OP's selections are sucking hind tit.

I shoot 300 yard targets frequently, lots of 200 yard.

You are not going to outsmart the laws of Physics: Speed, BC, and Sectional Density. 300 yd targets really are humbling. It is amazing how many combo's just fall apart between 200-300 yards where "The Bottom Falls Out!"

For light recoil, use a muzzle break, better yet, use a muzzle break/tuner or just a tuner if you hate muzzle breaks.

 

[L.Sherm]

If your gonna strictly punch paper its gonna be hard to go wrong with a Berger.
Run a 55 Berger in a 20 Prac and then run a 55 Berger in a 222 or 223 they will be just about identical in FPS but the 20 call 55 wins as far as downrange ballistics.
Don't underestimate the 20 cal 55 Berger for accuracy.

 

[JohnHenry]

20-222

20-222 Plain Jane - Saubier.com

20-222 Plain Jane Small Caliber Discussion Board

www.saubier.com

 

[22vartarg]

If your gonna strictly punch paper its gonna be hard to go wrong with a Berger.
Run a 55 Berger in a 20 Prac and then run a 55 Berger in a 222 or 223 they will be just about identical in FPS but the 20 call 55 wins as far as downrange ballistics.
Don't underestimate the 20 cal 55 Berger for accuracy.

Does Berger even manufacture a 55 gr in 20 caliber anymore ? It has not been listed on their website for a while.

 

[B23]

20-222

20-222 Plain Jane - Saubier.com

20-222 Plain Jane Small Caliber Discussion Board

www.saubier.com

The 20-222 is no easier than the 20 Prac but having one I'm a bit partial.

I tried to clone 20-222 build after a Rem 700 BDL Custom Deluxe. It doesn't have that rich blueing like they used to have from the factory but even with black cerakote it still turned out pretty good and the little bugger sure does shoot sweet.