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20 Practical, Best Accuracy Varmint Bullet?

TheCZKid

Silver $$ Contributor
I finally got my hands on another powder I'd like to test, LT 32. I have a 24" barrel 1:10 twist, AR rifle. Only bullets I've shot so far are the 32 and 40 Vmax. But I figured I might as well consider other bullet options, as I'm not married to only Vmax.

I see Berger has a 35 HP FB bullet, and that sounds promising, see some mention of it here by a few, but curious to hear about accuracy, and if you have a good LT 32 (or even VV N133). I've had good luck with 8208 with the 40's.

When searching for best price for those I seen there's a Barnes Varmint Grenade 26 grain, and on Midway it's got good reviews for tight accuracy, and for making things explode! Sage rats are my intended target (maybe coyotes too).

I'm curious what bullet you have had the best accuracy out of, speed is less important, sage rats are small so tight groups at 250 yards is my goal.
 
I like the Berger 35's but honestly the Sierra 32 and 39's are not giving up much to the Bergers. The chambering just seems to do well across the whole bullet spectrum.

Greg
 
For all my .20 cal rat rifles, the best combination of accuracy and terminal results has been the Nosler flat base tipped 32gr Varmageddon, or the Ballistic Tip, not far behind.

Out of my Cooper M38 20VT:



And for a heavier bullet in about any .20 cal rifle, the 39gr SBK just can't be beat.
 
Nosler BT and Sierra 39 BK . H 4198. Chron @ 3800 fps. Scope 1 1/2" high @ 100. accurate @ 350 yds. A later.
I have forgotten I purchased 1000 Nosler 40 BT from a guy at a local gun show! He was only going to shoot in California and couldn't use lead bullets any longer... I will test these with the LT-32 I just got, since I already have them (amazing I forgot I had them, I'm getting old). I had good results with H335 25.7 grains earlier.
 
For the best, as Rick calls it, Rat-O-Batics on ground squirrels and PD's I'll take the 32gr Vmax. For coyotes the 35 and 40 gr Berger's. I sent some bullets to forum member AP2020 when he was doing his informal 20 cal bullet test and if I recall the 40gr Berger and 40gr BIB performed pretty much identical. In my 20-250 I only shoot the Berger 55's.
 
I will say things a little different way in the hope that it helps.

Between the factory bullets like Nosler, Barnes, Berger, Sierra, and Hornady, etc., I was able to find the tune that each bullet weight liked the best.

Yes, there were times that a particular barrel really loved one or another batch of bullets in particular, but all of them could have been tuned to acceptable especially when you are saying 250 yards or less.

There is almost no point to trying to predict the performance of your barrel based on which bullet did the best in someone else’s gun. I have had fresh barrels that could show the difference between two different vintages of the ”same” bullets.

I usually recommend that folks who dedicate to this type of hunting to have ample quantities of a variety of bullets in hand. That way, you don’t have to wait or even scrub a trip due to waiting for the factories to deliver a particular bullet.
YMMV
 
In my barrel the most cost effective bullet with decent accuracy is the 39 gr Speer TNT. The most cost effective very accurate bullet is the 39 SBK. Actually, like most 20Ps, it will shoot pretty much any appropriate bullet into itty bitty groups.
 
I have forgotten I purchased 1000 Nosler 40 BT from a guy at a local gun show! He was only going to shoot in California and couldn't use lead bullets any longer... I will test these with the LT-32 I just got, since I already have them (amazing I forgot I had them, I'm getting old). I had good results with H335 25.7 grains earlier.
IMR 8208 works well with the 40 gr also.
 
39 gr Sierra BK with H322. 3802fps average. R-P brass. No sign of pressure. Original batch of 50 cases has been loaded 8X and primer pockets haven’t changed. My 20p was sort of finicky but the 39 Sierra shoots great.
 
39 gr Sierra BK with H322. 3802fps average. R-P brass. No sign of pressure. Original batch of 50 cases has been loaded 8X and primer pockets haven’t changed. My 20p was sort of finicky but the 39 Sierra shoots great.
What primer do you use?
 

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