20 tactical with 1 in 9 twist

[londonhunter]

Hi guys I would like to go ahead with a new varmint rig in 20 tactical.

Just wondering has anybody any success with the new berger 50 grain pills down a 1 in 9 twist tube ?

So far all the people I spoke to with experience in the 20 tactical are all shooting 1 in 10 or 11 stabilising 39 / 40 grains

It mainly for foxing and paper punching.

My thinking behind thos project is that the 50 grain will be more stable in the wind and less recoil as compared to a 6mm.

However my gunsmith is trying to discourage me saying that 20 caliber are best spinning 39 / 40 grainer with the case size.

Is this comment accurate from your experience ?

Thanks

 

[tx4guns]

How slow is that going to be? I shoot 39s in my .204 Ruger AR, and it's up around 3600-3700. Those 50s are going to slow down to the 3000-3200 area probably. You might as well shoot .223 with 55gr bullets. No advantage to them going that slow. Just my 2 cents. The 39 grain bullets work well in my 1:9 Shilen. I'm sure either 1:9 or 1:8 would work for 50's, too.

 

[BradY]

I have a 1:12 for shooting 39 sierras at foxes in a 20 practical chambering. Both of use should see the same results on foxes as a factory 204 rifle and with the results ive seen on foxes and rabbits here in aus, you wont need to worry about any other bullet apart from the 39gr blitzking.

I did contemplate trying the berger bullets but the price they are here, i may as well stay with the proven sierras.

 

[FURMAN]

The 50s will gain nothing. The 55s would gain a little wind advantage. Either way it will outperform a .223 due to the higher bc of the 20cal bullets.

 

[canderson]

I have a Remington with factory barrel,204 ruger) that will shoot Berger 40 @ 3500 fps. I finished my AR-15 build earlier this year, it is chamber in 024 ruger also. It has a 24' 1-9 twist Shilen barrel. It will shoot the berger 50's @ 3375 fps with a little better than 0.5 Moa out to 300 yds. That is as far as I have tested it. If I had to do it again without thinking about magazine length rounds, I would have tried to find a 1-8 or 1-7 barrel for the 55's. I have shoot just a few 55 in the AR. Velocity was around 3000 fps. I have not shot enough to know about the accuracy.

Chris

 

[londonhunter]

How about if I put the question another way. Will a 1 in 9 stabilise a 40 grain projectile ?

 

[canderson]

I will try to shoot some of my 40's through my 1-9 twist today and post the results.

 

[londonhunter]

Thank you very much. You have saved a newbie a lot of wasted range times.............

 

[tx4guns]

1:9 will stabilize a 40gr. I shot some factory .204 Ruger Nosler Custom ammo with 40gr ballistic tips, and it shot .5 MOA at 100 yards. I believe my Shilen is 1:9, so it works just fine.