20 Vartarg

[brfun]

Hello
I am finally getting around to finishing up my 20 vartarg project and I am curious on any updates on powders. Looking back in old posts I see some having luck with H4198, AA1680 witch I have both of. Any other choices that have been working well? And what loads have producing good accuracy in your rifles?
It will still be probably be three weeks or so before I get this out to range for the first shot and clean but I am looking forward to it.
The rifle isn't anything fancy or even ideal but I liked the rifle since the day I bought it and hope I will be able to make it shoot. it was okay in the factory 223 but after a few thousand down range it was more the time to barrel. I hope the 20 vartarg will be just the ticket for a second squirrel rifle next spring.
It is a Ruger 77 mk2 varmint,early model). Timney trigger. I will finish the pillar bedding job next week. Pacnor 24" 12 twist .224 neck. Plan on trying 32 Hornady's and Sierra's, 30 and 35 Berger's. I still have a lot of brass prep as when I started this project Rem brass wasn't available and I have formed 200 form 223 Win brass witch I need to fishing necking down, trim and turn the necks on.
Thanks for any load info or suggestions on bullets and the like that have been working well. Brian

 

[DogBuster]

When I set up my 20 VT two yrs or so ago...I tested alot of powders..settled on H322 and the 40 gr moly V max...19 grs will get me 3554 fps...have actually taken p/dogs out to 519 yds with it...24" finished bbl..I prefer the 40 Vs in both my 20s...I also use a 20 Practical..26" bbl...these are both Pac Nor 12 twists...the original chamber was 204R...wanted something different...

 

[brfun]

DogBuster
Thanks! I hadn't planed om shooting the 40s but I will pick up a box and give them a try.

Things are taking me a little longer then I had expected like they always seen to do now days but I am hopping to get out to the range next Monday with it. Bedding is done and I am working on the brass now. Hopefully I will have a hundred ready to load by tomorrow night.

I toyed with the idea of a piratical when I started this but the Vartarg really caught my interest.

If I like it I have been thinking about a 20BR Kreger barrel fast twist for the Berger 50s to add to my 22BR and 6 Dasher switch barrel.
Brian

 

[RJinTexas]

brfun,
Take DogBuster's advice, shoot 40gr Vmax with H322. The 40's don't get blown around in the wind nearly as much as the 32's graines do out past 200yds. I also shoot about the same load but I'm shooting naked bullets out of a 27" HV Pacnor.

RJ

 

[brfun]

Thanks RJ!
I will defiantly give the 40s a try with some H322. I am still a fan of molly and plan on using it.
In the spring I like to get in a few ground squirrel hunts. most of the shooting seems to be 250 or less but even then the wind is defiantly something to keep in mind. I did however shoot one this year at 373 with my 22 BR so some times I get the pleasure of some longer shots. 373 doesn't sound like much to you lucky folks that get to hunt prairie dogs but the squirrels here make pretty small targets. I plan on taking both with me when I go in the spring the 20 Vartarg and the 22 Br.
My thinking on the 32s were to shoot the vartarg at 200 or less and the BR out past that. and the speed with the 32 on these small critters should be explosive.
Brian

 

[acloco]

Instead of moly, you might want to try Danzac/WS2. Does not build up.

 

[subsonic]

I am thinking of converting my REM 700 from 223 to 20 Practical with a 1:12 twist in a Pac-nor 3 groove 26" barrel using 40 gr Berger's and H4198 or Varget. Any thughts on my chose for long range varmint hunting or just long range target shooting for 300 to 500 yards?

 

[DogBuster]

I am thinking of converting my REM 700 from 223 to 20 Practical with a 1:12 twist in a Pac-nor 3 groove 26" barrel using 40 gr Berger's and H4198 or Varget. Any thughts on my chose for long range varmint hunting or just long range target shooting for 300 to 500 yards?

Should work just fine...I burn H4895 in my 20 Practical w/40s

 

[subsonic]

Hey DogBuster thanks, you know, I thought I was the only one reading this stuff for awhile. What's your thoughts on the 3 groove barrels?

 

[brfun]

Hi!
Just an update on the 20VT project.
Primarily this rifle will be used for short range 100 to 250 yard spring sage rat shooting so I started with the 32Vmax 30 and 35 Berger’s. Had some AA1680 on hand so it was the first choice. Groups were terrible in the 1s and not the kind of 1s like to see. and the barrel heat was way to hot for my liking. It seemed to heat up way to fast, not good for a varmint rifle.
Next trip to the range was with H4i98. Much better I could shoot about twice as much before barrel heat was an issue. Also group sizes was cut about in half with a few loads showing some promise. now for one problem I began losing brass on the second firing. Primer pockets began to loosen and one primer pocket blew out to about the size of a LR primmer. Thank god for glasses! First thought was this was a way over pressure load yet well with in the loading data I was able to come up with. It sure makes you stop and think when you get a puff on the cheek and you open the bolt to find the primer laying on the follower and huge crevice that used to be a primer pocket.
Warm yes, but I didn’t consider it an over pressure load. 18.8gr 4198 and coated 35 Berger’s with a MV of 3640fps. Maybe a few soft pieces of brass witch I have heard of Rem brass having this issue. Loaded again and any pockets that felt loose I didn’t load. Third trip was yielding some decent groups anywhere form the low 2s to mid 4s. But this time I had two more cases blow the primer pockets out and lost 10 more dew to loose pockets.
Okay something isn’t right hear so I did some more research and looking at loading data and going over every bit of my loading procedure checking scales and every thing twice. Still not making any sense to me but one thing was for sure this combination was unsafe and unusable. Everything was still leading back to the brass so I tossed it completely and finished forming a hundred from 223 win brass. Went back out to the range to start at the bottom and work up again.
Good news found the sweet spot again this time at 18.5gr and within 20 fps now 3625 fps. And even better news was no loose pockets and no blown pockets.
A couple more trips and some more tuning still with out any pressure signs or loose pockets. The Winchester brass so far is much better for higher pressure loads!
Went to the range this morning again to try different primers but none did any better than the WSR primers I started with. First group with the WSR primers this morning I put five into .154 next group I made a bad wind call the group measuring .398 with four of them into .186. The week prior this load averaged for two groups .324. Considering the rifle and the shooter I don’t have much to complain about.
The 32Vmax didnt’t do so well averaging in the mid 4s. The 30gr Berger’s are way to short for the throat. With .100 seated into the case I am jumping them .070 but surprisingly they will shoot in the low to mid 4s. So far the 35gr Berger’s are the best.
Just started working with the 40gr Berger’s but it doesn’t look like so far that they will shoot with the 35s. Considering the range I will be using this rifle the 35s will do the trick anyway.
Sorry about the length of this but I thought a few might be interested. The load I have settled on so far is,
35 Berger moly, .015 into the lands, 18.5gr H4198, WSR primers, Winchester brass. MV at 50 deg. 3624 at 34deg 3614. As always work up any load slowly especially in a small cartridge like the VT.This load may not be safe in your rifle!

Brian