Just laying the parameters so you can understand the what's and why's.
Every Wednesday friends and I gather at John's place to shoot, it's a bring anything you want to, get together. We usually have a wide assortment of guns we play with, ranging from BB guns(yes we have had a ton of fun with these LOL, especially at Christmas party's), PCP air guns, 22rf, you name it, and on up to 45-90's, etc.
We have steel from 20Y to 421Y out the back porch and some 50Y and 100Y paper targets. The closer and smaller steel which there is a lot of are mostly for the airguns and 22's but will handle 17hmr and 22 mag. The larger steel is AR500 and starts at 50Y to 421Y.
Over the last 3 years I've had a certain goal, that being to find a suitable cartridge to provide challenge in the wind but also have small vertical at the longer distances. Finding the balance has been much harder than I thought it would be!
Dilemma #1 - Those rimfires, the accurate 22's can do sub moa out to 100Y, we have a blast using these on the small steel but by 200Y, even with expensive ammo, the vertical is like 4" and there is often "too much" challenge at longer distances for a 22 rimfire, the slightest change in condition and we're off the steel. Eh, as much as I love shooting 22's I don't like wasting expensive ammo. Of course with cheap ammo in this situation the vertical is just horrible.
17hmr and 22 mag, there is no match ammo available??? In our rifles the average groups at 100Y are around 1.3" with a few less than 1". There is of course some benefit to the extra velocity, what is prevalent is that there is less windage needed and less drop to compensate for but the large flyers here and there make's for some frustration. And with the 17 it's hard to see where the bullet went, either on steel or in the dirt when you miss.
Dilemma #2 - Before last Wednesday and pretty much with any centerfire cartridge I've tried, we couldn't use them on the smaller steel because it'd ruin them. Bigger bullets going slow like 300BO bend them and lighter bullets going fast bunch holes. Of course with 223R, etc, all the farther steel was too easy, there just wasn't much if any challenge unless it was real windy.
I gave up for years and then came upon a certain deal so I bought this custom CZ 527 in 5mmFBI, it's a 20-221AI wildcat. It turned out to be a very accurate rifle! I already knew engaging the close steel was out of the question/32's at 3735 fps, but did have fun on the farther steel, as well as enjoying a little more challenge in the wind at 300Y and 421Y.
The lightbulb came on a few months ago, hey I should try reduced loads in the 5mmFBI, but where do I start with powder type and charge weight??? Afraid of damaging my rifle I put the idea aside.
Well last Wednesday morning I got brave, I grabbed the old can of Alliant 2400 out of the cabinet, put in 8 grains, seated a 32 grainer, walked out back and let it go over the chrono - 2438 fps. Tried a group with 7.5 grains, oh boy, 4 touching at 50Y 2318 fps ave, thinking to myself that that velocity shouldn't damage the small steel. Excited now, I loaded up 45 rounds to try at John's!!!
At J's place now, I shot one shot on paper at 50Y, measured POI to POA, adjusted turrets, put 3 shots into .1" centered, oh boy!
I shot most of the small steel and most of the big steel(all my friends had to try the new load too), all with the same rifle and cartridge, no steel was harmed, there was small vertical at distance, and just enough challenge in medium winds to make the whole experience flat out AWESOME!!!
There you have it, if you have a 20 Vartarg and were so inclined to try a light load in it, A2400 works well. Not that there might be better powders to try but...
Every Wednesday friends and I gather at John's place to shoot, it's a bring anything you want to, get together. We usually have a wide assortment of guns we play with, ranging from BB guns(yes we have had a ton of fun with these LOL, especially at Christmas party's), PCP air guns, 22rf, you name it, and on up to 45-90's, etc.
We have steel from 20Y to 421Y out the back porch and some 50Y and 100Y paper targets. The closer and smaller steel which there is a lot of are mostly for the airguns and 22's but will handle 17hmr and 22 mag. The larger steel is AR500 and starts at 50Y to 421Y.
Over the last 3 years I've had a certain goal, that being to find a suitable cartridge to provide challenge in the wind but also have small vertical at the longer distances. Finding the balance has been much harder than I thought it would be!
Dilemma #1 - Those rimfires, the accurate 22's can do sub moa out to 100Y, we have a blast using these on the small steel but by 200Y, even with expensive ammo, the vertical is like 4" and there is often "too much" challenge at longer distances for a 22 rimfire, the slightest change in condition and we're off the steel. Eh, as much as I love shooting 22's I don't like wasting expensive ammo. Of course with cheap ammo in this situation the vertical is just horrible.
17hmr and 22 mag, there is no match ammo available??? In our rifles the average groups at 100Y are around 1.3" with a few less than 1". There is of course some benefit to the extra velocity, what is prevalent is that there is less windage needed and less drop to compensate for but the large flyers here and there make's for some frustration. And with the 17 it's hard to see where the bullet went, either on steel or in the dirt when you miss.
Dilemma #2 - Before last Wednesday and pretty much with any centerfire cartridge I've tried, we couldn't use them on the smaller steel because it'd ruin them. Bigger bullets going slow like 300BO bend them and lighter bullets going fast bunch holes. Of course with 223R, etc, all the farther steel was too easy, there just wasn't much if any challenge unless it was real windy.
I gave up for years and then came upon a certain deal so I bought this custom CZ 527 in 5mmFBI, it's a 20-221AI wildcat. It turned out to be a very accurate rifle! I already knew engaging the close steel was out of the question/32's at 3735 fps, but did have fun on the farther steel, as well as enjoying a little more challenge in the wind at 300Y and 421Y.
The lightbulb came on a few months ago, hey I should try reduced loads in the 5mmFBI, but where do I start with powder type and charge weight??? Afraid of damaging my rifle I put the idea aside.
Well last Wednesday morning I got brave, I grabbed the old can of Alliant 2400 out of the cabinet, put in 8 grains, seated a 32 grainer, walked out back and let it go over the chrono - 2438 fps. Tried a group with 7.5 grains, oh boy, 4 touching at 50Y 2318 fps ave, thinking to myself that that velocity shouldn't damage the small steel. Excited now, I loaded up 45 rounds to try at John's!!!
At J's place now, I shot one shot on paper at 50Y, measured POI to POA, adjusted turrets, put 3 shots into .1" centered, oh boy!
I shot most of the small steel and most of the big steel(all my friends had to try the new load too), all with the same rifle and cartridge, no steel was harmed, there was small vertical at distance, and just enough challenge in medium winds to make the whole experience flat out AWESOME!!!
There you have it, if you have a 20 Vartarg and were so inclined to try a light load in it, A2400 works well. Not that there might be better powders to try but...
One pass thru a Wildcat Shoulder Bump Die got me down to 20 then a mandrel pass got things smoother out. Another pass into a shortened full length die to make sure there was no bulge at the shoulder/body junction. Loads and shoot. Had my own custom reamer cut, full length and seater made by Whidden.
MUCH better than those short fat bullets the 22 TCM are loaded with. All that work and I still havn't fired a shot on paper. Issues with loading into the chamber with the "short" case. Round has to be pointed UP into the chamber to start. This is with a Savage single shot action.
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