How about a 20-222?

[MoneyWaster]

I’ve always wanted a 20 Vartarg, and I had high hopes of building one in the next year, but with the economy the way that it is, I don’t think that a new purpose built single shot action is in the cards. I do have a trued Remington 700 stainless action available from a LVSS rifle that was originally a 204 Ruger. I also have the B&C stock from that original rifle which is actually pretty nice. Like many here my thoughts are always to the next neat rifle that I can add to my collection, and this got me thinking about a 20-222. If I were to pick up a Krieger in a Sendero contour, and have it chambered in 20-222, I should have a sweet little rifle for shooting groups and the occasional ground squirrel.

To me the 20-222 is a good second choice to the Vartarg. The parent case (222) is supposedly inherently accurate, and I would think that this would carry over to 20 cal. Maybe I’m wrong, I don’t know. I’d probably shoot 35 or 40 gn bullets from it, and with the B&C stock it can function as a repeater, although that really isn’t important. I’m not interested in a 20P. I want something a little different “just because”. I’d go Vartarg on this build if ejection wouldn’t be an issue, but from everything that I’ve read, they do not eject properly from a bolt designed for a 204 or 223. I want something relatively easy that’s going to just work without a lot of smith expense.

Does anyone here have a 20-222, and if so, how does it shoot? What are the pros and cons?

Lou

 

[TAJ45]

Well fellow shooter, just of late I've been pondering my VT and Bobcat reamers. Do I "need" both? Whichever way I go, I'm of the long neck sect.
That leads me to doing one, 222, shlder pushed back, sharpened and with a neck in the .350" length range. Throat it short for 32s through 40, 45s if you want the option of reaching the lands and maintaining max powder volume. If I'm going to need custom dies, same diff.

One other thought. I have read that w the VT, sometimes a tenth grain creates major pressure. True? Only read it once. Would a working range of 20, 21gr give a bit more margin? I have no idea.
Also trimming. I'll be prepping 2-3k for squirrels so if the trimming process can be less time needful. But a trim die would solve that, wouldn't it?
Like I said, ruminations abound.
Quarantine? What quarantine? I haven't changed a bit, a bit, a bit.
Sane as ever.....yup.

 

[mac86951]

www.tripledeuce.net has some good info and experience posted. I think the 20-222; or even 17-222 could be lots of fun.

-Mac

 

[jds holler]

There's plenty of us with the 20-222 around here. Don't recall anyone with a bad report.

Mine was about as easy as pie - stuck a remage PacNor 20 cal barrel on my old 700, 222. I changed up a few things, stock and such, everything I did was on the cheap. The gun shoots like a dream, and I'm not any great shakes with load development or technique.

I even used my skanky old 222 brass, and ground squirrels fear me. Rifle shoots solid .3's - .5's and I feel I could do better with it. I simply landed on a pretty easy load and haven't tried much else. jd

 

[MoneyWaster]

Thanks for the responses guys. You know,
after I created this thread I decided to do a search on the 20-222 in this forum, and there are a lot of threads on this cartridge; all if it good. So, I think that this is the route that I’ll go. That leads me to the next question, who should I hire to Smith the barrel job?

 

[JSH]

I think B23 has one.
TAJ, the long neck with zero freebore makes a fair bit of sense to me. Seat the 32-34’s out and the 40’s or heavier deeper, still have the long neck to guide things.

Spoke to a gent with 17-223, he is using all the case capacity, the throat has went away with way less rounds than his 17 Remington. I think there is something to be said about long necks, not beer either lol.

Playing with cast bullets for a long time, the 30-30 and 30-40 Krag are easier to deal with and get stellar results than a lot of cartridges.
Jeff

 

[B23]

The 20-222 is a sweetheart of a cartridge. I had one built a couple years ago and it is one of my favorites. Lapua 222 brass is relatively inexpensive and lasts forever. I use Redding 222 bushing dies with the appropriate size bushing. Necking down brass and reloading is easy peasy. My 20-222 was built on a trued Rem 700 that started life as a 223. Mine has a Hart 11tw #4 contour barrel and I've been shooting 40gr Berger's with H322 which stacks them into tiny little groups. I wanted that old school Remington BDL Custom Deluxe "look" with this 20-222 build.

 

[JohnHenry]

Lou, Quite a bit of 20-222 info. on saubier.com.

http://www.saubier.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9548&highlight=4000

 

[MoneyWaster]

The 20-222 is a sweetheart of a cartridge. I had one built a couple years ago and it is one of my favorites. Lapua 222 brass is relatively inexpensive and lasts forever. I use Redding 222 bushing dies with the appropriate size bushing. Necking down brass and reloading is easy peasy. My 20-222 was built on a trued Rem 700 that started life as a 223. Mine has a Hart 11tw #4 contour barrel and I've been shooting 40gr Berger's with H322 which stacks them into tiny little groups. I wanted that old school Remington BDL Custom Deluxe "look" with this 20-222 build.
View attachment 1170146

Love the rifle. I’d like to build one like that myself someday. I love the traditional wood stocked sportster rifles. I have a pre-64 M70 that I’m going to do something with one of these days. It was my grandfather’s rifle and the first that I used to hunt deer when I was 12.

 

[MQ1]

There's plenty of us with the 20-222 around here. Don't recall anyone with a bad report.

Mine was about as easy as pie - stuck a remage PacNor 20 cal barrel on my old 700, 222. I changed up a few things, stock and such, everything I did was on the cheap. The gun shoots like a dream, and I'm not any great shakes with load development or technique.

I even used my skanky old 222 brass, and ground squirrels fear me. Rifle shoots solid .3's - .5's and I feel I could do better with it. I simply landed on a pretty easy load and haven't tried much else. jd

View attachment 1170035

jds...not wanting to hijaak the thread, but can you talk a little bit about your tripod setup there...I have a rock solid Bogen and your picture intrigues me...

MQ1

 

[pwdrbrn]

Definitely go with an 11 tw.for 39/40 gr bullets. Mine happens to love 40 nosler, 1/2 moa @400. Have fun, Tom.

 

[MQ1]

...and just to contribute to this thread...It has been my observation in all my small caliber cartridges...(20VT and 17 Remington) that sometimes a tenth of a grain DOES increase pressure seemingly more than an larger cartridge...

MQ1

 

[TAJ45]

^^^^^^ I appreciate that input. I don't usually hallucinate about tech stuff...

 

[jds holler]

jds...not wanting to hijaak the thread, but can you talk a little bit about your tripod setup there...I have a rock solid Bogen and your picture intrigues me...

MQ1

That tripod is a Bogen. Might be an older model I think. My wife found it on eBay. She's got a lighter version for photography, but mine is a heavy bastard. I some times put a sling on it and carry it on my shoulder with my rifle on the other one. When I sit in a folding chair, I can shoot pretty tight groups. Standing with it extended, 200 yds is about my max on squirrels. jd

 

[6xcshooter]

I have a 20 vartarg a 20 practical and 204 ruger. With those three I have not needed any other 20 cals. But you know it’s not about need. Want!

 

[B23]

If I didn't already have a 20-250 when I had my 20-222 built, I likely would have had a 20 Practical AKA 20-223 built instead. Both, the 20-222 and 20-223 are great choices but if I were only to have one 20 caliber rifle, it would be chambered in 20Practical/20-223. If I ever built a 17 cal, it for sure would be 17-222.

 

[jepp2]

Does anyone here have a 20-222, and if so, how does it shoot? What are the pros and cons?

Almost. I have a 20 Bobcat. Just a 20-222 made into an Ackley. Little more powder capacity and brass lasts forever. Kevin Weaver (Weaver Rifles) created it and does a lot of 20 caliber ctgs.

Pro, accurate, long brass life, brass is available (including Lapua), easy to form cases, fast.

Con's, need a new die set (Kevin stocks the 20 Bobcat dies).

 

[Oso]

I have a vintage Sako chambered in 17-222. I bought it last year and haven't spent much time with it... 100 rounds. What I can tell you is that I was smiling as that bullet slapped the target making me crave a field of crows.

 

[jds holler]

I took my little "Plain Jane 20" out today to shoot some squirrels. Wind was freaky bad, but we still killed a bunch. I shot just under 150 shells, and most shots were between one and two hundred yards. The babies are out, and some of these little guys aren't much bigger than a cigar.

I put a target out at 200 for a before and after cleaning group. This rifle isn't picky about being clean, and with the wind, I don't know if cleaning made much difference. My after cleaning group was an inch at two hundred, and given the conditions I'm happy. Those little 32 gr V-max get blown around a bit.



Sorry, I didn't take pics of the blood and guts, but there was plenty of it. There was one spot at about 170 where there was easily 20 squirrels dead in about a 20'x20' area.

I check my distance by taking my range finder and walking the kill zone when I'm done - shooting distance back to my rig from where the kills lay. I was amazed to see that some of the furthest kills were some of the smallest squirrels. Iddy biddy squirrels at 200 yds. tell me I might need better glass on this rifle. jd

 

[JSH]

jd interesting it took some of the wind drift out after cleaning. Or, did the wind lay down some?