How EXACTLY to go about a 20 vartarg build?

[mattri]

Have decided on a 20 Vartarg for short range (100-350) varmints and informal target shooting.

The plan so far is to use a Savage Target action, and prob an HS Precision stock, have glass.

Barrel? Anything 24" or longer will prob be fine, not a carrying around gun so weight is good. Which manufacturer to go with? Plan to use the 30-40gr bullets, 1:12 or 1:14 twist? 3 groove?

To re-load I'll need 221 FB dies and a bushing to kneck down to .204 correct? Which dies, why? Have never used a bushing before- understand the principle, what else do I need to know? (have reloaded for .270, .243, 30-30)

Neck turning? The chambers on a Savage barrel come pre-cut, I've installed and headspaced them before, won't that be what determines what I need to do to the necks?

What else do I need to know to make this project a success? I've built semi-customs before, but it was with a .243. Any and all suggestions welcome.

 

[MarkS]

Check with www.woodchuckden.com/ He came up with it, and he's got all the loading stuf.

Mark Schronce

 

[ab_bentley]

Are you getting the barrel from SharpShooter? If so it'll be a .232" neck which requires no neck turning. Usually the neck is going to be .232", from there are for barrel makers. Pac Nor is at the top of my list, Shilen and Lilja are up there too. There are a few guys who use Krieger, Bartlien, ect., but they wait is to long for me. 24" is appropriate for the 20VT, 1-11" would be my first choice, 1-12" is my second. Also as far as dies go, one pass through the FL 20VT Hornady die makes a perfect case. If you use the bushing dies make sure you get a body die to ensure good shoulder bump. The bushing dies don't make contact with the neck shoulder junction resulting in a "bump" shoulder/ neck area. Anymore questions just throw em out. Adam

 

[mattri]

Haven't selected a barrel maker yet, have to see who has the best options.

 

[SeabeeKen]

Have decided on a 20 Vartarg for short range (100-350) varmints and informal target shooting.

The plan so far is to use a Savage Target action, and prob an HS Precision stock, have glass.

Barrel? Anything 24" or longer will prob be fine, not a carrying around gun so weight is good. Which manufacturer to go with? Plan to use the 30-40gr bullets, 1:12 or 1:14 twist? 3 groove?

To re-load I'll need 221 FB dies and a bushing to kneck down to .204 correct? Which dies, why? Have never used a bushing before- understand the principle, what else do I need to know? (have reloaded for .270, .243, 30-30)

Neck turning? The chambers on a Savage barrel come pre-cut, I've installed and headspaced them before, won't that be what determines what I need to do to the necks?

What else do I need to know to make this project a success? I've built semi-customs before, but it was with a .243. Any and all suggestions welcome.

I'm building mine on a Savage 10MP action. I ordered my barrel from Pac-Nor, Savage prefit, 24" 11T, SS, S match. I struggled with twist. Talked to bullet makers and barrel makers and they seemed to be split on this. Some said 12 twist was border line stable with 40 gr or more and to go with 11 twist and others said 12 twist was fine up to 40 gr. I went 11. I asked Pac-Nor about the neck size of the chamber and was told it is .232 and so ordered a .230 bushing for the Redding type s. PT&G told me their "standard" 20VT reamer is .232" neck. I would have went with Shilen but they didn't offer 11 twist.
You cant use a 221 fireball die for the 20VT. The 221 has a shoulder angle of 23* and VT has 30*. Possibility of using a 17 Fireball die with a .230 bushing but I never tried it.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I th k this is the 2,000th thread. How to build or load for a VarTarg.

But I'll give a couple pieces of advice anyhow.

1) Don't ever build any 20 cal cartridge with a barrel twist slower than 1 in 11"... PERIOD.
Not even if you only plan on using 32gr bullets.
2) The VarTarg is not built to impress with speed so dont worry about having a long barrel. A short LV contour cut off at 22" will make the rifle much handier and easy to wield from a vehicle while still providing plenty of speed with the fast burning varmint powders.

 

[GAnderson]

I wonder if he got it built after 8 years now...thread is from 2011.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

I wonder if he got it built after 8 years now...thread is from 2011.

He's moved on to the Creedmores

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I wonder if he got it built after 8 years now...thread is from 2011.

Lol. Oops! I was wondering why in the heck a person would post something like that when theres a thread currently being discussed on a 20 VT build in the same forum section. People posting on ancient threads gets me dang near every time

 

[Evan]

I'm building mine on a Savage 10MP action. I ordered my barrel from Pac-Nor, Savage prefit, 24" 11T, SS, S match. I struggled with twist. Talked to bullet makers and barrel makers and they seemed to be split on this. Some said 12 twist was border line stable with 40 gr or more and to go with 11 twist and others said 12 twist was fine up to 40 gr. I went 11. I asked Pac-Nor about the neck size of the chamber and was told it is .232 and so ordered a .230 bushing for the Redding type s. PT&G told me their "standard" 20VT reamer is .232" neck. I would have went with Shilen but they didn't offer 11 twist.
You cant use a 221 fireball die for the 20VT. The 221 has a shoulder angle of 23* and VT has 30*. Possibility of using a 17 Fireball die with a .230 bushing but I never tried it.

Just use the Hornady FL die set; it does a fine job.

Also a .232 neck requires turning if you use LC or Lapua brass. Also watch out for the 0.200 dimension on the reamer. Todd Kindler specced it tight (0.375) for remington brass. Lapua brass is larger to more closely match a SAAMI spec 221 fireball of 0.377. If you run Lapua brass in a original Vartarg, folks report bolt clicking and other tight-brass symptoms.