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lf You Had Just ONE BULLET CHOICE for Prairie Dogs??

fyrewall said:
In most longer range shooting bullets with better form factors and higher BC's are preferred; shooting rodents with a .20 is a similar application. In my thinking, slight velocity differences between the 32 & 40 Vmax are inadequate to justify deployment of the stubby 32 Vmax's against the rodents.
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Well, first it is important to keep in mind we are comparing two bullets both of which have crappy BC's -- .275 vs .221. You're getting hung up on your cow because it is prettier than my pig. :) Second, you skipped over my most important reason for using the 32s -- reduced scope jump, which enables me to see a lot more my hits without having to turn the power way down. I've got my Rem. 204 up to 18 lbs and suppressed and I still see way more hits with the 32s than I do with the 40s.

Second, I'd say the vast majority of PD's are shot within 300 yards, and I wouldn't call the difference in travel times for the 32s vs the 40s at 300 and under "slight." The difference is very noticeable in actual shooting.

Finally, I'm guessing you haven't actually tried the 32s on "rodents." Everyone I have seen try them for a day has been immediately converted from a skeptic to a advocate, and now will not shoot anything but them in .20 cal. The terminal ballistics are incredible, and they get to actually see the explosion in their scope.

Guys say, oh, but I have a brake so I get to see the hits. I say, well, great, but don't bring an unsuppressed rifle anywhere near me when I'm shooting PDs. You'll scare the dogs down and force me to use serious ear pro.

 
In my rifle with my loads, I will run 32’s till the wind kicks up, then I switch to 40’s.

17 Fireball I run 20’s full tilt. Wind picks up I switch to 17 Remington and 25’s.

I will follow this discussion. Time of flight VS weight seems to always make a lengthy conversation.

I tried to like 40’s in a 22-250 and 223. I am still shooting some but won’t restock, even if cheap. Run full tilt out of either are quite spectacular to say the least.
50-55’s and those in between seem to work better when windy.
Momentum,BC, weight however you want to look at it, light bullets start fast, but also slow down fast(quicker).
Just my angle on it.
 
sw282 said:
What would it be for 22 cal? Mine is a 40 grain VMAX. They shoot GREAT in just about ALL 22 caliber center fires. They work in my 22-250. They are a NATURAL for 223 Remingtons. 222 Rem loves them too. A 40gr VMAX is ldeal in 221 Fireball. l even shoot them in a 10'' bull barrel TC Contender 22 Hornet. Those 40gr VMAX will even topple a 55 pound IHMSA RAM @ 200 Meters from that Contender with a high hit. Prairie Dogs simply go to PIECES when hit with a 40gr VMAX
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I dont do 22 cal. Never shot anything but 20 cal and 6mm for varmints. Only 22 cals I've ever owned are 5.56 in AR rifles, but never used them for varmints.

I love the 20 cal 39gr Sierra BlitzKing. I have been shooting that bullet in 204 Ruger since 2005 when the round first hit the market. Tried Berger, Hornady V-Max, and many other bullets. Nothing ever seemed to match the amazingly forgiving accuracy of the 39gr BK in my 204R rifles.

I use 34gr HP flat base bullets in my other 20 cals just because they are a LOT cheaper. Not quite as accurate as the 39gr BK, but still shoot excellent.

Father in law used to shoot Speer 50gr TNT in 222 Mag. Absolute DYNOMITE on small varmints and extremely accurate.

Never could get the V-Max to shoot as good as Sierra BKs in any of my rifles no matter how hard I tried.
 
JSH said:
Momentum,BC, weight however you want to look at it, light bullets start fast, but also slow down fast(quicker).
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Well, yes, but comparing (Hodgdon) max load velocities for both, the 32-gr 20-cal bullets still get to the 500 yard mark quicker than the 40-gr do! Average velocity over 500 yds is 2,947 for the 32s, 2,842 for the 40s.

But it is at the normal 200 - 350 yd distances that the little lasers really shine.
 
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I loaded 40gr blitzing in a straight 223 for pd’s when I last went several years ago. Out to 3-350 it was very easy to connect with a 3750fps load if I remember correctly. For coyotes I go to the 53 Vmax
 
Sieg said:
Question regarding the .223, how low can you go with a 1:7.7 twist 22" barrel?
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Myself, I usually wouldn't go lower than 62gr as a general rule even though I have shot my 53gr VMax's out of a twist rate similar.

This is just my opinion and others may disagree.
If the bullet explodes in flight, you went to light.... LOL
 
50 gr Nosler BT. Might be a better bullet out there, but it really kills PD's in a 220 Swift. When the 204 barrel gives up the ghost, I'm going to 40 grain bullets with the proper twist.
 
I am watching here. Interesting discussion, answered several things I have observed.

Factory long throated 204 barrel, it runs faster than a buddies zero free bore. Both have about the same round count through them. His will shoot just a bit tighter than mine could be barrel and chamber or shooter.
This was with factory loads32 and 40.
 
sw282 said:
What would it be for 22 cal? Mine is a 40 grain VMAX. They shoot GREAT in just about ALL 22 caliber center fires. They work in my 22-250. They are a NATURAL for 223 Remingtons. 222 Rem loves them too. A 40gr VMAX is ldeal in 221 Fireball. l even shoot them in a 10'' bull barrel TC Contender 22 Hornet. Those 40gr VMAX will even topple a 55 pound IHMSA RAM @ 200 Meters from that Contender with a high hit. Prairie Dogs simply go to PIECES when hit with a 40gr VMAX
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For one bullet for PD's I use either the 40 gr Nosler ballistic tip or the 40 gr V-Max at 3750 fps from my 223's. They are both very accurate and very explosive.

Apparently some folks didn't bother to read the question since they are posting about the 20 calibers and having a difference of opinion on how 20's perform.

I am always amazed at how many folks buy into the 204 having less recoil than the 223. When using the same weight bullet in the same weight rifle the recoil is virtually the same. It has to be - the 204 cannot defy physics. To achieve 3750 with 40 gr bullets in the 204 requires a virtually identical powder charge which will give the same amount of recoil. While it is possible to lessen recoil by 1/2 ft lb by dropping down to the 32 gr bullet in the 204 - it is so little as to be insignificant.

I have 223's that weight from 7.5 lb, my walking varminter, to my Varminter which weights 9 lb and I do not have trouble seeing hits with either of those rifles, nor have I had an issue with any other 223's using 40 gr bullets. If a person is not seeing hits with low recoil cartridges like the 204 or 223 then they need to do some serious work on their rifle handling technique.

I have had three 204's and in the real world I have not found them to have any superiority over the 223. Given the litteraly tens of thousands of tons of 223 brass that is available for next to nothing, and the huge selection of excellent 22 caliber bullets and powders that work well in the 223 for me the 223 is the easy choice.

drover
 
In my 222's and 223's the 40gr NBT, out of the 22-250 the 53gr V-max for colony varmints. 52gr Speer HP for larger critters out of them all.
 
I'm with BigGun, 50gr SPSX Hornady. Consistently DRT with our .222's. Not spectacular, but very accurate, and consistent from 1:14 twist .222's up to 200 yards.
 
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