My first .20 caliber

[Wingnut00]

so i just traded for a savage 12 204 ruger and what I read is they have a 12 twist barrel. I ain't got it yet but curious about the heaviest bullet I could stabilize with the 12 twist. I'm a Berger fan but open to bullet choices and sweetheart loads. Like I said I'm brand new to the 20 caliber so anything ya got I'm ready to learn. Also what about brass, hornady or Norma? I've played with the search function and got good info but prefer my own info from you folks for my reading pleasure so let's have it. Main uses will be prairie dogs and other small game that need blown to pieces but mainly want 1/8 MOPDH 'minute of prairie dog hair'. Let's hear it! Thanks

 

[Hoodoo]

I have a 12 twist in 20 practical, and shoot 39 grain sierra's very well.

 

[Rick in Oregon]

Any 204R 12-twist will shoot any of the 32's very well, and most likely also the 39gr SBK. Any of the 40gr bullets however is a crap shoot, especially the long for weight 40gr V-Max. The 40gr NBT or Varmageddon may work though, as the flat base Varm is a bit shorter and will maybe stabilize in the 12T.

Try the 39gr SBK first for your 'heavy bullet'. You'll most likely end the tests right there.

 

[Hotshot]

39 Sierra is the go to bullet for most 204R's. With 12 twist the 40 Vmax may not stabilize, some do some don't. I personally have a box of 40 Berger test loads in my ammo stash and I haven't seen good results in many different rifles. Don't overlook the 32 grain bullets. Out to 400 yards the ballistics are very similar to the 39's.

 

[Wingnut00]

Thanks For the replies so far. I've read a lot in the last 24 hours that the 39gr sierra's are pretty incredible. I guess I will have to try some. It might be the second gun I own that really likes sierra's. thanks again

 

[Rick in Oregon]

Wingnut....PM sent.

 

[Wingnut00]

Wingnut....PM sent.

Replied. Thank you

 

[Wirelessguy2005]

As stated above the 39 sierra is your best option, great bc and accuracy. They have worked in every 12 twist I have ever tried them in.

 

[17VLD]

I was able to get into the Varmint Hunters Association 500 yard club with the 39SBK shot out of my 20 BR 12 twist way back when 12 twist was all you could get.The Sierra has a nice bc and its accurate too.The Berger 40 is shorter and in my rifle shoots very well,it is worth a try in your 204.Some 204s have a long throat and so the 40Berger cant be seated out far enough to work optimally.My rifle is a full blow custom with zero freebore and the only reason I brought it up in this post was for the fact that it even shot the 50 grain Berger well enough to hit the 500 yard ballons at the VHA jamboree.That kinda suprised me,the point is you never know till you try.
The Sierras are kinda spendy but great ,if the 40 V-Max works it does have a great bc at.275 and its nice and destuctive tooHave fun this spring.
Matt

 

[Wingnut00]

I was able to get into the Varmint Hunters Association 500 yard club with the 39SBK shot out of my 20 BR 12 twist way back when 12 twist was all you could get.The Sierra has a nice bc and its accurate too.The Berger 40 is shorter and in my rifle shoots very well,it is worth a try in your 204.Some 204s have a long throat and so the 40Berger cant be seated out far enough to work optimally.My rifle is a full blow custom with zero freebore and the only reason I brought it up in this post was for the fact that it even shot the 50 grain Berger well enough to hit the 500 yard ballons at the VHA jamboree.That kinda suprised me,the point is you never know till you try.
The Sierras are kinda spendy but great ,if the 40 V-Max works it does have a great bc at.275 and its nice and destuctive tooHave fun this spring.
Matt

Thanks Matt. I was hopin somebody would tell me about the 40gr Berger. Like I said I am a real big berger fan so now with your post I'm gonna get the 39gr sierras and 40gr bergers to try. I was told by another gentleman that the 204's have long throats which kind of disappointed me but that's ok. This is gonna be a kick ass little caliber according to you guys and I'm excited to make some vermin disintegrate.

 

[nmkid]

When I got my .20 Practical finished I bought 3 boxes of bullets. One each of Bergers 40 gr, 39 gr Sierra's and 40 gr Vmax's. I loaded the Vmax's first. The Berger's and Sierra's have remained unopened. I have an 1:11 Pac Nor barrel and it just flats shoots the Hornady's.

 

[johnfred1965]

Out to 400 yards the ballistics are very similar to the 39's.

My 204 loads with 32 and 39 gr are within an inch of each other at 400! My barrel is an 11 twist, so I mostly shoot the 39/40, and keep the 32's for my vartarg!

 

[17VLD]

In the beginning of my 20 caliber excursion I had a 20 Tactical improved built by Greg Tannel for coyote hunting,he calls it the 20AR.Back then all you could get for bullets was the Superb 33V-Max and 13 twist barrels.It worked very well on coyotes and rockchucks.As time went on and the 20s started to grow in popularity I built a then newly available 12 twist heavy rifle in 20BR and it shot the 40 Bergers into the 1s and 2s.I was impressed with that accuracy.Later I got to thinking about shooting a heavier bullet in my coyote gun and being limited to a 13 twist I thought that shorter 40Berger might work,well it did!It really hammers those western coyotes when it hits them at 4000fps.I mean DRT and no fur damage either,just a great bullet.Not to say the other 40s arent good I am just limited by that 13 twist,but I really couldnt ask for anything better for my use.
Matt

 

[Wingnut00]

I picked up 50 pieces of Norma brass, 1 box of 39gr sierras, and a box of 32gr v-max's cause that what they had on the shelf here at the store so now I gotta wait till the gun gets here which is tomorrow but I gotta work all weekend. But I guess I'm off to a start. Dies should be here Monday to. Just gotta get some 40 bergers at some point but that can be down the road. Appreciate all the replies also. I'm glad nobody told me how much a fricken 100rd box of those 39's cost. Bout shit my diaper at sportsman's.
Thanks again.

 

[DogBuster]

for me..40 V max has always worked in my 12 twist Pac Nors

also they are usually lots less $$$

Sierra 39's $26/100 (avg)

Horny 40's.......$17-18/100

V max @ Midway today $15/100.....

 

[Wingnut00]

Anybody like the 35gr bergers?

 

[Hotshot]

Many coyote hunters really like the 35 Berger because it's fur friendly. The bc is rather low so other bullets are preferred for distance shooting.
I'm not sure that I ever heard a Berger fan complain about the price of Sierra bullets before. If that becomes your bullet of choice you'll find some sales during the year so you can stock up.

 

[Wingnut00]

Many coyote hunters really like the 35 Berger because it's fur friendly. The bc is rather low so other bullets are preferred for distance shooting.
I'm not sure that I ever heard a Berger fan complain about the price of Sierra bullets before. If that becomes your bullet of choice you'll find some sales during the year so you can stock up.

I haven't looked at the price of any 20 cal bergers yet. You make it sound like I don't wanna. It doesn't seem to bother me buyin bergers for my other calibers. Guess I grabbed the hornadys first and thought they were cheap then the sierras. Should have went sierras first maybe. Thanks for the reply on the 35's also even though I may never go after a coyote with the 204. I've heard to many story's of coyotes runnin away from a .20.

 

[22DASHER]

for me..40 V max has always worked in my 12 twist Pac Nors

also they are usually lots less $$$

Sierra 39's $26/100 (avg)

Horny 40's.......$17-18/100

V max @ Midway today $15/100.....

Better yet... buy the Z-Max’s which are found on average for about $12.50 / 100 ct!

 

[jepp2]

what I read is they have a 12 twist barrel

I always took it at face value, that the twist of the barrel matched the published literature. Then I measured a couple of my Rem 204 Rugers. One was a 13 1/4, the other a 9 1/4. Maybe Savage is true to their published literature, but it is easy enough to check. It might change your approach.