Rechambering Question

[Rick in Oregon]

Mike, as you have the perfect rat rifles in 20VT and 20SCC covered, use the 204 for when the range gets long, or the wind is up as it always is in the afternoon. That's what I 'save' my 204's for, and it seems to be an ideal combination.

When I'm out for rockchucks, I take two rifles, usually my 20VT and my 11T 204 with the 39gr SBK. If the Vartarg won't stretch out, the 204 always does the job with the faster, heavier bullet. Dozens of rockchucks can't be wrong.



You already have what could be called the ideal caliber selection right now. Don't over complicate it, just load up and get out to the rat patch.

 

[Mike in Oregon]

Mike, as you have the perfect rat rifles in 20VT and 20SCC covered, use the 204 for when the range gets long, or the wind is up as it always is in the afternoon.

I'd just be shooting another 32-grain pill with a 12T. Brass isn't cheap either per 1K when I was originally going to setup with this gun. Then you and your accomplice steered me into the VT, SCC and The P! I need to make a decision on have a plan for this 204, rather than looking at it every day, scratching my head.

 

[Rick in Oregon]

Then you and your accomplice steered me into the VT, SCC and The P! I need to make a decision on have a plan for this 204, rather than looking at it every day, scratching my head.

Ha!
Just tryin' to do you a solid, buddy!

Does that Savage 12T 204 shoot the 39gr SBK well? Most 12T 204's do, so you could consider it your 'windy day' or LR rat rifle. Best part is.....you already own it.

But if brass cost/availability is an issue, the 20P or 20T would be an option, but as has been said, rechambering a factory barrel is really not cost effective when a new quality barrel is just a few bucks more.

Be careful Mike, soon you'll have too many rifles in too many calibers to keep track of, and there's just so many rats to launch skyward with them. (Good thing they make more every spring! )

 

[Evan]

sounds like just more of the same regardless of what you rechamber in. A 20 P or T is not much different than a 204 or a 20 SCC. Splitting hairs there.

Here’s a different approach: get a PPC bolt head and rechamber it to a 20 Grendel/ARC (starline or premium brass available) and way more performance on the table.

 

[ricco1949]

A 22 TCM necked down to 20 cal. GRT suggests that it could shoot a 32gn VMAX at 3100fps out of a 20 inch barrel using 9gns of N105.

EDIT: 13gns of IMR-4227 would apparently get you 3200fps. Both loads are 52ksi. I keep thinking something like that might be a pretty sweet little rodent gun.

I thought so too.

But learned from other posts that it's very temperamental and not enough meat around the primer to prevent rapid pocket expansion.

 

[jcm24m]

Change the bolt head and chamber a 20PPC.

 

[jds holler]

Change bolt head, and make a 5mm Bee!! jd

 

[Mike in Oregon]

Ha!
Just tryin' to do you a solid, buddy!

Does that Savage 12T 204 shoot the 39gr SBK well? Most 12T 204's do, so you could consider it your 'windy day' or LR rat rifle. Best part is.....you already own it.

But if brass cost/availability is an issue, the 20P or 20T would be an option, but as has been said, rechambering a factory barrel is really not cost effective when a new quality barrel is just a few bucks more.

Be careful Mike, soon you'll have too many rifles in too many calibers to keep track of, and there's just so many rats to launch skyward with them. (Good thing they make more every spring! )

EXACTLY!

I haven't even shot it yet, Rick

 

[alf]

Why not a reduced load with Blue Dot or 4227?