start of a varmint build, need a list

[Jesse Gietzen]

i realize this may not be finished for some time, maybe a year or two, but i've decided to start pulling the trigger on a varmint build. i currently do not own any custom guns, unless you consider the ar lower i built (i definitely do not). and with how i'm planning it, i will need to buy a lot of new stuff. i'm not exactly sure what yet.

the caliber i have in mind is the 20 javelina improved. i want enough powder to play with the 39/40 grain bullet class while keeping barrel heat at bay. the vartarg seems a little undersized. the 223 case seems oversized to me, so i picked in the middle. 222 case shortened and improved. i have a fondness for the ackley shoulder. other consideration would be 20 scc, although from what i've read i think the 222/223 brass selection is superior to fireball brass. i realize i'm creating a lot more work by doing it this way. i'm not 100% set on the 20 JI over the 20 scc but i think if i don't do it i'll always wonder. edit 1: also in consideration: 20 bobcat and duster.

i will also add this: i'm heavily considering a 9-10 twist. "why? the 40 grain bullet only needs 11-12 twist." well, i want more explosive impacts, and i think this may help. if a 223 can shoot a 53 vmax well from a 9 twist, why can't a 20 shoot a 40 vmax from a 9 twist? so what are the pros and cons? does the increased rpm help with launching squeaks more than it degrades accuracy by exaggerating bullet shortcomings, or do either of these matter all that much? i have seen twist credited with more explosiveness, yet the recurring theme seems to be to twist solely for accuracy.

so what will i need? obviously barrel, action, stock, trigger. that i know. what i need help with is reamer specs, loading/forming dies, bushings, neck turning, all the extra stuff i will need. i'm sure i'm leaving something out. i'm guessing i could end up spending an extra thousand, ish, on various tooling.

also not sure which stocks would be recommended. i do not anticipate the hardcore setup with benchrest platforms. this is going to probably be a heavy walking rifle. i'm ok with 12-13 pounds. my only reference is that my ar is 10 pounds and does not seem heavy to me at this stage of my life. i can make adjustments if/when that changes. for now, maybe some shots off a portable bench with bags, some from shooting sticks/bogpod or tripod prone. not planning on anything offhand.

i am overplanning this, and i'm ok with it. i know a lot of guys would say, "nope. i'll just stick with my 223/22-250/204 and factory dies." which is fine, too. i just happen to want to take this on. i know the prep work is big with a custom rig in an obscure chambering. i'm not sure how big it is, exactly. so where do i start? my list is empty and i don't even know what all needs to go on it.

 

[JRS]

Build a 20 BEGGS.

 

[Bully]

Pick your bullet.
Build your rifle around that.

I like picking action/barrel from there and getting that done.

I happen to like Remington 700 actions for the versatility and cost effectiveness. I also happen to like single shot rifles.
I would probably grab a 700 w/223 bolt face. Grab a glue in floorplate from Brownell's or Midway. A barrel from Rock Creek in Heavy Varmint (I have 3 and they work just fine). A Timney trigger, most likely a Calvin Elite. A Weaver 20MOA scope rail. A McMillan or Manners stock, and a NightForce SHV or a Leuplod VX5HD and have at it.

But, that's me.

Lots of choices. Good luck making them.

 

[10XSHOOTER]

You can also look at the Bell & Carlson Rem Tactical/varmint stock. Alum bedding block. Adj Cheek piece. Angled butt stock for elevation control.
$395.00 at Stocky's

 

[nmkid]

I went with a .20 Practical. Super easy to make and the supply of .223 brass seems almost endless. I went with a Pac Nor SSSM finished at 28". Hornady 40 gr. Vmax bullet with 25 grs. of H-335. Don't have my info in front of me but, if I remember correctly, the Magneto Sporter read around 3800 FPS.

 

[Jesse Gietzen]

Build a 20 BEGGS.

cool cartridge, and i love how it's on the faster side of 4000 with just 25-26 grains of powder with both 32 and 40 grain weights. it's just still a little on the hot side for me.

I went with a .20 Practical. Super easy to make and the supply of .223 brass seems almost endless.

i've considered this, believe me. all i'd need is a barrel swap. and maybe i will until the other parts and tooling are ordered. but ultimately it's a lot of powder and barrel heat that i would prefer to avoid. how many shooters admit that the 20 vt gets more trigger time than their other varmint rigs? it's a lot. i'm mentally settling on a bit of a compromise between the two. i want JUST enough to be able to throw the 39/40 grainers, but not so much that i have to put the gun down after 5 shots.

actually, now that i think of it, i'd only need a barrel swap IF i got the new barrel in the same skinny sporter contour that's already on the rifle. otherwise i'm still going to have to change stocks and convert to bdl. i guess i could do all that for under a thousand.

Pick your bullet.
Build your rifle around that. 39 sierra and 40 vmax, already done!

I like picking action/barrel from there and getting that done.

I happen to like Remington 700 actions for the versatility and cost effectiveness. I also happen to like single shot rifles.
I would probably grab a 700 w/223 bolt face. Grab a glue in floorplate from Brownell's or Midway. A barrel from Rock Creek in Heavy Varmint (I have 3 and they work just fine). A Timney trigger, most likely a Calvin Elite. A Weaver 20MOA scope rail. A McMillan or Manners stock, and a NightForce SHV or a Leuplod VX5HD and have at it.

But, that's me.

Lots of choices. Good luck making them.

thank you very much for your reply! i looked into barrels, and the only cut rifled maker i could find that is doing 20 caliber with a 9 twist is krieger. the other one that will isn't doing ANY 20 caliber barrels right now due to demand in other calibers (that means they're busy doing a bazillion 6.5 creedmoor barrels). and i'm sure i'll be happy with a krieger. the thing i don't like is i already have a 700 223. it's a shooter, though, and if i cannibalize it i will be without any 223 bolt gun. is that even legal? haha... i'm actually considering it, although i would basically just be stealing the receiver and temporarily the trigger assembly. it's adl and i feel compelled to bdl it. i was leaning toward keeping it and building a new one from the ground up but may ultimately change my mind. also, is there any reason for your single shot preference? i know a lot of guys like them, i'm just not aware of any advantages over a repeater. i'm not really afraid of feeding issues. most mag boxes are designed for traditional case taper, and you have to blow them out a little at the front shoulder to get the straighter walled cartridges to avoid that as a pinch point. but it's definitely doable.

 

[Bully]

Hey Jesse.
I like single shot for a few reasons: I don't have to worry about feeding, I don't have to worry about loading to mag length and for what I do, shooting paper, I don't need a fast follow up. Additionally I like that it's a bit more "gentlemanly" and feels a bit smoother all around. I have a penchant for simple machines. Single shot is about as simple as it gets.

 

[jepp2]

if a 223 can shoot a 53 vmax well from a 9 twist, why can't a 20 shoot a 40 vmax from a 9 twist?

My view on twist. Like Bully says, pick your bullet first. Then pick the twist that is BEST for the bullet. I personally put accuracy over explosiveness (and I have never been convinced increased RPM increases impact destructiveness).

I shoot 7T, 8T, 9T, 10T and 12T in 223. What I find for the bullet weights I shoot (up to about 53), the 12T is much easier to find loads for. The 7T is the worst with the lighter bullets.

For 20 cal, I prefer 11T, but I find the 10T shoot well also. You don't state your budget of if you are doing your own work or not. I wanted a 20 Bobcat, and now have two. I got them built by the smith that developed the cartridge and has dies on hand. I couldn't be happier with the cartridge. Accuracy, case life, brass options. Shoot Lapua brass in the no turn .233" neck and you will be very happy.

Expect it to cost more than you budget. As you look at options on your first custom build, you may tend to pick the higher price nicer options.

 

[AckleymanII]

For your first custom build, it would be prudent to make it simple. Going from no experience in building simple wild cats to the most complicated wild cats lacks wisdom.

Jesse, it appears that you like to read, and you have absorbed a lot. Going from "Design Theory" to "Hands On" is a big leap. Experience comes at a great price and gnashing of teeth. If you have a machinist's or engineering back ground that is a big help.

I see that you live in Montana, lots of wind in Montana. Instead of choosing your cases on design theory, why not make your choices based on your actual shooting situation with wind and distance?

Waiting for calm winds in Montana is like waiting on the Easter Bunny!

 

[Jesse Gietzen]

My view on twist. Like Bully says, pick your bullet first. Then pick the twist that is BEST for the bullet. I personally put accuracy over explosiveness (and I have never been convinced increased RPM increases impact destructiveness).

I shoot 7T, 8T, 9T, 10T and 12T in 223. What I find for the bullet weights I shoot (up to about 53), the 12T is much easier to find loads for. The 7T is the worst with the lighter bullets.

For 20 cal, I prefer 11T, but I find the 10T shoot well also. You don't state your budget of if you are doing your own work or not. I wanted a 20 Bobcat, and now have two. I got them built by the smith that developed the cartridge and has dies on hand. I couldn't be happier with the cartridge. Accuracy, case life, brass options. Shoot Lapua brass in the no turn .233" neck and you will be very happy.

Expect it to cost more than you budget. As you look at options on your first custom build, you may tend to pick the higher price nicer options.

first things first- that is a gorgeous cartridge.

you and ackleymanii have some really good points about overtwist and i thank you both. my budget is kind of fluid and i won't be doing any machine work myself. i'm actually not going to overdo the varmint budget, as i have two other future builds that are of a higher value to me. we're talking years out, and i'm not in a hurry.

about the bobcat, how is it on barrel heat? i'm guessing in between 20 vt and more towards 20 tac/prac. it seems like a great design.

 

[jepp2]

about the bobcat, how is it on barrel heat? i'm guessing in between 20 vt and more towards 20 tac/prac.

Since I haven't shot a 20VT, my only comparisons are 20P and 204R. Less, but since my best comparison is hunting prairie dogs, it is all pretty much the same. Conditions (sun, wind, temperature) and firing rate trump all in my book. But I only shoot up through 223. I try to stay around 30 rounds per hour max. I hunt for a month each year, so barrel life is a big factor.

 

[moorepower]

My first comment is, what is your budget? It's easy for me to tell you what to do, but unless I know what you can spend, it's really hard to give advice. I am surprised that nobody said .20 VT.

 

[Bill K]

I have 20SCC and 20 Tactical. they cover a multitude of ranges and varmints and are so easy to load, etc. take your pick, go with one or both and be very happy.

 

[hoz53]

My first comment is, what is your budget? It's easy for me to tell you what to do, but unless I know what you can spend, it's really hard to give advice. I am surprised that nobody said .20 VT.

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