What 20 caliber ….

[nakneker]

Holy smokes, 22-6.5 prc made me smile! Come on, make it 20-6.5 prc and send it!

It’s a hoot, I only have 22 rounds fired. Changed the shoulder to 35 degrees, Ive shot two young coyotes with it using 70 grain TSXs. It didn’t do much damage but man did it make a thump, one of the loudest bullet slaps I’ve ever heard on flesh and bone. My brother had one made too, we will be using them a bit this winter calling.

I have a bunch of those Barnes and quite a few 70 grain accubonds. I haven’t tried the accubonds yet, getting to know the rifle using the Barnes. Those accubonds are hard to come by, waiting until I have a feel for things with that rifle.

 

[searcher]

I've been intrigued by a .20 Nosler. I'll be soon comparing the specs against other viable "faster" .20's. for me, keeping a cooler barrel will measure heavily due to long strings of fire.

 

[B23]

A 22-6.5PRC is equal to a 22-284 which is getting up there on the overbore side of things so a 20-6.5PRC would be even more so. One of those would make us 20-250 guys look like were shooting anorexic 20 cals.

Before I had my 20-250 built my smith was working on a 20-243 Improved for shooting the Berger 55's well over 4K without using extreme pressures to get there. He went through a few different barrels with different twists and I think two or three different reamer designs before he scraped it. He was able to get the velocity he wanted with the 55's, I don't recall exactly what is was but I know it was 4100+, but never could get the accuracy he was looking for. He used the same case design but in a 22 cal and built me his version of a 22-243 Improved that is one of the most accurate guns I own. So even though a 20 wildcat off of something like the 6.5 PRC case sounds cool I think there is definitely a point of diminishing return where bigger doesn't necessarily end up being better and can actually have worse results.

 

[L.Sherm]

I've been intrigued by a .20 Nosler. I'll be soon comparing the specs against other viable "faster" .20's. for me, keeping a cooler barrel will measure heavily due to long strings of fire.

My biggest issue with the 20 Nosler ( aka 22 Nosler) is there brass being soft. Rumor was thats the reason they scraped the 20 Nosler they released then never did make any brass for it was because of pressure dont know that to be 100% true.

 

[B23]

I've been intrigued by a .20 Nosler. I'll be soon comparing the specs against other viable "faster" .20's. for me, keeping a cooler barrel will measure heavily due to long strings of fire.

The actual 20 Nosler, not a necked down 22 Nosler that has a little less case capacity, that Nosler planned to do and I think they even made a small run of brass for would have made for a slick little hot rod 20 cal, especially, in an AR build but for some reason Nosler abandoned their "20 Nosler" project.

Making a 20 ARC from necked down 22 ARC brass is another that would make for a fun one in an AR or bolt gun.

 

[B23]

My biggest issue with the 20 Nosler ( aka 22 Nosler) is there brass being soft. Rumor was thats the reason they scraped the 20 Nosler they released then never did make any brass for it was because of pressure dont know that to be 100% true.

That's always been the problem with Nosler brass.

I recall them making, some, actual "20 Nosler" brass and selling it to the public but if I remember correctly they sold it as 2nd's or blem brass or something like that.

 

[searcher]

I know there were reports of "soft" 22 Nosler brass when it came out and there weren't many people shooting it. My friends and I have been shooting it for several years (high round-count in numerous rifles) and have had zero brass issues. Just completed a BAT bolt gun in .22 Nosler. I suspect that brass will last a long time. I personally think there is nothing wrong with current production brass - and that made for the past few years. I have the confidence in it to neck it down. It is actually pretty stout brass. I'm sure all brass fails when pushed beyond what was intended. The factory rounds are pretty hot, comparative to what I load, though. One thing is clear - and that is that few (no) other manufacturers have jumped onto making it. given the plethora of new and improved .22 cartridges, their heads are surely swimming

 

[searcher]

It’s a hoot, I only have 22 rounds fired. Changed the shoulder to 35 degrees, Ive shot two young coyotes with it using 70 grain TSXs. It didn’t do much damage but man did it make a thump, one of the loudest bullet slaps I’ve ever heard on flesh and bone. My brother had one made too, we will be using them a bit this winter calling.

I have a bunch of those Barnes and quite a few 70 grain accubonds. I haven’t tried the accubonds yet, getting to know the rifle using the Barnes. Those accubonds are hard to come by, waiting until I have a feel for things with that rifle.

Those TSX's tend to sail right through those coyotes without dumping as much energy as they would on a game animal like a pig or deer. If you want to see massive damage, use the Varmint Grenades on the coyotes.

 

[7315br]

I know some have smoked barrels in about 3-400 rounds in 20-250.

How about (417) rds...lol!! That's how long mine went.

And that was with a 10-twist Kreiger trying to slow the rpm down.

 

[L.Sherm]

I'm pretty sure the actual 20 Nosler has more case capacity than a 22 Nosler case. The 20 is .100 longer at the neck shoulder junction and I think .090 longer overall than then 22 case. My guess is they did this so you could not chamber the 20 in a 22 chamber.

 

[B23]

I'm pretty sure the actual 20 Nosler has more case capacity than a 22 Nosler case. The 20 is .100 longer at the neck shoulder junction and I think .090 longer overall than then 22 case. My guess is they did this so you could not chamber the 20 in a 22 chamber.

Per QL the 20 Nosler holds 39gr H2O (Nosler load data claims 37.6gr) while the 22 Nosler holds 35.6gr H2O (Nosler load data claims 35.9)

Doesn't that put the 20 Nosler right around the same case capacity as the 20 BRA ??

If Nosler would have followed through with making the 20 Nosler, as it was proposed, there's a good chance I'd have one but for whatever reason/s they abandoned it.

 

[RegionRat]

It would have been worth a try if Nosler had ever followed through with 20 Nosler.
I would love to have tried that in an AR just based on how much fun we have with 204 Ruger.

 

[B23]

It would have been worth a try if Nosler had ever followed through with 20 Nosler.
I would love to have tried that in an AR just based on how much fun we have with 204 Ruger.

Was playing around in QL comparing the 20 Nosler to the 204 Ruger in a 20in AR build shooting the 35gr Berger which has proven itself as a coyote slaying SOB and at equal pressure (55k PSI) load in a 20in barrel the velocity projections are a solid 200fps faster with the 20 Nosler.

 

[L.Sherm]

I dont know ive never measured case capacity on my 20BRA never seen any need to. Like I said I heard rumors pressure issues were the reason they didn't let it out if thats the case it makes sense the shorter fatter case is more efficient.
You can't argue the BR case accuracy its proven itself in alot of different platforms and variants.
The long neck Br and PPC case have made a believer in me in both 20BRA and 20PPCAI

 

[nakneker]

Those TSX's tend to sail right through those coyotes without dumping as much energy as they would on a game animal like a pig or deer. If you want to see massive damage, use the Varmint Grenades on the coyotes.

I’m working on it. Just using the TSXs to firm form because I have a pile of them and they can be easily replaced. One of the issues with a fast 22, at least from what others have told me, is fouling. I’m trying to stay away from bullets with soft jackets. At 7 rounds I gave the barrel a good cleaning and it took awhile to get the blue out. Next bullet will be the 70 grain accubond, it won’t expand like a Vmax or BlitzKing but that’s ok, I think it will do plenty and I’m hoping the jackets aren’t so soft as to copper foul badly.

 

[nakneker]

Gonna move forward with 20 GT. Just gonna do it as simple as possible, neck down a 22GT Alpha case, leave the shoulder and body taper alone. KISS (keep it simple stupid)

Easy peasey. Should be fun…

 

[RegionRat]

I was thinking about 20 GT for the next project.

I would like to either go straight 20 Creedmoor or 20 GT but the reamers are the question that stalled me last year, so I have a couple of 20 Primal barrels to burn.

What reamer will you pursue?

 

[B23]

A 20GT should be really close to the same as a 20 Satan which is a necked down 6.5x47 Lapua. Should make for a fun project to sling those Berger 55's.

 

[RegionRat]

...the same as a 20 Satan which is a necked down 6.5x47 Lapua...

Just my luck... another case like the 22-250 where I will have to use up my unreplaceable stash of Lapua brass and wait for the wars to die down before they make us some more.... LOL

 

[nakneker]

I was thinking about 20 GT for the next project.

I would like to either go straight 20 Creedmoor or 20 GT but the reamers are the question that stalled me last year, so I have a couple of 20 Primal barrels to burn.

What reamer will you pursue?

I sent 3 pieces of 22GT brass and 3 Berger 55 grain to Zack at Old Dominion Custom Rifles. He does a good job specing the reamers, been going with JGS for sometime now. They’ve both been great.