JSH
Gold $$ Contributor
That’s stepping on it pretty hard unless you have a long barrel. 204R struggles to get to 4K.
Buddy built his 20P and went with a 32” tube, it will do what a 204R does with CFE223.
What caliber would you choose to replace .17 Remington and why?
- Thread starter QStott
- Start date
Buddy built his 20P and went with a 32” tube, it will do what a 204R does with CFE223.
17VLD
Gold $$ Contributor
If I didn’t have a 204 yet I would definitely need to get one to fill all your criteria.It will definitely do what your 17R did and you can find it on the store shelves in a pinch, current supply chain issues notwithstanding.If plinking is your main use the 223 is perfect.My XR100s In 204 are perfect for coyotes and ground hogs and am pretty sure you will enjoy the accuracy from them.
Q are you any relation to Jon from Rutherfordton?
Matt
Q are you any relation to Jon from Rutherfordton?
Matt
No that I know of, but there are not that many different Stott’s. Lots of John Stott’s.
I have many 223’s, a 20 practical, a 221 fireball, a 20 vartarg and a 17 fireball. Out of all of them if I could only have one of them? Prob the 20 practical. Less recoil than the 223, can load it down to 20 vartarg velocity’s, and lots of brass available for free. Only downfall is it is a hand load only if u consider that a downfall….. easy button would be 223. if it where me I would put another 17 Remington barrel on it, and form my own cases. 17 bullets are easy to find around here…
B23
Gold $$ Contributor
Like snert and all the others that have said the same, one of the above is what I'd go with too. Either, would be a very good addition to what the OP already has.
You could look at something like a 22 Nosler, I'm just not sure how good their brass is, but it would be worth looking in to and give you a little boost in velocity not to mention factory ammo is available, if that's important to you. For most of us it really isn't but only you can decide on that.
B23
Gold $$ Contributor
Oh dear God, do you have any idea the shit storm you just opened yourself up to?! Be prepared for, All, of the 20Tac, 20VTT and 20VT folks to be coming for you now. LOL
Don't you know that when you square off the shoulder that tiny little bit from 23° to 30° gaining minimal case capacity over its parent case something truly magical happens and they achieve heroic velocities others can not even when the others have larger case capacities and don't forget the most magical part, with no pressure signs. Those cartridges are nothing less than magical.
I’ve been doing some deep thinking. I believe I could neck the .17 down to a .05 caliber and have some 8 grain boat tails loaded with a mixture of h4895, 4320, and 4064 and I should be able obtain a velocity of 9600 fps. It would be extremely flat. Wind may be a slight problem, but at that speed it won’t have much time to blow it around.
Seriously though, thanks for the input. Seems like the 20 practical is most appealing. Lots of good info given so far.
Seriously though, thanks for the input. Seems like the 20 practical is most appealing. Lots of good info given so far.
B23
Gold $$ Contributor
We could argue till the end of time that one is better than another, and sometimes we do
, but if you're looking for a 20 cal of some sort I think we all could pretty much agree the 20 Practical is never a, bad, choice.TheCZKid
Silver $$ Contributor
The 20 Practical has the advantage of lots of 223 / 5.56 brass to be found, many times for free. That's hard to beat. And no shoulder forming like the 20 Tactical. 20 Vartarg is a great round, and can me made from 221 Fireball brass, but that's hard to get right now, and making it from 223 brass is an option, but LOTS of work. There seems to be a lot of barrel makers with 20P barrels, and all the magazines, bolt faces, etc, from a 223 base are usable for the cartridge.
JSH
Gold $$ Contributor
I have seen ZERO 204R ammo on the shelves of the local places I frequent. I was “approached” by a couple of fellows that had need of a couple of boxes of factory ammo. I got them a box of 32 and 40 grain Superformance, “what do we owe you” I asked what’s it worth to ya, they gave me $60.
I wish Fiocchi would make a run of 204, had a case of that stuff and I was really pleased with it.
I wish Fiocchi would make a run of 204, had a case of that stuff and I was really pleased with it.
204 for an off the shelf and reloadable option that should feed very well. 20 prac if you like consolidating more guns to 223 brass. 20 vartarg if you want low noise and something that just kills better than it should. 20-222AI if you just want something fkn cool as that splits the difference!!
I've shot a bunch of 17 Rem and 204. Really like both. Imo, the 17 Rem doesn't handle the wind as well as I would like. The 204, imo, handles the wind better which you will generally experience in P dog shooting. No experience with a 20 practical or tactical. I hear very good news about both. Picked up a 20VT several years ago and have bought a second, just because. In my experience, it bridges a lot of gaps. Handles the wind better than the 17 and doesn't heat up like the 204. And, uses materially less powder. If you handload, it deserves serious consideration. The only issue with 20VT is brass. There are several options so you need to figure that out as the Remington 221FB is getting harder to find. You might be turning necks or use a no turn reamer and form 223 or 222 cases or use Lapua 221FB cases. There are several options available but some will take some effort. That's why the 20 Practical has a good following. Just some thoughts.
I call this blasphemy*..
Who in their right mind would walk away from the fabulous .17 Remington, just cause components are scarce?...
I love that cartridge so much I had my gunsmith build two!.....
Shiss"
Who in their right mind would walk away from the fabulous .17 Remington, just cause components are scarce?...
I love that cartridge so much I had my gunsmith build two!.....
Shiss"
17VLD
Gold $$ Contributor
I will probably be buried with my Rem 700VS 17Rem from Zander’s.But one of y’all would probably dig me up for it.
The truth is, I love the rifle. I don’t reload as much as I used to. I live in eastern NC. I’ve only seen one ground hog on the farm and I shot him with an AR varmint rifle that was closer by than the bolt gun. Not many small varmints around, only an occasional coyote.
it’s just like new and shoots pretty good. I have a hundred yard range with a covered bench. As the saying goes “ only accurate rifles are interesting”. I spent many days shooting IPSC pistol, but hi-power xtc was my passion along with some long range rifle.
Most of my shooting now is sitting behind the bench trying to put them all in one hole at 100 yards. ( any caliber, but as of late .22 LR ). I’m 69 taking care of my dad full time. Recently had cataract surgery that was disappointing and wondering if I can even regain my ability to shoot.
when I was younger I would run across an old geezer that had interesting rifles, but didn’t shoot much. I guess that’s where I’m headed.
I really should sell it, but don’t want to go through the hassle of listing it or shipping it. The simplest is to chamber it in .223. I have thousands of them loaded. But, I like something different and interesting.
it’s just like new and shoots pretty good. I have a hundred yard range with a covered bench. As the saying goes “ only accurate rifles are interesting”. I spent many days shooting IPSC pistol, but hi-power xtc was my passion along with some long range rifle.
Most of my shooting now is sitting behind the bench trying to put them all in one hole at 100 yards. ( any caliber, but as of late .22 LR ). I’m 69 taking care of my dad full time. Recently had cataract surgery that was disappointing and wondering if I can even regain my ability to shoot.
when I was younger I would run across an old geezer that had interesting rifles, but didn’t shoot much. I guess that’s where I’m headed.
I really should sell it, but don’t want to go through the hassle of listing it or shipping it. The simplest is to chamber it in .223. I have thousands of them loaded. But, I like something different and interesting.
Best choice to get 'em in "one hole" @ 100 yds. with boring regularity is with a .222 with meticulous handloads and custom bullets like Barts 52 gr. and a true target scope and wind flags.
Using that rifle and a re-barrel with no boltface change.
Last edited:
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.