20 VarTarg help

[Jack300WSM]

What's your pet loads and experience with this little wildcat? I'm getting my Savage LRPV rechambered in it and just seeing what everybody is doing with it and what i should expect. Also is Hornady the only way to go as far as dies? Can't find anything other than those.

 

[th82457]

I run Redding dies. Mine loves 18.5 RL7 with Hornady 32 V-Max, 32 Nosler BATP or 35 Bergers. Start at about 17.7gr & work up slowly in your gun. Use Norma , Nosler or Lapua brass. Remington brass is not the best for durability or uniformity. You will love this cartridge. Good Luck.

 

[Bowfisher]

Hornady does would be my last pick, although the 20 cal seater is good. Like mentioned RL7, 4198, 2200 are all good. I have a 20 SCC, which is similar but a 40 deg shoulder, very nice case for colony varmints.

 

[Jack300WSM]

I've got 4198, RL7 and Lapua brass. Berger 32/40 Hornady 32 and Sierra 32/39's. I had a 204 before and started to see some accuracy issues. My smith scoped it and said he saw signs of throat erosion. I like tinkering so when he said he can cut and rechamber or rebarrel my choice I asked if he cut and rechambered let's try a new cartridge. He quickly pointed out the efficiency and fun of the 20 VarTarg. He also pointed out 18.5 H4198 and SIE 32's is his go to in his.

 

[Axl]

I run H4198 and AA2200 in Lapua brass with CCI BR4 primers and Sierra 32 Gr. Blitzking. The H4198 is a little faster. Great little cartridge. Hornady dies work fine. Here is some more info- the 20 VT is down at the bottom.
https://www.6mmbr.com/20Caliber.html

 

[jd5521]

I have a 20 Vartarg Turbo and use 4198 with 40 gr Berger's and Redding dies.

 

[th82457]

Just another note. Mine is a 1:12 twist. It will shoot the Sierra 39 BK well, but does not like the 40 V-Max. I usually save the 39's & 40's for my .204. The Vartarg really shines with the 32's.

 

[hunter67wa]

I use hornady dies and 4198 with 34 gr dogtowns shooting in the .3 at 3636fps. Its a giggle gun for sure

 

[Jack300WSM]

Just another note. Mine is a 1:12 twist. It will shoot the Sierra 39 BK well, but does not like the 40 V-Max. I usually save the 39's & 40's for my .204. The Vartarg really shines with the 32's.

Yeah I read that somewhere else last night. The Savage bull barrel it came with is 1-12". We're taking it down to around 22" of usable barrel...can't change the twist though. My smith said 22" should be better balanced, and it's plenty for complete burn of 20g or less powder, plus it'll remove the hideous Savage "Lawyer statement" they put on it from the factory!! Lol.

 

[K9TXS]

I sold all my big boomers and now only shoot 20 VT. Currently my powder of choice is RL7 at 18.5 grs pushing a .32 gr Vmax. Both of my VT's are Pac-Nor barrels in 11 twist. I have read good reports on AA2200 powder as well. I have used H4198, but get tired of running it through a drop tube. H4198 has the long pencil style of powder. Many people don't use a drop tube for H4198, but I always seem to have an issue with it. So I use a shortened drop tube that I use to use for black powder. I throw the powder light and trickle up. I know that I have the same charge in each round.

I make my 20 VT brass from 223 brass. It is a long process the way I do it, but my results have been very good in the field and on paper. You can use 221 Fireball brass and many folks just run it through the sizing die. I usually use Lake City brass which requires neck turning. I just received a little over 900 rounds of brass from a local PD and I'm processing it now.

I use redding dies. When I first started loading for the 20VT, I used the RCBS dies. I had never used the spindle type of die RCBS makes and immediately stripped out the spindel since I didn't have it tight enough.

I spend way more time on my reloads than other folks I'm sure. After shooting bench rest for several years, you tend to really watch everything you do closely when reloading.

This post turned out to be much longer than I anticipated it to be, but I hope it's helpful. Don't get discouraged, once you get it down it's a great caliber.

Sierra has an app you can download to your phone or tablet for loading information.

 

[FURMAN]

RL 7 with 32 SBK or RL10X with 39 SBKs. My Cooper will shoot both loads under .5(usually under .25moa). My 39sbk load is very hot and will eat Remington brass. LC or Lapua is much better.

 

[Jack300WSM]

I sold all my big boomers and now only shoot 20 VT. Currently my powder of choice is RL7 at 18.5 grs pushing a .32 gr Vmax. Both of my VT's are Pac-Nor barrels in 11 twist. I have read good reports on AA2200 powder as well. I have used H4198, but get tired of running it through a drop tube. H4198 has the long pencil style of powder. Many people don't use a drop tube for H4198, but I always seem to have an issue with it. So I use a shortened drop tube that I use to use for black powder. I throw the powder light and trickle up. I know that I have the same charge in each round.

I make my 20 VT brass from 223 brass. It is a long process the way I do it, but my results have been very good in the field and on paper. You can use 221 Fireball brass and many folks just run it through the sizing die.

I use redding dies. When I first started loading for the 20VT, I used the RCBS dies. I had never used the spindle type of die RCBS makes and immediately stripped out the spindel since I didn't have it tight enough.

I spend way more time on my reloads than other folks I'm sure. After shooting bench rest for several years, you tend to really watch everything you do closely when reloading.

Great info. As I get older I find I'm more about the details and tinkering. Yet I have less patience for **** near everything else....

 

[L.Sherm]

Keep in mind if you wanna run Lapua brass you need atleast a .234 neck or turn them. Alot of reamers and prints are .232.
Also Lapua brass seems to run a little big at the .200 line and I know guys have a reamer made a little bigger there also so the dont get the dreaded bolt click.
I'm also a proponent of zero freebore unless you plan on running nothing but 39/40 bullets

 

[L.Sherm]

I do like jimreed1948 does and make my own out of LC brass for 2-20Vt and 1-20SCC.