I am looking for my next project rifle, and I am very intrigued by some of the 'twenty' calibre wildcats and rounds. 20 BR, 20 PPC, or Tactical 20 to be precise. Couple of questions; is it hard to find cleaning rods, jags, and brushes for this bore size? How about availability of 20 calibre bullets (I understand it is getting better). Is it worth the little extra costs and pain to go this ruote, or should I stick with a 22 calibre round, like 22 PPC, 22 BR, or 223 Ackley Improved? Thanks.....
CampX, take a look at www.smallcaliber.com for all the current data on these 20's. Todd Kindler, editor of Small Caliber News is the current "guru" of small calibers in the country, and if he can't answer it, he'll know who can. You ought to get a subscription, it's a great resource for "project-types".
Posts: 926 | Location: pueblo.co | Registered: 03 December 2002
There are a pile of different 20 cal bullets available from Certech, Lucas, Badger Ridge, Unmussig, Schroeder, and Hornady. Bullet selection is no longer an issue. Todd Kinder at the Woodchuck Den has dies, bullets, powder funnels, cleaning rods, jags.....basically everything you need.
[ 04-03-2003, 17:25: Message edited by: Tony Rumore ]
Berger Bullets alone is introducing 5 diff. weights of .204 cal bullets this summer, from 30-50 gr. Badger Ridge has 3 diff. weights, from 32-41 gr. Russ Lucas has 2-3, 40 and 45 gr, I believe. Hornady still offers their great 33-gr V-Max in .204 cal. It definitely appears the .20's are taking off.
Those are plenty efficient to have no need for a 26" unless that is what you like. I bet ther would be verry little loss with even a 22" but it is up to what you are looking for. Doy uo want to carry it or get it around in the truck or the most speed? It is up to you. I run a 28" on my 22-250 but am thinking of going with a 22 on a 20 Vartag to keep it nice and light and packable.
Posts: 201 | Location: Loomis, Ca | Registered: 26 September 2002
I now have both 26" and 24" PacNor 20 Tactical barrels. Both have the same 1:12 twist. The same loads averages 100 fps slower in the 24" barrel. Tran:^)
On this subject, what do dies for 20 tactical run? Small caliber doesn't have a price listed, and neither does Redding. I am needing to get some in the not too distant future but wondering what other options are there if any?
Posts: 7774 | Location: Between 2 rivers, Middle USA | Registered: 19 August 2000
There seems to be two different TAC 20's. I see the CH4D name is 20 Tactical, which may or may not be the Kindler design. Maybe someone could clarify. I think Greg Tannel had his own version of the round which he called the "20 Tactical". I would like to know for sure.
There is only one "Tactical 20". The "20 Tactical" is of course the same thing. Greg Tannel had a reamer made up with a slightly longer body (about .030") to make case forming easier and eliminate the need for a form die. In the Tactical 20, the shoulder is actually pushed back slightly. This results in minor buckling of the shoulder if the forming die is not used. Gregs version takes care of this problem, and cases are formed by simply running them into the FL die. Greg Tannels version is called the "20 AR" and he designed it for volume loading for his converted AR-15. Hope this clears things up.....
Both Tromix AR-15's in Tactical Twenty have Pac-Nor 24" stainless super match barrels, 1:12 twist. During break in with the black gun, most all of the groups were 1/2" or under for five shots at 100 yards. The best five shot group went into .3". After the barrel was broken in, the gun went to a gun writer for eval, and he shot a .158" with it. I have not yet shot the yellow rifle shown above.
I have decided that the next custom gun I get will be a Tactical Twenty, and I've decided on a rifle barrel for my T/C Contender. But Tony, that Tromix AR setup looks SWEET.
There was a great article on .20 cal in Outdoor Life magazine about a year ago, that got intrest in .20's steamed up. The author Jim Carmichael was using douglas barrels on his test rifles.
