Hi guys I would like to go ahead with a new varmint rig in 20 tactical.

Just wondering has anybody any success with the new berger 50 grain pills down a 1 in 9 twist tube ?

So far all the people I spoke to with experience in the 20 tactical are all shooting 1 in 10 or 11 stabilising 39 / 40 grains

It mainly for foxing and paper punching.

My thinking behind thos project is that the 50 grain will be more stable in the wind and less recoil as compared to a 6mm.

However my gunsmith is trying to discourage me saying that 20 caliber are best spinning 39 / 40 grainer with the case size.

Is this comment accurate from your experience ?

Thanks

londonhunter,

I've been shooting the 50LTB for some time now. Although my rifle is chambered for the 20BR, the barrel has a 10.0" twist. I've had no stability problems, with velocities from 3200 to 3950fps, and elevations from 980 to 5000ft.

I also shoot the 39/40gr. bullets up to 4150fps.

You should not have any problems with the 50LTB, although velocity will be somewhat lower.....but, you can still shoot the 39/40gr. bullets just fine.

Having said all that, I'm currently making cases for a 20PPC with a 9.0" twist Lilja barrel. Just have to finish the project.

BTW.....I hear that some guys are shooting the new Berger 55gr. bullet in 9.0" twist barrels.

Pic of 20BR rifle attached.

Hope this helps.

Kevin

Kevin thank you very much for your input. I will take everything on board.

Came across 20 x 47 lapua as well. Since my rifle is actually a switch action pairing with a 6 x 47 lapua I might just go for the 20 x 47 lapua

Of course I need to swop my 223 bolt face action with somebody

My good buddy shoot Bergers 50 gr. 20 cal. bullets in his 1-9 twisted .204 Ruger. They are amazing accurate and I have no doubt they would shoot in your 20 Tac.
With that I would still agree with your gunsmith, a 1-11 twisted .20 cal will handle anything up thru the 45 gr. Hornadys. I have seen the 1-9 make the lighter bullets come apart.
Depends on how far you plan to shoot but even the 32 gr. 20 cal bullets from Hornady and Sierra will reach out to 400 yd. with little trouble.

Londonhunter, I'm just starting to develop a load in my 20 tac for the 50 berger. Its a 1;9 twist three groove pacnor and if first results are anything to go by it should be a good combo. Just running the barrel in produced first shot hits on small bunnies out to 200yds. Groups were around the .3-.5 with an undeveloped guessed load of v133 23.5gs. I'll update as I go. PM if you wish.

Gareth

Howdy londonhunter.
I'd be real interested in what velocities you can safely obtain out of the .20 Tact with the 50 grainers or for that matter the .204 that was mentioned (I'd guess 33 to 3,400ish FPS depending on barrel length and how the stars line up???
I shoot a Godzilla .20 round called the .20 Dasher. The few others I know shooting it have all gone the 1 in 9 for the 50 grain Berger route, nothing but success stories. That would certainly appear to be the right twist/projectile combo. I'd expect great accuracy from it.
I chose hyper velocity with a 40 V-Max in my Dasher and went with a 1 in 11 27 inch tube (4,210FPS working load) yet another success story, I couldn't be more pleased .
I'd think the .20Tact/.204 1 in 9 with 50's ought to be about perfect velocity for a medium to medium long range coyote rifle if you want to keep the fur. Definitely less recoil unless you twist it's tail to hard. Not so sure on keepin the fur on fox as small and light as they are, make em dead for sure and that's a fact!
I shoot both a short throated minimum spec .204 and a .20 Tactical. Both are 1 in 12's and clock just under 3900ishFPS with 40's. Both are great coyote rounds but not if the fur matters. That's my experience for what it's worth.
Keep us posted how it goes, should be a great project.

Thank you for sharing your experience. It is very engouraging. My gunsmith is in the UK and has built quite a few 20 tactical with success. According to him he wanted me to change the twist to 1 in 11 or 12 since all his other customers have specified this twist. However I see things differently. I spoke to Walt Berger some 12 months ago before the 50 and 55 grain was launched. He told me then this 1 in 9 will take the 20 caliber to the next level cutting into 6mm territory ! I immediately order the barrel.

My gunsmith went further saying if I has a bolt face for dasher or ppc or BR then 50 grain is OK however the powder capacity of the tactical is not ideal for the 50 grains ...............

OK how about if I put the question another way. Will a 1 in 9 twist stabilise a 40 grain pill ?

Not sure about Hornady 40 gr. pills but a 39 gr. Sierra won't handle a 1-9 twist out of a .204 ruger. They come apart. I got to watch it first hand several times. On a 300 yd. shot aimed basically flat, parts of the bullet hit not more than 40 feet from the muzzle.

Theres an article in small calibre news about a 1:9 twist 20 tac and they display loads for 35 through 50gr bullets. Email Todd Kindler if you can find a current email for him (used to be at the Woodchuck Den) he'll give you all the info you'll ever need 4 the Tac 20 cos he designed it.

If you figure the RPM of a 40 grain bullet at 3,900ish FPS out of that fast a twist your asking a lot of any bullet to want it to stick together. I haven't done it (no reason, makes no sense) but I think the 40 V-Max would hang together but I also think the accuracy would stink.
As a guideline I'd personally recommend....1 in 12 to 1 in 13's = 32's for sure. 1 in 12's to 1 in 11's = 40's (maybe on the 1 in 12's some don't much care for the V-Max's, 1 in 11's for sure), 1 in 9's = 50's. I'd figure what I wanted the rifle for than go with the appropriate twist for the given bullet weight and approx velocity I wanted.