pdoghunter
New member
Does anyone have a 20 Vartarg? I want to build one but would like some opinions on the cartridge. It is a 221 FB necked down to a 20 cal.
20 Vartarg
- Thread starter pdoghunter
- Start date
I have a buddy who's got a Cooper 21 in 20 vt. I'm so sick and tired of hearing about that gun I'm about to pull my hair out. My vt shoots this and my 20vt does that. Jees- give me a break. I almost dont answer the phone when he calls. To answer your question, It must shoot really well cause he really likes it. Personally, I don't know too much about the caliber.
Pysco-dog
Pysco-dog
Droopyfur2
New member
Don't listen to the nay sayers. The 20 VT is a good small caliber round, allbeit a wildcat in as much as you have to form or have formed the brass and a barrel chambered for it.
Got one and love it. Just wish I'd had it made lighter..
Mine isn't a 221 case necked down , its a 223 case reformed to 221 and then necked down..BIG DIFFERENCE (imho)
Like the Mach IV its a hoot to shoot- less than 20 grains of powder for the most part and little or no felt recoil depending on the barrel weight..
Just a real FUN GUN..
Mine is a rebarrelled Remington Classic formally a 221 FB.
Do it and you'll enjoy it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
Later
DF2
Got one and love it. Just wish I'd had it made lighter..
Mine isn't a 221 case necked down , its a 223 case reformed to 221 and then necked down..BIG DIFFERENCE (imho)
Like the Mach IV its a hoot to shoot- less than 20 grains of powder for the most part and little or no felt recoil depending on the barrel weight..
Just a real FUN GUN..
Mine is a rebarrelled Remington Classic formally a 221 FB.
Do it and you'll enjoy it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
Later
DF2
Linefinder
New member
A very good friend and pdog shooting buddy of mine had a custom built on the .20 VarTag. I've killed a few pdogs with it, and have seem him shoot a few hundred with it. It's an impressive chambering for pdog work....we've found only one drawback to the round.
It heats the barrel really fast. We've timed our rates of fire a few times, and we seem to average about 1 shot every 50 seconds on an "average to decent" day. After about 10-12 shots at this rate, the VarTag needs to cool, while the .223 Rems and .204 Rugers will go much, much longer between coolings.
I don't know if this barrel heating issue is common with this chambering, or if it's strictly a rifle-specific issue.
I do know one thing....when it's not "cooling", it's one heckuva pdog round.
Mike
It heats the barrel really fast. We've timed our rates of fire a few times, and we seem to average about 1 shot every 50 seconds on an "average to decent" day. After about 10-12 shots at this rate, the VarTag needs to cool, while the .223 Rems and .204 Rugers will go much, much longer between coolings.
I don't know if this barrel heating issue is common with this chambering, or if it's strictly a rifle-specific issue.
I do know one thing....when it's not "cooling", it's one heckuva pdog round.
Mike
Quote:
Just buy a 204 Ruger in the gun of your choice and enjoy great accuracy and you don't have to make cases. Along with that if you ever want to sell the gun it's much easier.
I respectfully disagree. Comparing the .20 VT to the .204 Ruger is like comparing apples to oranges, and I imagine there's a lot of guys, myself included, who would buy a .20 VT over a .204 any day of the week. Main reason being a .20 VT is going to be a custom/semi-custom rifle, which are generally speaking, going to be put together better and more accurate than a factory rifle. Also, while .221 brass is in short supply at the present time, forming .20 VT brass shouldn't be any big deal at all, plus it's just an efficient cartridge design.
Having said that, I personally chose to go right between the two with a TAC .20. The main reasons I chose it over the .204 Ruger (and the .20 VT) is due to the availability of better quality brass (factory Lapua), and IMHO, it's simply more efficient than the .204 Ruger and hits predators a little harder than the .20 VT. The TAC .20 will do pretty much everything the .204 will, using less powder. Don't get me wrong, I think the .204 is a great round, but IMHO, the sun doesn't rise and set on its existence.
On a side note, I feel the same as Sleddog in that I think Remington missed the boat when they introduced the .17 Fireball by it not being a .20 Fireball (.20 VT). I love the .17's (own a .17 MachIV and a .17 Rem.), but I believe the .20 cals are where it's at. I guess maybe I'm a little odd too in the fact I like owning something not everyone else has.
Just buy a 204 Ruger in the gun of your choice and enjoy great accuracy and you don't have to make cases. Along with that if you ever want to sell the gun it's much easier.
I respectfully disagree. Comparing the .20 VT to the .204 Ruger is like comparing apples to oranges, and I imagine there's a lot of guys, myself included, who would buy a .20 VT over a .204 any day of the week. Main reason being a .20 VT is going to be a custom/semi-custom rifle, which are generally speaking, going to be put together better and more accurate than a factory rifle. Also, while .221 brass is in short supply at the present time, forming .20 VT brass shouldn't be any big deal at all, plus it's just an efficient cartridge design.
Having said that, I personally chose to go right between the two with a TAC .20. The main reasons I chose it over the .204 Ruger (and the .20 VT) is due to the availability of better quality brass (factory Lapua), and IMHO, it's simply more efficient than the .204 Ruger and hits predators a little harder than the .20 VT. The TAC .20 will do pretty much everything the .204 will, using less powder. Don't get me wrong, I think the .204 is a great round, but IMHO, the sun doesn't rise and set on its existence.
On a side note, I feel the same as Sleddog in that I think Remington missed the boat when they introduced the .17 Fireball by it not being a .20 Fireball (.20 VT). I love the .17's (own a .17 MachIV and a .17 Rem.), but I believe the .20 cals are where it's at. I guess maybe I'm a little odd too in the fact I like owning something not everyone else has.
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claimbuster
New member
OK, here comes the self appointed president of the 20VT fan club! To clear the air before we start, I shoot 204, TAC 20 and 19-223, regularly.
Two years ago I started shooting the 20VT, I now have three. It is, without any doubt, my favorite mid-range PD caliber. It's accurate, reasonably quiet and just plain fun. 32gr. V-Max's and AA1680 make my best loads.
It does not replace the 204 or TAC20, but then, they don't replace the 20VT.
Try one, I am convinced you will not be disappointed.
Two years ago I started shooting the 20VT, I now have three. It is, without any doubt, my favorite mid-range PD caliber. It's accurate, reasonably quiet and just plain fun. 32gr. V-Max's and AA1680 make my best loads.
It does not replace the 204 or TAC20, but then, they don't replace the 20VT.
Try one, I am convinced you will not be disappointed.
pdoghunter
New member
I am thinking of having one built to add to my collection. I do have and would not get rid of my 204, but this would be a mid range gun for me, since i dont currently own a gun smaller than a 204. Does anyone else have issues with the barrels heating up fast?