low velocity loads for 20 TAC

[247sniper]

Found a rather nice 22H Ruger, so have decided to go that route. Been 14 years since I had a Hornet. Looking forward to it.

 

I'd do some research on the "Ruger" 22 Hornet before I parted with my money! Very few people have had good results and most seem to get rid shortly after getting them due to them not shooting! Most people that have them have found them to be crap.

 

Just do some research first mate.

[pork chop]

i had the ruger years ago it was ok accuracy wise and very well made but the cz i have now is much better,a bit rough around the edges though but will out shoot the ruger

[Andrew]

I'd do some research on the "Ruger" 22 Hornet before I parted with my money! Very few people have had good results and most seem to get rid shortly after getting them due to them not shooting! Most people that have them have found them to be crap.

 

Just do some research first mate.

I'll support that. Mine was the worst CF rifle I have ever owned.~Andrew

[Big Al]

Now I will freely admit, that I usually question the people who ask for low loads for cartridges, as unless subsonic I have seen no point. I do low load the 45/70 so I can plink without replacing my fillings.

I have completely lost the argument with my HMR and the lottery level of accuracy between boxes of ammunition. I consider the 20 running flat out, too much gun for some of my shoots. So was wondering rather than buying a Hornet or WMR, could I download the 20 to give me around 2800 ish with 32 grain bullets?

 

 

The simple answer to this is yes you can and I dont know what all the fuss is about from those trying to dissuade you?

 

Its not hard to get a 20 Tac/Prac or .223 to mimic .22 Hornet performance. Reloading is easy using H4895 and working on the 60% rule as per the Hodgdon website.

 

https://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/H4895%20Reduced%20Rifle%20Loads.pdf

 

Expansion is not a problem, a 32gr vmax expands fine at MVs in the 3000fps range, equally you could use the 39/40gr bullets a touch slower if you really wanted. Typical Hornet bullets seem to expand fine at typical Hornet speeds and so will your 20 cal ones.

 

To those who say why? or those who say shoot better I would say ignore them. Its your rifle and if it makes you happy to reload your 20 Tac to Hornet velocities (and save you buying a Hornet and quite possibly a bad one) then why the not? I have in the past loaded my 20 Tac to run 32gr SBK's at 16gr of powder with good accuracy and 2950fps, recoil was very light compared to even the light recoiling 20 Tac in full fat mode and the noise was noticeably less.

 

I think one of the beauties of reloading is that so long as what your doing is safe and accurate then why not? its your rifle, your situation and your decision.

[Big Al]

I have a farm local to me that is plagued by crows of all kinds but mainly jackdaws and rooks. They peck their way into the silage bags and the farmer does his nut, he hates them with a passion and is always on to me to be shooting them. At first I did ok with the .22lr and shotgun but as always they get wise so I felt I needed more gun than the .22lr and I didn't have an HMR for the reasons many dont now. I was very conscious of using my 20 Tac around the farm even though almost all shots would be into a safe backstop, there was just something that niggled me that I was using too much gun for what was usually 120-150yd shots so I down loaded the 20 Tac as I described.

 

The next visit the farmer asked me later that day if I had bought a new gun, when I said no he said it just seems quieter than the last time. I explained to him what I had done and he just laughed and said dont be silly, just shoot them on full power if it makes a bigger mess of them, I dont mind the noise and if your safe your safe. As a result I went back to my standard 20 Tac load and have killed literally hundreds this last summer.

 

The point Im trying to make though is that it can be done, the only down sides are that you need 2 loads now instead of one, you need to re-zero when switching between them and you use more powder in the 20 Tac compared to the Hornet to get the same performance although the extra is minimal and sure beats buying a new rifle and scope.

[Big Al]

Duplicate post removed.

[seprim]

Hi

Has anyone thought about the 20VarTarg ? Don't think i have seen it mentioned yet, low powder, quieter than most and great bullets in the .20 range too.

cheers

 

Andrew

[gbal]

Andrew,yes it's an impressive small cartridge (necked 221 Fireball-itself a short 222rem-the basis for the Vartag Turbo)....

 

The Vartag can give 32g@3750 (with much less powder than say 204 Ruger,but needs hi energy powder for that).

 

There are others,but the somewhat tricky bit is meeting the original post : is there a close replacement for the unreiable ammo 17HMR,which is only delivering 17g@2550 factory.

 

The Vartag is clearly way way above that....no bad thing,of course ,if the application fits!

 

But there isn't too wide a choice in around the old Hornet niche,other than just less powder in eg the OP's 20 Tac case,simples if it works...and of course no need for another rifle....)

 

gbal