Nor is there a need for neck turning. This necks down the .223 brass to .20 caliber. I want an 18" 20 practical, what gas length and twist rate? Currently, Cooper Arms of Montana and Dakota Arms offer factory rifles in Tactical 20 chamberings.Since the Tac 20's parent case is the ubiquitous .223 Remington, there is a huge selection of high quality brass available, limited only by your budget. Support Our SPONSORS Yes, Warren tells us, it does get sunny now and then in Vancouver, WA. PMC and Federal cases were used here, of which I had enough to run the series of tests. I think it's part number 14206. I only saw barrels longer than 20" listed at WOA. There was some hope Lapua would produce 20 VarTarg brass for Dakota Arms, but that deal is off the table. Dies & Reloading Tools. These features provide not only an enhanced degree of control but significant improvements to consistency and accuracy of the final loaded rounds. So, if youve a mind to, try the Redding approach, and if dissatisfied, the form-and-trim die is always available. Then run the brass through a Tactical 20 forming die, and finally run it through a Tactical 20 full-length die. After the .228 bushing it still measures .200 ID. Posted By: sherm_61 Re: 20 Practical Reloading - 01/05/22. The decapping rod is supplied with a standard size button. All Type-S dies use an interchangeable bushing to control neck diameter and tension to an increment of 0.001. The middle two are 20 Tactical (39gr TNT and 40gr V-Max), 223 on the right. Very light recoil in most cases allows the shooter to see the target being hit (or missed). Bullets used include, from left: Barnes 26-grain Varmint Grenade, Hornady 32-grain V-MAX, Sierra 32-grain BlitzKing, Berger 35-grain Varmint, Sierra 39-grain BlitzKing, Hornady 40-grain V-MAX. The only way I can think of that the expander would rub, before the bushing has touched the neck, would be the neck wall is so thick it can't expand enough to make the hole in the neck as big as the diameter of the bullet when fired. A chamber type bullet seater positively controls both bullet and cartridge case alignment. Finally, the case is run into the full-length .20 Tactical sizing die that sets the shoulder back and makes the cases ready for fireforming. It should not touch going into a fired case. Every time I have talked to John about shooting prairie dogs he brings up the 20 practical. With the 20 VarTarg, long barrel life can be expected. Use a Redding Type S 223 dies, and use 2 seperate bushings to neck down to 20 cal. Are there any options for dies other than Redding Type S 223 with different a bushing? I like to run rifle length on 18" 223s. What's not to like? Varmints probably won't know the difference. We've run the ballistics for a range of start velocities, so you can compare different cartridges. $1435.00. If you are uncertain just email a photo of the cartridge and we can make a determination. John (SnakeEye) of VarmintsForFun.com hopes Lapua does produce 20 VarTarg brass: "That will open up a whole new world in the little 20s. 223 brass into the size die, 20 Tactical comes out. I have a redding type S 223 FL die along with the redding decapping Redding Part #14206. It may not display this or other websites correctly. I shoot a .20 tactical with 22 inch barrel and it has a rifle length gas tube and 10 twist shooting 39g sierras. "WARNING: For your own safety, ALWAYS reduce all starting charges by 10% and work up carefully! Like the 6PPC, it has the optimal bore to case capacity ratio for max efficiency. Anybody know the part number for the correct 20 cal decaping assembly? Our Custom dies are the best way to ensure you are getting the most efficiency out of your reloading process while gaining maximum precision and case life longevity. The following tables provide external ballistics information (bullet drop and bullet drift) out to 500 yards with a range of useful velocities for the popular 20 CAL Hornady, and Berger bullets. You must log in or register to reply here. The amount of resizing provided by conventional reloading dies has always been dictated by the manufacturing tolerances (SAAMI specifications) of the brass cartridge case itself. I'll just have to find myself a .224 bushing for my Redding 223 Type S bushing dies I suppose to get the 3- thousandths neck tension I'll feel comfortable with for this 20 Practical AR-15. How does the size of the bushing affect it, on the way in? Support Our SPONSORS Optimizing the AR15 as a Varmint Rifle We have found the best method to make Custom dies is to use your firedbrass from the rifles chamber. REDDING 20 TACTICAL FORM #1 DIE CUSTOM Quantity: Read 3 Reviews Customers Who Bought This Also Bought HORNADY 17c (.172) 20gr V-MAX BULLET 100/BX Our Price: $23.29 $0.23 per piece In Stock Item #: HRN21710 HORNADY MICROJUST SEATING STEM Our Price: $34.99 In Stock Item #: HRN044090 HORNADY 20c (.204) 32gr V-MAX BULLET 100/BX Our Price: $23.29 Among single-base, extruded powders, Hodgdon H-322 and Vihtavuori N130 produced the best results for me, with IMR-4198 and Accurate 2015 not far behind. dies are supplied with both the standard size button and a decapping pin retainer for the advantages and versatility described under our Type S - Bushing Style Neck Sizing Dies. Although we have heard no complaint about the Berger bullets no being explosive enough, polymer tip bullets (Hornady and Sierra) tend to be more explosive than the Berger, but maybe not quite as accurate. Location: Iowa. Concentricity is enhanced by the ability of the resizing bushing to selfcenter. I shoot ground rats & I find myself leaving the bolt setups in the safe more often than not & the AR's going almost every time. Why? I ordered an 18" light contour 20 Practical barrel from Mcowen. Also this will be perfect for the 17 m 4 as all you would need to do is run it in a 17 m 4 FL die, no other forming. Upon completion your brass will be returned to you with your Custom Die. Founded by Frank Galli in 2000, Snipers Hide has been offering informational videos, podcasts, and other support to its users in one location. There is virtually no difference performance-wise between virgin brass and fire-formed 20 VarTarg brass, so you don't need two different loads. I've always thought that the 20 VarTarg would make a very accurate benchrest round with good brass. Redding had developed, he said, a technique for forming .20 Tactical from .223 Remington brass without it. I'm using Norma USA match brass, the neck wall thickness is .013. Custom dies are best made using three pieces of fired brass from your rifles chamber. Redding dies are excellent. I have formed over 1000 pcs of 20 practical brass. Anybody know the part number for the correct 20 cal decaping assembly? I mostly use my Hornady L-n-L progressive press and has given me groups that satisfy my needs (at this time). Upon return, we bead blast, hand polish, inspect and process for shipping so please ensure you factor in the turnaround time when ordering. Our Custom dies will solve problems such as sticky extraction and the dreaded Bolt click without over working your brass. I've been thinking about having a 20 practical made. Access from your Country was disabled by the administrator. The 20 Practical chambering offers .204 Ruger-class ballistics using standard .223 Rem brass and easily-modified .223 Rem dies. More. 20 Tactical - maybe a slight velocity edge over 20 Practical due to steeper shoulder, longer neck, (Lapua) factory brass (supposedly) available, off-the-shelf dies available; possibly not as smooth feeding as 20 Practical.204 Ruger - available off-the-shelf ammo, available (Winchester) factory brass, probable velocity edge over 20 Practical/20 . So that is the right decapping part #? Brownell's has a .20 Hornady seater die, in stock, for $29.99 - look for Hornady dies/die sets for any/all .20 calibers. $69.99. We can custom match your dies for Factory Rifles as well as Custom Rifles including auto loading rifles. First the cases are sized in a full-length .223 die, then run, slightly lubricated, into the .20 Tactical seating die. The full length (FL) resizing die contains a decapping rod assembly with a neck expander (size button). You may also find that some brands may shoot very well, but only if you sort the bullets by weight or base to ogive length first. Once fired .223 Norma USA brass neck ID is .226-.227 with a neck thickness of .013. I wasn't sure what brass I would use when I bought the barrel. What dies and process are you using for making .20 Practical? Ambient temperature changes, powder lot variations, and differences in barrel friction can result in significantly increased pressures. The .20 Practical project is now in the ammo production phase. When it came to powders, a bakers dozen that had been given some play in published data was selected. The Tactical 20 is easy to load and exceptionally accurate. Click Here to download a .pdf version of Todd Kindler's 20 VarTarg article (from Dakota Arms).No special dies are need to form 20 VarTarg brass. It seems to be a good combination of case capacity and bullet. Redding Type s decapping assembly 204R. Wolfe Publishing Company | 2180 Gulfstream Suite A | Prescott, AZ 86301. This time, accompanying my rifle when it arrived was a laminated target with an elongated hole in it denoting a three-shot group at 100 yards measuring .156 inch. Some versions have slightly less body taper as well--it's wise to compare reamer prints. After much loading and shooting, I must agree with those who say that all the powders tested performed well. Practical it is. All this adds up to economy as light bullets cost less than heavy ones, and small charges stretch powder budgets satisfyingly. I've been thinking about having a 20 practical made. REDDING 20 TACTICAL TYPE S NECK BUSHING DIE SET . For its 55-grain BT, Berger recommends a one-in-8-inch or faster twist. I also wondered if my big bag of Winchester brass I had dug out off the bin and sized annealed was the culprit, or if I had sized all that Win brass with the bigger bushing I have that didn't give me enough neck tension and didn't shoot well. What started as a small dream has become a multi-million dollar international business While researching on how to make the brass, it seems everyone talks about using a Redding 223 FL die set with bushings and a 204 decapping rod assembly. Before putting too much stock in what size bushing everyone lists measure your brass. I know Bullberry makes a two ended die to go from 221 FB to 17 FB, does anyone know if they make one for 223 to 20 practical. Gain twist bbls cost about 100.00 more than standard twist bbls. When it came to bullets, quite a number were found, from a Hornady 24-grain lead-free NTX to a 55-grain Berger. With the Hornady dies, you don't need anything else. The VarTarg may be the smallest 20-Caliber cartridge in our survey, but it comes up big in efficiency. $205.99. A 12-twist will stablize most bullets up to 40 grains. At $20 per bushing, I should have measured first and bought second. Also if you have a regular 223 die you can use that without the decapper/expander for the first step and only need the final bushing to finish. This enables neck sizing without the use of the size button for those who sort and/or turn case necks for uniformity. The white oak barrels are all heavy contour as well, not sure what contour youre after. I haven't seen anyone that has a procedure with RCBS equipment. Grafs.com list the brass as a Dakota Arms product, item # DU4HH5006, priced $39.99 per hundred. #2666026 - 04/01/14 08:14 AM Re: Forming 20 practical with RCBS Dies/equipment [ Re: dogduster204 ] You have to use the bushing die so you can neck down to 20 cal.It takes more than one step so you need to change size of bushing and your regular 223 die cant do that. You can easily make 20 practical dies out of .204 Ruger dies by grinding or turning about .100 off the Base of the dies. Although not necessary, annealing tends to help the fire-forming process and extends the life of the brass a bit.Lapua Tactical 20 Brass Is HereLapua-brand Tactical 20 brass has arrived in the USA, and is available through Dakota Arms, Graf & Sons and other retailers. Material: 416R Stainless Steel Caliber: .20 Practical Barrel Length: 24" Rifle Length Gas Port 11-degree Target Crown M4 Feed Ramps 1 in 12" Rate of Twist Fluted Barrel Manufacturer: Midwest Gun Works PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS: Barrel Length: 24" Brand: MGW Caliber: .20 Practical Finish / Color: Stainless Steel Firearm Type: Rifle Material: Steel Barrel Blanks. 20 Practical Ultimate Varminter The past few years you have seen the introduction of many new sets like the National Match, Master Hunter and the Premiums as a result of changing trends in the category and stated desires of the customer base. 20 Practical Dies & Headspacing Question SVT_Tactical Dec 10, 2021 1 2 Next SVT_Tactical Gold $$ Contributor Dec 10, 2021 #1 Awaiting a barrel and getting parts ready together to put it on my savage action. Redding Reloading Equipment has once again established a new die set based on customer feedback. You feel the expander touching going in on the .228? This allows the handloader complete control and precision when setting the appropriate neck tension without fear of over working the brass in the case neck. For example, as stated earlier, some rifles will shoot a Hornady 32gr V-MAX very well, but they won't shoot the 40gr V-MAX. The 20 Practical is an ideal 20-caliber solution for AR15 platforms. Copyright 2011- $24.33. There seemed to be a pattern emerging. other By: R.H. VamDenburg, Jr. | June, 23. Or at least fire-forming will no longer change case capacity to the extent that you need a separate, slightly lower, fire-forming load.WARNING: For your own safety, ALWAYS reduce all starting charges by 10% and work up carefully! This is especially useful for reloaders who are using commercial brass as is. The 20 Practical feeds and functions 100% reliably with standard AR15 magazines. A variety of powders are available for use with the .20 Tactical cartridge; some worked better than others in VanDenburgs test rifle. This cartridge is based on the 221 Fireball case and is probably the most efficient of the 20-Caliber cartridges. See page 13 for additional information on crimp dies. The VarTarg is popular with varmint hunters because it provides good range (up to 300 yards) and uses relatively little powder, so your barrel doesn't heat up quite as fast. I have .225, .228 and .233 bushings. Once the entire batch is made, we send them out to be hardened via a carburized heat treat process to ensure a lifetime of use. . Todd Kindler reports great accuracy with N120 and the Sierra 32-grainer, running close to 3800 fps. #2 01-16-2013, 03:21 AM bowfisher. We have found the best method to make Custom dies is to use your fired brass from the rifles chamber. The groups didn't look very good yesterday but the wind was blowing pretty hard and I wondered if it was moving around my target frame. Get the right 20 Tactical Dies or 20 Tactical Die Sets for your press here at Midsouth. The project has been great fun, and Ive never shot as many three-shot groups with all bullets making a single hole as was experienced with the .20 Tactical. dies are supplied with both the standard size button and a decapping pin retainer for the advantages and versatility described under our Type S - Bushing Style Neck Sizing Dies. yes they will fit. Ramshot TAC, for which I had great expectations, didnt hold up as well in extended testing but did produce the smallest group, with the Sierra 39-grain BlitzKings and the largest, which may have been a case of shooter error. Simply run a .221 Fireball case through a 20 VarTarg full-length sizer die--then load, and shoot. This little cartridge can launch 40-grainers at over 3900 fps, and 32-grainers even faster. Measured (as in doublechecked) all the die components and everything is marked correctly. Part of what makes this interesting is that Kindler, in writing on the subject, found using the form-and-trim die to work best, noting that when he used the .20 Tactical seating die method he experienced those same wrinkles behind the shoulder. So with the 20 Practical you do less work, you shell out a lot less money, yet you give up nothing in performance. From left: the .223 Remington case full-length resized, a case run through the .20 Tactical seating die, a case full-length sized in the .20 Tactical die, the .223 Remington case after form-and-trim die use (note the wrinkle below the shoulder), the .20 Tactical case fireformed. The real beauty of the .20s, however, is in the numbers ballistic coefficient (BC) numbers, to be specific. In those circumstances we can use your reamer print but please note the fired brass will usually yield the best results. The author has had excellent results using IMI brass, which is strong and very durable.Forming 20 Tactical brass is generally a two-step process. The seating die (ST) includes bullet guide, built-in crimp ring and the p roper . . The bottom of the Cooper's stock shows fine wood-to-metal fit. Redding Type s decapping assembly 204R. I see 20 Tactical dies but none for 20 Practical. For heavier ones, a one-in-9-inch twist is recommended, especially at longer ranges. Some precision shooters like to start with Lapua brass. I feel the expander dragging on the way out with the .233, not a lot but enough. Also if you have a regular 223 die you can use that without the decapper/expander for the first step and only need the final bushing to finish. At the same time, it appears some rise above the norm. The bolt face completely encloses the head of the cartridge. Reddings .20 Tactical die set includes a full-length sizing die, a neck-sizing die and a bullet seating die. To narrow focus to reloading the .20 Tactical cartridge, lets begin with the rifle. $20.00 223 seater die works just fine to seat bullets. The Official Predator Masters Search Engine, http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloading-eqsku=749-002-388, http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloading-eqsku=749-002-155. Redding had .20 Tactical dies in stock along with a form-and-trim die for making cases from .223 Remington brass. Senior Member : Join Date: Jan 2011. We have Tactical dies for sale, from great brands like Forster, Hornady, Lee, Lyman, RCBS, and Redding Reloading Products. Sort By: Items Per Page: Item Total: (5) 0 - 5 20 Tactical Series IV Speciality 2 Die Set With Zip Spindle 005-546209 | Hornady $62.35 Most 20 VarTarg shooters are satisfied with the quality (and price), so long as the Rem brass is weight-sorted and prepped before loading. Which Bullet Should I Use?When selecting bullets, the general rule of thumb is "let the rifle decide what bullet it likes". The OD is .256 I removed the expander and sized with the .233 bushing and then checked the ID, the ID now measures .200 with .014 wall thickness! I needed reloading dies and turned to Robin Sharpless of Redding Reloading to discuss the project. Both have rifle length gas systems if I am at the bench I like the 26 much better if I am in the RZR I like the 20". Work up carefully at over 3900 fps, and differences in barrel friction result! To Reloading the.20 Practical simply run a.221 Fireball case through a 20 VarTarg brass for Arms! Load, and small charges stretch powder budgets satisfyingly the optimal bore to case capacity ratio max. Your rifles chamber reloaders who are using commercial brass as a Dakota Arms, but that is. Type S neck bushing die set based on customer feedback dreaded Bolt click without over your... Tactical brass is 20 practical dies a two-step process 223 dies, and finally run it through a Tactical 20 is to... 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Out with the Hornady dies, you don & # x27 ; t need anything else if,... Agree with those who sort and/or turn case necks for uniformity an interchangeable bushing selfcenter.