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GLWenzl
10-11-2006, 02:24 AM
20 Practical Improved next to a 20 Bobcat that is on the left.... Awesome!!! :)

http://i10.tinypic.com/2r4mot0.jpg

Tom Bellott
10-11-2006, 02:49 AM
Gary,

A good friend (and avid poodle blaster) is currently building a 20 Practical. I'm getting interested in the cartridge. Do you shoot one? Also, I was wondering about the shoulder angle. In your photo, the shoulder looks sharper than the standard .223 shoulder. Is this an optical illusion or do I need to buy new glasses?

Thanks!

17VLD
10-11-2006, 03:24 AM
20Duster!!!!
All kidding aside a 20 Duster can do anything you need done with a varmint rifle.:rolleyes:
TTFN
Matt

Dan C
10-11-2006, 03:30 AM
Gary, I don't know what that one is on the right, but it does not look like a 20 Practical. Maybe Stephen Grant's 20 Maxi-Tac? A 20 Practical picture nearly puts me to sleep with it's lazy shoulder. :eek: (Kidding Warren!)

GLWenzl
10-11-2006, 10:00 AM
Sorry guys I left out one important word... "Improved" No I do not shoot it (yet) Just thought it was something ya all would like to see….

Dan C
10-11-2006, 12:54 PM
I have a gunsmith buddy in Rawlins that's been shooting a 20-223 Imp. for many years. In fact he had a 20 before I ever did, when the only bullet available was the Berger 36, and a custom or two maybe. Here is a picture of his cartridge on the right, with a 19-223 Calhoon on the left and a 223 at center.
http://highxj.home.bresnan.net/20imp.jpg

Daryl
10-11-2006, 02:42 PM
The .20 Practical IMP appears to have a 40 degree shoulder. Give the same shoulder to the TAC .20 and they'd be like 2 peas in the ammo box, wouldn't they?

heckupdpc
10-11-2006, 02:53 PM
Kevin Weaver has a reamer coming and should have 20 caliber 3 groove Pac - Nor to make me a switch barrel on a Cooper 21. Sure looks like it should make a good dog cartridge. Heck

Dan C
10-11-2006, 03:05 PM
The .20 Practical IMP appears to have a 40 degree shoulder. Give the same shoulder to the TAC .20 and they'd be like 2 peas in the ammo box, wouldn't they?

Close. The 20 Tactical has the shoulder pushed back during forming to lengthen the neck. Changing the shoulder to 40 deg would retain the longer neck, while the 20-223 Imp has a shorter neck and longer body.

Kinda funny, wildcatting the wildcats.. A 20 Practical improved would no longer be a 'Practical', since the whole premise of the 'Practical' is to use readily available 223 bushing dies. It's now just a '20-223 Improved'. Maybe it ought to be called the "20-223 Impractical". Makes me dizzy sometimes. :D

Fireball
10-11-2006, 03:11 PM
LOL, I like the name .20 A-Little-Less-Practical Improved!

Dan C
10-11-2006, 03:16 PM
LOL, I like the name .20 A-Little-Less-Practical Improved!


How about "20-223 Impractical Tactical", or "20 Tactically Practical". How theatrical!!

Paul McClain
10-11-2006, 04:38 PM
Talked with him yesterday and he said he had a picture to send me. It was the picture that you see here.

Bayou City Boy
10-11-2006, 04:51 PM
Back in the early 1980's I knew a guy who was playing with what he called a "5MM-223".

It was exactly the same as today's 20 Practical - a 223 Remington case necked down with no other changes.

-BCB

Mntngoat
10-11-2006, 05:18 PM
Gary looks like you received the same email as I did from our friend Kevin Weaver.


Michael

Fireball
10-11-2006, 08:57 PM
Bob Forker did the first .20-223 in 1966 with PO Ackley making his barrel. The only difference between then and now is we have readily available bushing dies and funny-named cartridges like the .20 Tactical to make fun of. :D

GLWenzl
10-12-2006, 12:59 AM
Didn’t expect to see 2 pages of post…. :eek: That Kevin is quite a guy whom has a small caliber heart of gold!!! ;)

Looks like it will be a great round especially for the guy who is already shooting a 233 Imp and has nk dies...
Personally I’d call it Bill, George anything including Sue… I really don’t care as long as it shoots like the other riffles Kevin has done for me…

I talked to Kevin and his lovely wife yesterday and asked for a pic of this 20 Practical Imp that he has a reamer for… Like always, he is swamped and I told him not to worry about getting my 17-222 G soon as I don’t make my living with guns. ;) Besides I want it to be fun for him to build and not just a job (job=work, yuk :( ). Very fortunate to have guys with his talent and craftsmanship around!!

montdoug
10-12-2006, 05:51 AM
I agree that a .20 Practical improved is for all purposes a Tact.20 only needing custom dies defeating the Practical part (the Tact .20 gear is pretty readily available now).
Personally I'd take advantage of the Practicle part as Dan mentioned or go with the Tactical .20 even though I never liked the name (what's Tactical about a .20 caliber varmint rifle?).
How about the ".20 A Little Less Practical but not Tactical"?
What's in a name anyway? "A .20 by any other name would shoot as sweet".

tbeasley
10-13-2006, 08:07 PM
I've been shooting the TAC.20 for some 5+years and the only thing i can see 20 Pract. has over 20Tac is the cheaper dies(bushings). Either way, both cases will be fire-formed upon the first shot, and from there, only re-necking is the only procedure from there. Sorry I had to get that off my chest, even after reading the 6mmbr, Guns of the Week about the 20Prac. and how it was suppose to be superior over the 20Tac...I can take a Reddings Form die(20Tac) and run virgin .223 brass in it and load up with 10X powder and shoot away(with darn good results too.) Then just re-neck back to .201-.202(I believe), go shooting again. This works well and cheap.
Sorry about the rambling and not exactly the place to probably put this message, but I saw plenty of the 20Tac jokes(which is strange"Tactical"???)

Enjoy the news of the other 20 calibers that are being played with.
Tim in Texas

Alex
10-13-2006, 08:21 PM
... the fact that Todd, like many gunwriters, isn't a good speller. It was supposed to be "tactile", for "putting the touch on groundhogs."

Now you know:)

A;ex

RareBear
10-13-2006, 09:49 PM
Alex, yer starting to sound like Paul Harvey, "......Now you know the rest of the story.". That was good for today's laugh.

Bayou City Boy
10-13-2006, 09:56 PM
I agree with Tim totally.

Every Tac 20 I've been around shoots the first handload (the "fire forming" load) and any loadings beyond that to the same point of aim with the exact same weight of powder. Actually very little "fire forming" takes place with the Tac 20 except for a little bit of case "improving".....at least not enough change to affect point of aim or accuracy of the rounds.

And I do agree that the name is a little strange, too. Maybe Todd could have more appropriately named it the 20 AK ("fanny kicker") if he wanted to attract the "Tactical Crowd" to it. :D

Just my ramblings..... -BCB

montdoug
10-13-2006, 11:34 PM
... the fact that Todd, like many gunwriters, isn't a good speller. It was supposed to be "tactile", for "putting the touch on groundhogs."

Now you know:)

A;ex
Too good Alex, too good. Big Time LOL!!!

I thought "putting the touch on em" was like when my kid borrows money from me? He's very Tactical with how he goes about it, it's a thing of beauty actually.

On the Tact.20 Pract.20 deal there sure can't be much if any ballistic difference twixt em but as mentioned I do sort of bristle when someone trys to sell me on the Pract.20 being a better round, I just ain't buying it. I guess I'm biased by how well my Tact.20 shoots both fire forming and formed and how easy it is to form em.

Centerfire
10-14-2006, 02:14 PM
Yep.....already decided on the 20 tac and drew up my pac-nor barrel plans.
It's more effiicient looking then a 204, has ready formed Lapua brass availabe, and is not such a custom endeavor like the 20 practical should you ever go to sell the rifle later.

I've learned to overlook the stupid "Tactical" name of a non-tactical cartridge.

montdoug
10-14-2006, 04:53 PM
It could be Tactical if you wear a swat outfit when p-dog hunting. The black might be a bit hot in the summer sun but it should be good for some belly laughs from your buddies. It might also make your neighbors a little nervous and scare the beegees outta your wife :eek: . (could get a guy commited as well I'm guessing).
Seriously though you'll love the round it's a dandy!