Cartridge Corner

Here you will find a collection of useful information on a variety of cartridges that we have shot over the years.  We hope you will find this information helpful.

As with all reloading please use caution and start low and work up, every rifle is different.

20 Vartarg (20VT)

 

Cartridge overview

We have totally fallen in love with our little 20 Vartarg (20VT). The 20VT is based off a 221 fireball necked down to 20 cal, this little cartridge packs an amazing punch. 

We have tried a variety of projectile weights 32, 35 and 40gr projectiles from Berger, Nosler and Hornady and they all shoot very well. With some amazing velocities 

We used the Lapua 221 Fireball brass which was formed into the 20 VT by simply necking it down to 20cal, using some case forming dies.  We did turn the necks to ensure consistent thickness as the chamber was also a tight necked.  

Our rifle is based on a Remington 660. That was trued and blueprinted by Phil Jones at Redback Precision.

 

Phil also modified the bolt handle, this makes cycling the bolt far easier and also makes the bolt very similar to other rifles we are used to using, so we haven't got to re-learn anything, we can just pick up this rifle and go.  

 

A match grade Shilen barrel was chambered and fitted to the action and the action snugly bedded into a Boyds, thumbhole laminated timber stock in forest.

We sourced our dies from Todd Kindler from the Woodchuck Den - http://www.woodchuckden.com/. 

Todd was the original developer of the 20 Vartarg. Who was extremely helpful and offered some great advice to get us going in the right direction.

We topped the rifle off with a beautiful March 2.5-25x42mm Second Focal Plane scope, in MOA adjustment and with a duplex reticle, such a sweet package.

This scope is the perfect match for this rifle, being compact in size but having a 30mm main tube it still draws in plenty of light, especially when spotlighting for foxes.

This little rifle has become our go-to rifle for spotlighting, low recoil and amazing performance from the 20cal projectiles, it is the perfect combo.

 

20PPC 

We have this one in the pipeline, stay tuned.

We have heard so many great reports on the performance of the 20PPC  we just have to build one and see first hand.

  

20BR

A client asked us for some help in developing a 20BR for him. 

He had an existing light fly gun in 6 Dasher, and he was keen to see how the 20 would perform in the 500m Fly.

We sourced the reamers, dies and barrels including a second hand 20cal barrel as a fireforming barrel.

We sourced, formed neck turned the brass and did the initial fireforming, once the cases were formed we then set about working up some loads.

The performance was phenomenal - we designed and had the chamber throated for the 55gr Berger projectiles and we were pleasantly surprised with the performance.

 

 

 

300 Winchester Magnum

Surgical performance from this heavy hitter.

 

338 Edge resources

One of our favourite long range cartridges is the 338 Edge.

 

 

http://www.defensiveedge.net/index.php/338-edge

http://www.defensiveedge.net/index.php/338-edge/116-338-edge-loading-data

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/.338+Edge.html

http://www.bergerbullets.com/Reloading_Data/338Edge300gr.pdf

http://www.austargets.com/hybrid.htm