20 Practical

 

A year ago I received a call from Warren Brookman with a great idea. Warren asked “Why couldn’t we simply neck down the 223 Remington case to 20 calibers and get basically the same performance as the 20 Tactical?” This way you can forgo the expensive forming dies that are needed for the 20 Tactical.”

 

I ordered a reamer from Dave Kiff at PTG with a .233” neck. The .233 neck should allow for a simple necking down of the 223 Remington case to produce the 20 practical in just one step.  No fire forming necessary!

 

The first 20 Practical was launched down range just a few months later. The brass formed as easily as expected. I just used a Redding type ”S”  bushing die with a .230 bushing and with just one step I had a 20 caliber case ready to shoot.  Warren is Brilliant.

 

It would be almost six months later until I got around to building a test rifle chambered for the 20 Practical. I used a Remington 722 action, Remington synthic semi-Varmint stock, and a 24” Dougles SS XX 12 twist barrel.

 

I formed and loaded about 30 cases using Remington brass in about 20 minutes. I used a 223 Remington seating die to seat the 20 Practical bullets. The 223 seating stem seated the small 20 cal bullets just fine. The first loads, sent the 40 grain Hornady V-Max bullets down range at a modest 3500 feet/second (F/S).  I did not shoot for groups I just wanted to use this load to sight in the rifle and break in the barrel.

 

Load development was painless I used reduced 223 40gr loads and worked up from there.         

 

BULLET          POWDER        CHARGE       VEL. FT./SEC.            COMMENTS

33GR               H4198             26                    4322               

33GR               N133               27                    4255                            .388” 5 shot group

 

40GR               H335               25                    3583                            barrel break in load

40GR               H4198             24                    3907

40GR               IMR4895         26                    3883                            .288” 5 shot group

40GR               N133               25                    3959                            .227” 5 shot group   

 

I used Remington 223 cases, Hornady V-Max bullets, and Remington 6 1/2 primers to develop the above loads.  

Loads should be reduced 20% when starting load development in your rifle.

 

All load data should be used with caution.  Always start with reduced loads first and make sure they are safe in each of your guns before proceeding to the high test loads listed.  Since Weaver Rifles has no control over your choice of components, guns, or actual loadings, neither Weaver Rifles nor the various firearms and components manufacturers assume any responsibility for the use of this data.

          

 

The 20 Practical and the 20 Tactical are almost identical cartridges. Only slight differences in case OD, shoulder angle and case body length:

 

 

Bolt face to shoulder     Shoulder O.D.               Shoulder angle            Total length

 20 Tactical                  1.5232             .360                     30 Deg.                    1.755

 

20 Pritacle                    1..5778            .3553                   23Deg.                     1.760

 

Both the 20 Tactical and the 20 Practical are fine 20 caliber cartridges.  By far the 20 Tactical is the more popular of the two because it has had more publicity.  My favorite would be the 20 Practical. Because it gives the same performance as the 20 Tactical without fire forming or purchasing expensive forming dies. Just buy a 223 Redding Type “S” Bushing Die set with a .230 or .228 bushing and have fun with this great little cartridge.