20 VT Barrel Twist?

[Bill K]

Albertacoyotecaller: Let your rifle tell you what the brass, that you use, needs as far as neck trimming, etc.
You will find that the 20Vt is one of easiest cartridges to work with.
Prep your cases as you would or should on any cartridge.
After firing in you chamber, you will see if you need to trim anything, either for length or neck diameter.
Don't start chasing your tail. Prep your cases, load, fire them in your chamber and go from there. Main thing, you will find, is you are going to really enjoy the 20VT and will be surprised how well it shoots. Bill K

[varmintshooter]

That is bad advise. If you load up rounds with a .235 dia how are you going to shoot them in a chamber with a .232 neck dia

[SS427]

Use a .235 reamer if you don't want to turn the necks.

I consider it a shame to chamber up a very accurate cartridge like the 20VT and then not use Lapua brass though. The extra cost is recouped by how much longer it typically lasts. At the very least the cost will be equal but good chance in the long run the Lapua brass will be cheaper.

When I pick a twist for any caliber barrel I use the same logic the 6PPC target shooters employ. Use the slowest possible barrel twist for the grain/length bullet you are using for top accuracy. You never see a 6PPC with a 12 twist or even a 13 twist barrel. 13.5 and 14 twist is what 95% of them will use. Apply that same logic to the 20VT and 32/35 grain bullets and the 12 twist is the one to use. 39/40 grain bullets is when I would go with the 11 twist.

My VT use is limited to targets and sage rats though. Hitting a D size battery baby sage rat at 300 and 400 yards or even longer requires top accuracy.

[Bill K]

Originally Posted by varmintshooter

That is bad advise. If you load up rounds with a .235 dia how are you going to shoot them in a chamber with a .232 neck dia

AlbertaCoyoteCaller: I will repeat, don't chase your tail. Let YOUR rifle and the BRASS you use tell you what to do.
I, over the last 4-5 years have loaded and shot thousands of 2-VT & 20 SCC rounds at those little bitty squeeks and have not issues, plus all I have used is the 1/11 twist and everyone I know or around me that shoot the 20's use it.
And this is with bullets from 32 - 39/30 grainers.

I will let this thread go and hope you have nothing but enjoyment with that 20VT, as the majority of us do. Bill K

[L.Sherm]

Theres more to running Lapua brass than the neck, you need to be bigger at the .200 line also. Your chances of getting " clickers" are good if you run the high end of loads.
I've got a brother who has 1,000 221 Rem.fireball brass and its working just fine.
If your not running really hot loads they work fine.
Keep in mind als Lapua disconnected making 221 fireball brass but if you insist my suggestion is find a reamer thats set up for atleast a .235 if you dont wanna turn and its bigger at the .200 line by .002 bigger than most 20VT.

[410gauge]

As usual...Sherm is right on the money. PTG offers two 20VT reamers. One is specified for Lapua brass. If you don't want to neck turn, go with the RP brass. I've been using that brass for years with no complaints. TK's orginial design was using no-turn neck RP brass. I have well over a 1000 pcs of 20 VT brass, and some has been loaded eight times. I do not load it to warp speed though. Around 3700 fps. It seems to last a long time. If you can buy RP brass cheaper in the North, that seems like a good avenue. As for barrel twist, I've had both 1:12 and 1:11. Accuracy wise, both are excellent. If you stay with the 32/39 grainers, there is nothing wrong with a 12 twist in my experience. Good luck on your decision. 410gauge

[20VarTarg]

My 12 twist Cooper Model 38 will NOT shoot the 40 grain VMAX bullet. I've never tried the 39 Blitzkings in it. It shoots the 32 Blitzkings so well there was no use to try anything else. If I was to build a custom 20VT it would for sure be an 11 twist and I would take the time to turn the necks on Lapua brass. It's really not that bad. I did around 300 pcs over the course of a couple evenings earlier this year. No issues with the R-P brass I was running but I wanted to squeeze every ounce of accuracy out of my 20VT. I will be buying more Lapua in the future.

[albertacoyotecaller]

Need to find a reamer. Gunsmith says 10 weeks for one,

[Bill K]

Originally Posted by varmintshooter

That is bad advise. If you load up rounds with a .235 dia how are you going to shoot them in a chamber with a .232 neck dia

If he preps his brass correctly they will fit. If the don't fit then they are not prepared correctly. very simple.

[Gary in Illinois]

May need a small shoe horn to get a cartridge with a .235” neck into a chamber cut with a .232” neck - good case prep or not.