Is the 20 cal. rage over?

[FastPPC]

I'm have a curios thought on the little 20. Seems in the mid 2000's and for the next several years the 20 was the up and coming caliber. After the 204 Ruger hit the market all the other wildcats gained notoriety. All the bullet manufacturers started making all kinds of options with Berger even making 50 gr. for a while and 55 gr. as well. I believe in 2017 Nosler came out with the "20 Nosler" but it never hit the market and was never produced. A Nosler sales persons told me it's been shelved and probably will never come to life. I'm just curious if there is a loss of interest in the little 20 these days?

[Bill K]

I rather doubt it.. The 20 caliber cartridge's that are presently on the market or being built by gunsmiths will continue, as they a damn fine one's.
Nosler will probably not bring their attempt on line, as it is probably a little to overbore and will not nor can not really do anything the like of the 20Vt, 20SCC, 20-222, 204R and a couple other already due, really well.

[ken158]

Agree with Bill. The 20 just seems to out perform the 17 and about anything in 22. After starting with a 204 and then a 20 VT and a 20 TAC I feel well covered in varmint guns. I shoot 32 in the VT and 39/40 in the TAC. If you want to go 50 or more bullet weight then a 22 cal would be the ticket. No idea why anyone would consider 50 grain or more in a 20 cal.

[Hippy]

I have been a Die Hard 22-250 man for years then the 22 Dasher . When the 204 gained popularity I found a nice used XR-100 brass for the 204 was hard 2 find I had it converted to a 20 Practical and was ecstatic- .3 groups were the norm.
Unfortunately it was stolen and I searched for a replacement the XR-100 that I now have remains in 204 and it shoots equally as well.
My 60 + years of reloading I find that the 20's are VERY forgiving pretty sure of all the combinations I never had a group over 3/4"

I also have a 20 BR waiting for load development

Jim

[coyotespotter]

YES the 20 cal movement is dead, send me all your bullets. Don't become dated, stay current.

[B23]

Originally Posted by FastPPC

I'm have a curios thought on the little 20. Seems in the mid 2000's and for the next several years the 20 was the up and coming caliber. After the 204 Ruger hit the market all the other wildcats gained notoriety. All the bullet manufacturers started making all kinds of options with Berger even making 50 gr. for a while and 55 gr. as well. I believe in 2017 Nosler came out with the "20 Nosler" but it never hit the market and was never produced. A Nosler sales persons told me it's been shelved and probably will never come to life. I'm just curious if there is a loss of interest in the little 20 these days?

The small caliber centerfires like the 17's and 20's have always been a pretty niche market. The 204 Ruger seems to have carved out its own little respective piece of the pie that doesn't seem to be getting any bigger nor is it getting much smaller. IMO, one of the big things that drives market share, particularly for small cal CF, is ammo availability as well as ammo cost. With these small size cases it seems with the general public everything is often compared to the 223 and up until recently everything 223 related was far more available just about anywhere and everywhere as well as everyone, whether they really know or not, knows what or has heard of a 223.

I think we sometimes forget we, the gun enthusiasts that belong to these forums, aren't the typical gun owner/shooter. The vast majority of shooters buy guns off the shelf and shoot factory ammo. They don't have guns built or are familiar with any of the wildcats Bill mentioned above or what a wildcat cartridge even means. Nothing wrong with that they just don't get as deep in to things as we do.

To directly answer the OP's question, with the exception of the crazy times we're currently in, I'd be surprised if much has really changed. The 204 Ruger has established itself pretty well and I don't see it going anywhere.
Unless something new can come along that can match it and do so with cheaper equally good ammo I don't see a new 20 cal being able to compete with the 204 Ruger. As for the aftermarket/wildcat 20 cal builders based on what you read of people building things that seems to be holding steady at about the same level as well.

[410gauge]

My .02 worth. I've built numerous 20 cals over the last 10 years or so. Everything from the 20 Mink (one my favorites for shorter range GS work) to the 20-22/250 for looong range PD's. My experience it has better aerial displays on GS's than the 17's (even the 20 Mink does). As for the 55 gr 20 cal Berger it certainly has its place for long range PD's with a big capacity case behind it. Granted the conditions must be perfect...but that bullet will go a 1000+ Yds in the 20-250. I've killed numerous PD's at over 800 yds with that set-up (best was 1135). The 55 gr Berger 20 cal has a really good b.c. I was really disappointed when Berger quit making it. Fortunately I started buying the 55 gr Berger when ever I saw them for sale when Berger quit making the 50gr 20 cal. In my opinion don't cut the 55 gr Berger short. It's a heck of a bullet!

[Rick in Oregon]

This is purely anecdotal, but two weeks ago five of us spent a week in the Orygun outback shooting GS's. Every one there took at least four rifles, most took more. The predominant bore size of all the rifles present was .20 caliber. That included 204R, a 204 variant, 20VT and both 20T and 20P.

So for here out west shooting both squirrels and rock chucks, it appears from my limited view, that the .20 is going very strong. After decades of doing this, my personal favorites have become the 204 (11T) and the 20VT. Those two combined will do a dandy job out to 600 for me, beyond that, I really don't participate, components are just too dear right now.

[Bayou City Boy]

As has been stated, like 17 caliber fans, the 20 calibers interest only a small fraction/percentage of all shooters. It is indeed a niche market, and a very small one at that. 20 caliber rifles have existed for a lot of years. Most of the current crop of 20 caliber internet "experts" spreading their knowledge to the ignorant masses never knew that 20 caliber rifles existed before the 204 Ruger came onto the scene in 2004.

A prime example of this is the "new" 20 Practical cartridge that many on the web want you to believe is a relatively new phenomena created to solve the truly non-existent problems that the 20 Tac supposedly has. In the early 1980's when the 223 Rem cartridge was relatively new, people were shooting the "brand new" 20 Practical cartridge. They foolishly and wrongly called it the 5mm-223.

Again, there will never be a mass market for 20 caliber rifles or supplies, but the 20 calibers aren't going away. Today the new and already fading rage is the 6.5 CM. Something new designed by God himself, ad nauseum, will follow it, but it too won't go away anytime soon either. There will simply be a shrinking market for it that has been replaced by something "new".

-BCB

[moorepower]

Originally Posted by Bayou City Boy

As has been stated, like 17 caliber fans, the 20 calibers interest only a small fraction/percentage of all shooters. It is indeed a niche market, and a very small one at that. 20 caliber rifles have existed for a lot of years. Most of the current crop of 20 caliber internet "experts" spreading their knowledge to the ignorant masses never knew that 20 caliber rifles existed before the 204 Ruger came onto the scene in 2004.

A prime example of this is the "new" 20 Practical cartridge that many on the web want you to believe is a relatively new phenomena created to solve the truly non-existent problems that the 20 Tac supposedly has. In the early 1980's when the 223 Rem cartridge was relatively new, people were shooting the "brand new" 20 Practical cartridge. They foolishly and wrongly called it the 5mm-223.

Again, there will never be a mass market for 20 caliber rifles or supplies, but the 20 calibers aren't going away. Today the new and already fading rage is the 6.5 CM. Something new designed by God himself, ad nauseum, will follow it, but it too won't go away anytime soon either. There will simply be a shrinking market for it that has been replaced by something "new".

-BCB

You mean like the .20P using .223 bushing dies that many of us had, instead of buying another set and not fire forming? Nothing wrong with either, or any of them for that matter. I guess in reality we could all be shooting just a 7.5 Swiss, since it's the original, but what fun is that?? I don't understand the bashing of the new rounds that keep the gun makers and bullet makers in business??? If you don't like it, don't buy it, and let the rest of us enjoy them. I don't own one but the 6.5CR is not "the fading rage". It's one of the fastest selling rounds on the market.