Whitley Shoots New 20 Practical AR
AccurateShooter.com has teamed with Robert Whitley and Carl Bernosky to develop a new AR15-based, 20-caliber rifle optimized for varminting. The chambering is a 20-223 with a PT&G (Kiff) reamer, aka the “20 Practical”, a name coined by Warren Brookman*. The cartridge uses standard .223 Remington brass. Case forming is simple — just neck down the brass (Robert did this in two steps, with .233″ and .225″ bushings). You do NOT have to move the shoulder back as with the 20 Tactical. You can even use your existing .223 Rem Redding dies by swapping out some internal components.
CLICK HERE to Watch 20 PRACTICAL AR VIDEO
While Carl is still working on special (top-secret) “furniture” to help the 20 Practical AR ride the bags, Robert was able to test the first complete 20 Practical AR upper built with a Bartlein barrel. Without any special load development, the gun has proved very accurate, putting 5 rapid-fire shots in a dime-sized group at 100 yards. Robert was using H335 with 40gr bullets. This load runs 3750 fps and Robert thinks more velocity may be possible with H335. We will also test other load recipes for both both 40gr and 32gr bullets. H322 should also be a good choice for both bullet weights. Quickload predicts H322 will send the 32-grainers past 4000 fps, and Warren Brookman says: “For both 32gr and 40gr bullets, Vihtavuori N133 is just about the perfect powder for the 20 Practical. It burns clean, delivers great accuracy and good velocity.”
Robert reports: “I loaded up some new brass today (Winchester brass, factory primed). I only used H335 and the Berger 40 gr BTHP bullets at about .010″ off the lands (2.228″ OAL). The thing is very accurate. First group shot off the bench after sight-in is shown in the video. Keep in mind this was done with no load work-up and I shot fast to ensure the video was not too long. The load was with 26.0 grains of H335 and the Berger 40-grainers going right around 3750 fps.”
If you shoot a .223 Rem currently it’s easy to load for the 20 Practical. You will need a Redding Type ‘S’ neck-bushing full-length sizing die, and Robert recommends a Redding Comp Seater. Then you’ll need some extra bits of kit:
1. Powder funnel that fits .20-Cal case mouths
2. Two neck bushings: .233″ and .225″
3. 20-Caliber cleaning rod with brushes, jag, patches, etc.
4. Decapping rod assembly for 20 Cal (a 204 Ruger one works perfectly — about $15)
*The 20 Practical chambering, a modern 20-223 Wildcat, was popularized by Warren Brookman, whose 20 Practical bolt gun was featured as our 61st Gun of the Week. In that 20 Practical Article, Warren explains the thinking behind the cartridge and shows how to adapt .223 Rem Redding dies.
The .20 Practical is a few years old. Do a search on Saubier and you will see alot of information on it.
Not to steal anybody’s thunder, but the “20 Practical” origins should have included a reference toward Warren B.
http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek061.html
EDITOR: Point made. I’ve included the reference. See response to comment below.
To whom it may concern …. specifically AccurateShooter.com editor, Mr. Robert Whitley and Mr. Carl Bernosky:
FYI – The 20 Practical was designed over 4 years ago (Summer 2004) and is the brainchild of Warren B. aka “Fireball”. Matter of fact, Warren’s rifle, design, concept, and detailed information was previously featured in your “Gun of the Week 61″ – see link . http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek061.html
Warren provides a plethora of information ranging from name concept, case prep, die modifications, project components, gunsmith, reamer manufacturer, and even detailed load data. Warren’s GOW article also has a picture of loaded rounds in an AR-15 magazine suggesting that they feed perfectly.
In my opinion, your “20 Practical AR” article is essentially a 4 paragraph synopsis of Warren’s already completed work on YOUR website.
I respect your opinions and published daily bulletin, however please remember the golden rule of Journalism 101, mention the source & give credit where it’s due.
Respectfully,
Cajun Blake {
EDITOR: Robert merely provided the test information, photos, and video. I wrote the article. The description of the project gun as “new” was my call because some features of the upper are in fact unique, the 20 Practical PT&G reamer specs have been modified to improve feeding in a semi-auto, and we are working on special new furniture for the gun which has never been offered on an AR before. Again, we aren’t claiming this is a new chambering. We ARE saying this is a new Rifle system. We are not aware of anybody else who has produced complete, production 20-223 uppers for the AR15 (though there certainly may be a few 20-223 customs out there).
If there was an error in not mentioning Warren, it is mine. There is definitely no intent on our part to gloss over Warren’s contribution to the 20-223 “Practical” concept. And as even Warren will tell you, a 20-223 is not new–this was first wildcatted a long time ago.
So, number one, yes we need to give Warren credit for doing a lot of the initial work on the chambering. But two, this gun, as a SYSTEM, as opposed to just a chambering, IS something new.
Cajun Blake
I suspect you did not do a build up or testing of the 20 Practical in an AR-15 with all the information Warren supplied in the “guns of the week” article or you might not have made the comment you just made.
I am not going to get into a fuss over the write up or the comments but after doing hundreds of AR-15 build ups with wildcat AR-15’s and AR-10’s, I know one thing for sure, an AR-15 is a whole different rifle than a bolt gun and what works well in a bolt gun may not work well at all in an AR-15.
The reamer design we recommend for general use in a 20 Practical in an AR (the “20 Practical AR”) is different than Warren’s (“20 Practical”) because Warren’s was designed for a bolt gun, not a semi auto AR-15. Warren’s design works well in an AR-15 with a small base sizing die, but if you want to use your existing standard Redding Type S FL sizing die, you should use the chamber design we recommend.
Many times bolt gun loads do not shoot well or function well in an AR-15 for a variety of reasons (powder pressure curve wrong for AR-15 accuracy or function, or out of balance with the AR-15 semi auto platform). While there are a lot of bolt gun loads posted, there are none posted for an AR-15. In an AR-15 where the case comes out of the chamber under pressure and there is blow back, a load that works in a bolt gun may prove to be both dirty and inaccurate in an AR-15. Without testing you would never know this.
What Warren did is great and we’re trying to expand on it and add to it, not detract from it.
Robert Whitley
This past winter my shooting partner and I had John Holliger of White Oak Precision build two AR uppers in .20 Practical. John knows ARs and did a wonderful job for us. Using a 32 gr. Hornady v-max and VV-n133 we are seeing 3750-3800 FPS, with accuracy in the threes and fours!
We had no complaints when testing this past month against prairie dogs in Eastern Montana. Because
of low recoil, spotting our shots was easy! This is an simple cartridge to load. We used once fired Lake City cases in a Dillon 550B. Case prep was staight forward as Warren suggested in his previously posted article. Try it you will like it!
Dan Casad
Just had a 20 practical built and I need some good loads. NEED HELP!