20 22Hornet imp

[Me375]

ok not to sure if anyone has tryed this or not . 22 Hornet imp to 20cal on a Ruger #3 or not but it just might work . anyone let me know . sounds like fun maybe out to 150 175yds

Lloyd

[Bunnybuster]

I'm sure it could be done. But I don't know why you would.

You will end up with an expensive custom rifle, that doesn't do what a commercially available cartridge, the 204-Ruger already does. You would have less recoil, (but the 204-Ruger is extremely mild already). You might be able to get a longer barrel life, but for the cost of the custom work you are going to have to get done, you could buy several new 204-Ruger barrels.

You will have to get custom reamers made up, and have a good 20 caliber barrel either custom made, or get another 20-caliber barrel, have the chamber cut off, the new chamber reamed, and the barrel rethreaded and set up for your action. Since you have roughly half the case capacity of the 204-Ruger, you could probably get a 204-Ruger barrel, and have it cut down with out the loss of length causing a major loss of potential velocity.

So now you have over a thousand dollars invested in a truly custom wildcat rifle.

[Glen]

I like the idea. I think it would be cool built on a CZ 22Hornet American rig with a 4-12 leupold & loaded down for around buildings & runnin full steam elsewhere. If it wouldn't feed then I would single feed ramp it. It would be a pricey setup but then again most wildcats are. I think it would look really cool too!!

[acloco]

Sounds like you are in the market for a 20 VT (varmint target).

[Rick in Oregon]

It's been done, and is an excellent performer. Todd Kindler worked up this wildcat long before the 204R came onto the scene soon after tweaking the 17 Ackley Hornet and the 17 Mach IV, both of which I'm a long time fan.

The 20 Hornet has much better ballistics than the standard 22 Hornet or even the K-Hornet, the improved case design alone with the 40 degree shoulder looks cool when compared to the boring parent case (if a brass case could be called boring, the Hornet would fill the bill). Less case stretching, less trimming, easy to load for, excellent velocity and accuracy in a good barrel.....Glen is right, it's a winner for varmints under 350 yards. My little 17 Ackley Hornet (on a re-worked Ruger No.3) shooting 20gr V-Max's has scored on ground squirrels just past 400 yards (at 3,810 fps), so you can imagine the same case in 20 cal shooting 32's would be sweet indeed....quiet, very effective.

Here's my little 17AH rig in the field working on early season ground squirrels:



Here's some 17 Ackley Hornet rounds...just imagine a .20 caliber bullet instead of the .17 cal, and you've got the 20 Ackley Hornet....a great little caliber.



Rifle details: Blueprinted Ruger No.3 action, Pac-Nor stainless Super Match 10 twist .17 cal Ruger contour barrel, tight neck chamber, custom CNC-made trigger, custom scope mount pinned to barrel, Bell & Carlson No.1 synthetic stock, Leupold VX-II 6-18X scope w/target elevation adjustment. This is a .25 MOA rifle in a package the size of a 10-22 but with 400 yard sting.

[YoteSmoker]

Sweet rig! The long necks look cool.

[rfurman24]

Calhoon makes a .19-22 k-hornet called the .19 Calhoon. He sells barrel kits with dies and everything to get started. It would be neat. The 20vt would be the better choice if you were to go the .20 caliber route.

[Rick in Oregon]

Anybody considering any of the .19 caliber Calhoon calibers should keep in mind that .19 caliber bullets are only available from one source that I'm aware of. I know they are neat calibers, but the supply of .20 caliber bullets is most assured......don't know if I'd say the same for the .19's.

You can build a .20 caliber rifle in so many case designs that it boggles the imagination as can be seen by doing a search on such matters via Google. 'Course the same could be said for building a .19 wildcat too, but then there's that bullet thing.....

Just a thought.....