20 Cal Roo legal Bullets...(40's)...what are you using...?

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Re: 20 Cal Roo legal Bullets...(40's)...what are you using..

Post by bigfellascott » 03 Feb 2019, 2:41 am

Maybe some 35gn Bergers might be worth a try?

http://brtshooterssupply.com.au/product ... rmint.html
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Re: 20 Cal Roo legal Bullets...(40's)...what are you using..

Post by marksman » 03 Feb 2019, 11:41 am

the olden day fox shooters used to slow the projectile down to stop the blow outs :unknown:
but if you are head shooting with a solid projectile it shouldn't matter :drinks:
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Re: 20 Cal Roo legal Bullets...(40's)...what are you using..

Post by bladeracer » 03 Feb 2019, 4:35 pm

Stix wrote:I wouldnt try my reduced load at 250--its only an inch group so not accurate enough even if i could work with the rainbow effect...mind you im aiming to hit heads of rabbits so i dont want to blow noses off.

Firstly I shouldnt suggest my full load is full power...i had another node up around 3800-3900fps but figured the 3600fps is enough & it seemed slightly more accurate on paper, & had better chrono numbers of not even in the teens for ES & single figure SD.

But to your question, my load seems to be pencilling through bunnies at 250....
My PB of 351 yds pencilled thru hi in the neck & it bled out.
Not sure if you remember me posting this, but it was a two'fer, just under 250yds...
The pic is taken from the direction of the shot. It looked to me the bullet partially opened going through the neck of first & penciled through the neck of the second.
2018-11-27 21.38.19.jpg

To compare, i also had a similar shot at 100 yds which took the top of the first bunnies head off & the fragments shotgunned the one behind which kicked itself in circles & down the hole before i got to nut him... ( :thumbsdown: )

So they may be expanding at 250, but they are not fragmenting into many bits at the range.

At 190 yds they still fully fragment & leave a flap of skin for the head.

My guess is that if yours are ripping foxes open either front or back on, & from the carbie all the way to exhaust that they are not fragmenting--rather opening up & ripping a big hole through.

What batch number are yours Blade...?


I would still call a 3600fps 32gn load "full power" rather than a reduced load. I would think even a nose hit at 2500fps should ensure a clean kill. Maybe the second rabbit was only hit by a fragment? I assume you didn't recover the bullet? I still have one of those pelts in my freezer, the one I hit in the chest front-on. Their skins are not being peppered with shrapnel, just bursting open along the belly seam

No idea about batch numbers, when I get bullets they go into my rack of plastic storage boxes for tidy stacking. I keep all my boxes though so I could dig through them for the ZMax boxes if you want. Mine are from probably three or four boxes bought over a few years so not from a single batch.

We're finally seeing enough rabbits back here that I have been thinking of taking some for a feed. I was going to use the .22LR as the range is only about 80m max, but I'll try with the 2400fps .204 ZMax loads and see how they fare. I'm shooting down into a valley from up high so I should also be able to recover the bullets. I just need to wait until the neighbour doesn't have his horses on this side of his property. I find horses to be totally neurotic so I avoid shooting anywhere near them.
Last edited by bladeracer on 03 Feb 2019, 5:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 20 Cal Roo legal Bullets...(40's)...what are you using..

Post by bladeracer » 03 Feb 2019, 4:38 pm

marksman wrote:the olden day fox shooters used to slow the projectile down to stop the blow outs :unknown:
but if you are head shooting with a solid projectile it shouldn't matter :drinks:


I've chest-shot rabbits with 139gn FMJ 6.5x55mm and they fell over dead on the spot with a neat hole through them. Bit like me being speared with a telegraph pole I think.
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Re: 20 Cal Roo legal Bullets...(40's)...what are you using..

Post by Stix » 03 Feb 2019, 5:24 pm

marksman wrote:the olden day fox shooters used to slow the projectile down to stop the blow outs :unknown:
but if you are head shooting with a solid projectile it shouldn't matter :drinks:


Well i wont be head shooting with solids...im nowhere near good enough for that...!!
If every fox sat within 220yds no problem... :thumbsup: but they dont.
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Re: 20 Cal Roo legal Bullets...(40's)...what are you using..

Post by Stix » 03 Feb 2019, 7:30 pm

bladeracer wrote:
Stix wrote:I wouldnt try my reduced load at 250--its only an inch group so not accurate enough even if i could work with the rainbow effect...mind you im aiming to hit heads of rabbits so i dont want to blow noses off.

Firstly I shouldnt suggest my full load is full power...i had another node up around 3800-3900fps but figured the 3600fps is enough & it seemed slightly more accurate on paper, & had better chrono numbers of not even in the teens for ES & single figure SD.

But to your question, my load seems to be pencilling through bunnies at 250....
My PB of 351 yds pencilled thru hi in the neck & it bled out.
Not sure if you remember me posting this, but it was a two'fer, just under 250yds...
The pic is taken from the direction of the shot. It looked to me the bullet partially opened going through the neck of first & penciled through the neck of the second.
2018-11-27 21.38.19.jpg

To compare, i also had a similar shot at 100 yds which took the top of the first bunnies head off & the fragments shotgunned the one behind which kicked itself in circles & down the hole before i got to nut him... ( :thumbsdown: )

So they may be expanding at 250, but they are not fragmenting into many bits at the range.

At 190 yds they still fully fragment & leave a flap of skin for the head.

My guess is that if yours are ripping foxes open either front or back on, & from the carbie all the way to exhaust that they are not fragmenting--rather opening up & ripping a big hole through.

What batch number are yours Blade...?


I would still call a 3600fps 32gn load "full power" rather than a reduced load. Yes i do actually...one or 2 people have told me its going way too slow though... :unknown:
I would think even a nose hit at 2500fps should ensure a clean kill.my experience is if you hit them through the central part of the sinus area with a full power load they drop...but i literally mean shoot off a jaw or nose--as in clip them--they will die, eventually...not something im gonna try with my load at 200...
Maybe the second rabbit was only hit by a fragment? I assume you mean the 250 yd 2 for 1 shot...?,Maybe, yes, but...when that bullet hits a bunny the bunny within 200 the bunny dissolves--if the bullet fully fragmented the first one would not have had a head attached--it would have been 10 metres away--instead it had what id call high power .22lr shot damage to the neck, so my guess is the bullet didnt fragment--but maybe it did partially :unknown:
I assume you didn't recover the bullet? Nope--the shot was in the very last throws of daylight, i was shooting at a blurry silhouette so by the time i got out to the bunny it was dark...i know where i shot it though--the bullet would have landed in a sand bank if anyone is keen on a scientific dig... :unknown: :lol:
The property i get my bunnies on is quite large, so it may take me a good 30 mins to collect the bunnies i shoot at distance & drop the guts then another 10 mins to move on to the next patch, then another 20 mins to wait for them to come out again...so as interesting as it would be to recover bullets, i dont have time--ill educate myself on bullet expansion based on the carcass damage... :thumbsup:

I still have one of those pelts in my freezer, the one I hit in the chest front-on. Their skins are not being peppered with shrapnel, just bursting open along the belly seamI could well be wrong Blade, but my experience with them tells me that has not fragmented, atleast not fully...my guess is the bullet in your fox has expanded & dragged a ragged hole through it....but only my guess mate--clearly im no expert, hence why im here asking what im asking :)

No idea about batch numbers, when I get bullets they go into my rack of plastic storage boxes for tidy stacking. I keep all my boxes though so I could dig through them for the ZMax boxes if you want.Nope...not worth it...if you did have the 2 batch numbers i have (which is highly likely) i was going to suggest you load a few & keep them for foxes/cats & see the difference for yourself...& maybe even swap some for the older batch... :huh: :lol: Mine are from probably three or four boxes bought over a few years so not from a single batch.

We're finally seeing enough rabbits back here that I have been thinking of taking some for a feed. I was going to use the .22LR as the range is only about 80m max, but I'll try with the 2400fps .204 ZMax loads and see how they fare. I rekon they will be pretty effective at that range...last weekend for the the first time, i managed to pop a few with a 22-250 using the 50 Zmax burning Trailboss..I never thought id reduce the load of the 22-250, but it was a bloody hoot shooting them :clap: --those Hornet owners must have the best time busting bunnies :clap: I so want one...!! .I havnt got a velocity to tell you for the 22-250 Trailboss loads, but the closest shots were aonly a mere 80 yds, & the furthest 120 odd yds, & even the 120 yd ones obviously had severly disfigured heads & stilll gave an audible "pop" that i could hear in a 7-10 mph cross wind from 4.30 with ear muffs on shooting down an incline...so 80 yds with that little 32 will do more damage i imagine :thumbsup: I'm shooting down into a valley from up high so I should also be able to recover the bullets.Given what i said above, i doubt youll recover much if anything of those bullets...unless you can push the range out more... :unknown:but id be keen to see if you did...!! :) I just need to wait until the neighbour doesn't have his horses on this side of his property. I find horses to be totally neurotic so I avoid shooting anywhere near them.Yes agreed--they can be unpredictable flighty monsters sometimes...Mate if you want to see neurotic animals, go & watch a flock of Marino's who have never seen Emu's, when there is a flock of hungry & thirsty Emus in their paddock... :crazy: i have a video that is as funny as it is disturbing what those stupid Emu's get up to...!!! :wtf:


Keen to hear about & hopefully see your bunny busting results Blade... :drinks:
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Re: 20 Cal Roo legal Bullets...(40's)...what are you using..

Post by bladeracer » 03 Feb 2019, 8:01 pm

Stix wrote:Yes agreed--they can be unpredictable flighty monsters sometimes...Mate if you want to see neurotic animals, go & watch a flock of Marino's who have never seen Emu's, when there is a flock of hungry & thirsty Emus in their paddock... :crazy: i have a video that is as funny as it is disturbing what those stupid Emu's get up to...!!! :wtf: [/color]


Keen to hear about & hopefully see your bunny busting results Blade... :drinks:[/quote]

Yes, nobody wants to cripple any animal if it can possibly be avoided.

If I can shoot some around 50-60 yards with the 2400fps load, the terminal velocity would be similar to your 3600fps load at 300 yards. It would probably be more useful if I could video the impact, but I'm not set up for that. Having shot foxes at point-blank range with full-power .204, is why I prefer a reduced load for close work. Like you, I do find it great fun shooting reduced loads :-)

With full-power .204 loads I rarely recover anything more than the ballistic tip, but the reduced loads will usually leave some jacket fragments.

Our cows came from another region and apparently had never seen 'roos. We had them here for a few months before we moved them to the other block...where there are a lot of 'roos. They were only there a few hours before we got a call that they'd jumped the fence and were now in a neighbour's yard! It seems a mob of 'roos came through and the silly girls freaked out :-)
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