The .20 Tactical is a varmint wildcat cartridge formed by necking down the .223 Remington case to accept .204" projectiles. It provides velocities significantly beyond the factory .204 Ruger with the same bullet weights, pushing 40-grain bullets past 4,000 fps. The flat trajectory and minimal wind drift of .20-caliber high-BC bullets at extreme velocity make it a varmint hunters tool, particularly effective against prairie dogs and ground squirrels at extended ranges.
Type: Wildcat
Introduced: 2000, United States
Parent case: .223 Remington
Standardization: None
Bullet diameter: 0.204" (5.18 mm)
Case length: 1.75" (44.45 mm)
Overall length: 2.26" (57.4 mm)
Max pressure: 25,000 PSI
Rim type: Rimless
Primer: Small Rifle
Typical twist rate: 1:9
Muzzle velocity: 3700–4200 fps
Muzzle energy: 972–1571 ft-lbs
Effective range: 300 yd
Common bullet weights: 32, 39, 40 gr
Primary use: varmint_hunting, target_shooting
Production status: Obsolete
Also known as: 20 Tactical · .20 Tac
History: The .20-caliber wildcat family emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s as varmint shooters explored the upper limits of velocity with small-bore cartridges. The .20 Tactical, based on the .223 Remington, competes with several similar wildcats including the .20 VarTarg (based on .221 Fireball) and .20 PPC. Hornadys introduction of the factory .204 Ruger in 2004 absorbed much of the market demand…
Notable firearms: Custom bolt-action varmint rifles