223 bullets

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bogie

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I would like to see what the consensus is for the most likely accurate bullet for a 223 to reload. Figure a consensus is way better than reading a bunch of articles.
Shooting a CZ527 with 1:12 twist. Seems the 55gr is the best all around choice. May be varminted but for now its a range gun.
 
bogie said:
I would like to see what the consensus is for the most likely accurate bullet for a 223 to reload. Figure a consensus is way better than reading a bunch of articles.
Shooting a CZ527 with 1:12 twist. Seems the 55gr is the best all around choice. May be varminted but for now its a range gun.
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Actually reading a bunch of articles is way better than asking us dummies.


BTW an 80gr Berger VLD is the best for your 1:12 twist barrel.
 
There is no shortcut for this. You may be able to narrow down the choices by asking opinions but the best and most reliable way to determine the most accurate load for YOUR gun is to make some bullets and throw some lead down range.
 
55 gr bullets is likely a good choice for your 1:12 twist barrel and may also shoot the 60gr ers as well. A few good bullets to try are the Nosler 50 or 55 gr BTs or the Nosler Varmageddon . There is also the 53 and 55 gr V-max which also are a good bullets. I use mostly the noslers because I find them to be more accurate in my rifle , the effect on game is about the same as the V-max.
 
bogie, My .223 has a 1 in 12 ROT and I shoot / own: 45gr Winchester White box JHP, 55gr UMC FMJ, 53gr Hornady Superformance VMAX, 55gr Hornady Custom VMAX and 60gr Federal Premium Nosler Partition. I understand, via a lot of researching on the internet, that generally speaking, 62 to 64 gr is the max for 1 in 12, so I didn't waste money to do R&D that has already been done. This is the first time that I have heard of anyone stating success with bullets heavier than 69gr. I look forward to your updates:)
 
Have a bunch of reloads from a 223 I sold months ago so am shooting those and results are fairly good in my 527. 60gr berger fb varmint is the heaviest shot and 40gr is the lightest. Best shooting for me is with 40gr sierra hp(can't find anymore though) and h335, hornady brass and cci primers. I won't post the load or the speed though you can figure that out.
 
pmt said:
Actually reading a bunch of articles is way better than asking us dummies.


BTW an 80gr Berger VLD is the best for your 1:12 twist barrel.
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Bigfoot 870 said:
bogie, My .223 has a 1 in 12 ROT and I shoot / own: 45gr Winchester White box JHP, 55gr UMC FMJ, 53gr Hornady Superformance VMAX, 55gr Hornady Custom VMAX and 60gr Federal Premium Nosler Partition. I understand, via a lot of researching on the internet, that generally speaking, 62 to 64 gr is the max for 1 in 12, so I didn't waste money to do R&D that has already been done. This is the first time that I have heard of anyone stating success with bullets heavier than 69gr. I look forward to your updates:)
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My guess is PMT is just trolling, providing a silly answer for a silly question. an 80gr VLD from a 12 twist would be a tumble fest.
 
My Remington 700 VSSF II has a 1:12 twist rate. I have had success with Sierra 52 and 53 grain Match Kings, 50 grain Hornady Z-Max, 52 grain Hornady A-Max and 55 grain Hornady V-Max. H335, Benchmark and Varget all yielded good results. Bigfoot 870 suggests that a lot of the R&D has been done...well...OK...but you will find that your accuracy load will be specific to your rifle. Hence....well...more R&D. You can find a number of twist rate charts in the Net, and, generally speaking, you will find that a 60 grain projectile id about the max weight for a .223 with 1:12 twist, an 80 grain projectile as suggested by pmt will not stabilize and will produce keyhole results on your target. Your bets bet would be to experiment with a number of different bullet weights, powder and powder charges to see what works well for you.
 
I've had good success with 50 gr TNTs, although they tend to be a little harsh on foxes. Don't assume that all 55s will shoot well from your 1:12, for example the Barnes MPG 55 requires a 1:9, and puts interesting bullet silhouette holes in the target when fired in a 1:12. A bullet I used to like was the Sierra 52 gr MK, and it would be a little more fur friendly than the TNTs. If hunting fur was on your radar, the Lapua 55 gr FMJ has a fine reputation for accuracy, and won't blow baseball size holes in a pelt.
 
I have an older Tikka with a 1-12 (actually may even be 1-14?). It shoots very well with any 55gr bullet, even cheap 55gr FMJBT's. However it does extremely well with 50-52gr Hor Amax(Vax). It has done sub 1/2" @200 with 52's, not always but then I'm not a great bench shooter. It was so easy to develop a load using H335, when I hit an excellent load I stopped trying to beat it. Rather than spending time at the bench I'd rather work on position shooting, prone, sit, kneel. Best of luck with your efforts.
 
big boar said:
I have an older Tikka with a 1-12 (actually may even be 1-14?). It shoots very well with any 55gr bullet, even cheap 55gr FMJBT's. However it does extremely well with 50-52gr Hor Amax(Vax). It has done sub 1/2" @200 with 52's, not always but then I'm not a great bench shooter. It was so easy to develop a load using H335, when I hit an excellent load I stopped trying to beat it. Rather than spending time at the bench I'd rather work on position shooting, prone, sit, kneel. Best of luck with your efforts.
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Try some Barnes 55 gr MPGs, that'll change your mind, these things need a fast twist and do shoot well from my 1:7 AR but not from my 1:12 CZ.
 
55 gr V-max is my go to with the twist rate you are using. I found cold weather stability problems with anything heavier. If you want to see perfect side profile cut outs on your target at 25yards try some 80-90gr bullets, but if not any 50-55 will get you shooting small groups as long as your reloading practices are up to the task.
 
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