55 grain V-Max in 223 Remington?

I have used Varget with Remington cases and Win SRP and same cases with H335 with CCI magnum primers. Both are good but Varget is easier to tune and more accurate. Adjusting seating depth can really help with this bullet.
 
Savage 10, 1/9
Benchmark- it flows into cases due to small grain and measures consistent
55- V-Max
Mixed brass- all trimmed to size
Federal match magnums primers
RCBS small base dies used
 
I am not sure if I should start a new thread with my question but this one seems to have a lot of experienced followers already.

I am new to 223 Remington and reloading. I have all of the equipment for reloading but have not reloaded a single cartridge yet. I am trying to read, listen and learn before I press the first one. And (disclaimer here to put you at ease) I have several experienced reloaders to show me the way when I am ready to go.

But, talking to people, I have been lead to believe that a fast twist (my Howa 1500 has a 8" twist) should like heavier bullets. I am finding that most available commercially are the 55 grain and when I bought the reloading equipment, I got 1000 55 grain bullets with it. So that will be all good reloading and shooting practice for sure, but I am under the impression that if I want to improve accuracy, I will be reloading heavier bullets . Am I wrong?

Based on what I have been told, I recently purchased 60 grain bullets. I wanted 65 to 70 but they had none at the time, so I figured a slightly heavier will be good to try and see if there is a difference. They are Hornady V-Max 60 grains. I also have IMR 3031 powder because that is what the local shop had when I showed him my data from a book I have, for 55 grain bullets. Opinions on that combination?

I found a reference in an older Hornady Handbook to 60 grain bullets and IMR3031 but not the VMax specifically. When looking at load data, am I ok to just consider bullet weight and powder? Or do I need to look for "VMax data"? I tried downloading the app but it will not give you data till you start buying options. Being new, I could be buying lots of apps. Some companies are providing the data, hoping you choose their product, I think. I have several older reloading manuals already.

A lot of the previous posts in this thread reference 55 grain bullets and fast twists....soooo I am confused. You guys obviously have experience and are happy with 55 grain bullets in faster twist barrels. Did heavier bullets not work as well or did you find that you did not need them? I know I am at the bottom of the learning curve and I also suspect that it will be a matter of experimenting on my own, once I get going, but just trying to form a base of knowledge now. Thanks for whatever input you can provide.

If this post should start a new thread, I can copy and paste if one of the moderators lets me know.

Thanks
Shawn
 
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Your fast twist barrel should shoot every 22 cal bullet under 80 gr just fine. What it will shoot the best isn’t predetermined, it’s what your going to have to discover. Usually you can use load data for any 55 gr bullet regardless of manufacturer but know how to read over pressure signs or use a chrony to monitor speed as it directly relates to pressure. Staying with published load data will keep your pressures safe.

Heavier bullets are more often used for long range shooting because of their ability to reduce wind drift compared to light bullets. Since you have lots of 55 gr bullets you should try to build an accurate load with them. IMR 3031 should work well.
 
I’ve found that 53 gr Hornady vmax always shot best in my 1/8 and 1/9 twist barrels.
The Nosler 55 gr BTs are outstanding as well.
 
Buckmastr said:
Your fast twist barrel should shoot every 22 cal bullet under 80 gr just fine. What it will shoot the best isn’t predetermined, it’s what your going to have to discover. Usually you can use load data for any 55 gr bullet regardless of manufacturer but know how to read over pressure signs or use a chrony to monitor speed as it directly relates to pressure. Staying with published load data will keep your pressures safe.

Heavier bullets are more often used for long range shooting because of their ability to reduce wind drift compared to light bullets. Since you have lots of 55 gr bullets you should try to build an accurate load with them. IMR 3031 should work well.
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ShawnRich - I bolded a part of this post - I would re-phrase it a bit to suggest "staying with published load data and using the components that they used to do that pressure testing will keep your pressures safe." They report what they got using their gear and their components. They did not use your rifle. If you change primer, brass, bullet, then you are doing the pressure testing with your combination of components, in your rifle - they did not. Hence, the advice for you to learn to read over-pressure signs, or monitor velocity - about the only things a home hand loader can use to "measure" pressure.
 
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ShawnRich - you might want to go here: https://www.jbmballistics.com/ballistics/lengths/lengths.shtml Click on a brand name and most of the bullets they make show up with their LENGTH. Twist rate is related to bullet LENGTH, not necessarily to bullet WEIGHT. For sure, you will find that a 60 grain V-Max is longer than a 55 grain V-Max, but I think you will find that various 55 grain Barnes mono-metal are even longer, than either Hornady V-Max bullet weights.
 
Barrel lenght will also determine velocity.
If your barrel is shorter than the test barrel, you won’t achieve the same speed, using their published data
 
With a 223, a chrony is the only decent way to read pressure. It won’t show on your case head or bolt lift. Thats why I suggested staying inside the loading manual guidelines in this case. I don’t think you’ll get into trouble doing so.
 
Buckmastr gives good advice to a new reloader - stay with what your reloading manual says to use - and I would add that includes the multiple repeated advice to start low and work up, and to stay with the specific primer, brand of case, type of powder and brand of bullet - they ALWAYS list that. As you progress in your hobby, you will discover that some components might be able to be swapped without ill effect, but that swapping some components is like adding a couple more grains of powder, which can play royal hell if you are after finest accuracy or are near the "red line". Given allowance for differing barrel length, typically chronographs do not mislead you - you will not get more velocity than they did, without generating more pressure than they did. If the Nosler book says maximum average velocity of 2,524 fps with 250 grain Accubond, with your 9.3x62 using Varget powder in Nosler cases with WLR primers, once you get that speed you are at their pressure - almost regardless what number of grains of Varget powder that you loaded - especially to be remembered if using PPU cases, instead of the specified Nosler brand cases. You can get more speed - sometimes - just add more powder, substitute a faster powder or a hotter primer, use cases with thicker wall and case head - and go hotter (more pressure) than they did.
 
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I'm shooting the 55gr Vmax over Alliant AR Comp in my 1:8 twist 16.1" barrel Ruger m77 Scout. Always sub moa and speed is around 3050 fps which is great for such a short tube. I also tested Dominion D8208BR, H322 and H4895 but the AR-Comp was the winner in my rifle. Federal brass and CCI450 small rifle magnum primer
 
RangerPark said:
Good experiences with Varget, H4895 and H4198. Varget was the most accurate, 4198 was the fastest and 4895 was a good mix of both.
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Yup, I have used all three as well, but for the heavier bullets like 69's to 75's,my match rifles both shoot 4895 really well.
I also had great shooting with 50--55's using H322
Cat
 
I have owned several 223s over the years and done a huge amount of experimenting ( still am) with various powders and bullets. One thing I have learned is that if a 223 bolt will not perform impressively with 25 - 26 grains of H4895 and a 55 gr. bullet then there is something wrong with the gun, scope or shooter. Benchmark is just as good, maybe better because it meters better.
 
55grain vmax, 25 grains of varget in my rem 700 sps tactical puts them in one ragged hole at 100 for me. I haven't done any experimenting after that. I have hundreds of rounds loaded in all manner of different brass, from fancy match stuff, to federal, to chinese surplus brass, my rifle was never fussy. It's a dogs breakfast, but I'm slowly going to switch over to ivi as I can collect it from work, and bought a press to swage it on.
 
yomomma said:
My plinking load is 24.1gn IMR3031 for 55gn bullet.

Why 3031? Because I have so much of it
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Is what I am discovering in this day and age - tend to really want to go with powders that are on hand in quantity, within reason, since something thought to be "better" is not always available to buy. Same with primers and bullets. Do up a pressure series, then do some fine tuning for best accuracy loading, and then discover can not get more powder, primers or bullets - have to start over - sort of waste of time...
 
To the op the beauty of reloading is that you get to try lots of variables to find what works best for your rig.
Varget and benchmark. Have been the best for my 55gr .223 range rounds. Top marks go to benchmark
 
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