New load for my .223!

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ginnz

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100 miles north 100 miles south, manitoba
Hi guys,

after screwing around with all kinds of variations in my loads for my .223, I believe i finally found the one! Ive been using H335, and Benchmark powder, and Nosler Ballistic tip, Nosler ballistic Silvertip, and Hornady V-Max moly, all 50 gn.

What i found was 26 gn of benchmark, and the NBST was the VERY best, but at a COAL of 2.260.... I found a vast improvement from 2.250! I wouldnt have thought that would have made that much of a difference, but its like night and day....I put numerous rounds into the same hole at 100 yards, while a COAL of 2.250 groups very well, it just doesn't quite match the 2.260 COAL.

I want to find some time to test them at 200/300 and 400 yards, hopefully this weekend.

i love this handloading stuff.... and now that ive got a .308, ill start getting into that. ;-)

thanks for all your help!

ginnz.
 
ginnz said:
Hi guys,

after screwing around with all kinds of variations in my loads for my .223, I believe i finally found the one! Ive been using H335, and Benchmark powder, and Nosler Ballistic tip, Nosler ballistic Silvertip, and Hornady V-Max moly, all 50 gn.

What i found was 26 gn of benchmark, and the NBST was the VERY best, but at a COAL of 2.260.... I found a vast improvement from 2.250! I wouldnt have thought that would have made that much of a difference, but its like night and day....I put numerous rounds into the same hole at 100 yards, while a COAL of 2.250 groups very well, it just doesn't quite match the 2.260 COAL.

I want to find some time to test them at 200/300 and 400 yards, hopefully this weekend.

i love this handloading stuff.... and now that ive got a .308, ill start getting into that. ;-)

thanks for all your help!

ginnz.
Click to expand...

Hey Ginnz... what is the twist on your barrel... if it is a tight twist barrel, you will improve your accuracy dramatically by going to heavier bullets 60 gr+...
 
Hey Ginnz... what is the twist on your barrel... if it is a tight twist barrel, you will improve your accuracy dramatically by going to heavier bullets 60 gr+...
Click to expand...

Sometimes, but not always. My Sako 223 with a 1 in 8" twist shot the 50gr v-max just as accurately as the heavier bullets. My Tikka with a 1" in 8" twist, prefers the 69gr matchking.
 
If I might, I have found that using COL is a very inaccurate way of determining bullet seating depth. On paper it sounds like the way to do it, but what I have found is that most bullet manufacturers pay little attention to the actual pointy end of the bullet. I have boxes of Sierra MatchKings which shoot fantastic, but the pointy ends are all very ragged and random. Even with indentical seating depths they will all vary significantly in COL.

This isn't a problem, since the pointy end doesn't really affect much, other than "will it fit in the magazine". It all comes down to how far off the lands the bullet is seated. You want to get that measurement consistant (and minimal).

What I use is the Hornady (actually the pre-Hornady Stoney Point) Bullet Comparator. Brownells has them for $27. They will actually measure the bullet seating depth at a spot on the bullet were the rifling will be engaging it, rather than off the inaccurate tip.

p_749004951_1.jpg
 
moose308 said:
if i might, i have found that using col is a very inaccurate way of determining bullet seating depth. On paper it sounds like the way to do it, but what i have found is that most bullet manufacturers pay little attention to the actual pointy end of the bullet. I have boxes of sierra matchkings which shoot fantastic, but the pointy ends are all very ragged and random. Even with indentical seating depths they will all vary significantly in col.

This isn't a problem, since the pointy end doesn't really affect much, other than "will it fit in the magazine". It all comes down to how far off the lands the bullet is seated. You want to get that measurement consistant (and minimal).

What i use is the hornady (actually the pre-hornady stoney point) bullet comparator. Brownells has them for $27. They will actually measure the bullet seating depth at a spot on the bullet were the rifling will be engaging it, rather than off the inaccurate tip.

p_749004951_1.jpg
Click to expand...

+2 imo
 
stubblejumper said:
Sometimes, but not always. My Sako 223 with a 1 in 8" twist shot the 50gr v-max just as accurately as the heavier bullets. My Tikka with a 1" in 8" twist, prefers the 69gr matchking.
Click to expand...

My 1:9 loves the Hornady 60 gr. V-Max, likes the 55 gr. V-Max, is indifferent to the 50 grain V-Max and detests the 40 gr. V-Max. I tried it this way with various loads to get a feel for how weight & length affects accuracy in a "more of" apples-apples comaprison (but not perfectly so, of course)... anyway, that was my experience. My 1:12 barrel likes most 50-55 gr loads.
 
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