223 intial load opinions please

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BigK75

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Hey Guys:

I have yet another question. I have prepped roughly 120 cases. I only have 55 grain Hornady SP for bullets, and Hodgdon Varget powder. At first I was going to just load all 120 of them at 26 grains. (the min is 25.5 and max is 27.5C). I was wondering what you guys thought is the best way to go about doing this. Should I just load all of them with 26 grains and hope the load is accurate. Sorry I am fairly new at this. The gun is a Tikka Tactical with 1/8 twist if that helps.

Claude
 
Load 5 or ten each at .5gr increments from the suggested minimum to max. Shoot some groups. When you find the most accurate load, then try varying the OAL a bit on that load.
 
I load 1 at the starting load, and increase 0.3 of a grain till I get close to max, then I use 0.2 gr increments till I have reached max. I write the powder charges on the cases with a felt marker. I then take these and shoot them over a chronograph and watch for signs of pressure. I keep track of which shots are which on the target. I then look at the target to see if there is any particular range that is grouping tighter. If there is, I pick a powder charge in that range and load up 5 and shoot them for group. Go slow, the less you increase your powder charge, the more chance you will have to recognize a problem. If I start to get velocities higher then published in the manual, I back off. Reloading manuals are a valuable read. I would hate to load up a bunch only to find I have to pull the bullets. I have reached my max on several occasions before reaching max in the reloading manual. I also try to cross reference the load with at least one other manual before I start.
 
You will find your Tikka might like heavier bullets better. Your starting load of 26gr of Varget will work. When I develop loads for the .223 I usually go up .2 gr at a time. Once you find the sweet spot start playing with seating depth like joe-nwt has already stated.
 
Thanks guys for the help. I will let you know how it goes.

While we are on the subject of working up loads to maximum. I was wondering why anyone would want too? Is there a accuracy advantage? Sorry for the stupid question but it would seem safer to go to about halfway between the min and max and stay there. I am sure there is a good explanation and I just don't understand it.
 
Many rifle exhibit their best accuracy at or near max loads.

There is nothing unsafe about working up a load to published max from a reputable source.
 
BigK75 said:
Thanks guys for the help. I will let you know how it goes.

While we are on the subject of working up loads to maximum. I was wondering why anyone would want too? Is there a accuracy advantage? Sorry for the stupid question but it would seem safer to go to about halfway between the min and max and stay there. I am sure there is a good explanation and I just don't understand it.
Click to expand...

Faster bullets have flatter trajectories and go further, and are more manly. They also make gophers explode better, or so I hear. A middle of the road charge weight may technically be safer than a max or near-max load, but the practical difference in safety is small and overshadowed by the (possibly imaginary) benefits of higher velocity. :50cal: At least, this is what I tell myself when I load to max.

Your brass will last longer and whatever you're shooting will still have a hole in it if you use medium charge weights. You'll save money on powder too.
 
To expand a bit, some or most rifles have nodes of accuracy at different charge levels. So, say 24.0gr of powder 'X' shoots great, 24.5 not quite as good, 25-26 nasty bad then it starts coming together again, 26.5 pretty good and better around 27. Final fine tuning may mean 26.9gr or 27.2gr or whatever. So, you can pick a slower accurate load around 24gr or a faster one around 27. Faster will likely mean better performance at longer ranges for targets, for instance.

As with many things shooting related, a lot of the above is generalization and you need to find what works best for you. For some of us, that's a big part of the fun. Cheers!
 
Components can variate, the world is not perfect. Powder has been mislabeled and can have variation in (hotness) from lot to lot. Mistakes have been printed in loading manuals. Brass can variate in thickness, and bullets in diameter. Your rifles chamber measurements could be different then the test chamber used to develop the data. All of these situations plus many more can lead to excessive pressure. Your loading manual will definitely make reference to the signs of excessive pressure. Working up a load is a safety practice, above all else. Simply choosing a powder charge 1/2 way between the starting load and maximum doesn't guarantee that it will make a load that is safe in your rifle.
 
BigK:

As a golden rule, start with the min. load and work yourself up. It is a very common practice to use 0.2 gr increments till you see the group size shrink to a minimal (but not exceeding the max). Test it on three rounds for each level of increment.

Use a Chrno to varify your bullet speed if you have one and watch for signs of pressure.

You need to repeat your best load a few times to confirm the results.

I just finalized a load for my Tikka 223 Varmint. Shooting 55 gr V-MAX, 20.8 gr of H4198 gives me a consistent 5/8 MOA with 5 shots. V-MAX has a better ballistic coef than the SPs. Give it a try.

Take your time, play safe and enjoy! :)

Cheers!
 
"...Should I just load all of them with..." No. You need to work up the load to find the one your rifle shoots best with those components.
Beginning with the starting load, load 5 rounds only. Go up by half a grain of powder, loading 5 of each, keeping them separate, until you get to the max load in your manual.
Then go shooting. Shoot at 100 yards, for group only, slowly and deliberately off a bench.
Change targets between strings of 5 and allow time for the barrel to cool.
When you find the best group, sight in with that load.
 
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