.223 load

wild1

wild1

Regular
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
24   0   0
Location
Edmonton
I am doing a bunch of research tonight as I didnt have any luck with my 223 at the range today. I am loading 80gr SMK's with reloader 15. Today I had the loaded to 25.3 grains. Groups were huge and inconsistant. The main info I am looking for is a general trim to length for the brass and coal that most people are using. I can work out the rest.
 
You'll want at least a 1/8 twist with the 80 gr bullet.

My favorite loads for .223...

Will work with almost any twist:
=======================
52 gr SMK and 26.5 gr of win 748
or
52 gr SMK and 25 gr H335


1/9 twist barrel:
============
69 SMK and 25 gr varget


1/8 twist barrel:
==================
77 gr SMK and 24 gr Varget
 
Still not the info I am looking for. I searched this and other forums for a couple hours and got some ideas for lengths. The rifle is a tikka with a 1:8 twist. In my books I only found one mention of max length for brass is 1.760. No mention of it anywhere I could find other then that one spot. So I started by FL sizing 40 rounds. Measured the length off all of them and now am down to 24 that are within 0.0015 +/- of that 1.760. Don't feel like trimming until I know what is going on, as I am suspect something is up with the rifle.

So I am going to load 3 rounds each starting with 22.5, 23.0, 23.5, 24.0, 24.5, 25.0, 25.5, and 26.0 of reloader 15. 24.5 is supposed to be a good load with the bullet from what I have read, which wasn't far off from what I had already loaded. I am going to do them to a coal of 2.250" which is what alot of guys were loading them at. The ones I did yesterday were at 2.295" which was mag length. Mag length worked well in my other tikka so I figured it would work well in this one too.

I am ready to prime now (cci 400's) and then will load up like I said and head to the range tomorrow to see if these will group. Off a bi pod and rear bag if you need to know. My groups today were about 2-4 MOA at 100M and at 300m the one 5 round group I did on paper was about 5 or 6 inches. The rest was shot at the gongs, 100,200 and 300m, which were hit about 90% of the time. So they are consistent, just consistently bad.

I thought I could get away with loading up a middle of the road load and get away with it but they were as crappy as winchester white box. UMC stuff was shooting a little better.
 
Well it should in this one too and that is why I am thinking I have a rifle issue. Tried loading my first round in with the bullet deeper and it doesnt look good. Too deep at about 2.250 already. Back to looking up a decent oal. Might just end up going to about 2.280 and trying that.
 
My 77 SMK's OAL is 2.260". Fits in the mags and they shoot great.

I`ve never shot 80`s all that much, but they are seated further out to like approx 2.55" OAL.

To find your sweet spot start at 0.015" off the lands, then kept working back. Most of the time you will find your sweet spot from 0.040" to 0.060" off the lands. Your OAL will vary.
 
I bought a 1000 of these cci 400s and from I have read the br4s are not much better in this case. I do use br2s in my 308 though with success.
 
I just bought another 1000 BR2's from p+d on friday. They looked like they had a few thousand left. Not sure what they had for small rifle.

I finally found some data on oal for that bullet. Anywhere between 2.450 and 2.550" like you said smakdaddy. Gonna measure to my lands and see what I can come up with. It is alot longer then my mag so I might have to single load.
 
wild1 said:
I just bought another 1000 BR2's from p+d on friday. They looked like they had a few thousand left. Not sure what they had for small rifle.

I finally found some data on oal for that bullet. Anywhere between 2.450 and 2.550" like you said smakdaddy. Gonna measure to my lands and see what I can come up with. It is alot longer then my mag so I might have to single load.
Click to expand...


I`ll check p&d, thanks!

I would expect to almost always single load with 80`s.

Good luck! :)
 
Well got them loaded up. I made them 2.490. Even single loading they are a pain to load. But if these dont work then I definatly have gun issues. Cant get much more perfect then these 24.
 
80s (as you've already guessed) are not meant to be loaded to mag length (2.260"), nor will they tolerate a lot of jump to the lands (compared to a more forgiving ogive design such as that on the 77smk). You will need to single feed them for proper performance.
Also, what distance are you shooting them at? They may not yet be completely stabalized at 100m, and accuracy will suffer (at this distance).
 
wild1 said:
Still not the info I am looking for. I searched this and other forums for a couple hours and got some ideas for lengths. The rifle is a tikka with a 1:8 twist. In my books I only found one mention of max length for brass is 1.760. No mention of it anywhere I could find other then that one spot. So I started by FL sizing 40 rounds. Measured the length off all of them and now am down to 24 that are within 0.0015 +/- of that 1.760. Don't feel like trimming until I know what is going on, as I am suspect something is up with the rifle.
Click to expand...

The brass length is not at all critical. Make sure it is less than the published max (1.760"). If it is, trim it back - 1.750" is suggested, but this is *NOT* a critical number. 17.55" would be OK, and so would 1.745".

So I am going to load 3 rounds each starting with 22.5, 23.0, 23.5, 24.0, 24.5, 25.0, 25.5, and 26.0 of reloader 15. 24.5 is supposed to be a good load with the bullet
Click to expand...

OK, but do watch for pressure signs, and be fully prepared to take ammo home and pull the bullets on the ones that turn out to be too hot. Every rifle is different, but I would expect two or three of your hottest loads to be too hot.

Would also recommend that you shoot these over a chronograph if at all possible, if you are trying to make good 100m-300m ammo. And if you are trying to make good longer-range ammo, I would *highly* recommend using a chrono.

from what I have read, which wasn't far off from what I had already loaded. I am going to do them to a coal of 2.250" which is what alot of guys were loading them at. The ones I did yesterday were at 2.295" which was mag length. Mag length worked well in my other tikka so I figured it would work well in this one too.
Click to expand...

STOP.

The Sierra 80 HPBT is *not* designed to be loaded to magazine length (and I think it says so right on the box). You note in a later post that they look "wrong" - you are correct, and this is why.

You should load them to a C.O.A.L. that is in reference to the origin of the rifling. A good place to start is .010" or .020" off the rifling; in most chambers this will result in a C.O.A.L. that is 2.55"-ish, which is *far* in excess of magazine length.

I see in a later post that you mention loading them to 2.49". This is much more in the ballpark, but it is important to point out that you should NOT copy someone else's COAL that worked well for them, since your throat could easily be .100" shorter or .100" longer than theirs. If you are going to copy someone else's load, find out where they are loading to *relative to their lands*; if they are loading .010" off their lands, you should figure out your C.O.A.L. that will put you .010" off *your* lands.

Ammo made with Sierra 80 HPBTs is for single-loading only.

(The Sierra 77 HPBT is designed to be seated to magazine length)

FWIW, I was always able to get really good groups at 100 yards with Sierra 80s from my 1-9" twist Savage .223 (reliable half-inch five-shot groups; it consistently shot a bit better than my Palma rifle, and much more easily to boot).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom