69gr. SMK HPBT-Match+Varget in my Savage Precision 10, 1:9" Best load?

.22LRGUY

.22LRGUY

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Hey guys....probably waited too long to ask this..as I'll be pouring powder in the next 30 minutes :) but for those using SMK 69gr. and Varget in their .223s, what loads have you found work best~including COL? Hodgdon load data suggests a charge range of 24-26grains with a COL of 2.235"..but I read several accounts from Savage owners saying they got their best @ 25.4grs. and a COL of 2.26". Unless I hear anything to the contrary, I may start there and worke-up in small steps to 26grs.
 
2.255 is about the max you can run if you want it to fit magazine boxes. Check your rifle's magazine box (blind or removable) to be sure.

Varget tends to be a volume rather than a pressure limited power in .223 Rem, so you may have trouble fitting in the larger charges.
 
Every rifle is slightly different. Got mine around 24.8. Can't remember the COL but target shooting with single rounds is different than shooting using the magazine.

Varget fills the case, it makes a crunching sound when seating bullets.
 
My precision carbine was grouping best at at 25.1 to 25.4 grains Varget (about 0.5 to 0.7 MOA). OAL was 2.240". Rem once fired brass, Fed GM 205m primers.

I haven't gone back to test it further though since I had better results with H335 for the 69 gr SMK's (at 23.8gr H335 and same OAL).
 
Mine were 25.5gr varget, col was 2.394(as close to the lands as I could get while still fitting in the mag) If I was loading single shot could have used 2.450 as col. Didnt shoot very good though no matter what combo I tried. So 25.5 was the best at around 1-1.2" at 100. After trying 100 different test loads I gave up.
 
In my model 12 I've settled on an OAL of 2.45 with 75gr Amax's and it feeds fine and shoots very well. Just have to pay attention when loading the magazine to make sure the cartriges are snug to the back
 
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