bullet stabilization

pei precision

pei precision

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hello so getting inot long range shooting this summer and have picked up a markin x7vh in .223 1;9 twist( couldnt afford a rem 700) but my question is with a 1;9 twist what weight can i stabilize? i have read up to 65gr but im wondering about the 26" barrel and that the extra length might allow me to stabilize 75grainers , im shooting max 600 yards and will be using factory match ammo this summer anyway to keep on budget reloading next year. any help or advise on good factory match loads, hornady and such thanks.
 
The funny thing is you will only know if you try it. There was an article regarding bullet stabilization recently in one of the gun rags, the premise was that there are definitely optimum twist rates for certain bullets weights or lengths, but that quite often bullets outside the ideal range work quite well. Try the 75s and see what works in your rifle.
 
You'll get different answers, but the general consensus is that 75 grain bullets are the maximum. You won't know until you try it though, every rifle is different.
 
With my Rem 700 1:9 Twist .223 i have lots of luck with both SMK 69 and SMK 77, the ogive on the 77 made the bullets shorter than many 75gn VLD's. My rifle shot the 77's out to 600 yards with no problem. At 100 yards they shot .25 moa with lapua brass, Varget, and CCI BR4 primers. I had no luck with the 75gn Hornady bullets in that rifle
 
For the price of 10 boxes of match ammo (200 rounds) you can set yourself up with a nice little reloading kit.
Try some 69 gr SMK's they will work, and also try a box of 75 gr Amax, they might work. I have used 80 gr bullets in 2 different 1:9 twist barrels and it will work if you use 2 scoops of powder:)
 
Sooooooo I am loading up some ammo for my SPS Tactical in .223, it has a 20" barrel with the 1/9" twist. I have some 80gr AMAXs on hand for some experimentation and I'm wondering where to start, maybe load 10 rounds to see what happens.

What should I be looking for? Key holes on the paper? Huge groups? Any suggestions on charge weights?
 
For 80 gr SMK's or 80 gr Nosler's I use a load that is about 1 gr over max. This load was carefully worked up in 3 different rifles. One rifle is a stock Savage, another is a Reminton 788 with 1:9 Krieger and the third is a Sportco with a 1:8 MacClennen. Both the Remington and the Sportco have .223 Wylde chambers. The Winchster cases are all weight sorted into 1/2 gr batches and a Fed 205 match primer is used. The load is 26.0 gr of Varget. Bullets are seated very long with the bullet .020" off the lands.

****This load is safe in my rifles and should be approached with caution
 
pei precision said:
ya but thats 200 trigger squeezes of experience, but maby worth it, what would i need? in detail if possible plz i know the basics but i always wanna learn.
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To start reloading you dont need to spend alot of money. I got running for under $200 bucks when I started. That included a lee clasic kit, some powder, dies, and bullets.

Watch around and you can pick up some used stuff. As for practice prior to, I picked up 2-3 boxes of 40rd Win JHP bulk ammo at Canadian Tire, and saved the brass.

The Lee classic kit is not ideal, but for getting started its all you need. Eventually you will probably find yourself replacing the scale and powder measure (i still use same powder measure).

When you start reloading, you will also have a much better selection when it comes to bullets.

Have fun, and Happy Shooting.
JPB
 
1 in 9 is too slow for 80 grain VLDs with a 223 but you will be fine up to 75 grain.
nobody shoots 80 grainers well with a 1 in 9 out of a 223.

You will probably be ok with the 77 grainers because they are intentionally short . They are designed for magazine length rounds for an AR15.
 
Gunnerlove said:
My 1/9 AR has no problem with 77gr SMKs.
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I have also had luck like this out of a 16inc 1/9 barrel.

I dont want a 1/9 barrel but since 1/7 are so friggen hard to find thats what we are stuck with in most cases.
 
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pei precision said:
ya but thats 200 trigger squeezes of experience, but maby worth it, what would i need? in detail if possible plz i know the basics but i always wanna learn.
Click to expand...

I have a RCBS Rockchucker and a Lee Hand Press, the Lee Hand Press gets the most use at the house and at the range. Lot cheaper too.
 
I had really good results with 69 gr SMK's and even better with 77 gr SMK's. Hornady 75 gr AMax and 80 gr Hornady Match were not so good out of my 1:9 .223.

Experiment and see what your gun likes... It's fun!
 
jpbaker said:
To start reloading you dont need to spend alot of money. I got running for under $200 bucks when I started. That included a lee clasic kit, some powder, dies, and bullets.

Watch around and you can pick up some used stuff. As for practice prior to, I picked up 2-3 boxes of 40rd Win JHP bulk ammo at Canadian Tire, and saved the brass.

The Lee classic kit is not ideal, but for getting started its all you need. Eventually you will probably find yourself replacing the scale and powder measure (i still use same powder measure).

When you start reloading, you will also have a much better selection when it comes to bullets.

Have fun, and Happy Shooting.
JPB
Click to expand...

Lee kits aren't the greatest but you can get them really cheap on sale. I bought mine to suppliment my existing gear but I could work with all of it but the scale. That thing scares me. A Lee kit, basic redding dies set, and a decent balance type scale and you on the way.

As far as bullets go, 69gr Sierra's are your only choice in my book. Match bullets are expensive and I'd put money on you having success with SMK's. Anything heavier/longer could give you grief. If it's going to be borderline, elevation, temperature, and humidity are going to have an effect. I worked up a load in the heat of summer with 68gr Hornady's. I spent a few days freezing my ass off figuring out they wont shoot through that rifle in cold dense air. I had better luck with 75gr Hornady HPBT's. 69gr SMK's were magic in all three 1 in 9 twist barrels I had. Start with the Sierra's and I'll bet you'll be hard pressed to beat the result.

Once you get the SMK's shooting well the fun begins trying to find something to better it.
 
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The other thing to consider is that as you increase velocity you increase the bullets RPM. If you look for brass with larger case capacity you might be able to stabilize a marginal bullet by pushing it as fast as you can.
 
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