confused!! CCI 450 vs BR-4

mudbug

mudbug

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
18   0   0
Location
Meadow Lake
I have been using cci 450 primers for my 223 and having trouble making a load get better than 1moa so I bought some br-4 primers and have been making batches of both for ladder testing and been finding no difference in results. Would there be a difference in winter when the weather is colder? Am I wasting my time?
I have been trying to get a good consistant sub moa load for my savage 16 stainless fluted 223 ( must have been a gun show special). This is just a coyote gun but I would really like to get a great load. I have tried different powders differant bullets and now differant primers and still haven't found the magic load yet, but it is starting to suck going through my load book and redoing them with the differant primers now.
Any advice from you fellow NUTZ would be appreciated.
Also what is the difference between the mag and the bench primers? Hotter, consistancy?
 
My Savage 12 really likes the 60gr bergers. I don't have any loads w/ CCI primers, but with a starting load of 19.6 of IMR4198 and Fed 205M primers, I was getting under 1/2 moa 4 shot groups. I'm still working up higher velocity loads, but this combination looks promising.
Interestingly enough, those bullets in my rifle shoot far better seated well off the lands (shorter COAL) than they do when seated longer.
 
Match or benchrest primer will not turn a 1 MOA rifle into a 1/2 MOA rifle. Having said that I only use match primers, because I only load match ammo. I would think the primer would be the last thing to consider when trying to find an accurate load.
Accurate consistant powder weight, bullet selection and seating depths and weight sorted brass would be the first things to look at.
You don't need a magnum primer to set off a .223.
 
I used to use alot of BR4's but found them to not work well in the winter. So I started using CCI450 and they work great all year long.

Getting a sub MOA rifle takes a whole bunch of steps as I am sure you know. Start with the bedding and open the forend so things float freely. Good rests, and optics. Make sure winds are light and conditions good for accurate results.

for loading, keep runout to a min - standard seater may be causing more runout then you want.

Weigh your charges very very precisely. The 223 can show a difference in 0.1gr of powder variation. Good brass prep and you are off to the races.

Not all factory rifles shoot sub MOA but unless the Savage has seen lots of shooting and bore worn, it should go sub MOA with some tuning.

Got some articles on my website that can help with load tuning and rifle set up.

Hope this helps...

Jerry
 
You need to give us more info. What bullet are you using? What powders do you have? What's the trigger pull set at? Sights? Are you just picking a load and hoping or are you working up the loads? As in meticulously loading 4 of each load beginning with the starting load and working up to the max load, going up in half grain increments, one powder and bullet weight at a time. No ladders involved.
"...will not turn a 1 MOA rifle into a..." They won't turn a 2 or 3 MOA rifle into a 1 MOA rifle either.
"...Not all factory rifles shoot sub MOA..." That too. Some just won't. You don't need sub-MOA for Wiley anyway.
Magnum primers burn a bit hotter for a bit longer. They're made to light hard to ignite primers and cold weather shooting. A BR primer is made with greater QC.
"...going through my load book..." There's no point in loading every bullet weight in your manual. Which manual do you have?
"...difference in winter..." Yep.
 
Thanks for the info so far
I have tried 40 gr v-max, 40 gr nosler ballistic tip, 52 gr a-max, 55 gr berger, 64 gr berger. Powders used .. RL 10x, and Varget. Going up from min to max in .5 gr somtimes even above max if no signs of pressure.
I have had the rifle bedded, and the trigger set as low as I can with the accu trigger (been thinking about trying to cut a coil or two off the adjustment spring on the trigger). I've got a vortex diamondback 4-12 for optics (not great glass). I have been shooting of sandbags to shoot off of and using RCBS full length dies and lee neck sizing dies for the 223.
I have a sneaky suspicion that my scale may be a big part of the problem. I wiegh every charge and somtimes when its over and I take out 10 kernals (whatever they're called) and then I have to add 15 to make the beam level out on the scale. I'm using a RCBS 505 scale. I trim every case but I don't sort my brass by wieght. I guess I can try that as well.
If I were to buy a cheap electronic scale is there one you guys would recommend? I don't have the cash for a chargemaster or anything like that...heck if I did would I be shooting a Savage:eek:..
I had a model 12 BTCSS but sold it because it was too heavy for packing around so I got this one and I guess I'm just expecting the same kind of results. With the model 12 I had several loads that would be .5 at 100.
I guess I'm just wanting the best out of this rifle. Wishing for benchrest results with a hunting rifle. good luck eh
By the way I really like savage. Just in case you didn't sense the sarcasm...
thanks for the info and advise so far
 
Last edited:
By jumping up .5 gr at a time in a small case like the .223 you just might be missing the sweet spot your rifle likes. Try going up .1 or .2 grains at a time. Another thing to keep in mind is that velocity does not always = accuracy.
Sounds to me like the pivot points on your scale may need to be cleaned. Balance beam scales can be very accurate however they can be slow if you are loading high volume and weighing every charge. Electronic scales are faster but the lower end scales will drift a bit.

Leave your trigger alone. Very light triggers do have their place like on a benchrest rifle or something that will only see the range, not on a hunting rifle that will be carried in the field.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom