So I’m fairly new to reloading. I have this insite arms 223 wylde bolt action with 1-7.5” twist. Was going to use 75 grain bullets in it but ended up buying a bunch of 55 grain Hornady soft points for a super good deal. Struggling to get any good groups with those bullets. I tried seating the bullets just off from the rifling lands. Various powder charges with H4895. Still no good groups. The first reloads I did were with benchmark powder and cfe 223 and these same bullets and also had bad groups. Any ideas?
Insite arms 223 wylde reloading help welcomed
- Thread starter Mike112288
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I shot sub-MOA groups at 100m with the Hornady 55gr soft point, out of my Ruger Precision Rifle with a 7" twist 20" barrel. I was super happy with how they shot. Better groups than 52gr Speer double hollow point, which are more like 1 MOA for me. And vastly better groups than CamPro 55gr FMJ, which are like 2.5MOA.
I have since switched to the Speers as my varmint load, and I don't think I kept records of my old 55gr SP load. I think I was using a bulk 556 ball powder in a progressive press, though.
I have since switched to the Speers as my varmint load, and I don't think I kept records of my old 55gr SP load. I think I was using a bulk 556 ball powder in a progressive press, though.
Hi Mike
Fast twist barrels rarely shoot well with light bullets but it can depend upon bullet quality to a degree, and also how close to the lands you can get while still being in the neck.
You also need to keep an eye on velocity as the faster spin rate can cause the bullet to fly apart in flight. Just under the ragged edge of self destruction is where you want to be for maximized terminal performance.
Since optimal twist rate for accuracy is achieved as a balance of bullet length and velocity, slowing down the velocity will keep things in harmony since your twist rate is too fast for light rounds at full speed.
You will find that your accuracy will improve greatly with 69 - 80 grain SMKs or 75 grain Hornmady ELDs.
The Wylde chamber has a fairly long free bore and you need to leverage that to align the bullet to the bore before it starts into the rifling for accuracy.
Good luck
Fast twist barrels rarely shoot well with light bullets but it can depend upon bullet quality to a degree, and also how close to the lands you can get while still being in the neck.
You also need to keep an eye on velocity as the faster spin rate can cause the bullet to fly apart in flight. Just under the ragged edge of self destruction is where you want to be for maximized terminal performance.
Since optimal twist rate for accuracy is achieved as a balance of bullet length and velocity, slowing down the velocity will keep things in harmony since your twist rate is too fast for light rounds at full speed.
You will find that your accuracy will improve greatly with 69 - 80 grain SMKs or 75 grain Hornmady ELDs.
The Wylde chamber has a fairly long free bore and you need to leverage that to align the bullet to the bore before it starts into the rifling for accuracy.
Good luck
Well that would make sense because my steering load was 23.0 grains of h4895 and it grouped a bit better than the faster loads. It seemed the faster the loads the worse the groups got. 25.0
Grains was my fastest load. 23.0 grains of powder was a bit better. Maybe I should try some loads all the way down at 21 or 22 grains powder. I’m not sure what you mean about aligning the bullet to the bore before it starts into the rifling. My bullets were pretty much touching the rifling. Maybe I need a bit more bullet jump?
Grains was my fastest load. 23.0 grains of powder was a bit better. Maybe I should try some loads all the way down at 21 or 22 grains powder. I’m not sure what you mean about aligning the bullet to the bore before it starts into the rifling. My bullets were pretty much touching the rifling. Maybe I need a bit more bullet jump?
55gr Hornady SP w/ cannelure don't shoot very well in my 8 twist 223 Tikka, but they shoot well in my 8 twist Ruger. 40gr Vmax shoot sub MOA 5 shot groups in the Tikka however, so it will shoot a light bullet
Try different powders and play with charge weights until something works.
Try different powders and play with charge weights until something works.
I tried a box of Hornady frontier 5.56 75 grainers and it grouped way better. So I know it’ll be easy to find a good load with longer pills since that is what I had it set up for. I’ll try some slower loads with this powder. See what happens then
coleman1495
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For whatever reason, I have been getting great results with 50-55gn bullets and D8208.
What kind of group are you calling bad?
I would also suggest either slowing down your load, or getting heavier projectiles.
Fast twist rates combined with high velocities can damage the jacket and distort the lead core, which can all lead to bad groups. You are probably over twisting the bullets, causing some damage/deformity.
Fast twist rates combined with high velocities can damage the jacket and distort the lead core, which can all lead to bad groups. You are probably over twisting the bullets, causing some damage/deformity.
before getting worked up over poor accuracy with 55 gr bullets, have you confirmed the rifle is capable of good accuracy?
Buy a box of 69 or 75 gr match bullets and see if they group well.
It might be a rifle issue.
Buy a box of 69 or 75 gr match bullets and see if they group well.
It might be a rifle issue.
When you reduce the powder charge, you may want to go with a faster burn rate powder so it burns cleaner.
When the powder is too slow, you can get a few accurate shots and then accuracy will start to degrade quickly. If you want to make a mistake with powder burn rate, its always better to go a little too fast than a little too slow.
Groups were like 1”. With the factory Hornady 75 grain ammo it was less than half of that I’d say. The gun will shoot tiny holes I’m sure. Impact action and hawkhill barrel chambered and put together by insite arms. I know it’ll shoot. Another guy has a build like mine and his shoots 69’s into tiny groups. It’s probably a matter of it not like such might bullets and I think it may shoot these 55 grainers better if I slow things down a bit more since the most mild load shot the best group.
coleman1495
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The best I managed to get with those 55gn SP is about MOA. This was with a CZ527 and now a Tikka Varmint. Sounds like your already pretty much as good as you could reasonably expect.
I’d still try D8208 though. Its a great price for a great 223 powder.
I've got an IBI 1-8 Wylde and have that barrel shooting 80 SMK at 2925. The other day I shot some 55 SBK I had loaded on my Dillon for an MDI SLR that I sold prior to last May 1st. These were with 8208 XBR and a ten shot group gave me 8 into about .5" at 100. One of the guys at work burned off 75 of them testing an M15 with a tuner and they shot amazingly well, lots of 3 shot groups in the .3-.4 range.
The .223 can't over spin a 55, or a 40 for that matter. I had a 6-284 with an 8 twist and shot 107 SMK at 3300 for .5moa groups at 300 yards. I went shooting PD's in Nebraska one year and loaded up some 70gr Nosler BT's and had those cruising 4200 with the same .5 moa groups at 300. I remember connecting on some PD's at 500 yards, I think 5 out of 6 shots with Steve Comus, then editor of 'Guns' magazine spotting for me, then connected at 650 on the first shot on one right after.
The .223 can't over spin a 55, or a 40 for that matter. I had a 6-284 with an 8 twist and shot 107 SMK at 3300 for .5moa groups at 300 yards. I went shooting PD's in Nebraska one year and loaded up some 70gr Nosler BT's and had those cruising 4200 with the same .5 moa groups at 300. I remember connecting on some PD's at 500 yards, I think 5 out of 6 shots with Steve Comus, then editor of 'Guns' magazine spotting for me, then connected at 650 on the first shot on one right after.
That’s pretty good speed for 80’s in a 223. I’d be happy with that. Hoping I can get 75’s to that or a touch more. R the bullets seated out far to get that speed? I’m actually sorta interested in getting a pgw m15 barreled action myself. The one I checked out actually felt really nice when working the bolt on it
I agree. At first I thought my 7" twist 223 was putting up bad groups with the 55gr FMJ CamPro bullets because it was "over spinning" them. Then I shot the 55gr Hornady SP at sub-MOA and realized it was just that the CamPros were a crap bullet.
