Looking for a .223 Load for Stevens 200????

mlehtovaara

mlehtovaara

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Niagara Region, Ontario. For now
So I just bought a Stevens 200 and am looking to start reloading for it. I believe it is a 1 in 9 twist barrel. I am thinking about starting out with some bulk 55 grainers.

Any tips for:

- overall legth?

- powder choice?

- charge weight?

Thanks In Advance
Mark
 
oal depends on many factors ie magazine length, bullet shape etc.

Many powder choices for .223. My preference is Benchmark for 36-55 grain bullets.

As for charge weights, again there are many variables. Get yourself a manual or two, or cruise the online data provided by the many powder and bullet manufacturers.

Are you shooting paper or critters?

Good luck, it should be a shooter.
 
I use 55gr V-Max with CCI 400 small rifle primers and 24.5grs of IMR4320 with an OAL of 2.245" and I can shoot a 5-shot group within a loonie at 100yds.
Not sure if the Choate Varmint stock I got for it helps but its a real nice and heavy stock for my lil Stevens 200 in .223
 
Hi Mark
I have the same gun.
I use 13.5 grains of Blue Dot with the 55gr FMJBT, 55gr V-Max or 55gr SPSX bullets.
It works great! I get over 500 loads per pound of powder. Just google 223 Blue Dot. There is a fair bit of info on the net by a gentleman called Seafire.
Start low & work your way up.
My OAL is 20 thousands off the lands on my rifle.
Hope this helps.
Regards, Henry
 
I have the same rifle and most days it amazes poeple who underestimate this little rifle. If i'm having a good day it will shoot 3/4 of an inch all day long. Cleanlieness seems to be a big factor for this rifle. Also i converted mine to single shot. much faster.

I have a few good loads but u really have to play with your rifle and what type of shooting you want to do.


because of the rapid rate of twist 1-9 i find it doesn't like any short bullets. I say short because the weight is not always related to length. I have shot 53 gr hornady match bullets that were really crappy do to their short contact surface to the rifling. However the 50 gr varmint grenades are awesome.

Lately i've been pushing the varmint grenades with 25.5 grs of benchmark with a coal 2.25 my gun also likes the 60 nosler bt with imr 4198. I've been playing with rl15 aswell.

i recommend that you lighten the trigger. its reallly stiff. if you can afford it its worth it to get a trigger from sharp shooter supply. I have a banner 6X18X50 scope and i wish i'd gotten a better more powerfull scope. This gun can shoot. Keep it clean cuz i went yesterday and i shot a 3/4 5 shot group and all things went to crap after that. I had shot about 100 rounds last time and hadn't bothered cleaning so i'm hoping that is to blame.

Not sure if this is just me but my ejector seems to be screwing up once in a while so keep an eye on that. not sure what to do bout it. maybe call savage.

Mods to come. new trigger, boyds stock, new barrel and glass bed the action to the new stock. But all in good time. Have fun shooting.


oh and one last thing. I would like to thank one of our sponsor sites.

sfrc. I ordered 1000 once fired brass from them on moday and had it at my house on wed. Wow thats service. 600 or so of them were not crimped and the other 400 were lightly crimped but nothing a little swaging can't fix.
 
I have the same rifle and mine likes 52gr speer hp match bullets in front of Win 748 at 26.5 gr (but this is for MY rifle). You can start lower and work your way to it. I also only use brass fired in that rifle then I only neck size it and crimp using the Lee factory crimp die. This works amazingly well in my Stevens.
 
So Im thinking H335 or Varget as that is what I can find locally! Heres a question for you guys. Are benchrest primers doing anything for me? THey are god damn expensive but I can get em locally, I really can't find anything else!
 
H-335 was the original military powder used in the M-16 Vietnam era.I Also used a lot of Win 748 and magnum primers for all ball powders...........Some don't ,I do as recommended by many gun rags .............Harold.....working up loads for a Stevens 200 as well.Never had a .223 with this fast a twist so we'll see how that turns out.
 
Here is my stevens 200 1 in 9 recipe. My rifle really likes the V-max bullet.
I can shoot a group that is an inch or less at 100m off a bipod. I have shot a groups where all three holes were touching but I nevered measured any of them.
I choose the powder because it works well in all the calibers I reload.

cci primer
Brass is what ever I have
25gr h4895
50 or 55 gr Hornady V-max

My rifle didn't shoot less than an inch and a half with tnt's or 50gr varmint grenades. I have tried the 69gr sierras HPBT they were okay but not as good as the V-max.
 
Well since you guys wanted to resurrect a 8 month old thread;

Hornady 55 grain FMJBT
24.5 Grains H335
OAL - Cant remember
Neck sized fire formed Winchester brass

Printed these! My 2 best 5 shot groups out of many shot with this gun/load. I have since sold it.

The smaller one measured 0.33 of an inch center to center.

IMG00120-20100530-1155.jpg
 
Last edited:
mlehtovaara said:
Well since you guys wanted to resurrect a 8 month old thread;

Hornady 55 grain FMJBT
34.5 Grains H335
OAL - Cant remember
Neck sized fire formed Winchester brass

Printed these! My 2 best 5 shot groups out of many shot with this gun/load. I have since sold it.

The smaller one measured 0.33 of an inch center to center.

IMG00120-20100530-1155.jpg
Click to expand...

34.5 grains? That would be ~10.0gr over book (7thed Hornady) and about the same over max on the Hogdon Site. I would double check.

I've use 25.0 gr of H335 to a Col of 2.200" using a 55gr V-max. with great accuracy.
 
"...benchrest primers doing anything for me?..." Not with a hunting rifle and non-match bullets. You must work up the load for your rifle, as well.
 
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