Reloading .223 75 gr BTHP (SL8)

polskadude

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I’m looking for the perfect load for my SL8. Its a 1:7 barrel twist, and requires heavy bullets (69gr to 77 gr)
I can only get my hands on limited quantities of each item.

I have Hornady 75gr BTHP Match bullets, Winchester primers, Remington brass and Hodgdon BL-C(2) powder.

Currently I'm using 24.3 grains of BL-C(2) powder, and seating the bullet at 2.260.

Groupings are 1.5" - 2.0".

I’m trying to get this down to .75" - 1.0".

Any help would be much appreciated.
 
I've heard alot of good stuff about varget, but I cant seem to find any around London. Both stores in town are sold out.
Thanks anyways, i'll try that load once I get varget.
 
You're not required to shoot heavier/longer bullets in a 1:7; it should do fine with lighter/shorter stuff too.

Couple items:
Powder: -In this instance, I would recommend sourcing a slower, extruded powder such as varget.
- Ball powders can give wildly varrying swings in velocities and pressure, which you might be seeing on paper.

Primers: - While the Winchesters may be very good, you will find more consistancy from match primers.

Loading Process:
- Consistancy is the name of the game - I'd start with trimming all brass the same, and using all one brand to start. I'd hold out on stuff like primer pocket uniforming, neck trimming, and all of the other crap BR guys do - they may help them, but the gains in an auto loader are suspect.

- Concentricity matters. Get a guage and start measuring this varriable in the ammo you make. The first thing I'd look to to start hammering down the numbers are match dies.
 
.223 rem

You're not required to shoot heavier/longer bullets in a 1:7; it should do fine with lighter/shorter stuff too.

Couple items:
Powder: -In this instance, I would recommend sourcing a slower, extruded powder such as varget.
- Ball powders can give wildly varrying swings in velocities and pressure, which you might be seeing on paper.

Primers: - While the Winchesters may be very good, you will find more consistancy from match primers.

Loading Process:
- Consistancy is the name of the game - I'd start with trimming all brass the same, and using all one brand to start. I'd hold out on stuff like primer pocket uniforming, neck trimming, and all of the other crap BR guys do - they may help them, but the gains in an auto loader are suspect.

- Concentricity matters. Get a guage and start measuring this varriable in the ammo you make. The first thing I'd look to to start hammering down the numbers are match dies.


X2
powders Varget ,Rl 15 & Vt 540 will be your best
 
Im not sure where I can get Match dies, I use RCBS dies.

I'll keep my eyes open for that varget.

Anyone know an online supplier who carries varget, in stock right now?
 
Benchmark will end up being a better powder as you are less likely to get compressed loads and it will be easier on your op rod system.

CCI BR4 or 450 primers are what have given me the best results. I prefer Win brass but Rem and Fed work just fine too.

If you are FL sizing, you have to check runout. You can get awesome results using a Lee collet neck die then a Redding body die to ensure proper feeding/chambering. You will not see much gains in a BR seater as the ammo gets slammed around during the feeding process.

I would just set the OAL to fit in the mag then work up in 0.2gr increments and watch the groups size and pressures. These rifles can handle a nice load without tearing up brass so you don't need to be conservative. However, they are very sensitive to amounts of powder so small changes in powder can really throw off your groups.

Once you get some favorable groups, work up again in 0.1gr increments 0.3gr below to 0.2gr above and you will find the best load. Yes, 0.1gr's has a dramatic affect in this case size range and a semi auto.

Please give general ripper a shout. I shoot with him and his amazingly accurate sl8. We estimate that he is in the 1 to 1.5 MOA range at 1000yds.

Remember this is a battle rifle NOT a match bolt rifle. Consistent MOA is likely the limits of this or similar platforms without a change in barrel. Good optics will also be a major plus. He is using an Elite 4200 tactical and the 24X allows you to see more precisely.

Try those PRVI 75gr too. I bet they fit in the case/mag very well;.

Jerry
 
+1 on what Jerry said, "Remember this is a battle rifle NOT a match bolt rifle".

You may have reached the accuracy limit of your rifle, and no further improvement is possible (e.g. my AR-15 Sporter seems to be an honest 2.75 MOA rifle, no matter what tricks I throw at it. Some people have real honest 1MOA AR-15s, I am pretty sure that I don't).

Everything people have suggested above (use a stick powder, use higher quality dies, etc) are good and necessary for (e.g.) getting from a 3/4" grouping combo down to a 1/2" grouping. At your present level of accuracy though, you are probably dealing with bigger problems that that - so go after the bigger problems first. For example:

- is your scope mounted soundly, and is the scope itself good? (ideally, if you could put it on a match rifle and shoot sub-1" groups with it, you could verify that you don't have a scope problem. If you can't do this, perhaps try a different scope

- anything obviously wrong or loose with the rifle? E.g. is the flash hider loose, or installed crooked, or are there rattly bits inside, or does the receiver not lock up tightly (I know all these things are pretty unlikely on an H&K, but check....)

- is the crown good? Can you clean it off, and then have a look at the powder gas stain pattern after firing a number of shots? (it should be a symmetrical rose pattern)

- is your ammo generating correct velocity? You should eventually be able to get up to or near max loads (e.g. chrono them). Does this ammo shoot well, or not?

- try a different bullet. In particular, in non-match rifles, flat-base bullets often shoot a lot more accurately than boattail bullets. Extra low drag, high-performance boattail bullets can be particularly difficult to get shooting well. Try some Winchester 64 grain Powerpoint bullets (Higginsons has some the last time I was there).

- try factory ammo, if it is available and/or affordable. I don't even want to guess at what it would costs these days, but if you can find some factory-loaded Federal or Hornady or Black Hills match ammo (with 68 grain or 75 grain or 77 grain match bullets). If the factory stuff doesn't shoot better than your ammo so far, there is a chance that perhaps your rifle is simply shooting to its limits right now. But if some factory match ammo can shoot an inch, then you know that you will be able to get that with your handloads (in which case, try the same bullet and the same velocity as that good-shooting factory ammo).

- is your shooting up to the task? With another rifle and ammo combo, are you able to deliver (say) 1" 5-shot groups? If you're not sure, can you find another shooter who you know to be able to shoot that well, and see if he can coax anything better out of your rifle?
 
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