should i even try???

Jamie

Jamie

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hornady 68gr hpbt

and the 69gr SMK


out of a 20" 1/9 223???



powders I always have

Varget
BLC 2
h4895
imr4895
 
I wouldn't bother with the hornady, I never had any luck with them. The smk I bet for sure would shoot. For simplicity and the ability to find somthing on every powder charge I'd start with varget
 
I am going to test some 68 gr Hornady HPBT tomorrow as well as others. My last testing I had a 0.158" 3 shot group at 100 yds. I am going to shoot at least 5 groups and see if they repeat. I am using H335 and am also going to shoot the 52 gr loads again but 0.010 off the lands vice 0.020 last time. I will let you know how it goes. Cheers Roscoe
 
Either one will be fine in a 1-9" twist. If you're going to take the time to develop a match load, go with something temperature stable (Varget or H4895).
 
The 68 -69 gr bullets will sing out of a 1-9 my buddy has a savage 1-9 223 and tried the
68's with the blc2 seemed to work good but I would try the smk first if you have them .
I wouldn't hesitate to try the varget to.
 
Should you try? Of course you should. :D

I had a SPS Tactical 20" and used 70gr Berger VLDs with Varget, I had awesome results. My loads were a little warm, but I was amazed at how well they hold.

I did not try any 68 or 69gr.
 
ultimate_monkey said:
I wouldn't bother with the hornady, I never had any luck with them. The smk I bet for sure would shoot. For simplicity and the ability to find somthing on every powder charge I'd start with varget
Click to expand...

:agree:

Sierra 69 SMK and 60 gr HP have been stellar in both the 1 in 9's I owned. Hornady, well I think Hornady sucks :eek:. I have been having good luck with their .308's lately but the .224's have been terrible for me. Only 60 gr V-Max has been any good in my .223 Rem's.

Varget or BL-C2 has been great as well.
 
69 grain sierra

I have no experience with Hornadys however here is a sample result with the Sierras.

A photo of this 69 SMK group was sent to DPMS thanking them for their product and they posted on their site under trophies and targets with my email. It was my first day with this AR15 1/9 twist 24" fluted testing loads at 200 yards. I was fortunate to have a calm clear day with ideal conditions for testing. I have two other .223s another 1/9 - 16" heavy barrel and a 1/7 26" LRPV Savage bolt, both like the 69s. I have 700 rounds loaded for the summer.

200 yard target - 69 SMK, 25.5 Varget (as usual, use load info at your own risk)

targetart018b.jpg
 
I have a thread going in the reloading section of my experience with these bullets and Varget. If I rebarrel this rifle I will be going to a 20" barrel. I'll be trying the Hornadys at 200 or 300 when I get a calm day and some time.
 
My old savage liked the 69 SMK, but it REALLY LIKED the 77 SMK and 24.2 gr of Varget, 24" 1:9. YMMV of course. I could never get the Hornady 68 to shoot, it seems like a really long bullet too.
 
ok so got rained/snowed out for work today so I loaded up some bullets and off I went

I got a SPS tac on trade a few weeks ago with thoughts of if it don't shoot its going to Northshore to become a 300blkout but the idea of a short lite 223 for 300meter work sounds nice too, so with once fired but FL resized win Brass ,cci 400 primers and 25.4 grs of Varget I seated them to touch.Side note I cut my trigger finger really bad las week and its numb and cold and I have a bandage covering the stitches lol so I think I pulled at least one in each group


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I am running a MIL MIL 5.5/22 Falcon on it but to keep weight and size down I will be getting a Vortex 2.5/10 MIL MIL asap
 
I mounted it in my old LTR stock and bedded it

oh I think I might get it cut down to 18/18.5 and threaded 1/2 28tpi

the falcon will go back on my 22 for 300 meter shooting
 
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Range report.

RoscoeP said:
I am going to test some 68 gr Hornady HPBT tomorrow as well as others. My last testing I had a 0.158" 3 shot group at 100 yds. I am going to shoot at least 5 groups and see if they repeat. I am using H335 and am also going to shoot the 52 gr loads again but 0.010 off the lands vice 0.020 last time. I will let you know how it goes. Cheers Roscoe
Click to expand...

So I went back to the range yesterday to see if my best group would repeat and to try more 52 gr loads with .010 freebore.
Well the 68 gr loads started with a .451" group then jumped to 1.189" group then it settled down and the next 3 groups were between .303"- .331" Pretty happy with that.
I cleaned the rifle then tried the 52 gr loads which were .5 gr different.

A similar thing happened, the first 2 groups were .526" and .884", then the gun settled down and got tighter, the next 3 groups between .231" and .401"
It seems the rifle likes to be warmed up or have a few rounds down the barrel first, and I had fired a couple of factory rounds down the gun before each session. I guess I will load up a bunch of the 52 gr loads that made the .231 group and see if they repeat then deceide between them and the 68 gr loads.

I will then load 100 for my first shoot with all my own gear. Cheers Roscoe
 
RoscoeP said:
So I went back to the range yesterday to see if my best group would repeat and to try more 52 gr loads with .010 freebore.
Well the 68 gr loads started with a .451" group then jumped to 1.189" group then it settled down and the next 3 groups were between .303"- .331" Pretty happy with that.
I cleaned the rifle then tried the 52 gr loads which were .5 gr different.

A similar thing happened, the first 2 groups were .526" and .884", then the gun settled down and got tighter, the next 3 groups between .231" and .401"
It seems the rifle likes to be warmed up or have a few rounds down the barrel first, and I had fired a couple of factory rounds down the gun before each session. I guess I will load up a bunch of the 52 gr loads that made the .231 group and see if they repeat then deceide between them and the 68 gr loads.

I will then load 100 for my first shoot with all my own gear. Cheers Roscoe
Click to expand...

what rifle? my sps tac likes to warm up too
 
any of you guys try any of the berger 70 gr Match VLD says its good in a 9 twist
 
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