Your Preferred .223 Load?

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feldmann

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Before I started reloading my own .223 I wanted to see what my rifle liked so I went to the local store and bought everything they had available from a 55gr-70gr. I got the best groups with the 55gr Hornady V-MAX in perfect weather, however, even the slightest whisper of wind effects them.

I got a few recommendations from fellow shooters and store clerks that I would have to start shooting a heavier bullet if I had any hopes of beating the weather or pushing past 300 yards and eventually getting to 600.

I have a Remington 700 with a 1 in 9 twist.

So my question is what load and setup do you use and recommend for me?

Cheers,
 
Well for me the Sierra 69 gr matchking is working out to 1000m. I am using 25.0 gr of Rl15. It's working a little better than Varget. My rifle is a savage VLP with a 1:7 twist. Out to 500 It's maintaing 1/3 to 1/2 MOA.
 
Remington 700s in .223 Rem seem to like this load:

- 52 gr Sierra HPBT Matchking
- 25.5 gr H-4895
- Whatever SR primer you flavor

feldmann said:
Before I started reloading my own .223 I wanted to see what my rifle liked so I went to the local store and bought everything they had available from a 55gr-70gr. I got the best groups with the 55gr Hornady V-MAX in perfect weather, however, even the slightest whisper of wind effects them.

I got a few recommendations from fellow shooters and store clerks that I would have to start shooting a heavier bullet if I had any hopes of beating the weather or pushing past 300 yards and eventually getting to 600.

I have a Remington 700 with a 1 in 9 twist.

So my question is what load and setup do you use and recommend for me?

Cheers,
Click to expand...
 
my 700 with the 9 twist shoots the 69 grain Sierra out to 600 very well.

Beyond that not so much, Hence the 8 twist Lilja on the way.

69 gr SMK
25.8 grains Varget
CCI BR4 primers
10 thou off the lands
 
Remmy 700, 30" 1-8 twist, short range to 600 load 24.7 gr. Varget and 75gr. A-max's, Long Range load, 25.0 VV550 with 80 Sierria's @ 3050 fps, this load was great to 1000M.
 
My A-Bolt with the Boss loves the 50 gr V-Max and 24.4 gr H335,,, and also the 52 gr Berger Target and 24.6 gr of H335 these rock out to the 300 yard range which is about all I shoot up to for the Yotes
 
600y to 1000 Berger 75gr VLD RL 15, Lapua brass, CCI benchrest primers, 69gr sierras will not run against this load at long distances, BCs are to low on the sierra,s 69grs
manitou
 
Bolt action =

77gr SMK
25.8 gr Varget
Fed Match / Benrchrest Primer
Just touching the lands

Just started playing with Leverevolution and Superformance so it might all change again....
 
I also have a 1:9 Rem700
By far the best load I have shot in it is 77gn SMK, CCI BR4 Primers, 24gn Varget at 2.36 COL, 2850 fps 28 inch bbl

Wonderfully accurate, and I have used this out to 600 yards with very nice results.

In my rifle that was the heaviest bullet I could stabilize both winter and summer
 
I'm in the process of getting a 1/8 twist .223 together and I'll be playing with 69 gr and 77 gr SMKs + Varget. I know the SMKs have a secant ogive, and bullets with secant ogives are supposed to be less sensitive to seating depth. In practice, how critical is seating depth with these bullets? I was hoping to do mag length loads.
 
agent_mango said:
I'm in the process of getting a 1/8 twist .223 together and I'll be playing with 69 gr and 77 gr SMKs + Varget. I know the SMKs have a secant ogive, and bullets with secant ogives are supposed to be less sensitive to seating depth. In practice, how critical is seating depth with these bullets? I was hoping to do mag length loads.
Click to expand...

My 2 cents for what it is worth...

I believe part of the answer to that question will be how far is the jump to the lands on your setup. This is something you will have to measure yourself.

Then you can test the difference between hand loading rounds into the chamber that are seated long that then magazine fed rounds.

There is alot of information with regards to how far off the lands a specific bullet should jump, and from what i have read it all comes back to you trying out different seating depths on your specific rifle.

I tend to seat my bullets out as far as possible to minimalize compressed charges when reloading, but i am also generally running powder charges that are on the hot side to gain as much muzzle velocity as possible.
 
Seating depth made the single biggest difference in my loads. .1 or .2 grains of powder made little difference but another 10 thou in or out doubled my group sizes
 
Westside, I did notice your load seemed pretty hot. Hodgdon data center says 23.7C max Varget for a 77 gr HPBT and 2.26" OAL. Does your longer OAL make the higher charge ok? Also, I like the sound and feel of crunching Varget. :)

I think I'll play with seating depth on the third outing. First outing will be for fireforming, second for varying charge. I have a Sinclair bullet seating depth tool on the way.
 
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