223 pet loads Lets see'em

[hamiltonkiler]

A 77gn smk loaded to the edge of a magazine at speeds over 2700fps usually carry very accurately.


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[wbm]

Wind was terrible here yesterday...blew every direction but up! 25gr of IMR-8208 and 27gr BL-C(2) with 50gr Sierra both shot well for starting loads...both loads averaged less than .75". This is my first use of BL-C(2) in anything.

[wbm]

Finally got out today. Shot Sierra 50gr BlitzKing with 27.5gr of BL-C(2)

Savage Axis, Mueller APV Scope. Ended up with .40" three shot group. First cold bore shot was a bit high but other two were ok.
.40" three shot group.

7260

[charlie b]

I realize you are looking for varmint loads, but, since only Hamilton mentioned it....

Axis, 22" factory heavy barrel, 1:9 twist
Boyds Pro Varmint stock
Standard accu trigger
Vortex Diamondback 4-16x42

77gn SMK
23.5gn Varget
2800fps

1/2MOA most of the time. Less if I am doing my job well. I have quite a few in the .3's but that is as good as I can shoot.

I've had more than a few 3" groups at 600yd and 1.5" groups at 300yd.
I even shot it at 1000yd one day. 20 rounds into 18". I wasn't reading wind very well that day. At the longer ranges wind is the deciding factor.

I buy the 77SMK's in bulk and load up 100-200 at a time. Barrel is approaching 3000 rounds. One thing interesting about this rifle is it likes to be fired HOT, as in too hot to touch. The last group on a 100deg day is as small as the first groups.

Second up would be the 69SMK and 25.5 Varget. That is also 1/2MOA. Nosler 69 match are close, but, usually not less than 1/2MOA. Hornady 68gn Match are closer to 1MOA bullets. The lighter bullets tend to be 1MOA (or worse in some cases).

Note: This was not a 1/2MOA rifle out of the box. It took a good 400 rounds to settle down. It also needs to have all the copper cleaned out every 300 rounds or so (when groups open up to above 1/2MOA). Still not bad for a cheap rifle.

PS Seating depth. There are some bullets that like to be seated into the lands. SMK's seem to like a little jump. I seat them at .02" to .03" from the lands.

[wbm]

I realize you are looking for varmint loads


Not really....just 223 loads that work for different shooters. I can't find Varget here!

Good post by the way.

[Bill2905]

I have shot more Hornady 53 gr V-Max than anything else.

23.1 gr H322 yields 3,240 fps from a 26" barrel with 1/2 MOA average group size.

26.0 gr W748 yields 3,300 fps from a 26" barrel with 1/2 MOA groups

I have had the most consistent results with this bullet in four different 223 barrels. Can't say the same for some others I have tried.

[charlie b]

Not really....just 223 loads that work for different shooters. I can't find Varget here!

Good post by the way.

Thanks. I think there are only three of four of us in here who have shot the 77gn SMK and tipped SMK in the 1:9 twist Savages. Probably cause Sierra prints on the side of the box that you need a 1:8 twist or faster to shoot them.

[wyosam]

My main ones are 24.0 RL15 73gr ELDm @ 2865

24.9 benchmark 53 gr vmax at 3200ish I think. I’ve also had good results with 53gr hp match Hornady on 25.0 (I think, haven’t made a batch of those in a while) h335. I did try the 77tmk, shot pretty well on RL15- don’t recall the load or speed. Couldn’t get them to group quite as well as the eldm, so I didn’t pursue. Those are in a 26” varmint barreled savage.


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[djzero]

I'm still working on finding a pet load but the one that worked best for me so far is 23.9gn of TAC behind a 55gn VMAX loaded to 2.330" in a PMC case and federal match primer. That one got me a best of .76MOA on a 22" barrel with 1:9 twist.

[hamiltonkiler]

I'm still working on finding a pet load but the one that worked best for me so far is 23.9gn of TAC behind a 55gn VMAX loaded to 2.330" in a PMC case and federal match primer. That one got me a best of .76MOA on a 22" barrel with 1:9 twist.

A stock off the shelf federal gold metal match 69 or 77gn smk will show you what the rifle is capable of.
Not sure you can find them but when Australian outback was loading the 55gn blitz king that produced some small 100yd groups.
But blow off target a lot easier than a heavy bullet. Ie. ballistic coefficient


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[wbm]

Australian outback was loading the 55gn blitzing

Finished the last I had of that last winter. Really good ammunition!

[chamokaneman]

25 grains of IMR4320 with RMR 55 grain FMJ bullets seated to 2.20

Good plinkers in my AR15. Has a 1-7 twist, as I recall.

[Ted_Feasel]

68gr bthp eld match ,24.5 gr varget and 62gr hornady ss109 23.3 gr imr 8208 xbr

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[Ted_Feasel]

68gr bthp eld match ,24.5 gr varget and 62gr hornady ss109 23.3 gr imr 8208 xbr

Sent from my SM-N975U using TapatalkForgot to mention both with starline brass and these are loads for precision AR15 .223 Wylde

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[wbm]

07-31-20
11:15
Temp 84

55gr Sierra HPBT
25gr Benchmark
ADI Brass Federal SR Primer
2.260" OAL
10 Shots=.49"

[rmeyerwy]

Savage 12FV 1:9
Savage 110V 1:9

Hornady 60sp
BLC2 or CFE 223- 26.5gr
Win. SR
BTO 1.872

Shooting 1 load in both guns seems to shoot well. The 12FV seems to shoot most anything pretty well, the 110V is more picky.
the 1.872 is about .010 off lands in the 12FV and .019 in the 110V.

[wbm]

Tinkering around today with BL-C(2) and 55gr Sierra HPBT. Loaded a Hodgdon MAX load of 27.5gr.
Very windy so the hood of my pick-m-up truck was sorta nervous.
223 Axis, Camo OEM Stock, Rifle Basix Trigger. 11:00 74, windy.

27.5gr Hodgdon BL-C(2)
Sierra 55gr HPBT
ADI Brass Full Length Resize
Federal 205 Primer
OAL= 2.310"
3=.45"



7448

[wbm]

Found a buy, relatively speaking, this winter on PMC Bronze 55gr FMJ so I bought a bunch. Accuracy in my Savage was horrible. Pulled a bullet and PMC powder load what looked very much like BL-C(2)....Yeah I know already...so for the heck of it I pulled 10 bullets and replaced them with 55gr Sierra HPBT's. First five shots where at .475"....works for me.

[charlie b]

Good work!. My .223 was my first real introduction to how much difference there is in the bullets.

[wbm]

Me too.

Did some "replacement therapy" last year with Winchester's 125gr OTM 6.5CM offering. Accuracy was terrible. Like 2-3" groups terrible so I pulled a few and replaced them with some 123 Amax's. What a difference!

On the 223 side. With the shortage of Benchmark and 8208, I have been loading BL-C(2) again. Looked back in my notebook from a few years ago and saw at one time I thought 50gr Sierra BlitzKings and BL-C were pretty good together. Put a few together today and looks like I was right.

You guys still hot and dry down South? Thousands of trees dying in the Zuni Mountains where I am.