Thread: .223 results

Here's the 74 grain Targex dialled in at 519 yards. Consistent hits.

https://youtu.be/VWbqSY0jwIk

Originally Posted by Tahr

Here's the 74 grain Targex dialled in at 519 yards. Consistent hits.

https://youtu.be/VWbqSY0jwIk

What size gong
I'm taking my .223 after fallow for the weekend

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Originally Posted by 25/08 IMP

What size gong
I'm taking my .223 after fallow for the weekend

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Have a great time! The steel is inside a car tyre. So I guess 18"

Originally Posted by Tahr

Have a great time! The steel is inside a car tyre. So I guess 18"

Hopefully some photos of the 77 TMK doing there stuff

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I've got a 1:12 twist 16" barrel. I have a box of 100 55 Sierra game king projectiles. Can anyone recommend a load for these? Currently shoot factory corelockts.

Originally Posted by Tiadog

I've got a 1:12 twist 16" barrel. I have a box of 100 55 Sierra game king projectiles. Can anyone recommend a load for these? Currently shoot factory corelockts.

They are a good bullet. My load is 25.5 grns 2206H and its very accurate. Start under that and work up. In my 22" barrel it gives me 3,150 fps so you should get around 3K fps.

25-26gr BM2. Rocket ship. Very accurate pill in 65gr.

Curiosity got the better of me so I tried some 80gr ELD-M in the Howa. Pretty happy with the results, velocities should be around 2650-2700fps. Hope to validate and chronograph later in the week. Smallest group .4inch, largest .7inch.

Originally Posted by Ground Control

I've had four .223 Rifles over the last few years , but that number has been whittled down to just one now ( One of the four has been turned into a 6x45 , which so far is quickly becoming my favourite Rifle I've ever owned and the .223 Han't been used much lately ) .
The one remaining .223 is a Howa Factory 20 inch 1-8 fluted barrel in a Stocky's Carbon Stock .
80gn projectiles aren't an option in the Howa due to magazine length , 77gn TMK's are what I've played with and I wanted a heavier Projectile because Pigs are sometimes encountered while out and about on the property .
Starline Brass
CCI BR4
Sierra 77gn TMK
ADI 2206H

The below photo is one of the tests I did initially and the final load is 23.9gn 2206H which is averaging 14mm ( centre to centre ) at 100m . I only really shoot 3 shot groups , and I know there is debate about their validity , but that 14mm average is from 57 x 3 shot groups ( shot over many different days and weather conditions) .I don't have a velocity even though I do now own a chronograph , I just haven't got around to testing it yet but all of my hunting is done 250m and closer so I'm not bothered by ballistic charts etc with this Rifle .
Because I now have the 6x45 throwing 85gn projectiles I will revisit the 53gn Hornady Vmax bullets in this Rifle which better suit it's intended Target of Dingoes here in Queensland , the below target is from a while ago with the 53gn Vmax's and Benchmark powder .
I never really followed up on this combination, but I was just interested in seeing if the barrel liked the 53gn bullets and I think they will do very well with more testing .( note on the 53gn Target the 25.8 group the flyer was definitely me , so that powder charge needs revisiting )

What is your starting load for the 77tmk at mag length?
Just about to start development for a mini 1:8, factory mag 16in barrel.
Have 77tkm, lapua brass, 2206h,2208,cfe223 and LVR on hand.

Anyone used the 70grn speer .228 projectiles in the 223??? If so how did you get on???

Are you sure they are .227? I thought Speer only made their .223 70 grain semi Spitzer. I use them all the time.

Hornady made a .227 70 grain bullet for the .22 Savage Hipower, but even then they are not much good because most .22 Savages will not stabilise them, they are too long. (I have read of people filing the noses down so they are shorter, then they go alright.)

yes I'm sure

I have a wide range of .223 bullets on my shelf that I have used (or not used) for various things over the years. I figure that I may as well shoot them all at things, as a way of getting rid of them. These include some bullets I have purchased recently specifically to test for stability (88 ELDM) and terminal effectiveness (80 ELDX and 77 TMK). Forum member @Maxx has also been kind enough to send me some 68gr Tipped Hammer Hunters.

Did a bit of a mega-test of 5 bullets from the stock - looking to see how they shoot from my rifle, get a half decent idea of the zero offset from my normal load, and get a velocity average, with the intent that I can just load up my entire stock and have the required info to go shoot things with them.

All groups just shot as a group of 10. Loads picked at semi-random from book data, being sort-of conservative. My throat is not long so all these bullets are well into the case. Once I wear this barrel out (hah!) I will look to get a 1:7 with a longer throat.
80 ELDX - These didn't shoot particularly well. I would want to shoot a few on steel further out before taking them hunting as they may be right on the edge of stability - the 80ELDM is supposed to be unstable from a 1:8 and shoots from my barrel however the ELDX is a different bullet. Precision fine for hunting but not great. If they prove to be stable and I feel like actually seriously using them, I would try a different powder and better brass.

77 TMK is well into the case. Shoots well.

68 HHT is also very far into the case. Went with a quite conservative load here because it is a mono. Noticed my suppressor loose while shooting unfortunately, however precision appears fine. I will use this load to shoot some animals with the remaining bullets i have. If I wanted to use these seriously I would re-test with a snug suppressor. I attribute the "flier" to the loose suppressor. More interested in terminal ballistics from here.

70gr VLD, shoots fine. I have quite a lot sitting here but don't recall ever using them hunting. Again bullet is well inside the case. I'll load up my remaining bullets and use them.

88 ELDM doesn't stabilise in 1:8 twist. Only something like 7 of 10 hit the paper, some going sideways. I don't think you can get much more speed than this from a standard chamber, it is a very long bullet with a lot of it inside the case. If wanting to shoot these you'd need a 1:7.5 at least if not 1:7, and probably a long throat.

This is also an exercise in using up old 2206H that may be 10-15 years old and I'm not confident provides the same speed as fresh new powder, I have found that the 10+ year old powder of other types that I have has lost 100+ fps vs new lots (2208 and 2209) so it's time to burn it all up and only use well-stored new production

Hey thanks for posting this up. Excellent info and results. I don't recall your barrel length.

Here are my latest results from a Bregara B14 "Stoke" model, 16.5" barrel. 55 Sierra BTSP over 25.5 of 2206H,Federal 205s, sako cases, 3040 fps ish ( I didnt have the crony for these latest loads in the Sakos) ES is at about 50-60 fps with 16-18 SDs. This barrel is exhibiting distinct projectile preferences, shoots Hornady bulk 55s like a spray, OK with 60 gn Vmax and Sierra 69,s but I haven't gotten to 10 shot groups yet.

The following group exactly highlights its "thing" though, which has me scratching my head. The group was fired from a hot barrel, 8 previous crap rounds having been sprayed.



The "flier" is a problem. 9 into 27mm/0.9MOA is decent enough for a factory barrel and my reloads. However it's typically doing this 8 or 9 with a flier (of which really there is no such thing). I still wonder if it's bedding related, this group was shot with it in an alternative HMR chassis stock I was able to borrow for the arvo. It could also be my reloads, or projectile/component and dare I say it shooter related. All thoughts welcome. A first world problem ofcourse, this is a really good load to go hunting with!