Thread: 75gr Amax 223, Ladder test question

Accuracy with the 80gr is very good, competitive in FTR against other shooters using 308s.

Son shot a perfect score 60/60 last month at 500 yards with the 80 gr. Haven't used the 75 gr enough to compare.

The squares are about 1 MOA, so 11/12 are +/- 0.5 MOA. Is that accurate enough?

Originally Posted by Cyclops

Accuracy with the 80gr is very good, competitive in FTR against other shooters using 308s.

Son shot a perfect score 60/60 last month at 500 yards with the 80 gr. Haven't used the 75 gr enough to compare.

The squares are about 1 MOA, so 11/12 are +/- 0.5 MOA. Is that accurate enough?


Attachment 35319

What is your / your son's setup?

I am toying with the idea of going 223 myself for FTR to 600yds, mainly because that seems to be where the Americans have gone and a lot cheaper to do.

I found this interesting, http://www.longrangehunting.com/arti...223-mile-1.php

The electronic targets are way cool. I had to go back to manual for the 303 shoot and its not as fun.

Originally Posted by steven

What is your / your son's setup?.

As I wrote above My son shoots a Savage 223, 26" barrel 1:7 twist, Model 12, straight from the shop with addition of scope & rail + bipod.
When we can get them we will use 80 gr A-Max, trying 75 gr as no 80gr left to purchase.

This rifle has been shot out to 1000 yards. In heavier winds (aka Trentham) it can struggle at 1000 - though its first ever shot at 1000 at Trentham was an 'X'.

Originally Posted by steven

I am toying with the idea of going 223 myself for FTR to 600yds, mainly because that seems to be where the Americans have gone and a lot cheaper to do.

223 is less expensive and can be equally competitive.

Originally Posted by Cyclops

As I wrote above My son shoots a Savage 223, 26" barrel 1:7 twist, Model 12, straight from the shop with addition of scope & rail + bipod.
When we can get them we will use 80 gr A-Max, trying 75 gr as no 80gr left to purchase.

This rifle has been shot out to 1000 yards. In heavier winds (aka Trentham) it can struggle at 1000 - though its first ever shot at 1000 at Trentham was an 'X'.




223 is less expensive and can be equally competitive.

Cyclops, what speed are you getting with the 75s and how about the 80s?

Originally Posted by puku

Cyclops, what speed are you getting with the 75s and how about the 80s?

I've never measured the muzzle velocity so can't say.
Electronic targets give an estimate of terminal velocity which can be used to judge consistency of load.

I've used e-target terminal velocity to work back to a muzzle velocity for ballistic calculators - but it is a rough and ready guess to get ballistic calculations to match what we see on the range. My son would say the ballistic calculation or range chart will get you onto the target for your sighting shots, consideration of environmental conditions on the day will get you to the centre.

Maximum safe load for the 80gr A-Max was determined by examining the primers after trying a sequence 24.0 - 24.8 gr 2208 in 0.1 gr steps. 24.8gr was reckoned to be a little hot so we settled on 24.7 gr. This was used for the 75 gr, being a lighter projectile a little more 2208 could be tried if we wanted.

Originally Posted by Cyclops

I've never measured the muzzle velocity so can't say.
Electronic targets give an estimate of terminal velocity which can be used to judge consistency of load.

I've used e-target terminal velocity to work back to a muzzle velocity for ballistic calculators - but it is a rough and ready guess to get ballistic calculations to match what we see on the range. My son would say the ballistic calculation or range chart will get you onto the target for your sighting shots, consideration of environmental conditions on the day will get you to the centre.

Maximum safe load for the 80gr A-Max was determined by examining the primers after trying a sequence 24.0 - 24.8 gr 2208 in 0.1 gr steps. 24.8gr was reckoned to be a little hot so we settled on 24.7 gr. This was used for the 75 gr, being a lighter projectile a little more 2208 could be tried if we wanted.

Do you know what the OAL is with the 75gr?
When determining a .005" seating depth was that just something you tried and ended up working, or did you test to find what shot best?
I think I'll probably try a seating depth of .010" off the lands and give that a crack, .010-.015 off seems to be pretty common according to Google.

Originally Posted by Beetroot

Do you know what the OAL is with the 75gr?

Actually no I don't. I seat both the 80gr A-Max and 75 gr A-Max to the same length determined on the length measured with a Hornady OAL gauge, but haven't actually measured the OAL of the finished product.

Originally Posted by Beetroot

When determining a .005" seating depth was that just something you tried and ended up working, or did you test to find what shot best?
I think I'll probably try a seating depth of .010" off the lands and give that a crack, .010-.015 off seems to be pretty common according to Google.

The 0.005" was something we tried. We were seating them a bit shorter but went longer because we could (and I re-measured the maximum length with the OAL gauge).

We haven't done enough shooting with the longer length to tell if there is a significant difference.
I think we can say they don't shoot/group any worse that our shorter loads.

They worked well enough at the Nelson Champs in Westport.
The 223 Savage with the 80gr A-Max shot the highest score (of any shooter) at 700 yards in the rain on the Sunday.
So I think we can say that this combination of handload, rifle and shooter is working well enough.