What grain bullets does your .223 Axis like?

[LoneWolfPatriot]

Hey all, my .223 seems to shoot the heavier bullets the best. I get horrible shot groups with 55 grain bullets. But with 68 grain, 75 grain and 77 grain, I can consistently shoot moa or much better. I've always read that 1 in 9 twist, to go with 64 grain or less.

[farmer44mag]

Mine shoots 55 and 60 both under an inch at 100 yds.

[steveNChunter]

A 1:9 .223 should theoretically work best with bullets from 60-70 grains but bullets up to 77 gr may stabilize, and bullets as light as 50 gr may give good accuracy. Length has more to do with stabilization than weight, so 2 different bullets of the same weight may perform differently because of different length. I just bought a .223 Axis not long ago. I haven't worked up a load yet but the bullet I'm trying first is the 69 gr Sierra Matchking.

[ejk24]

I have shot both 55 and 64 grain at an inch or less at 100 yards consistently in bone stock trim shooting off a pair of bags when I do my part . My barrel took about 100 rounds before it started giving tight groups then it was like I turned a switch on .

[LoneWolfPatriot]

I love my Axis. Can't wait to install an after market trigger... Shoots like a dream off of homemade rice bags. LOL "Sandbags" filled with rice - they work great. I'm going to try my luck at hunting with the axis this year. I know folks that use 68 to 77 grain hollow point boat tail on white tail deer, and it drops 'em right there where they stood. The 55gr. bullets I've tried have been the cheap russian stuff, so that probably has much to do with the poor accuracy. I need to try some 55gr. ballistic tip and see what she'll do.

[jalmeter29]

68gr bthp shot good 3/4moa at 2680fps.
75gr bthp shot better maybe 1/2moa at 2575fps. Got 2 deer with this load 175 and 150 yards.
Tried one load for 75gr amax at mag length and shot 1moa didn't do any more loading because I couldn't stand single feeding.
But now I wanted more velocity for varmints and now use 53gr vmax at 3100fps, 1/4moa if I do my part. Consistently 3/4moa.
All loaded with Varget on lee challenger press.

[97impreza43]

im getting 0.475 moa with 55gr nosler ballistic tips. over 27gr varget with mine.. and thats not even a finished work up load.. still have to play with them a little bit.

[NicfromAlabama]

All I could find when I bought my .223 Axis was 55 grain American Eagle and PMC Bronze. My rifle does not appear to like either. Groups were in the inches. Frustrated after trying some more expensive 62 grain Fusion ammo, I actually started hand loading for the first time ever. I am using Sierra 65 grain Game King bullets. I wanted to try the 69 grain Sierra Match King bullets, but could not find any at the time. I also bought an overall length gauge and have loaded the bullets .02" short of maximum chamber length. Results were pretty good. This is the last 3 groups I shot. I have since added a Rifle Basix trigger and stiffened up the front of the stock, so I am hoping for some improvement. However, I will be happy if things stay the same. I have yet to really experiment.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp205/Woody35722/100_3462_zps0d533122.jpg (http://s412.photobucket.com/user/Woody35722/media/100_3462_zps0d533122.jpg.html)

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp205/Woody35722/100_3464_zpsa7808791.jpg (http://s412.photobucket.com/user/Woody35722/media/100_3464_zpsa7808791.jpg.html)

[NicfromAlabama]

I have shot both 55 and 64 grain at an inch or less at 100 yards consistently in bone stock trim shooting off a pair of bags when I do my part . My barrel took about 100 rounds before it started giving tight groups then it was like I turned a switch on .


I might add that I have close to 100 rounds through my rifle now. Those last groups in the pictures were somewhere in that neighborhood. I still have some of the 55 grain stuff. Perhaps I need to try it again to see what it does. I might have been breaking things in with the 55 grain stuff and the rifle is just now getting "right".

[fla9-40]

Mine likes the Sierra 69gr HPBT Match with either CFE223 or H4895. Does not like anything lighter...AT all!

Here is a 100yrd target with CFE223...Had a flier on the 4th shot!


http://www.nettally.com/kwd/grp4.JPG

[steveNChunter]

fla9-40,

Have you ever tried Varget, RL-15, or H335 behind the 69 gr SMK? I'm about to start working up a load with that bullet and those are the powders I have on hand to try.

[fla9-40]

Steve I have tried all three with Varget coming the closest to shooting like the CFE223 and H4895....close but no cigar!
I did get good results from RE-15 and a Sierra 77gr HPBT...none other powders did as well as RE-15 with this weight

My shooting partner and I did loads of testing with the Savage .223 mine being an Axis with at the time only a Rifle Basix trigger installed and his one of the upper end Savage w/accu-trigger... right over $600 brand new IIRC. His loved the Hornady .68gr HPBT with the same powder and load as mine. We went so far as him giving some of his bullets to load for my gun and I did so as well....Neither gun shot them like the picture I posted!

Since then I have put it in a CF2 wooded stock with pillars and bed the whole action and it shots better then that if I do my part!. I have shot out to 350yrds with it with the same results.

[fla9-40]

I've always read that 1 in 9 twist, to go with 64 grain or less.

LoneWolf the chart I have for .224 1:9 use 63 to 70 grain bullets....1:12 use 55 to 63gr

[Jay24bal]

I have used 52, 55, and 69 grain bullets.

The 55 did not provide good results at all, but the 69 and 52 grain bullets are some very good loads, with the 69 grainers providing a bit tighter group. I still have a little over 200 52 grain bullets left that I will load up and shoot on less windy days. Both ended up liking a charge of Varget over the 2 other powders I tested with.

[steveNChunter]

Not sure what 55 gr bullet you were using, but one of the longer 55 grainers such as the Nosler ballistic tip might give better accuracy with the 1:9 twist

[gldnedge]

55 gr is working so well in my Axis that I'm not considering further experimentation. I shoot either factory Hornady V-Max or a Nosler Varmageddon hp hand load I've worked up. As they say...."if i do my part" I get half inch 5-shot groups at 100 yards with either.

I might add that it was imperative for me to find a good 55 gr round for the Axis since my other 223 is a Mini-14 (181 series) with 1:10 twist. The Mini thrives on 55 gr, so it's nice to have a load that shoots well in either gun.

[steveNChunter]

I believe this thread backs up the fact that each barrel is different, and even though all the rifles mentioned in this thread are 1:9" twist .223 Axis they still like different weight bullets better. There is no single powder or bullet that will perform the best in every .223 Axis. That's why you've gotta try a bunch of different combinations to find "the load" for your rifle. The thing that all the rifles mentioned have in common is once the shooter found the right load, the rifle was a tack driver. I'm new to the Axis world, but I have realized already that they are very under-rated rifles. Especially for the price.

[762X51]

Mine likes the cheapo 55gr Hornady soft points. Puts 5 of them in .650". The 63gr Sierra SMP is a heavier bullet that some folks use on deer sized game. My Axis puts 5 of the 63s into under and inch. I'm constantly amazed at the accuracy of this cheaply built, thin barreled econo-rifle.

[liquid]

I have had all sorts of trouble initially getting any sort of results, my previous rifle was a Bruno 601k an old beat up rifle that I bedded and cut about 4" of frosting on end of barrel. With a worked up load it shot all day well under an inch, but I never liked the floor plate for loading so switched to the savage.
1st problem was when trying to get it sorted, unknown to me, the scope was skipping in adjustments so I was chasing my tail, and could not get it zeroed in. I got sick of throwing lead down the spout, and also the trigger. went with the basix and took the rifle back to the shop. got the scope sorted and back to the range, I was using a bipod, and never realized that the flex in the stock was giving me throwers all over. Once again I was chasing my tail and blamed the scope again. back to shop for another check up, and found all was ok. By this time I had talked myself out of the scope and had lost confidence in it, so up graded to a Burrus 3x9x40. Back to the range. I shoot mostly goats, and the 55 grain is an ideal load for them, so a friend kindly worked up a load for me. Though I am now sitting about an 1", it is still no where as good as the Bruno, though good enough. I had worked up two loads for the
Bruno so did the same for this one. It does not like 60 at all, was given some Barnes 62 grn, even worse, but that just might be the make. Best of brands so far for me is the Fiocchi 55, but at $30.00 a box of 20, they can keep it. We have a local manufacturer here in New Zealand called belmont so I have tried them. Very similar to my hand loads, with a similar price of $42 for 50. At least I know know where to go if I can no longer hand load.
One thing, non of you guys have mentioned whether you have up graded your stock to get the accuracy you are getting, I am using the original until I can upgrade to a Boyds, and will give it the full works! It will cost me as much to get it here as the stock costs, so it is on the back burner for now. Cheers fellas, merry xmas!!!

les

[NicfromAlabama]

Liquid,

Your experience sounds a little like mine. My rifle shot very low when I was sighting it in, but the Leupold I was using had enough adjustment to zero the rifle. I was already using Burris Signature Zee rings, so I used the inserts to correct the rifle's point of aim. I realized early on the stock was too flimsy for a bipod. So, I shoot off a tackdriver bag with the rifle pushed all the way up until the trigger guard hits the bag. That way, there is little pressure on the end of the stock.

Last month, I went for broke and cut out all the ribbing out of the front of the stock using diagonal pliers and needle nose pliers. I then mixed up some JB Weld epoxy and filled in the hollow spot. I read somewhere that epoxy does not like to stick to plastic and that super glue will make it bond to the plastic. So, once I got all the ribbing cut out, I roughed up the interior with my Dremel and then applied super glue to the interior of the stock and let that dry overnight. I have no idea if that was necessary or not, but I did it anyway. I also cut up some nylon string in very small pieces and mixed it in with my epoxy. I figured that might help strengthen it. To avoid having all the little string pieces sticking up in the barrel channel, I covered it over with some JB Weld without the string added. The difference was night and day. The stock feels completely different and is rock solid. I also had to sand a little off one side of the stock since the barrel was touching just a little. That may be something you want to try before spending a bunch of money on an aftermarket stock.