Best grain for .223 REM

[Russ77]

Hi guys not sure if I'm in the right forum but I have an ammo question. I just picked up a savage axis heavy barrel 1/9 twist in.223. I'm wondering what would be the best grain bullet for accuracy?? 50,55,72??? Does it make a difference in shooting accuracy??? I know you have to match the grain to your barrel twist, the 1/9 have a pretty big range. Most of the guys I shoot with use 55 grain,I'm guessing mostly because of cost and availability. They shoot semi auto ARs so I will be shooting much less ammo then them. I'm looking to target shoot from 100 to 400(hopefully) yards. Not doing any hunting so knockdown power is not an issue. Pretty new to the rifle world so any info would help
thanks

[Robinhood]

Russ, The correct question is...My 223 barrel has a X twist, what bullet shoots well. Also it is not exactly weight determining but length. Obviously heavier bullets are longer if the design is similar.

69 gr and lighter is a good place to start.

[Russ77]

I did some searching and found a thread of the subject
http://www.savageshooters.com/showthread.php?16721-Best-Factory-ammo-for-the-AXIS-223

[rjtfroggy]

Russ I have 2 Savage 1:9 tw. rifles, 1 has a 20" bull barrel the other a 26" varmint and both shoot the Sierra 60gr. varmint bullet extremely well ( .25-.30 five shot groups). I reload with close to minimum load of IMR 4895. load is from Hogdons web site. Out to 400 hundred you will definitely need a larger bullet 75-79??? Never had the chance to shoot that far but I can tell you at 200 the wind will destroy you with a light bullet.

[Texas10]

If you're looking for ammo and not components to hand load ammo, be sure to try the American Eagle 223 p/n AE223GTV. This is a tipped, 3350 fps, 50 gr V-Max that shoots fantastically out of my 9 twist Varmint barreled Savage. It is on sale for $5.99 a box here: http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ammunition/rifle-ammunition/223-5-56.html?p=2

When hand loading, I choose Hornaday 50 and 55 gr, V-Max, 52g Match and 53 g A-Max. For heavier loads, I like 69g Nosler Custom Competition HPBT or Sierra Match King HPBT. The Sierra Tipped Match King in 69g has better BC and shoots longer & flatter than the HPBT.

[darkker]

1)I'm wondering what would be the best grain bullet for accuracy??
2)Does it make a difference in shooting accuracy???
3)I know you have to match the grain to your barrel twist,
thanks


Russ, you have to stop using the word BEST, unless you are describing your personal experiences, and not asking questions.
1) None of us can tell you that, unless we have your gun. So you tell us.
2) Same answer as #1.
3) No, you have to match your bullet LENGTH to twist rate and velocity.

Be aware of RPM limits of jackets/bullet construction. With a 9-twist, you can very easily spin light bullets apart. Most varmint bullets have an RPM limit of 240-260,000RPM. Most match bullets are 290-320,000 RPM.

MV * 720 / Twist = RPM

[vincent7]

what works for me = 60 grain vmax or hornady 69 grain fmjbt and 22 grain reloder 15, bullets just off the lands. very accurate.

[Jam287]

I'm with Texas 10 I have a 223 Hog Hunter 1:9 twist and it shoots 55gr Vmax and 69gr Sierra Match Kings. Both shoot real well for me.

[kkeene]

52 gr Sierra HPBT model 1410 in my rifles (1 is 1:7 22-250 AI, 2 are 1:9 223, one is 1:12 22-250) at 100 and 200 yards, and I have tried several quality "accuracy" and "varmint" bullets up to 75 grains.

One surprise is the Sierra 65 gr GameKing, it shoots better that the 69 gr Sierra Match and the 75 gr Hornady A-Max in my rifles, go figure...

Wind drift past 100 yds can be a factor to go with heavier bullets though. I often shoot in the field at much longer ranges at prairie dogs, but can's typically shoot on paper for accuracy past 200 yards.

Your mileage may vary...

[psharon97]

The better question is, what do you want to do with the rifle? Target plinking inside 300 yards? I prefer the 55gr Hornady VMAX or the 55 Nosler Varmageddon. If I want to shoot at longer ranges, I'll reach for a larger caliber in my possession.

I would not take the 223 deer hunting. You can do it, but there's so many other calibers that will do the job better. You can use the 223 for longer ranges, but I have better calibers for the job. If 223 is all you can get, it is a great caliber and can do a lot.

[Russ77]

my rifle will be for target shooting only. I went with .223 for cost of ammo reasons. This is my first rifle so it's kind of a learning tool for me. I think my next purchase will be a .308. My goal is to be able to shoot out to 1000 yards and beyond but I have a lot to learn before I get there this forum has been a wealth of information for me. Im picking up my rifle on Tuesday, mounting the scope and then breaking in the barrel, then zeroing in at 100 yards will be my next steps. I'm very excited to get going on it

[darkker]

Well, again the answer is it depends.
My 9-twists always stabilized 77gr CC's & SMK's. I've **** them well beyond 1,000. But wind becomes absolutely critical at that distance. The 75Amax typically won't stabilize at book pressures in a 9-twist; but has a better BC
The limiting factor for that distance with the 223, is going to be you.
Here is an article you may find interesting.
http://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/shooting-223-mile-1.php

[Russ77]

Well, again the answer is it depends.
My 9-twists always stabilized 77gr CC's & SMK's. I've **** them well beyond 1,000. But wind becomes absolutely critical at that distance. The 75Amax typically won't stabilize at book pressures in a 9-twist; but has a better BC
The limiting factor for that distance with the 223, is going to be you.
Here is an article you may find interesting.
http://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/shooting-223-mile-1.php
very interesting read. I have a good idea of loads to try after I dial in. I think I want to eventually get into making my own hand loads but that but be later down the line.

[Mozella]

......................... I think I want to eventually get into making my own hand loads but that but be later down the line.

I think most responders assumed you were hand loading. Since you aren't, your question might have been better if you had asked "Where can I buy the most accurate ammunition". The answer, if you don't hand load, is to hire an expert to make and test custom bullets especially for you and your particular gun. Don't laugh, there are people who sell such services and folks who employ them. However, that is generally beyond the reasonable price range for most casual shooters. So, a better question for those not hand loading might be, "Which ammo provides good bang for the buck, especially if I'm interested in shooting small five shot groups at 100 or 200 yards?"

If you want decent factory ammo I would suggest you look at the Black Hills products. They sell a wide range of cartridges suitable for your gun. They don't make the very best ammo, but it's quite good for the price. Buy a minimum amount of several types, perhaps starting from 55gr up to 75gr and do your own tests. Don't be surprised if the Black Hills version of the 69gr Match Kings shoot the best. However, some 1-9 guns shoot 55gr bullets the best. You need to test your particular gun. Nobody, even those with identical guns, can make a prediction good enough to eliminate the need for you to test your own equipment.

Your goal of shooting at 1000 yards is just fine, but you may want to look at something other than a .223 or .308 for those kinds of ranges. Lobbing a round that far just for fun once in a while is OK; however, if you are going to compete or even get serious about ringing steel at 1000 yards just for fun, you might be better off with something more suitable. On the other hand, the .223 is hard to beat for relatively low cost shooting out to 300yards and it's a really great round to get started with hand loading. Once the accuracy bug bites, you'll get frustrated with factory ammo and have a strong urge to brew your own.

By the way, I highly recommend using "On Target" software (or something similar) to scan (or photograph) your targets. Differences at 100 yards can be small and accurate measurements are important to separate the fly s**t from the pepper. A computer program like "On Target" makes it easy to measure your groups and analyze them so that you can tease the truth out of the data you produce. If you're serious about accuracy (precision actually) then measuring your success using a coin or a carpenters tape measure is foolish.

[Russ77]

My .223 is going to be for 300 yards and under. The next rifle I purchase will be higher caliber and shooting out to longer distances. Hopefully by that time I will have more experience and knowledge to make those longer shots. I have been told by many people the biggest factor in rifle shooting is the person pulling the trigger

[darkker]

... Yes. For 300 yards, it is completely irrelevant what bullet you use, or ammo. Find what shots the most accurate.