Savage model 10 223 reloading

[Brad young]

I just Acquired A savage model 10 heavy barrel in 223. From reading different post I think it has a 1:9 twist rate. So what bullets are you guys using to reload with.

[Robinhood]

I think it has a 1:9 twist rate. If you are looking to get the best accuracy from your rifle, Thinking is not the way to start.

[CFJunkie]

You didn't say whether you intend to shoot hunting bullets or match bullets but bullet weight ranges from 35 grain to 63 grains should be in the sweet spot for most 1:9 twist .223 rifles - some 1:9 twists can stabilize 69 grain bullets and some people claim up to 73 grains work with a 1:9 twist.

I would caution you that each rifle has individual preferences and two identical rifles may not perform exactly the same with the same bullet and powder combinations.
The amount of bullet body that touches the rifling does seem to make a difference in accuracy and stability in my 1:9 twist bolt action.
Powder burn rates are also a big variable.
I would recommend that you experiment a bit to see what works best in your rifle.

However, to give you the reload results you asked for:
I primarily shoot match bullets and my 1:9 twist shoots 52 (Sierra # 1410), 53 grain (Sierra # 1400) SMKs and 52 grain Berger #22408 flat base bullets the most accurately.
The 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips group average is 3% larger than the 52 grain Bergers with the same powder.

In my 1:9 twist bolt action rifle, there is a 37% fall off with 55 grain bullets even Berger (#22410).
With bullets under 60 grains, I find that the faster powders (H335 and N133) deliver 26.9% more accurate results in my 1:9 twist bolt action than the slower H4895.

For heavier bullets, my 1:8 twist Les Baer semi-auto rifle shoots 69 and 77 grain bullets better with H4895 or Varget.
It shoots 52 grains accurately with CFE223 and H335.

My son and a shooting buddy each have model 10 FCP-Ks with 1:9 twist barrels with muzzle brakes.
One rifle shoots 40 grain Berger #22303 bullets the best with IMR4198 powder.
Both shoot 40 grain Berger #22303 FB with IMR4198 powder best.
One shoots the same bullet with N133 powder a close second the other shoots the same bullet with H322 powder a close second.
The 52 and 53 grain SMKs shoot 35% as accurately as best 40 grain Berger bullets.
Their accuracy also drops off as the bullet weight increase.
The 69 SMKs shoot 37.5% larger groups than the best 52 grain bullet and 85% larger than the best 40 grain bullet.

Another shooting buddy has a new 1:9 Savage 12 FV with a 1:9 twist and it seems to follow the same trend as my bolt action with the 52 and 53 grain bullets with H335 powder but shot the 55 grain Berger #22410 as accurately as the 52 gr and 53 gr bullets with CFE223 powder. There is also a drop off in accuracy with 60 grain bullets.

[celltech]

69gr Sierra TMKs with Varget shoot 1/2" in my 9 twist 12FV. For lighter rounds I like the 53gr Vmax...

[98dyna]

I have a Savage model 12 BVSS .223 with 1 in 9 twist, 60 grain Vmax. I have a Stag AR .223 with a 1 in 8 twist bull barrel, 50 grain Vmax. I have a Ruger American Predator with 1 in 9 twist, it will shoot anything I put in it out to 300 yards.

[Texas10]

That stupid cheap 53 grain V-Max has an extraordinary B.C. allowing it to perform as well as a much heavier bullet out to considerable distance. It is also capable of one hole groups at 100yds. Pretty hard to beat that in terms of cost vs performance. I've shot them out to 750 yds and they do fairly well. At 500 yds and under, 4 inch clays are at grave risk with that bullet.

Your nine twist may shoot the 75 grain Hornadays at sea level pressures depending upon actual twist, and more likely will shoot the 77 SMK. But the 69 grain pills are pretty much a no brainer. 69 SMK, TMK, Nosler CC, Lapua, and 68 Hornaday, you name it'll shoot it. On the light/fast side the 50's, 52, 53, with H335 are killer.

Nice thing about the 223 Rem is it's not fussy about what load or powder you use, and you should easily get sub moa groups if you're even a little bit careful.

[CFJunkie]

Thanks to Texas10 and celltech's posts about their successes with 69 grain SMKs in 1:9 twist barrels, I loaded some 69 Tipped Match King # 7169 bullets that shoot great in my Les Baer Super Varmint 1:* twist barrel for my CZ 527 Varmint with a 1:9 twist barrel.

I used H4895 powder and seated them out to 2.312 O.A.L. @ 2692 fps and also got them to shoot 0.680 average for two 5-round groups at 100 yards.
I don't think that is all that bad for a 7-year old rifle with over 7,000 rounds down the barrel.

By comparison, my Les Baer 1:8 twist averages 0.341 for 5-round groups at 100 yards with the same bullet with 4 different powders but the Les Baer cost more than $2,250 and was guaranteed to shoot under 1/2 inch at 100 yards with factory ammo compared to just over $600 for the CZ.

[scootergisme]

69 gr SMK over 26 grains of Varget for target shooting and 70 gr Barnes TSX BT over 26 grains of Varget for hunting. I've been using both loads for years. My kids have taken numerous whitetails with the Barnes load.

[nova1194]

The load all of my 223s have been liking lately is 27.8 grains of CFE under a 55 gr sierra blitzking, which kind of surprises me because I cant get them anywhere near the lands in any of them. I load everything to fit in magazines for hunting, going to try some ladder tests once the weather warms up some to tune the load a little for each rifle. Also going to try some Barnes bullets with the CFE to see how they do, looking for a little more sturdy bullet for larger varmints.
My 223s include sporter and heavy barrel savages, both 9 twist, an 8 twist AR and a 9 twist AR.