223 pet loads Lets see'em

[wbm]

Good to see this post back again. Most rifles in published reloading manuals for the 223 are 1-12 twist for bolt actions....Since the Savage is 1-9, results from shooters using Savage rifles is sometimes a better indicator of real performance with different powder-bullet combinations. Going to work with XBR 8208 today.

Just got back from shooting a sort-of duplicate of "BarrelBurner's" XBR8208 load in his Model 12. It's a keeper in my Axis rifle also. Did not know the brass he used and I used Wolf primers rather than CCI.. The good news is that this load impacts on the same vertical line above the target dot as ADI 69gr Factory ammunition and the 60gr Nosler load with IMR4895 posted by "rjtfroggy"....1" higher than both but on the same vertical plane.
Bottom line is that 3 three shot groups averaged less than .40" and no windage correction was necessary. Works for me. Thanks for posting those loads guys!

Axis with 22" Stevens sporter barrel and Boyd's Prairie Hunter stock.
ADI Brass Neck Sized
Wolf Primers
24.2gr IMR8208XBR
55gr Nosler Varmageddon
COAL=2.378"
Elevation 7100' Temperature 84 Humidity 38 No Wind
3 shot group=.35"

[BarrelBurner]

Glad to hear it worked out well for you. I use that load in Speer and Lapua brass both. I've used Wolf and Tula primers with it too. I didn't see any noticeable difference with them but I have a lot of cci so that's the flavor of the day. If it's really a hot day I back it down to 24.0grs

[fr3db3ar]

Since I feed several I use a general recipe to fit all. 25 varget under 55 gr vmax. 24 varget under 69 SMK. All with LC case and 400 primer. All set to ar mag length.

Sent from my SM-T817V using Tapatalk

[copterdrvr]

Savage Model 12 FLV, 1/9 twist
Lake City brass (sorted-all 2012 year manuf. brass)
CCI BR-4 match primer
24.6 grn H4895
2.35 OAL
69 grn Sierra HPBT MATCH
300 YARDS, CALM WINDS

[wbm]

Looking good copterdrvr! Will give this one a go and see how she flys.

[copterdrvr]

thanks!

Unfortunately it won't fit in an AR mag, but even stuffed it shoots really well.

Lemme know how it does in your gear-it appears to work pretty well in other rifles.

[wbm]

Works good in mine. This thread definitely needs to continue. Lot's of loads specific to 1-9 Twist Savage rifles in different configurations. Several loads listed that I have tried worked well in my Savage 223's also.

[Want2BS8ed]

Interesting conversation at the range several months ago discussing OCW, OBT and universal loadings that seemed to work in any gun. Was provided with the following recipe:

LC brass
25.0g of IMR 8208 XBR
Sierra 55g HPBT (#1390)
COAL to AR mag length 2.26"

I have fired it through both AR's and bolt actions with 16" to 24" barrels and 1:8 to 1:9 twist rates. All with outstanding accuracy at 100 yards - including a new factory second SS Axis that was shooting sub 1/2-MOA groups out of the box.

M

[PaddyD]

I've found the XBR to shoot well in most everything I have tried. However this powder leaves a guy with a very tight window for charge weights. I recommend if using it to use a very accurate scale because as already mentioned 1/10th gn can make a big difference and most all scales, especially the cheaper electronic ones are struggling to even weigh within 1-2 tenths on a consistent basis. This makes this powder in small capacity cases like the .223 a hard powder to get that near perfect load repeatable if your node is right at that specific tenth of a grain. You also must watch the pressure signs with it for the same reason prev. mentioned, especially if you're seating close to or on the lands and/or using military cases. That said, my .204 Ruger LRPV likes it a lot with 32 gn bullets.

[Rich]

My Savage 12 Low Profile with McGowen 1 x 9 loves the 53 HPFB Sierra at 2.255 over 24.7 gr of 8208. Only ever get to shoot at 100 yds any more but it bug holes.

[wbm]

Interesting conversation at the range several months ago discussing OCW, OBT and universal loadings that seemed to work in any gun. Was provided with the following recipe:

LC brass
25.0g of IMR 8208 XBR
Sierra 55g HPBT (#1390)
COAL to AR mag length 2.26"

Since I had all the listed ingredients on hand, I gave this formula a go yesterday. Add an Axis with sporter barrel to the list of "loadings that seemed to work in any gun." Very accurate! Thank you sir.

[wbm]

07-31-20
11:15
Temp 84

55gr Sierra HPBT
25gr Benchmark
ADI Brass Federal SR Primer
2.260" OAL
10 Shots=.49"

[wbm]

Found a buy, relatively speaking, this winter on PMC Bronze 55gr FMJ so I bought a bunch. Accuracy in my Savage was horrible. Pulled a bullet and PMC powder load what looked very much like BL-C(2)....Yeah I know already...so for the heck of it I pulled 10 bullets and replaced them with 55gr Sierra HPBT's. First five shots where at .475"....works for me.

[charlie b]

Good work!. My .223 was my first real introduction to how much difference there is in the bullets.

[wbm]

Me too.

Did some "replacement therapy" last year with Winchester's 125gr OTM 6.5CM offering. Accuracy was terrible. Like 2-3" groups terrible so I pulled a few and replaced them with some 123 Amax's. What a difference!

On the 223 side. With the shortage of Benchmark and 8208, I have been loading BL-C(2) again. Looked back in my notebook from a few years ago and saw at one time I thought 50gr Sierra BlitzKings and BL-C were pretty good together. Put a few together today and looks like I was right.

You guys still hot and dry down South? Thousands of trees dying in the Zuni Mountains where I am.

[wbm]

Did a variation of an rjtfroggy load with Hornady 60gr Vmax. Did not have IMR 4895 so I used H4895. Worked!
Just grabbed and old paper target this morning and headed out before the heat arrived....did three rapid fire
and ended up with a .345" three shot group. What? Not 5 shots? Nope. (The 1st shot hit whatever. It died. Then a second appeared! Bang, flop, it died....what!? a third came running out? YES. Bang, flop, it died.)

Savage Axis
24gr H4895
ADI Brass
Federal Primer
60gr Hornady Vmax
OAL=2.350"
09:30, Clear, 70, No Wind.

[Dave Hoback]

I’m all set to do some more 223. Have LC brass, CCI 450’s and a combination of 55gr FMJBT, 68gr HPBT & some 75gr HPBT pills to play with. Problem is...I haven’t been able to find powder in 9 DAGNABBIT months! I desperately want some BLC-2...but I may just grab the first thing I can find. Of course, being disabled....no longer driving gets in the way. Oh well. This to shall pass, LOL!

[wbm]

Found some BL-C(2) in an Academy store in Greensboro NC last fall...had one 1 pounder on the shelf. Believe it or not I had never used that powder in 223! Anyway, I am a fan now. Wish I could find some 8208 and Benchmark!

Are the 68gr HPBT's you have Hornady? If they are, I found some I had forgotten I had....like got them years ago. Guess I will load some this week.

[celltech]

69gr Sierra TIPPED Match king over 25.0 Varget in Hornady brass....standard CCI primer...2.260" oal. Sub 1/2 MOA for 5 shots from my 1:9 12FV with a barrel cut down to 20". Load is hot as the primers are just starting to get edges on them.

On my thicker Starline brass I have to drop it down to 24.5 grains or primers get ugly and bullets start spreading.

[wbm]

For what it's worth, IMR 8208XBR has become my go-to powder in 223 for anything less than 60gr bullets.

[wbm]

Thanks celltech. Don't have any 69gr Sierras but do have some 68gr Hornady. Will give this one a go. This thread should stay active. All the posted loads that I have tried (especially where components and OAL are given) have worked well in at least three 223 Savage rifles I have tried them in. You often hear "well what shoots well in my rifle may not shoot well in yours." True. But the "magic" of this thread is all the loads are in Savage rifles with 1-9 or slower twist rates. Sierra's V Manual used Savage rifles a lot for their testing. I have yet to try one of their "accuracy loads" that did not perform good to excellent in my Savage rifles.

[charlie b]

Thanks celltech. Don't have any 69gr Sierras but do have some 68gr Hornady. Will give this one a go. This thread should stay active. All the posted loads that I have tried (especially where components and OAL are given) have worked well in at least three 223 Savage rifles I have tried them in. You often hear "well what shoots well in my rifle may not shoot well in yours." True. But the "magic" of this thread is all the loads are in Savage rifles with 1-9 or slower twist rates. Sierra's V Manual used Savage rifles a lot for their testing. I have yet to try one of their "accuracy loads" that did not perform good to excellent in my Savage rifles.

One of the things I have noticed with the .223 is that it performs well with a wide variety of bullets, powders and loads.

When I first reloaded for it I was using a powder measure on my progressive press and not weighing individual charges. Using the 69gn SMK's I was still getting MOA level loads out to 200yd, even with kind of wild extreme spreads in velocity (100fps or more).

Now days even the cheapest 55gn FMJBT bullets will do MOA for me. The better bullets will do less than 1/2MOA (and they are more limited by my skills than their accuracy). Powders seem to be similar. Some may like a filled case and others more tolerant of heat, but, most will shoot well.

[wbm]

Now days even the cheapest 55gn FMJBT bullets will do MOA for me. The better bullets will do less than 1/2MOA (and they are more limited by my skills than their accuracy). Powders seem to be similar. Some may like a filled case and others more tolerant of heat, but, most will shoot well.

Agree. Except for the Remington UMC 223 55 Grain Full Metal Jacket. Worst factory ammo I have ever used in 223!

[charlie b]

Factory ammo, I agree. I had Federal bulk ammo that was lucky to get 2MOA.

Never tried Remington factory bullets in my reloads. The cheapest bullets I could find at the local shop were the Hornady 55 FMJBT. They do OK.

[EubeenHadd]

Testing a new load next week, 70gr RDF, 25.1gr Varget, CCI450, mixed Hornady/GECO 100gr brass. Hoping for MOA, but this 9 twist hasn't liked long 70gr+ round's yet so we'll see.