Precision Carbine 223

[futr_trooper]

hey guys, just had my dealer order my Precision carbine in 223. wondering what factory load are shooting good out this gun. and what scopes you guys have on them

[82boy]

I did an article for this site on the exact same gun. If you was a member you could read it and see what rounds I found shot best.

[handirifle]

I did an article for this site on the exact same gun. If you was a member you could read it and see what round I found shot best.

"Ouch!"

[vermonter]

I'll second that!

[82boy]

Precision shooting also did an article on this same rifle, (And a few other magazines.) you have to have a subscription to read it don't you? It is one of the perks of membership.

[futr_trooper]

cmon guys. Help me out.

[sinman]

you can have 2 rifles that came off the line at the same time and both might not like the same ammo, the best way is to try some and see how it does.

[Three44s]

I did an article for this site on the exact same gun. If you was a member you could read it and see what rounds I found shot best.

OUCH??? I see no ouch here ...... to the point .... yes. IF the milk is free, who's gonna pay for the cow?

My twelve bucks for the first year has been WELL SPENT .......... I've had a blast dealing with members and obtained four barrels in a short time span ..... and the articles are frosting on the cake. I fancy myself staying here for one very long time and when the initial year I've paid for draws to a close ..... I will cheerfully extend to a longer time. VIVA Savage shooters!!!

As for the original post ..... I don't have any feed back on factory .223 ..... my handloads are best served with RL15 but your "Q" was about factory ...... no dodge ... just the facts and besides my specimen is a CZ.

Three 44s

[82boy]

cmon guys. Help me out.

As mentioned by Sinman, each barrel is different and what works in one may or may not work in another. You need to find what you gun likes, don't dictate to it what it likes, let it show you what it likes. In my article I used reloaded ammo, because the only way to find the true potential of a rifle is by tuning the ammo to the rifle. Again what works in one gun may not work in another. Start buying ammo and shoot it and see how it does. In the past I have had good luck with Winchester white box. Some people prefer higher end ammo like Black Hills, Hornady TAP, and Federal Premimum Gold match.

You will find majority of people on this site load there own ammo. If your interested in reloading ammo this is what you will find. You will have to play with seating depth to see what your barrel likes. I have seen two identical Savage LRPV's in 223 that both shoot lights out (Both guns shooting the same powder, and bullet weight). One like the bullets touching the lands, the other will not shoot unless it is jumped 80 thousands. This is part of tuning, and why just picking a load and running with it doesn't work. It is an experiment. Also brass prep has a big play in accuracy.

The one I have (10pc) like to have the bullets jumped, around 60 thousands off the lands. It did not like it when I move the bullet in or out. The gun preformed good with several different loads, the one I like the best was a 77gr SMK over 23 gr of H4895. The factory tested the rifle using Federal Gold Medal with the same bullet.

Many people have had good luck with 69 gr SMK's over Varget somewhere around 24 to 25 grs. I have found that many factory guns respond well to 53 gr SMKs (or similar bullet) with N133 in the 25 gr area.

The biggest bit of advise I can give you deals with the accu-wedge, either take it out, or LIGHTLY tighten it. If you tighten it down hand tight the groups became sporadic.

On scopes I tried several different ones I had a Mueller 8-32x44, a Vortex Crossfire 8-32x50, a Old Japan Tasco world class plus 25X, and a New Tasco 10-40x44. The gun did well with all the scopes, but I liked the Tasco WCP 25X best. They all cleared with the factory mount, and med Burris rings.

[bluealtered]

I have the pc .308 and as stated above, it did take trying a number of different loads, both factory and mine to find what it likes best. There is a lot of info that is always being updated by being a member, it is well worth the $12. Since the .223 is one of the cheaper rounds to shoot, it would be best to simply start buying/rolling some and see what it likes. My .223's pretty much like stuff from 50gr to 65gr, it depends on what you are trying to do. Is it paper or coyotes, or what? blue

[steveinwv]

I just paid the membership fee and went straight to the 10 Precision Carbine article. Excellent article, great info, and nice pics. Well worth the price of admission. Just do it. I can't wait to read some of the reloading articles.

[Slowpoke Slim]

Before I was set up to reload 223, I bought several different boxes of factory ammo, Black Hills, Ultramax, and a couple others I can't remember (didn't try the Winchester "white box" though, I think they were out of stock). We tried this ammo in my buddy's Contender handgun, his NEF carbine, and also my Stevens 200. None of the ammo we tried shot very well in those particular guns. If I had just "given up" on my Stevens then, I probably would have sold it off as being inaccurate (this was before I started that evil barrel-swapping thing, now I would have swapped the barrel).

Thankfully I picked up the dies and started handloading the cartridge. It took several different combinations of components (bullets, primers, powder) to find "the one" for my rifle. As an aside, the load my rifle likes, is not shot well by either of my buddy's 223's.

Here's what mine can do with handloads:

[img width=600 height=450]http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr268/slowpokeslim/P1050365.jpg[/img]

That is 5 shots, at 100 yards, from a cold, clean barrel, shot without "waiting" for the barrel to cool.

I'm not trying to brag (OK, well maybe a little bit ;D ), but more to show you that with patience and experimenting, great accuracy can be achieved. This Stevens is box-stock, with only a little trigger work (by me with a set of stones on the factory trigger). I have a Nikon Buckmaster 3-9x scope sitting in dual dovetail Burris Signature rings on it. It is my "predator rifle".

I sure am glad I didn't "give up" on this rifle after the first couple of attempts with factory ammo...

;D

[Three44s]

I have much fun pursuing accuracy ............

;D


Slowpoke Slim,

I noticed that you measured outside ........ you ought to measure centers .... you'll get to brag more ..........




Regards

Three 44s

[Slowpoke Slim]

Yes that's true, but in truth I only use the rifle to make holes in coyotes. They don't seem to care if I measure center to center, or outside to outside.

;D

I had been thinking of swapping this barrel for a 6x47 (222 Rem Mag) bbl, until I fired this group, now I'm not touching it!

[beradon]

I also just became a paid member and I enjoyed 82boys review of the Precision Carbine but I am a little puzzled about the wedge's effectiveness (or lack of). Any chance its just an issue with the rifle you tested ? Doesn't a good bedding job restrict locking lug movement? I only made one trip to the range with mine and accuracy was good but I didn't have the time to come up with anything conclusive however I'm definitely going to experiment with the wedge.

I was having some problems with the rifle not striping rounds out of the magazine but it was operator error. In some cases I didn't insert the magazine firmly and other times I didn't pull the bolt back far enough to catch the cartridge rim but with those problems solved I'm real happy with it. I mounted a Pentax 6 x 18 x 44 into a set of medium Burris Weaver style Zee rings on an EGW Picatinny rail and I think it going to work well

[82boy]

I am a little puzzled about the wedge's effectiveness (or lack of). Any chance its just an issue with the rifle you tested ? Doesn't a good bedding job restrict locking lug movement?

Yes a "GOOD" bedding job would restrict recoil lug movement. I doubt it is just a case with that rifle. I have talked to Fred at SSS, and he has ran into a few accu-stocked rifles that have had problems. Some rifle he has seen the recoil lug was bottoming out in the rail and not letting the action sit properly.

The acu-wedge does the exact same thing as having the recoil pad of the rifle resting on the ground, having the muzzle pointing up then letting gravity push the action back, letting the recoil lug rest as far back as it can, and then tightening the action bolts. I was convinced when I loosened the accu-wedge and I heard a loud pop and saw the action jump, that it was placing stress on the works. I saw this happen a couple of times. I will say that the rifle I tested has a ton of potential. I wonder if it is not too tight and with climate and temperature changes exacerbates the problem. I often wonder about the aluminum used in the stock and harmonics.