223 Accuracy. Is it capable?

[Toolbreaker]

one more thing, if you know someone who has a rifle that shoots in the 1s see if you can put up a couple of groups and compare what you can do to what the rifle can do. That can be humbling. I've had more problems with me than with my rifles

This has always been the fly in the ointment with my load development. Good advice, here.

 

[savagedasher]

Is a 223 capable - yes.

My son began target shooting in FTR using a standard Savage Model 12 VLP DBM 223 with a 26" 1:7 twist barrel.

Firing 80 gr A-Max projectiles with 24.7 gr Varget in Norma cases this combination is competitive against 308s out to 900 yards and 1000 yards in lighter winds.

We only neck size the cases when depriming and haven't needed to trim any yet. Most cases are onto their 4th use. (We have about 400 cases that we are using.) The rifle has fired about 1200-1300 rounds in its first season of use.

So yes a 223 is capable, your friend and his rifle has to answer the question for themselves.

Do you use a drop tube to get 24.7 gr in the case. On QL it looks like a perfect powder. OL says 2972 FPS no friction bullet. 2956 with friction proofed is that speed close? Larry

 

[savagedasher]

one more thing, if you know someone who has a rifle that shoots in the 1s see if you can put up a couple of groups and compare what you can do to what the rifle can do. That can be humbling. I've had more problems with me than with my rifles

This has always been the fly in the ointment with my load development. Good advice, here.

I don't see getting that much powder in the case with 80 gr bullets 69 gr it will work fine. Larry

 

[Taildrag15X]

one more thing, if you know someone who has a rifle that shoots in the 1s see if you can put up a couple of groups and compare what you can do to what the rifle can do. That can be humbling. I've had more problems with me than with my rifles

This has always been the fly in the ointment with my load development. Good advice, here.

I don't see getting that much powder in the case with 80 gr bullets 69 gr it will work fine. Larry

Larry there's plenty of room in those cases, my 90gr. load is 25.30gr Varget.....

 

[savagedasher]

one more thing, if you know someone who has a rifle that shoots in the 1s see if you can put up a couple of groups and compare what you can do to what the rifle can do. That can be humbling. I've had more problems with me than with my rifles

This has always been the fly in the ointment with my load development. Good advice, here.

I don't see getting that much powder in the case with 80 gr bullets 69 gr it will work fine. Larry

Larry there's plenty of room in those cases, my 90gr. load is 25.30gr Varget.....

What case are you using Or H20 capacity Bullet and cartridge length.

 

[XTR]

I'm running 24 or so under 90VLDs in LC from the early 90s, and I can put a lot more in there but I'm happy with the way it is shooting at 2775. My reamer has a .169 freebore, which is about what over .100 longer than what is in a typical AR rifle chamber?

You can't do it at mag length. My 90s are flirting with OALsin the range of 308 mag length. The same load will push a jammed 80Amax over 2900 and initial tests look pretty good, but I haven't had time to play with it.

 

[Cyclops]

Is a 223 capable - yes.

My son began target shooting in FTR using a standard Savage Model 12 VLP DBM 223 with a 26" 1:7 twist barrel.

Firing 80 gr A-Max projectiles with 24.7 gr Varget in Norma cases this combination is competitive against 308s out to 900 yards and 1000 yards in lighter winds.

Do you use a drop tube to get 24.7 gr in the case. On QL it looks like a perfect powder. OL says 2972 FPS no friction bullet. 2956 with friction proofed is that speed close? Larry

We measure twice and then use the funnel that came with my loading kit to pour the powder into the case. The case isn't full, there seems to be room left. The projectile isn't compressing then load.

We've measured the velocity at 2834 fps.
savagedasher could you send me the QL data? I'd be interested in seeing it.

 

[Jdne5b]

Larry there's plenty of room in those cases, my 90gr. load is 25.30gr Varget.....

How is your velocity and case life? What brand case do you use?

 

[searcher]

secondscount: At what distance is your friend shooting? lots of us giving advice without knowing how far the target is. I assumed short range - while others assumed 600 due to mention of 6BR.

 

[fourpower]

we have a small club with 1000yd range. the range record is held by a .223. the group is 4.89 5 shots at 904yds. gun is a Mossberg mvp and we load to mag length. killer load is berger 70gr with varget. best group this gun has shot at 100yds is .009. we have 4 more Mossberg that shoot almost as good. all we do to guns is check bedding- work on triggers and hand lap bbls and then bore-coat them!

 

[AckleymanII]

JeeeZ !!!! Now that is some shooting! Thanks for the heads up!!!

Keith

 

[Taildrag15X]

Larry there's plenty of room in those cases, my 90gr. load is 25.30gr Varget.....

How is your velocity and case life? What brand case do you use?

My new lot of Varget is giving me 2,930fps out of a 32" barrel.

I have used Federal Match, Lapua and Hornady.....anneal after every firing, pockets get loose after 7-8 firings no matter what brass I use.

 

[Mozella]

I have a friend that had a 223 1:8 twist 24" Bartlein barrel put on a trued Remington and is getting a little frustrated. I think it shoots well from the bench, averaging .3" groups but he has another guy saying that 6BR, etc. will shoot much better. Will they really shoot that much better or more consistent? I realize it won't hang with them at a benchrest match but is the caliber capable of more?

I forgot to mention that he has only used 69 SMK with Varget.

How about some more information? If you're talking 5 shot groups at 100 yards, this is good. If you're talking about 3 shot groups at 50 yards,................. no so good.

And when you say "averaging" do you really mean if he adds up the carefully measured center-to-center distance of ALL his 5 shot groups, the average is .3"? If so, that is quite good.

Unfortunately too many people ignore their bad groups and out of 20 groups shot that day, they take the best two or three which happen to measure below .4" and then say my gun averages .3". It's all too easy to fudge the truth just a little bit and come up with performance claims which really don't hold up under close scrutiny.

A REAL average of .300" for each and every one of the last 100 five shot groups fired at 100 yards is really very very good. Is that what you really mean to say? If so, congratulate your friend and don't bet more than a beer if you're shooting against him for score.