223 Rem Muzzle Velocity with ~80 grain Bullets

[_Raining]

I am curious what other people are getting as muzzle velocity when using 80ish gr bullets out of a 223 Rem.

So:
What bullet do you shoot?
What is your barrel length and twist rate (reamer if you know it)?
What powder and powder charge (if you are comfortable sharing it)?
What muzzle velocity are you getting?

 

[xswanted]

80 grain SMK
24” barrel
8 twist
IMR 4320
25.0
2900

* I worked up quite carefully to this load. Not recommended for any other rifles.

 

[Texas10]

80 grain SMK
24” barrel
8 twist
IMR 4320
25.0
2900

* I worked up quite carefully to this load. Not recommended for any other rifles.

Curious what your COAL is with that load. I have some 80SMKs but haven't bothered trying them due to case intrusion. Are you specifically throated for the long bullets?

 

[xswanted]

Curious what your COAL is with that load. I have some 80SMKs but haven't bothered trying them due to case intrusion. Are you specifically throated for the long bullets?

COAL is 2.460.

This is in a factory Tikka so I’m not sure what reamer specs are.

When I started with this load I was at .010 off the rifling so maybe it can be calculated that way.

The rifle now has 969 rounds on it, all with the same brass and the last time I reloaded I started having primer pockets that were enlarged to the point of throwing the brass out. Roughly 9 firings.

 

[watercam]

Berger 80.5s
30" custom barrel
25 gr. Varget loaded to the granual
Lapua brass
Tula/CCI 400/Fed. 205M
Seated .035" off lands of a .223 Match reamer
2970 fps average. ES-20-ish SD- 10-ish (about the best I can do with a .223)
Could load hotter but there is no need for a target rifle.

 

[Park ranger]

2750 in service rifle 20” with 24 varget 2.450”

 

[DBLNUT]

I am curious what other people are getting as muzzle velocity when using 80ish gr bullets out of a 223 Rem.

So:
What bullet do you shoot?
What is your barrel length and twist rate (reamer if you know it)?
What powder and powder charge (if you are comfortable sharing it)?
What muzzle velocity are you getting?

26” M24 taper 1-7.5 Brux
25.0 of Varget
80 VLD
.040 off the lands
2940fps
Reamer is a .150 freebore with a 225 freebore diameter.

 

[BlackburnBuccaneer]

28" 1-7" Bartlein 1.15 for 3" then straight taper to 0.96" at the muzzle chambered with a .150" FB .223 Match reamer.

25.1-.25.3gr Reload Swiss RS50 - has varied by bullet and over the course of the barrel (2800 rounds now).

Berger 82gr BT / CCI 450 in the first few hundred rounds of the barrel touching the lands gave in the region of 2960 FPS with very good precision.

Berger 80gr VLD / CCI BR-4 in the middle of the life (circa 1000 - 1500 rounds) gave 3044 FPS average with excellent accuracy.

Hornady 80gr ELD-M / CCI 450 at present gives 2984 FPS average. Accuracy is fairly good, but alas for me this bullet throws random elevation fliers once every 10 - 15 rounds when none of the berger bullets I shoot do so despite its attractive price I won't be buying any more.

Now all that said, my prefered bullet is the Berger 90 VLD at about 2820 FPS - beats any of the 80s in the wind all day long and the accuracy is every bit as good and has given quite a few .308 shooters a fair surprise!

 

[Nightraider]

 

[loud_noise]

I have a Tikka Varmint factory barrel
1:8 24”
24.2gn Varget/2208
-.015 off the lands

I shoot the 80.5gn Berger FBs and I’m getting around 2740-2750fps

 

[karrarararararar]

Mossberg MVP Varmint
24" 1:9 Twist 5.56 chamber
80 SMK .020" jump
26.4 grains Shooter's World Match (same as accurate 2520)
Starline brass
CCI 450
3014 fps avg 10 fps std dev.

This is a hot load.

 

[FrankG]

80gr Berger
24.0 Varget
Fed205M
-.010 off the lands
.223 Wylde Chamber
1-7 twist
.219” x .224” bore and groove size on the barrel
26” finish length
2.430” o.a.l.
2786fps avg.

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels

 

[FrankG]

I know guys are running loads with Varget over 24.0gr. and I'll say this when you go past 24gr. in a min. spec. chamber (if that's what you are running) and or with a barrel with a tight bore....your pressures will be running over the max. recommended for the .223 Rem.

Just because you don't have a flat primer or heavy bolt lift doesn't mean the pressure isn't over the max.

One of the ammo makers had a local guy shooting his gun with 80gr. MK’s that was losing primer pockets in 3 firings shooting 24something grains of Varget. They tested his ammo and it was mid 60s for pressure and it didn't show any flat primers per say during firing.

In a pressure test barrel 25.5gr of Varget with a 80gr bullet is approximately 70,000psi.
SAMMI max is 55,000psi and NATO or 5.56 max is 62,000psi and lugs on M16 bolts the lugs start coming off around 80k psi. It doesn't take that much powder in these small cases to bump the pressures up really fast and or if you are not properly keeping up with the proper bore cleaning that the carbon fouling etc...can drive your pressures up as well.