223 Varmint Load Help

[dusterdave173]

I have been working on 223 load for my Savage bolt rifle--primarily for prairie dog and just general fun round--I found that 53 g Vmax with 23.3g of N133 works fantastic--it will shoot one hole half inch to 5/8ths groups at 100 yds again and again--at around 3130 FPS--very low ES usually under 15 many low single digits--easy recoil--I love it but the powder load is way below max of around 24.8 listed Higher powder loads shoot good but will not group as well.
Am I OK with this load? Should I smile and just load a pile of them or ? Some I talk to say I need more powder and higher speed --Rookie here, never shot a PD but have trip booked to SD soon
THANKS!!

 

[old codger]

I think you answered your question. Your load is very accurate and the higher velocity load is not. Use the accurate load. A 223 is not a super long range cartridge so I do not see the need for all the speed. Accuracy should come first. A PD is a small target.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Put the wind at your 6, should not miss inside 200 with that load. 300+ yard hits will be your ability.

 

[dusterdave173]

My local range is only 150 yds
Guess I was a little worried how the load would do at 300-400 and wondered well,,maybe I needed more speed but Thanks for the help! I really appreciate it

 

[SSL]

Accuracy trumps speed. If you are satisfied with the accuracy, a 200 yard zero would place you (roughly) 1.4" high at 100 and 7.5" low at 300. Adjust to .75" high at your 150 yard distance and you will be pretty close. Do test those settings at actual distances for precision.

 

[K22]

I'm a long-time varmint hunter, eastern ground hogs. I'll take accuracy over speed every time since the vital area of a varmint it quite small.

All the speed in the world isn't going to mean anything if you miss due to having less than optimum accuracy.

Here's a test you may want to try. It can be fun and very revealing. I use 3 x 5 cards pasted on brown cardboard and mounted on a simple lightweight target holder*. I've set the target at varying distances shooting under field conditions to establish my approximate maximum effective range.

*Those wire holders for holding a contractor's advertising information when doing work at a resident work quite well for this purpose.

 

[Homerange]

Am I OK with this load?

For now maybe however once you get taken by the red mist spell you're gunna want to push things up some.
As it seems you have a crony and a local 150yd range you should work with some other projectiles and/or experiment with seating depths and stiffer loads.
You never know what you can do until you try......by luck I found a quite hot load with a faster than normal powder (ADI 2207) for my suppressed Rem Mod 7 pushing 50gr BT at 3400+ to shoot under 1/2" that mostly shot so well my then teenage son named it the (Ad)Minister to Justice as it was deadly on varmints, furred and feathered to 250 yds.
Enjoy the journey !

 

[dusterdave173]

Thanks for the help--I will report on how it goes

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

When I have someone who hasn't shot pd before, I print a pd silhouette target, I take their load info and put reference aiming and expected impact points on the target for 100,200,300 yards. It seems easier to explain a "zero" or for them to understand zero vs hold to keep impacts on pd.

 

[ssv1761982]

An old timer told me years ago, "you can't miss them fast enough to kill them".

 

[rmeyerwy]

I got the savage 110v 223, 26" barrel, 1:9tw I have found a load I like very well, great Pdog load, really makes for some nice acrobatics.

I have found:
26.3gr Tac, 40gr Vmax,Bto 1.898, gives me 3540 fps
26.5 H335, Same load, Avg. 3583,

Nothing wrong with your load, but if you want to see some flips, twists and maybe make some green chilli, these will do it!

 

[dusterdave173]

Thanks! I really appreciate that and...I have all the ingredients on hand
I have same barrel so can't wait to try it

 

[CharlieNC]

Well you can miss faster if desired!

 

[Gary in MD]

You CAN have both speed and accuracy.
It just takes some time at the loading bench and the shooting bench. When I’m shooting a rifle, I want the ballistics that I bought and paid for. Not a couple hundred feet per second less. Just because it’s fast doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be inaccurate unless a guy is just commenting on his own loading/shooting abilities LOL
Now make those dogs fly!!!
Gary

 

[Cemetery21]

Go with accuracy. The difference in trajectory with a faster load is very little. Pull them both up on a ballistic program. In all likelihood, the difference in drop will be less than the group of the less accurate load. So, shoot 1/2" flatter but group 1" or more larger?? Not the way to go. You are going to have to hold off shooting dogs anyway.

 

[dusterdave173]

All great info Thanks!
Not having any long range practice as my range is just 150 I had wondered of my load might "fall apart" way out there and maybe hotter faster would not--with all the info and feedback looks like I am good! I worked hard to get the load repeatable and have shot it in all kinds of temp and weather --it repeats and always gives me the tightest groups of anything I have tried--
I have shot 22lr during Covid--A CZ with match grade Ely and SK--it is a dream rifle but best of all it has really taught me a lot--I usually have 7-8 MOA in from my 50 yd zero at 100 and add that much or more for 150 yd--I had been dialing elevation and holding for wind with that rig--It has been "rifle school 101" Then we decided to go for it--Go to SD and shoot PD's for first time--got 223's , started loading and feel ready as we can be for rookies--I also have a few cases of Fiocchi 50 gr Vmax that does pretty decent--We are going mid July--will report and let you know how two green rookie PD shooters fare I have done as much development as I could with limited primer supply and was hoping I could stop for now and load up a pile--
I Really appreciate the input Thanks!!

 

[Webster]

I have been working on 223 load for my Savage bolt rifle--primarily for prairie dog and just general fun round--I found that 53 g Vmax with 23.3g of N133 works fantastic--it will shoot one hole half inch to 5/8ths groups at 100 yds again and again--at around 3130 FPS--very low ES usually under 15 many low single digits--easy recoil--I love it but the powder load is way below max of around 24.8 listed Higher powder loads shoot good but will not group as well.
Am I OK with this load? Should I smile and just load a pile of them or ? Some I talk to say I need more powder and higher speed --Rookie here, never shot a PD but have trip booked to SD soon
THANKS!!

There are powders that should give better speed.
Berger manual data only. Other manuals may give other powders above 3300 fps.
52 gr bullet VV N133 22.0 gr start load 2978 fps
52 Gr bullet VV N133 24.4 Gr max 3270 max fps

53 gr bullet VV 135 26.0 gr. max 3315 max fps
53 gr. bullet AA2460 26.4 gr max 3304 max fps
53 gr bullet Win 748 26.8 gr max 3361 mx fps

 

[lgwatson]

My local range is only 150 yds
Guess I was a little worried how the load would do at 300-400 and wondered well,,maybe I needed more speed but Thanks for the help! I really appreciate it

I hit prairie dogs out to about 350 to 375 with a .223 Remington loaded with Sierra 55 grain Blitz Kings over H4895. My loads chrono at about 3240. Mine are not all one shot hits because there is a loose nut on the end of the stock. With a good ballistics app, you should OK with that load. Velocity is not as important as accuracy in a load in my opinion.

 

[dusterdave173]

Thanks for the encouragement and help!

 

[Bronsin]

Mine liked 24.2-24.6grs of N133 with a Sierra 55gr BTHP. I didn't try anything under 23.8.