.223

[jraney]

i have a H&R .223 rifle with a 12twist i need some
load info for this gun with some sierra 52 &60 gr bullets
both are hp 52's are boattail and the 60's are flat base.
if that makes a difference. i have already tried 1 load with some imr 3031, i can't remember the exact load but it was not accurate at all. so i guess what i am asking for is what powder bullet combo have you all had good results from?
i still plan on loading some more with the 3031 but i will
also try to get some different powders and if needed some
different bulletsbut for now that is what i have got.
any suggestions will be great, thanks for listening.

j

 

[possum1]

Varget, H4895, H335, IMR4320. http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp Be sure and watch your cases. I had two that really liked to GROW brass. Hopes this helps.

 

[necchi]

Got one in 1-12 bull, as said',,
Varget! ;D
I'm getting real nice groups with the 55's in it. Nosler Ballistic tips are an 1" +/- at 200. Definately nice for the lowley Handi. Lock-up and forearm work is really important to sqeeze what ya can from these things.
Worked up 40-45-50 but the 55's have been best so far, even cheap Rem FMJ group OK at 100 for trigger time and pratice. Can't say if the flat base is a gainer or not, the Rem FMJ's are flat but also not very consistant (cheap) so they open up a bit at 200,,

 

[tenring]

I have the same rifle. Its not close to BR quallity or accuracy; but it does shoot reasonably well with H335 and 50 gr. Hornady SX bullets. Varget is also a good choice.

 

[artbosco]

i have a H&R .223 rifle with a 12twist i need some load info for this gun ... what powder bullet combo have you all had good results from?

I have a target sitting over my desk that's framed and dated 11-30-'07. The 5-shot group on it measures .084". The group was measured by an official of my club. I shot it just a month and a half after I began reloading and was working up a load at the time. Needless to say, I stayed with this load for this barrel.

I used a Savage Model 12 VLP-S chambered for the 223 Remington, a Douglas 26" 1-9 twist barrel, Lapua 223 brass, 26 grains of Varget, CCI BR4 primers, and Ronnie Cheek's http://www.rcheek.com/ .224" 63 grain bullets.

I can tell you the barrel twist was a wrong decision on my part. I probably should have ordered a 1-12 or 1-14 but I was just getting started and didn't know better. I made due with what I had, by ordering the heaviest .224 custom made bullets I could find. If I had ordered the slower twist I would have gone to a lighter bullet.

Hope this helps getting you started. For safety, follow the powder manufacturer's guide for load development.

 

[jonbearman]

I would suggest getting a couple reloading manuals to cross reference to decide on a load that would suit your needs.Buy the hornady and the sierra manuals and tons of ballistic imfo as well. One mans loads may not work in your chamber as they all vary a little bit.

 

[jo191145]

Win 748 is a good bet also.

 

[Kenny474]

The thing you need to do is take your load equipment to the range, start with the bullets either jammed or off by at least .010, start at or above the start load and work your way up to when you see pressure signs in small increments or powder, maybe .5gr or .3gr. If you go from mild to seeing pressure signs and never get close to good accuracy, you need to try a different powder or bullet.

That said, I would try Varget, H4895, BL-C2, or RE15 and ditch the 3031. They are all better suited to the .223 for the bullet weights you are using.

Good luck, and never put too much faith in someone else's pet load, as it's not yours and likely won't be either.

 

[jraney]

hey thanks for all the input, i was already planning on buying some more and different powders and you all gave me some great choices, the 3031 was what i bought the first time and the guy at cabelas said oh ya this will work good for both your guns. i have had good results in my 22-250 with the 60grnrs
but the .223 with the 50's are all over the paper. but anyhow it maybe a little while before i can try these powders but i will let you all know how things worked out.

thanks j

 

[necchi]

, start with the bullets either jammed or off by at least .010,

Fairly reasonable advise Kenny,,you don't have a Handi rifle do ya?

 

[Kenny474]

, start with the bullets either jammed or off by at least .010,

Fairly reasonable advise Kenny,,you don't have a Handi rifle do ya?

I have a few H&R's actually. This is pretty much what I do to get one dialed in quickly. Some like jam, some don't. But more often than not I jump as that's when I get the best results. I only have 2 barrels that like jam, and one is toast now. A few have had rather deep throats as well, as they vary a bit from what I have seen. As with anything, they are all a bit different,

Kenny

 

[necchi]

"A few have had rather deep throats as well,"

That is prevelant with a high precentage of the handis. It's always best to check instead of presuming where the lands are, but with my 223 bull a 55grn drops out of the case long before contacting the lands.
The only thing I can do is keep a reasonable section of the bullet in the neck and check for runout.
I found with all my handis, with the big chambers and long necks these things have is to concentrate on runout. Keeping it down too .001 is of course preferable but .001-.002 really goes a long way towards helping them shoot strait.
Can be tuff to do with those little 223 pills. Course you need the tools to check,,,

 

[Kenny474]

Honestly, I really don't worry too much about the ammo in most of my Handi's that use bottleneck rounds. I just use Lee FL dies and load ammo as normal with a reasonable amount of care. They seem to be accurate enough, and I'm not looking for pin-point precision anyway. They are more for fun and hunting than anything, and their accuracy has always been plenty good enough for me. I have done a bit of work with a couple, but mostly with one that had a re-cut custom chamber that was properly sized.

The Handi's I use most are my 45/70's, .500S&W and my 20ga, so I normally don't worry about run-out much when using them.

Kenny

 

[minnesota]

Try a 50 grain bullet, I have had my best luck with benchmark and varget. Very best luck with benchmark, my buddy tried it in his 223 rem and shot some really good groups too. ;D

 

[BBTC48]

My experience with break open single shot has only been with 14" bull Contender with 12" twist and being so short may give different results than you're getting, BUT it loves any 50gr bullet, likes most 52's, 53's, and the 55gr Nosler BT's. It hates anything over 55gr. ! My best loads have always been with AA2460 but have used H335 as well with success. One positive step in my 20yr evolution and .223 was switching to a Forster plunger style die (seater) which aligns the brass and bullet perfectly when seating. Use Lapua and try some different primers. BR4's and Rem 7 1/2's work for me. Mine prefers .010" jump. Good luck.