Best powder/bullet for .223 bolt action at 100/200 yds.

[Bradley Walker]

Picked up some VV N133 today.

R10X AND 2015BR shoot at almost the exact same charge weight as VV133 in this load.

 

[boltfluter]

My go too powder has always been H335 and a BR4 primer. Good luck.

Regards, Paul

www.boltfluting.com

 

[GSRswapandslow]

I have some WC844....bought 8lbs of it for hella cheap, do you guys shooting h335 consider this to be the equivalent? I keep reading it is online...but haven't seen anyone do a direct...side by side comparison of the two.

 

[SmokinJoe]

I would agree that N-133, Benchmark, 8208XBR, H322 & H4895 are great powders in the 223 w/50-53 gr bullets. In my Dakota Predator w/14 twist barrel I am shooting a fairly hot load of H322, Nos 50BT & 205M in Lapua brass wich gives me 3630 FPS & close to 1/4" groups. The H322 was dirty & not very accurate until I pushed the load up to that level. In 2 Sako custom varmints, one with Schneider barrel & the other with Shilen, I got the best performance with 8208XBR pushing the Nos 50BT at 3550 & also giving nice cloverleafs in both rifles. Bullets in all these loads are seated into the lands approx .008". One or more of the other powdwers may very well give you better performance in your rifle, but they all have the potential, along with several ball powders like H335, CFE223, maybe TAC. You just have to try them & see what the rifle prefers. Hope this helps a little. Joe

 

[mcxring]

Theres a new powder out by hodgeson, CFE 223, ive had great succsess with hornady 52g. amax and 52g, bthp with 26,4 g. Just started also using 8208 and it has performed very well also at with the same bullets at 23.0 g. the CFE stands for copper fouling eraser, you can shoot many rounds with no lost accuracy, it just came out this year in Jan.
Mike

 

[msinc]

I have had very good results with 52 grain Hornady A-Max bullets, 26.0 grains of Winchester 748 and anyones small rifle primer. {Tried 'em all, honestly cant tell any difference}

 

[ehkempf]

I have three .223 rifles, all Remington, VLS, XR-100 and 40X. All three shoot very well with powders such as H322, Benchmark and H4895. I shoot mainly bullets in the 50-53 g range. I use either Federal or CCI benchrest primers, found that the Remington Benchrest, although good, are not as consistant as the Federal or CCI.



H 322 23.5 -24.1
Benchmark 25.0 – 25.5
H4895 25.9 – 26.0

Ed

 

[desertrat]

Just a question: when you switched to the new stock, did you bed the action, or just drop and go? How is the toque on your action screws? I may be misunderstanding your post; but, it seems like you are saying that the rifle was shooting respectfully until you changed it. Was this the case?

I was thinking the same thing. I tested it new from factory, and it was grouping just about the same. I expected that I could do a little better than a .5" group but after changing to the new stock & trigger, it hasn't happened. I'll go out again today and try out these 52 FB match Berger's and the 53 gr match Hornady Amp jackets. Still have a hundred or so 52 gr Sierra match HP to work up some loads.

If nothing brings out a sweet spot (better than .5) I'll try messing w the bedding.

Now a question to all...It's on alum. pillers from factory Bell, should I try bedding it w epoxy over the the pillers? I thought it was one or the other, not both? But I am not an expert and I'm willing to mess w it.

It may be as good as it's going to get. Groups do open up from .4-.5 all the way up to 1" or so with lighter loads. Rifle doesn't seem to like slow loads <3200 fps.

dr

 

[5spd]

For the last 40 years in all my .223s the only load Ive shot is 27.5g W748, 2.280" col., 50g vmax. Started with the 50g sx hornady way back then. All will do .500" or less in my 1/9 & 1/14 twist Savages. Same load for up to 52g bullets. Ive shot over 80k rounds with this load & never an issue with the load to 700 yards in 20* to 105* temps.
Ive use blc2/h335/varget/exterm/4320/aa2015 and other powders in my .223s, but always went back to w748 over them all.

 

[Johnybr]

I like h335 and Sierra or nosler 40 and 50 grains play with that

 

[desertrat]

Went out today; SMK 52s, tried new loads of AA2230 & some new loads w VV 133. Conditions not great (monsoons kicking up) but still put down the old standard .5 group numerous times. Interesting to note that it's easy to get 2 shots touching but 3rd will jump out to put it into a .5 to .6 group everytime (@ 100)

While it's not bad, it's just not great. I shouldn't be complaining but i know i can do better.

Off subject; two other rifles that were put back in action after some scope repairs, 30-06 & .22 hornet, both got back on track within 4 shots. Felt good about that. Some nice dead on shooting w those two.

 

[Old Tanker]

Nosler 60gr Ballistic Tip, 22.5gr Benchmark. Seated to 2.260 (cannelure). Best group in Rem 700 was .536. Average around .75.

 

[10at6]

24.3 gr of AA2015 with 50-55 grain bullets shoots well in all my 223's. 8208 is also a great powder. As is H-4895