COL 55 gr fmjbt 223 Wylde

[mausermanbob]

I've received a lot of help on questions from this forum.

I have a 223 sheilan select match grade Wylde barrel with a 1:7 twist.
I also have some Hornady 55 grain full metal jacket boat tail bullets.
I know that 55 grain bullets in a fast twist rate don't work very well but I want to use up what I have.
My jam length measurement using the 55 grain bullet is 2.311 inch.
I'm using TAC gunpowder.
I was going to back the bullet off by the mostly suggested .020.
This would give me a COL of 2.291.
My question is with my barrel and a 55 grain bullet and a fast twist rate am I better off increasing the distance from the lands more than .020 or less?
As I work on improving my reloading I run into these types of questions from time to time and thought that someone might have a response.
Thanks for any help in advance.

Ps Forgot to add that I'm using a Zermatt bolt action

Bob

 

[GLShooter]

Until you pull the trigger you'll never know. Remember that you need a certain amount of neck tension with bullet seating depth of about one caliber. You may have issues that long.

 

[mausermanbob]

Until you pull the trigger you'll never know. Remember that you need a certain amount of neck tension with bullet seating depth of about one caliber. You may have issues that long.

Good point...thanks GL

 

[mmcu]

Unless your single loading, I'd load to mag length and call it a day.

 

[mausermanbob]

Unless your single loading, I'd load to mag length and call it a day.

Hey mmcu

I could single load but will check mag length.

Thanks

 

[SecondsCount]

Load them to 2.250 and shoot them.

You will be lucky to get them to shoot under a minute no matter what you do.

 

[GLShooter]

Unless your single loading, I'd load to mag length and call it a day.

I use ASC stainless mags to increase the room to 2.314 nominal. This lets me to work with bigger wildcats and more big bullet flexibility if I want to chase the lands.

 

[Walt Krafft]

Load development for 55 fmj bullets is a waste of time. They are blasting bullets. Load and blast away.

 

[mausermanbob]

Load them to 2.250 and shoot them.

You will be lucky to get them to shoot under a minute no matter what you do.

SecondsCount

Right...at 200 I'm right at or a bit over 1 MOA.
At 300 I can be in the next township.
Thought I would experiment since I have about a hundred left just to see what kind of difference it makes.
I'll make some test loads and keep it at 200 and see what happens.

Thanks for your input.

 

[RegionRat]

No reason you can't experiment with seating depths and just have fun with them, even if you know they are just FMJ. They are more than likely going to be very jump tolerant.

For the trouble of the testing, what folks are trying to tell you is that the manufacturing method of the vast majority of FMJ does not lend them to accuracy work.

Now and then one will do a little better with a tailored seating depth compared to magazine length, but just don't be surprised if they don't really do any better.

 

[JB10]

I have loaded 55fmj for several rifles. 2.250 has been my standard seating depth. All rifles shot them good enough for fun. What surprised me was when i tried them in a bolt rifle. Groups were way smaller, bout 1/4inch. Gas guns were about 1 inch. All at 100 yards.

 

[mausermanbob]

Load development for 55 fmj bullets is a waste of time. They are blasting bullets. Load and blast away.

Agree.. this is the end of the 55 gr for me.

 

[mausermanbob]

No reason you can't experiment with seating depths and just have fun with them, even if you know they are just FMJ. They are more than likely going to be very jump tolerant.

For the trouble of the testing, what folks are trying to tell you is that the manufacturing method of the vast majority of FMJ does not lend them to accuracy work.

Now and then one will do a little better with a tailored seating depth compared to magazine length, but just don't be surprised if they don't really do any better.

Hey RegionRat

These are definitely going to be experimental, and hopefully help my learning curve type experimental.
At 100 and 200 yd maybe I'll find out something about seating depth that I can apply somewhat to a box of 68 grains that I picked up from Everglades ammo.
It's like at this point the shooting is becoming secondary and the reloading is getting to be primary.

Thanks for your input

 

[mausermanbob]

I have loaded 55fmj for several rifles. 2.250 has been my standard seating depth. All rifles shot them good enough for fun. What surprised me was when i tried them in a bolt rifle. Groups were way smaller, bout 1/4inch. Gas guns were about 1 inch. All at 100 yards.

Thanks JB10

2.250 sounds like a good number I'll try 10 of them at that col.

 

[txtaxman]

Thanks JB10

2.250 sounds like a good number I'll try 10 of them at that col.

The Hornady 55 grain full metal jacket boat tail bullets are short. Hornady's recommended COL for .223 Rem with that bullet is 2.200".

At 2.250" your seating depth will be less than one caliber, if that matters to you.

 

[mausermanbob]

The Hornady 55 grain full metal jacket boat tail bullets are short. Hornady's recommended COL for .223 Rem with that bullet is 2.200".

At 2.250" your seating depth will be less than one caliber, if that matters to you.

Gotcha

Leaving the powder out, I'll put a couple test ones together, load them in a magazine and see how they react when I eject them from my bolt action.
It seems like the seating depth of one caliber makes sense for safety sake.
But depending on what I read it's a general seating depth rule but doesn't seem to be a hard firm rule regarding safety or anything else.
It seems like for accuracy getting the bullet closer to the lands is more important than seating depth, as long as the bullet doesn't fall out or go crooked.
If anybody has an opinion please let me know on the one caliber seating depth versus distance from the lands.

Thanks tataxman

 

[Hoser]

For the price the Hornady 55s are awesome. With my 1-7 and 1-8 twist barrels from White Oak, they will hold around 3/4 MOA out to 300-400 yards with a 8 power scope. Zero load development other than trying to get to 3,000 fps. Mixed brass, charges thrown on a Dillon 1100. Bullets seated to the middle of the cannelure.

 

[mausermanbob]

For the price the Hornady 55s are awesome. With my 1-7 and 1-8 twist barrels from White Oak, they will hold around 3/4 MOA out to 300-400 yards with a 8 power scope. Zero load development other than trying to get to 3,000 fps. Mixed brass, charges thrown on a Dillon 1100. Bullets seated to the middle of the cannelure.

Hey Hoser

Thanks for the info.
I'm hoping with the great advice given me from this forum that I can experiment and make improvements.
It's good to know that the kind of MOAs your talking about at those distances are possible.

Appreciate it
Bob

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

For my AR I seated that bullet to 2.200, tested from there out.

 

[markm87]

Load development for 55 fmj bullets is a waste of time. They are blasting bullets. Load and blast away.

I loaded a handful to test my pound of Benchmark Saturday. Must have been Hornady FMJs... they actually held about MOA.

I didn't know whether to be pleased or disgusted that they're nearly as good as the ammo I work hard on.