Testing the Sierra 90 gr. .224 HPBT

[M14AMU]

I've been shooting quite a bit of these lately. I started out using H4831SC and had worked the load up to 38 gr. and the rifle was shooting it pretty good. Today I swapped over to H4350 at 36.5 grs. using Win cases and F210M primer and it shot even better. The SC just wasn't delivering enough pressure. At 36.5 grs. H4350 bolt life was a little tight so I'm going to knock it back down to 36.0 grs. and see if the bolt lift is lighter. Was getting a very slight crater wall around the firing pin indentation but no flattened primers. Case head expansion was nil. I loaded 5 rounds with the H4350 and the first shot was 26" above the center of the AR400 plate; made a correction and shot the 4 rounds as shown. This fired from 800 yards. The 800 zero with the SC was 22.5 MOA....with the H4350 that changed to 17.0 MOA above the 200 yard foundation zero.


22/250 by Sharps45 2 7/8, on Flickr

 

[flatlander]

Seldom see or hear about anyone shooting the Sierra 90s, probably because the Berger & JLK VLDs have higher BCs, and were designed to be shot at higher velocities than Sierra had in mind when they designed their 90. I've been told that Sierra designed their 90MK to run at 2700fps, and not much faster.

You didn't mention what cartridge you're shooting these bullets out of, but with that case capacity, it's 'bout got to be something larger than a 22 Dasher.

 

[M14AMU]

The cartridge is the standard chamber of 22/250 and that 2700 fps MV is out of the 5.56MM cartridge! This one is a bit swifter!!

 

[M14AMU]

A few years ago I called and talked to the sierra technicians and about this particular bullet. They assured me it has a very then skin and would probably blow up coming out of a 22BR. Glad you got it to work in your 22-250, do you know the velocity?

Velocity? Not yet but not really concerned as long as it goes where I want it to!!