which bullet ?
- Thread starter rebs
- Start date
The Sierra 77 shoots great in my Tikka Sporter 1:8
69 tipped or 77SMK in the IMI factory did well in the wife's 22" 1:8 AR @ 450.
This was off a sling and group was 1x1.5 MOA
This was off a sling and group was 1x1.5 MOA
Last edited:
Try all 3 to begin with. One will most likely stand out from the other two. Go with that one and develop a good solid load by adjusting the charge weight and seating depth.
The one you have the most of or the one you can most readily get.
That narrows it down to 2 or possibly even one ! LOL
Gotta know your twist rate???
Longtrain
Gold $$ Contributor
Try Berger’s 73 grain BT Target. It can be loaded at various seating depths, even mag length is super accurate. Easy to tune too.
The 10 ring on a 300 yd F Class target is 2.85”, less then one MOA. I want something super accurate, if I can get 1/4 MOA, that would be great, but it must be less then 1/2 MOA IMO. Once I have confidence in repeatable accuracy, learn to read the wind with that bullet and you will win.
The 10 ring on a 300 yd F Class target is 2.85”, less then one MOA. I want something super accurate, if I can get 1/4 MOA, that would be great, but it must be less then 1/2 MOA IMO. Once I have confidence in repeatable accuracy, learn to read the wind with that bullet and you will win.
drop_point
Silver $$ Contributor
Its kind of absurd to ask the forum what bullet your rifle will prefer. Two identical production rifles will behave differently. You should test them in your rifle and the answer shall be found.
Ned Ludd
Silver $$ Contributor
I would suggest using the highest BC bullet you can find that A) will work within the context of the factory chamber/freebore length and B) that produces acceptable [good] precision.
For several years I participated in F-TR in a 300 yd match using a variety of different F-TR rifles, both in .223 Rem and .308 Win. In the bigger picture, my best scores generally came from the .308s with 185 to 200 gr bullets, because there were almost always wind conditions in the 2nd and 3rd match of the day that had to be dealt with, sometimes even in the 1st match. I have one .223 Rem that I had built as a "practice" rifle that had essentially zero freebore, so it was limited to shooting 77s or the Berger 80.5 Fullbore bullets. I won on a few occasions using that rifle with those loads, but usually not. This was largely due to losing points to wind deflection with the lighter, lower BC bullets. Another .223 Rem rifle set up to shoot the 90 VLDs was competitive with pretty much any .308 load out there at 300 yd, but I didn't shoot that rifle very often so as not to burn out barrel shooting club matches.
The key here is that a .223 Rem can be loaded to shoot with outstanding precision, but if the conditions are windy, using lighter, lower BC bullets will necessitate having that much better wind-reading skills than the other shooters using 85-95 gr bullets or a .308 Win. Of course, having better wind-reading skills is something we all strive for, but achieving that goal does not come overnight. With the three bullets you have in hand, use your method of choice (Hornady OAL gauge, stripped bolt method, etc.) to find out where each one sits in the case neck when seated to just touching the lands. This will give you a very good idea whether the chamber freebore is long enough to use a bullet weight heavier/longer than 80 gr (i.e. if the boattail/bearing surface junction of an 80 gr bullet seated at touching is close to halfway out the neck, or more, you could probably try something heavier/longer such as Berger's 85.5 Hybrid or 90 VLD). If the boattail/bearing surface junction of an 80 gr bullet seated at touching is well below the neck/shoulder junction, then the rifle is likely not throated optimally for the longer, heavier bullets. That doesn't mean you can't try to load them, but be cautious with respect to pressure as some of the effective case volume will be occupied by the bullet base, meaning higher pressure at a given charge weight. As long as the precision is comparable between two different bullets/loads and you are able achieve reasonable velocities with each bullet given the barrel length, pressure, etc., to hit the accuracy nodes you're after, I would always choose the heavier, higher BC bullet. Of course, I will always emphasize that having fun is one of the most important aspects of shooting matches, because it's what keeps you coming back. But if you can have fun and also give yourself the best chance of competing well in the matches, it's the best of both worlds.
For several years I participated in F-TR in a 300 yd match using a variety of different F-TR rifles, both in .223 Rem and .308 Win. In the bigger picture, my best scores generally came from the .308s with 185 to 200 gr bullets, because there were almost always wind conditions in the 2nd and 3rd match of the day that had to be dealt with, sometimes even in the 1st match. I have one .223 Rem that I had built as a "practice" rifle that had essentially zero freebore, so it was limited to shooting 77s or the Berger 80.5 Fullbore bullets. I won on a few occasions using that rifle with those loads, but usually not. This was largely due to losing points to wind deflection with the lighter, lower BC bullets. Another .223 Rem rifle set up to shoot the 90 VLDs was competitive with pretty much any .308 load out there at 300 yd, but I didn't shoot that rifle very often so as not to burn out barrel shooting club matches.
The key here is that a .223 Rem can be loaded to shoot with outstanding precision, but if the conditions are windy, using lighter, lower BC bullets will necessitate having that much better wind-reading skills than the other shooters using 85-95 gr bullets or a .308 Win. Of course, having better wind-reading skills is something we all strive for, but achieving that goal does not come overnight. With the three bullets you have in hand, use your method of choice (Hornady OAL gauge, stripped bolt method, etc.) to find out where each one sits in the case neck when seated to just touching the lands. This will give you a very good idea whether the chamber freebore is long enough to use a bullet weight heavier/longer than 80 gr (i.e. if the boattail/bearing surface junction of an 80 gr bullet seated at touching is close to halfway out the neck, or more, you could probably try something heavier/longer such as Berger's 85.5 Hybrid or 90 VLD). If the boattail/bearing surface junction of an 80 gr bullet seated at touching is well below the neck/shoulder junction, then the rifle is likely not throated optimally for the longer, heavier bullets. That doesn't mean you can't try to load them, but be cautious with respect to pressure as some of the effective case volume will be occupied by the bullet base, meaning higher pressure at a given charge weight. As long as the precision is comparable between two different bullets/loads and you are able achieve reasonable velocities with each bullet given the barrel length, pressure, etc., to hit the accuracy nodes you're after, I would always choose the heavier, higher BC bullet. Of course, I will always emphasize that having fun is one of the most important aspects of shooting matches, because it's what keeps you coming back. But if you can have fun and also give yourself the best chance of competing well in the matches, it's the best of both worlds.
This. The 77 is usually hard to beat. But some 69 gr loads can definitely sing.
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.