any one have a good 223 load

[S&W-629]

will any one give up thare pet 223 load
thanks :drinks:

[pilot]

Sorry, I don't shoot pets.

[pilot]

So the real answer is what do you plan to use it for?

[S&W-629]

lol i like the small and real fast boolits.I just shoot paper.By the way my gun is a Rem 700 223

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

25.5gr BLC2 (or the cheaper WC846) pushing a M193 55gr. FMJBT
about 3000 FPS in my CZ527 bolt gun.

[AviatorTroy]

I just walked out to to the garage to check what I've been loading... 24.5 gr of imr4895 and a surplus 55gr FMJBT in LC brass. I've shot it in some commercial Remington .223 brass and its ok in that too.

I've experimented lately with BLC-2 and even 3031. Some like Varget, I've never gotten around to trying it yet.

The load I mentioned above gives 1.5-2" groups at 200yds in my AR with an HBAR 20" heavy barrel and a cheap scope. It also lays the brass right down instead of flinging it 30 feet away.

The bullets I bought in bulk, they shoot pretty good but I do weigh each one and sort them accordingly.

[AviatorTroy]

25.5gr BLC2 (or the cheaper WC846) pushing a M193 55gr. FMJBT
about 3000 FPS in my CZ527 bolt gun.

Nice, my load with same bullet as above is 26.2 gr, which is below the max load of 27.0 but it flings the brass pretty good and also flattens primers so I went with another powder. BLC-2 is a little spooky

[S&W-629]

i just shoot for fun.with this gun im going to try to shot 5 600 or more yards.
Any more good loads
Thanks JonB

[S&W-629]

i know that i have 4895 anf 3031

[wool1]

I went through just about every applicable powder and tried everything not to use 748....you guessed it. 69gr bthp over 24.5gr of 748 shot the best in my AR. Have been experimenting with the new CFR-223 powder, but haven't been able to get the accuracy with the AR. My bolt actions are not as picky, have a few loads that work good. I will look at the shop when I am there tomorrow.

[AviatorTroy]

I looked through my notes further. If you have 3031 here's one to try.

60185

55gr FMJBT

23gr IMR3031

[S&W-629]

this is what i picked up at the gun shop the other day. 50 grn Spitzer that is all thay had that was around 50 grn size thay had a bunch of under 40grn and a bunch of over 70grn i think.

[brstevns]

Don't forget one of the old timers that shot like a barn on fire. That is 4198

[GabbyM]

50 grain Sierra Blitz-Kings (BK) is what I used for a few years prairie dog shooting. They have a nice high B.C. which is what you will need to get to 500 yards. They start to float around in the wind just short of 500 yards in general. Extremely frangible so ricochet is very minimized. But don’t expect them to penetrate at all. Good prairie dog bullet but wouldn’t ’use them on a coyote.

Have purchased some of the new Hornady 53 gr V-Max bullets. They are a high BC bullet. Haven’t tried them out yet.

Had good luck with H-Varget powder. However I’m out of that and trying Ramshot and H-Benchmark.

My Lyman #225646 at 2200 fps is good for sub MOA out to 200 yards. Wind will get you at 200 but at 100 yards it’s as much fun as the J bullets and you don’t wear the rifle out.

For target shooting I buy the Sierra 53gr MK’s in the 500 packs. They don’t shoot any better than the BK’s that I can tell but are less expensive. I use the flat base 53gr opposed to the BT 52’s.

Sierra 60 grain HP is supposed to be a very good shooter but I’ve not tried them. Lots of 22 bullets out there.

I light the Varget and Benchmark off with Federal Match primers. Ball powders with a CCI magnum or Rem 7 ½ BR.

[Larry Gibson]

Been shooting the 223 in SSs, Bolt guns and gas guns since '68 (that's on the civilian side as I started with an XM16 in January '65 at Fort Ord with familiarization firing during advanced infantry training).

My favorite varmint loads for 12 & 14" twist bolt guns is 26 gr AA2230 or, preferably 26.5 gr H335 over the Hornady 55 gr SX. In a gas gun with 10 - 12" twists I use the 52 gr Speer HP. Both bullets are super deadly on varmints including coyote's.

In faster twist bolt guns of 9" with longer barrels or in gas guns with 7, 8 or 9" twists I favor the 55 gr Sierra BT over the same load.

For deer or antelope with rifles having 9" twist barrels I use the 64 gr Winchester PP over 26 gr AA2460.

With 69 gr MKs I use 25 gr IMR4895 for match use out of my Colt Match AR with 9" twist or 25.5 Varget but it is about 175 fps slower.

I have also shot a lot of cast bullets in 40+ years out of numerous 223 Remingtons (and 5.56 NATOs). I favor the Lyman 225415 over Unique or 4895 for 1400 - 2200 fps depending on barrel twist. However, my best performing cast bullet so far has been the 225462 (Loverin style) over 4895 in bolt guns of 9, 12 and 14" twists and over RL22 in 7,8 and 9" twist ARs. The particular load I use depends mostly on the barrel twist (you didn't mention what your barrels twist is or I didn't see it). I have the new GB 22 NATO mould (MiHec) but have yet to test it but I have high hopes for it.

Larry Gibson

[S&W-629]

Larry
I dont know what i have for a twist Is thare a fast way to tell what it is?

[runfiverun]

cleaning rod and a patch.
make a mark with tape and push the rod in the barell untill the tape goes around once.
measure the distance.
1 turn in x inches is your twist rate.

oh i use aa-2230 also 24.5 grs does quite well with 40-60 gr bullets and doesn't launch brass into the next county.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

i like 26gr of CFE 223 under a 55gr bullet

[o6Patient]

25 gr H4895 for either 52 gr hollow pt or 60gr sptz is what I shoot.
28.6~7 WW 748 shot very accurate also. 52 gr HP

Rem 700 24" bl

[GabbyM]

Many AR barrels have twist rate stamped just past the front sight. Up there where you can see it with the hand guards on. I think old Colts are stamped under the hand guard.

[MT Gianni]

7 gr Unique and 9 gr 2400 for some slower loads in a bolt.

[Larry Gibson]

Larry
I dont know what i have for a twist Is thare a fast way to tell what it is?

Runfivesrun method is quick and easy, just make sure the barrel is clean and the patch tight. Remington started off with 12" twists in it's M700s but for a few years used 9" twists but then went back to 12" twists. Best way to know is to measure as per runfiverun's instructions.

Larry Gibson

[Gunnut 45/454]

If you have a 1:9" then 69 gr SEI will get you to 5-600 yards. If you have a 1:12" you'll be stuck with 53 gr match bullet to get to 500 yard but past that you'll be running to slow and with that lite of bullet wind drift will be terrible. The New CFE powder gets real good velocities with both bullet weights. If your want to go past 600 yards you need atleast a 1:8" or better yet 1:7" so you can shoot 75 gr Amax or 77 gr VLDs! So it sounds like a rebarrel job for you!

[S&W-629]

My dad past away allmost 30 days ago and gave me the rem 223 and a rem 308. the 223 had been shot mabe 20 times and the 308 has never been shot.so if its got the wrong twist to go that far i will us the 308.I will check the twist like that here in a little bit.thanks for all the grate info so far

[Larry Gibson]

My condolances. You have good memories with those rifles of your dad..........

Larry Gibson

[9.3X62AL]

Very difficult to find fault with WW-748 in either 223 or 308 caliber. It has become my go-to fuel for the 223/5.56, and was when I loaded the 308.

I concur in the advice concerning the 69 grain Sierra Matchkings for longer-range work in 223. These shoot very well in all of my 223s, all 3 of which use 1-9" twists. The "down" side of the MKs is their cost, compared to the more common 55 grain weight-class for the .224" barrels. The 1-12" twist can run the cheaper 55 grain j-words quite well, and they are effective to at least 300 yards on rats. 90%+ of my varminting gets done inside that range spec. 1-12" twists might be a bit more lead-friendly than the 1-9" "default" setting and 1-7" to 1-8" "javelin-hurlers", too.

I had my 22-250 re-barrelled with 1-12" to exploit the lighter-bullet and cast boolit possibilities with (hopefully) more effectiveness. The OEM barrel was 1-14", and drove tacks with 60 Sierra HPs......so heavy-for-caliber to some degree is possible.

[9.3X62AL]

Very difficult to find fault with WW-748 in either 223 or 308 caliber. It has become my go-to fuel for the 223/5.56, and was when I loaded the 308.

I concur in the advice concerning the 69 grain Sierra Matchkings for longer-range work in 223. These shoot very well in all of my 223s, all 3 of which use 1-9" twists. The "down" side of the MKs is their cost, compared to the more common 55 grain weight-class for the .224" barrels. The 1-12" twist can run the cheaper 55 grain j-words quite well, and they are effective to at least 300 yards on rats. 90%+ of my varminting gets done inside that range spec. 1-12" twists might be a bit more lead-friendly than the 1-9" "default" setting and 1-7" to 1-8" "javelin-hurlers", too.

I had my 22-250 re-barrelled with 1-12" to exploit the lighter-bullet and cast boolit possibilities with (hopefully) more effectiveness. The OEM barrel was 1-14", and drove tacks with 60 Sierra HPs......so heavy-for-caliber to some degree is possible.

[pacomdiver]

i have a rem 700 26" sps varmint profile .223 1-12 in a hogue stock, my son used when he was 15 and starting out in comps till he graduated to a 308. now my wife uses it.
use 55g or 60g vmax bullet, use the 55g to 300, 60g past 300.the 60g has 3 out of 3 cold bore shots on the last comps at 600 on a 9" plate. this is a target i shot during load workup. yes those are 1/4" blocks.even after 832 rounds thru it, it still shoots sub 1/2" groups regularly at 100 . this load is boring. it hits a 6" steel plate at 600 every time as long as your aiming it at the target

55 or 60g vmax
rem brass
cci primer
24.5g benchmark powder
2.29 oal, feeds everytime out of the factory magwell
55g runs 3100
60g runs 3075

eta: bullet speeds and oal

60500

[Shiloh]

Very difficult to find fault with WW-748 in either 223 or 308 caliber.

Superb results with many .223 loads.

Very difficult to find WW 748 on the store shelves.

[S&W-629]

i have 2# of 785but not 748.I like the shots with the benchmark powder i will call the gun shop in the morning and see if thay have any of it left

[pacomdiver]

is yours the 26" or the 20" "tactical"?. i cheated when i got that load, i shot hornadys and they shot real good, so i pulled one and compared the powder, benchmark is the closest and i adjusted the 24.2 from the factory to 24.5, and loaded it longer to get it closer to the rifling. the 24.5 in rem cases just clicked with my rifle, a 1/10 grain either way and the groups open up to a nickel size

[S&W-629]

no i dont think its a Tactical.i think its 23 1/4 thats to the beginning of the action.its not cheeting if it works good lol

[pacomdiver]

oh , so its a sporter profile barrel not a varmint heavy barrel

[S&W-629]

60554 The 223 is the one with the wood stock and the other is a 308 rem 700

[hd09]

My Remington 700 likes 25 grs. of H4895 behind Sierra 52 gr HPBT match boolits.

[detox]

The boolit is the biggest contributing factor, then how concentic it is loaded in case and rifle, then powder. I have shot my best groups using Nosler 55 grain ballistic tips, 26 grains of 748, Rem 7 1/2 primers, Remington brass neck turned and zero case runout. Lots of powders will work behind a verygood boolit. Rifle is a factory Remington 700 BDL Varmit Synthetic 20" rem contour bull barrel:)

[MOcaster]

I have always used 26.5 grains of BL-C(2) with a small rifle primer under a 50 or 55 grain bullet seated to 2.260 inches.