.223 grouping problem

Originally Posted By: SodakJimIdeal bullet weight should be around 55-60 grains with a 1/9 twist. I like Benchmark powder in the .223 Rem.

10 seconds is not very much cool-down time between shots. Give it a minute between rounds to see it the stringing is less. Some light profile barrels will show a lot of POI shift as they heat up. If you have a heavy contour or bull barrel it should not be much of an issue.

You may want to re-check the your bedding and the torque on the action screws. Also check the clearance around the barrel if it is free-floated.

Ive seen several rifles that don't group as well when they are too clean. As long as you don't change the bullet, you should not have to clean so often. Sometimes a few fouling shots need to be fired before you shoot for a group.

+1.
 
My Savage shoots the 50vmax very tight with several different powders and it is a 1x9 twist. Of the powders you mentioned as having on hand, Benchmark shoots best for me. I can get about 3,300fps and shoot sub .5 groups all day.

W748 shoots good for me in a mid-range load for about 3,040 fps.

Not sure why you would try H380 with a 50g bullet, but think it is too slow for light bullets.

Your post really doesn't sound like you're too sure that your rifle is capable of shooting good groups. If you try a 60vmax or a 69 SMK or Nosler and they won't shoot in it, then either your rifle and setup has a problem, or it is the person behind the trigger. You could get your brother or somebody else who has a good shooting rifle to shoot a few groups in yours, and maybe they might let you try a few in their rifle so you could pinpoint the problem.
 
alright thanks for the help, i'll try to get some 55 grain bullets or maybe some 60 and try it. i have been using h380 just because i have 4 pounds of it i bought for 10 bucks.
 
You didn't mention if your rifle's a sporter or heavy barrel? You also didn't mention your rest setup. Are you shooting off a bipod, front rest, sandbags. I notice your groups all show vertical (up/down) tendancies. That could be your flimsy tupperware stock and bench technique. Try putting your front rest further back towards the action rather than way out front. If you're way out front, it'll sometimes flex the stock, causing vertical. Your groups don't look bad, maybe fine tuning your technique will help?
 
try moving the rest back under the chamber area of the stock...I'd bet it makes a huge difference and eliminates the vertical.
 
I had a Savage 10fp in .223 with 1:9 twist. Mine did not like bullets under 52 gr.

Want to see that rifle shoot a good group? Go get 69 gr Match bullets by either Sierra or Nosler and shoot Varget somewhere near 26.0 gr. This load is in the Lyman manual. I haven't seen a Savage that won't shoot this into tiny little holes. Mine would do under 1/2".
 
Always mark your cold bore shot at least,,,helps to number them all for load development.

I have shot with good accuracy 1/9 twist 223 with everything from 30-60 gr...bolt stevens and ARs
So i do not totally figure its bullet weight,,,maybe more you+bullet+charge.

When i am developing a load,,,once it functions as it should,,i mark cross hair way points both vertical and horizonal one the target,,to make sure the sight picture remains the same....line em up and it is the same each time....This removes the you and your eye out of the equation.

Also it is a good habit to use the finest aiming point that you can make crisp, with the optics you have on hand.

If this rifle groups this load tight at shorter ranges(find out)...then it is more you/your eye, than the rifle/load.

X
 
I have a Savage BVSS with a 1/9 twist and it shoots 40 gr. bullets(V-Max and Sierras) under .5. If you are cleaning your bore every 10 rounds I would say that is one of the problems. Savages take quite a few rounds down the tube to settle in, I only clean my Savages when the groups start opening up.
 
Originally Posted By: WildwvI have a Savage BVSS with a 1/9 twist and it shoots 40 gr. bullets(V-Max and Sierras) under .5. If you are cleaning your bore every 10 rounds I would say that is one of the problems. Savages take quite a few rounds down the tube to settle in, I only clean my Savages when the groups start opening up.

I have to agree with this. My Savage HB with a 1/9 twist loved a 40 grain BlitzKing and 27.5 grains of Tac. It produced litty bitty groups and was very quick getting there. Some will say that vertical groups need more powder.
 
I have a Stevens 200 .223 in a 1in9 twist. I have tried several different powders. My rifle likes the 50- 55 Nosler BT and the Sierra 63 gr. bullets with W748 the best. The 50 BTs and 63 Sierras being the most accurate. The 55 BTs are very accurate but not quite as good as the others. I can shoot squirrels out to 200 yards with any of them but the 2 I mentioned are the best. I load .010 off the rifling. You will have to figure out the powder charge. What is good in mine may not be in yours. You may want to try IMR 3031, Varget, or Benchmark.

TONY
 
Went out and shot this morning, pretty much no wind, loaded 26.5 grains of benchmark with 50 grain nosler bt. This was my most accurate reload so far so I wanted to try it again. What do you guys think? Its more horizontal iinstead of vertical.
IMG_20110323_074437.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: nick2010Went out and shot this morning, pretty much no wind, loaded 26.5 grains of benchmark with 50 grain nosler bt. This was my most accurate reload so far so I wanted to try it again. What do you guys think? Its more horizontal iinstead of vertical.
IMG_20110323_074437.jpg


not bad for a sporter barrel...you're getting there. Load 2 or 3 groups of 5 up and try again. Take time between shots so you don't overheat the barrel. Let it cool completely between groups and DON'T clean. Pay attention to your form and rest placement. Make sure the front bag fits the stock or you'll get horizontal. Wind will also cause it. You're close I believe. 3/4" ain't bad for a factory sporter.
 
Originally Posted By: nick2010Went out and shot this morning, pretty much no wind, loaded 26.5 grains of benchmark with 50 grain nosler bt. This was my most accurate reload so far so I wanted to try it again. What do you guys think? Its more horizontal iinstead of vertical.
IMG_20110323_074437.jpg


Looking good there, can't beat that for a factory gun.. You can get better for sure, just keep on working on it and you will find the right recipe for your gun. Good luck!
 
Yep, 26.5g of Benchmark is my go-to load with the 50 vmax. What coal are you seating at? Every rifle is different but mine shoots the 50vmax best with the coal at 2.286.
 
At 2.255 coal, my average is about .85 moa with your bullet/powder combo, but at 2.275 up to about 2.305 my groups tighen up to about .4 with 2.286 often shooting below .3 moa. You might try seating out a little longer and see if your groups tighten. Worked for me, but might not work in your rifle.
 
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