Accurate, all round .223 load

R

re1991

New member
I'm considering getting into reloading and was looking for info on what other people have used for an all round load in .223 for target shooting, predator hunting and possibly hd in a pinch. It sounds like a long shot (no pun intended) but I figured it could be possible to find a good projectile in the 60gr range that could drop predator size game and be very accurate with the right load. I will be shooting through a 1:9 twist

Any help and opinions would be appreciated... even if it is disagreeing with my thoughts. Thanks
 
40gr Vmax @ 3650 fps. Flat trajectory, fast, accurate, devistating on predators and varmints. I get fantastic accuracy to 500 yards.

I've tried several match type heavy bullets (52gr SMK, 69gr SMK, 75gr Amax) and they all shoot great but no better than my 40gr Vmax hunting load out to 500 yards. The heavy bullets drift less in the wind but the difference under 300 yards is negligible, and very few people, including me, do much shooting past that.

53gr Vmax looks interesting with its high BC but I have not tried them and real performance reviews are few and far between. Again, at reasonable 223 hunting distances a a higher BC won't make much difference.

I would try IMR 8208 XBR first before any other powder due to its consistent performance in hot/cold temperatures.
 
The 53 gr v max are excellent bullets along with the 52 gr a max. For an all around bullet id go with a sierra gameking hp or sp or a hornady sp. hp and sp bullets give better penatration on bad hits/ bone hits and can be just as accurate. IMO. I use benchmark as my go to powder, meters good and gives great groups with a wide variety of bullets in several .223's guns. Iv heard good things from the xbr powder. Its similar to benchmark. My current load of the 53 gr v max over benchmark shoots 1/2 moa out to 400yds. But im gonna start shooting hornady sp's for the cheap, accuracy, penatration factor.
 
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I think you are right with the bullet weight choice with the rate of twist stated. Personal preference with bullets would be Seirra or Hornandy in that order I'm kinda bias on the Seirra game king or blitz kings I don't shoot hornady out of anything but my hornet and that is a 40 vmax now out of my 223 wiht a 1 in 12 twist the sierra blitz 50 gr soft point is just plain awsome
 
What sort of penetration differences are people experiencing between soft point and ballistic tip style ammunition? I have seen plenty of gel tests etc showing the 40gr bt getting about 6inch penetration, 55gr bt and sp both getting about 8-10inch penetration and 60+ gr reaching around 12 inch penetration, but would be interested on what people have actually seen in the field (yet to go hunting so I have no real experience to call upon myself).

The gel tests are showing little penetration OR cavity difference between b tips and sp, but is that actually an accurate representation of tissue and bone?
So far I have shot factory 40gr Hornady Vmax, 55gr Federal Powershok and 69gr Federal GMM out of my rifle and the Hornady went the best with about 3/4 inch grouping at 100 yards. BUT I just feel like the 40gr is too light for what I want
 
Well, the longtime load for match stuff was
55gr bullets, 26.6gr of Win 748.
I like the 55gr for coyotes, had mixed results with lighter ones.
 
I dont think gel tests are very accurate Representation for bone. Ballistic tip bullets tend to splash when heavy bone is hit. Like a shoulder blade. I shot many groundhogs in the lungs with a 40gr v max and not got an exit. The coyotes iv shot in the lungs with them have been DRT. With no exits but i had a tiny tiny spec exit on a small female. The SP's and hp's seem to penatrate deeper with less violent expansion. Shoot a wet phone book with different bullets and you will see the diference. A 40gr v max penatrates very shallow but opens up fast.
 
Since you specified three potential uses (Target, Predator, and Home Defense), I'd consider the 40gr V-Max...I have two barrels with 1/9 twist and that is an extremely accurate bullet that I incorporate with Ramshot X-Terminator powder and due to the explosive nature of the bullet, I would feel more comfortable using it for a self defense round in a populated area or building..and have no qualms about using it on predators due to the accuracy factor that I've been experiencing...
 
53 gr flat base hp with 25.6 gr benchmark. shoots MOA in every rifle that I have tried it in...8 thru 12 twists.

= accurate, all around .223 load.
 
Just interested in why people are choosing the lighter projectiles over heavier? Flatter trajectory? Or something else? I would have thought heavier would be better. At least something like the 55gr vmax or 60gr vmax
 
Originally Posted By: re1991Just interested in why people are choosing the lighter projectiles over heavier? Flatter trajectory? Or something else? I would have thought heavier would be better. At least something like the 55gr vmax or 60gr vmax

(all around)...encompasses alot in the 223. Barrel twists are usually as fast as 1 in 7 or as slow as 1 in 12, so the 53 to 55 gr bullets get the nod. If you are more specific with your twist and what you are trying to accomplish then you'll get responses that are tailored to said topic.
 
Yes good point I should clarify.
1:9 twist 20inch barrel. Mainly plan on paper punching but am hoping to go hunting at some stage looking for wild dogs and small pigs etc (I have a .308 for bigger game). The shooting will mostly be at 100 - 200 yards but would be nice to be able to go a bit further too, maybe up to 4-500.
Wanting a projectile and load combo that can be accurate and perform within this range, without having to change load all the time.
 
He said 1:9 in his first post.

My opinion, requiring one load to also serve as HD is kinda silly since it will liky never be used for that. Load up an accurate hunting load, then go buy a box of HD ammo or 55 fmj and use that for HD.

Also, people who say Vmaxs blow up on shoulder blades should improve their marksmanship and stop hitting the shoulder blade. To say that a certain bullet performs poorly because "you" can't put shots in the vitals is funny.
 
Ok well for arguments sake, assume not for hd, just hunting and Target shooting and assume a ballistic tip style projectile caus they are easy for ne to get and feed well in my rifle - light and fast projectiles or heavy and slower? So like a 40gr vmax or a 60gr? Or a 40gr nosler ballistic tip or 55gr?
Anecdotal evidence would be good but opinions also welcome.
 
One of our AR's, a Rock River 20" Coyote really likes 55 grain V-Max loads. It has the 1-9" twist, 25.5 grain charge of H-4895, CCI Benchrest primer, for a chrono speed of 3120fps. I have not tried any loads lighter than 55grain in either the Coyote or my Predator Pursuit. I settled on this load after trying 3 different powders and several different charges with each powder. Good Luck----Riflemann
 
I've settled on a 60 gr. V-Max for the job you described. In my 1/9 twist RRA Coyote Carbine 16" barrel a load of TAC runs it comfortably over 2,800 fps and shoots just over ½” for five shots at 100 yards from the bench. Inexpensive enough to handload easily, runs the gun reliably, accurate, and the terminal performance at that velocity is decisive yet not excessively explosive. Essentially this is the Hornady Urban TAP loading. I’ve seen gel test results through four layers of denim into the ballistic medium that gave at least 12” of penetration. Street results have been positive in law enforcement shootings. Not the best for barrier penetration but that isn’t a job description that you specified and for an “all around” load it doesn’t seem too far off course for your needs.
 
Ok good info. I don't imagine there would be great difference between the 55 and 60grainers in the same load, but how does the vmax stack up against other brand ballistic tips? I have heard more explosive but wasn't sure if this was replicated on coyotes if using the same length barrel for each load

BTW sorry for all the questions I'm just trying to get my facts straight before I start looking to buy equipment
 
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