Bullet opinion .223 LTR

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BangFlop

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I have a Remington 700 LTR .223 with 40x trigger (bought brand new in January) set at 3lbs 7oz with a Swarovski Z3 3-10x42. The picture below was shot with blue box Black Hills 52 gr MHP’s (only ammo I have shot in it) Pretty much every group is like this and some are even better than this 1/2” group (like 1 ragged hole). Is this bullet okay for coyotes at 150 yards and under with a greater probablility of them being 50 yards instead?

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Thanks all,
Steve
 
I use the Speer 52 FBHP at 3250 fps in my 223. I don't know how the blackhills bullet works compared to the Speer. The Speer has been my go to bullet for 2 years now while calling coyotes. I try for one hole and DRT. I don't like sewing pelts so this is my bullet. Hits like Thor's hammer. Rudy
 
I am not worried about pelt damage as I do not kill enough coyotes here in Wisconsin to worry about. Just want a bullet that will put them down well if bullet placement is where it should be.

Thanks
Steve
 
I bought my Remington LTR brand new back in 2000 or 2001 when they first came out. I tried 40 grain,50 grain,55 grain, and 60 grain vmax and NBT through it. With all the load and powder combos I tried the worst group I got was a hair over a half inch at a hundred yards. I've tried dozens upon dozens a powder combos and can tell you my LTR 223 is a shooter. The average group when testing was .2/.4". The tightest groups (cloverleaves) came from 25 grains of Benchmark with a 60 grain V-Max which is what I shoot out of it and it's about as fur friendly as it gets. It knocks coyotes over just as fast as my 243 dose inside 200 yards. I can't see the entry or exit holes alot of the time and it DTRs them every time. I shoot the same 25 grain benchmark load out of my 14.5" POF and it cloverleaf's at a hundred yards but puts $0.50 holes in and out of coyotes. I would assume it's because it's a 1 in 8 twist versus 1 and 9 on the LTR. The POF chronies at 2850fps and the LTR about a 100fps faster. I'd say grab a box of Black Hills 60 grain Vmax ammo and try it if you don't reload. You won't have any runners. It has to be one of the best bullets for yotes in 223. I can shoot 5 shots at a 100 yards with 40gr NBT and 25.5gr of benchmark that looks like it clover leafed three rounds. I have timney trigger in mine set around 2-2.5lbs and a Leopold 4.5x14 40mm target scope mounted on it.
 
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I prefer a 55g at 3250 vs a 60g at 2850

Speed will will pay big Trajectory dividends between 250-325 yards.

I don't like unzipping coyotes.
 
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Here's some of my load data and targets. I keep them in my load book. I realize every gun is different but it's worth a try if you reload to see if some of these loads might work for you. It's been a while since I loaded for my LTR....18 years ago. Guess I have been using 25.5 gr of h4895. I have to fix the zero grain on my load data to .5 gr. It shoots a hair tighter than the 25 gr of benchmark in my LTR. My POF cloverleaves with the benchmark load and they shoot tight enough in my LTR that I can use load in both if I need to. I'd really like to try the 27 gr of benchmark with 40 gr NBT on yotes. It shoots really tight groups as well. My nosler load book says it shoots 3751fps out of a 24" barrel with a 1/12 twist. I would assume it has to be close to 3600fps? In my 1/9 twist out of the 20" LTR barrel? I'm sure it would shoot pretty flat to 250 yards.

http://imgur.com/QHBEb0e]
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Here is my 14.5" barrel POF load data....


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In the front of your Nosler Book, you should have a series of charts that tell you bullet drop based on BC and velocity. Check it out!
 
Looks like the 40 gr NBT shoots 1" high at a 100 zeroed at 200 yards and drops 5.5" at 300 VS 1.8" high at 100 when zeroed at 200 yards and drops 8.5" at 300 yards when run at the loads I have listed above. Here in WI I would never get a shot on the places I hunt much over 200-250 yards so I'm debating on trying the lighter 40gr NBT vs my old faithful 60 vmax. Just because it shoots flatter. Just wondering how it dose on DRTs and pelts.
 
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Originally Posted By: DultimatpredatorLooks like the 40 gr NBT shoots 1" high at a 100 zeroed at 200 yards and drops 5.5" at 300 VS 1.8" high at 100 when zeroed at 200 yards and drops 8.5" at 300 yards when run at the loads I have listed above. Here in WI I would never get a shot on the places I hunt much over 200-250 yards so I'm debating on trying the lighter 40gr NBT vs my old faithful 60 vmax. Just because it shoots flatter. Just wondering how it dose on DRTs and pelts.
Personally I'd stick with the 60's. More energy downrange and less affected by the wind. Although lots of Coyotes have been taken with the 40's.
 
25 gr of benchmark has worked very well in a couple of 1/9 223's I have, I like the Speer 52 hp, and I still see Blackhills ammo around loaded with that bullet, I shoot the Hornady 50 gr sx, loaded a little higher and it is a hammer inside 200 yards.
 
Originally Posted By: reloader326Originally Posted By: DultimatpredatorLooks like the 40 gr NBT shoots 1" high at a 100 zeroed at 200 yards and drops 5.5" at 300 VS 1.8" high at 100 when zeroed at 200 yards and drops 8.5" at 300 yards when run at the loads I have listed above. Here in WI I would never get a shot on the places I hunt much over 200-250 yards so I'm debating on trying the lighter 40gr NBT vs my old faithful 60 vmax. Just because it shoots flatter. Just wondering how it dose on DRTs and pelts.
Personally I'd stick with the 60's. More energy downrange and less affected by the wind. Although lots of Coyotes have been taken with the 40's.


Think I'm gonna stick with my 60's
 
Here is a 200 yard group I shot yesterday out to f my 223 LTR. It was my 27 gr benchmark load with a 40 gr NBT loaded at 2.2" with a Winchester casing and Remington 7 1/2 primer. The wind was blowing a good 15 mph when shot this group. I adjusted my scope up one click and figured it would put me at dead center. I shot it at 100 yards to see how high I was with a 200 yards zero. I shot .8" directly above the bullseye. I'll have to take my chrony out next time to check my velocity. According to noslers number 7 I should be .9" and zeroed at 200 yards with a velocity of 3650 fps.

This was shot with a extremely dirty barrel that hasn't been cleaned for almost a decade and a factory Remington trigger set at 2 lbs. it's been cleaned in the last two days and I installed a timney I had laying around I bought for it years ago and removed to sell the rifle. I never sold it obviously. I set the timney at 20 oz. we will see if I can tighten up the groups.

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I'm hoping a 1:12 twist of a Sauer .222 Rem will stabilize 60 bullets. It gets darn windy atop high plateaus of the Rockies.

Nosler offers a 60 grain .224 Partition. I'm guessing that outta a .22-250 Rem, it'd fill antelope tags.
 


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