Originally Posted By: Blackhawk43I have used 27.6 grains of Benchmark and a 40 grain nosler BT for good results.
Oh yeah. That load works in mine as well. The best load I've found for the 40g NBT is 28.0g of AA2460, CCI400 primer, bullet seated 0.020" off the lands, Winchester brass. It was a tight contest between BenchMark and AA2460 but the 2460 shot better. It takes a 6" drop tube to get the 2460 all in the brass but it sure works well. I took down 20+ ground hogs with that load last summer. OSOK, DRT. That bullet is devastating on a GH.
Those same two powders work well with the Hornady 40g V-Max.
I've also had the rifle shoot slightly larget than caliber sized groups with the 55g NBT pushed by 24.0g and 24.5g of BenchMark. BenchMark is a good powder in that my CZ527 .223 Sporter.
The CZ527 .223 sporter loaded with the 40g NBT is my favorite walk around ground hog hunting rifle. Light, handy, and very accurate from field positions. Shoots tiny little 3 shot groups which means I always know where the first shot is going. 5 shot groups tend to open up with the slender sporter barrel but for ground hogs that doesn't matter - they are almost always gone after the first shot, always gone after a second shot.
Fitch