Stevens Model 200 in .223 questions

bigswedegml

bigswedegml

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What is the best handload group anyone has gotten with a Stevens 200 in .223?

What bullet weight works best with 1-9" twist?

I have some 50gr Nosler Ballistic Tips and 55gr Sierra Varminters that I would like to try, unless they are too light for that twist rate.
 
I don't have a Stevens 223. But, I do know that it will shoot both of the bullets well. Try some Hodgdon Benchmark powder with them.
 
I have Savage 10FP in .223 1-9 and have shot others. All of them shoot benchmark very well. I have had excellent results shooting 69 grain Nosler Custom Competitions for heavy bullets and Hornady 52 grain A-max for light bullets.
 
I do not reload yet but I shot 2 three shot groups sighting in my stevens .223 with ultramax 55gr. ballistic tips that would cover with a penny. One group were all touching in a line. To me there is no need to reload other than enjoyment when factory will shoot like that.
 
Well good news I DO have the exact rifle you are talking about and hte absolute best load I have found for it are 55 grain Vmaxes and 25.5 grains of H335 powder, winchester cases and CCI MAG 450 primers. I have shot at least 700 rounds of this exact load and it is still going strong and just as accurate as the first 5 shot group. W748 also works well with my other .223 but there is no reason to switch a load that has performed flawlessly for 4 years in the 100 degree summers and the below zero winters. Try it and see what you think but this is what my Stevens really like to eat.
 
I have the Stevens 200 in .223; in fact I had it out this am but no predators would cooperate-at least I didn't see any! I really like the rifle a lot. It is not my most accurate .223 but in all fairness I haven't really worked with it too much. I just feed it my standard load of 748 and 50g Speer TNT bullets as I like their terminal effects. Other bullets/powders may/might be more accurate but it will shoot around an inch with my standard load. I have shot some sub .75 groups with it too.

I have a 'deer' load using 748 and Win 64g PP and it shoots them about the same. I killed a doe this past season with that load-shot through the chest behind the shoulder at about 30 yards and she ran about 20 yards and collapsed. I shot the rifle today just to check zero and it shot about an inch. I have some camo wrap on the barrel and will camo the stock/metal when I get a chance. TnTnTn
 
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hte absolute best load I have found for it are 55 grain Vmaxes and 25.5 grains of H335 powder, winchester cases and CCI MAG 450 primers

c-weeks..according to the hornady 7th edition..hornady show's a "max" load of h-335 & a 55-grain bullet to be..23.2 grain's..can i ask where your getting your load information ??looking thru the speer#14 max 26.0..nosler#6 max 25.0..lyman 48th.max 27.0..i'm seeing lot's "o" different load's..
 
Dave I have a Lyman 47th edition manual and it show max.26.5gr of H-335 with the 55gr bullet, I've never tried it.

I rechamberred a Savage sporter (Stevens 200)1-9 223 to 22-204 and am running 40gr NBT's to 3900fps and am shooting 1 1/2" groups at 300yds. My Stevens 223 dotes on 50gr NBT's.

AWS
 
Dave,
Yeah I got the info I used from the H335 bottle. I started with 24 grains and worked my way up from there. My groups started tightening up as I worked my way up and 25.5 repeated accuracy 3 five shot groups in a row so I stopped there. I never saw any pressure signs along the way either.

I to have often wondered why the manuals all say different stuff. I don't believe much of what I see in those books. I look at those numbers drop them down a grain or 2 and work up from there and just watch for pressure. I wonder if those numbers differ dur to the fact that they use different primers with different companies?
 
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What is the best handload group anyone has gotten with a Stevens 200 in .223?

What bullet weight works best with 1-9" twist?

I have some 50gr Nosler Ballistic Tips and 55gr Sierra Varminters that I would like to try, unless they are too light for that twist rate.



Here is my best load in the Stevens 200 in .223.

BR4 Primers
25.5 Gr of H335
Sierra Bullet
63gr PN# 1370
C.O.A.L. 2.966 Inches
using Stoney Point OAL length Guage

Shoots well under a minute of angle at 100 yards.
H335 seems to work well in most of my loads for this rifle.

Good luck, straight shooting and may all of your kids be born healthy.

RTLOF(TONY) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
guy's here on the board have reported,pressure sign's with h-335..loads worked up in cool weather didn't perform the same in the heat..flat or blown primer's..i wonder?? if that's why hornady show's a more conservative load ?? the reason i'm wondering is i sold my 223 & picked up a new one..benchmark & w-748 worked well in it..i have loads to try with benchmark ready..thought i'd pick up some 748..i can't find any locally..never fails'..i almost grabbed a bottle of h-335..to experiment with..then i remembered the "wide" spread in load information.."just wondering"
 
manuals are not etched in stone, all they are are the safe maximum, with a buffer added, for that powder, that day, in that rifle. All they are is guidelines, a where to start and with what. and all powders are temp sensative, ball powders more so.
RR
 
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Maybe Hornady has a more cautious lawyer.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I've used 26.3 W748 over 55 gr V-max with excellent results. Start low and work up to this load.

I don't put a lot of stock in the min and max loads in manuals. I use them only to get a starting point and let the rifle dictate how far I go.

Dave
 
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thought i'd pick up some 748..i can't find any locally..never fails'..i almost grabbed a bottle of h-335..to experiment with..then i remembered the "wide" spread in load information.."just wondering"

"whew" i walked into sportsman's warehouse tonight & low & behold..by some luck-circumstance they had "one" bottle of w-748 !! i've heard far more good from w-748..than h-335 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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