Remington 700 VS .223 Loads

Wahnsinn · June 13, 2007, 03:53 PM

Hello, is there anyone out there that happens to load for one of these rifles? I bought it some time ago and it has shot very well with anything I've put through it (Federal AE 55FMJ, Win 45grJHP, Hornady 55BT, etc), all under 1" at 100yds...probably do better with a better shooter

I'm just now getting into reloading, got all my gear recently, now I just need to get around to some dirty work. Have to make room in my office for reloading (have a big bench already setup) and then start working up loads for her (among others).

My primary use will just be at the range, but I also want to get into hunting varmints somewhere around here (Dallas area).

If you do happen to load for one of these, is there anything in particular you've found that works well?

Does loading for one specific rifle (assuming same barrel twist) really make much difference? Say I've got an AR with a 1:12" twist (as this Remington does) with a 26" barrel, would there be much difference in how they would shoot with the same loading? I know there are many variables, throat depth, etc.

Thanks!

Tim

kingudaroad · June 13, 2007, 05:05 PM

I think we have to assume that all rifles are different.

The same load will shoot differently in the same make and model and twist of a different rifle.

I would think that the first thing you need to do is get a reloading manual and read through it a couple of times. Do some research on the .223 and then you can determine which bullet,powder,primer,brass you want to start to work up your load with. Some reloading manuals will give a listing of most accurate powder tested and I have found this a good place to start.

Bottleneck rifle cartridges in my opinion are the most rewarding to reload for.

I would be hesitant to use data from the internet that isn't confirmed in a reloading manual.

Be safe

T. O'Heir · June 13, 2007, 05:31 PM

"...under 1" at 100yds..." That's not at all shabby. Work up a load using Hornady V-Max bullets of those bullet weights. Your groups will likely go down a wee bit. You might find a load that puts them all into one hole.

crowbeaner · June 13, 2007, 08:57 PM

Get the Hodgdon manual from 1995[25thedition]. It shows excellent loads with several powders. Ball powder is the easiest to measure, and any loads I've worked up have been very satisfactory. Look around at different suppliers to get prices on powder. If you have buddies that handload you might be able to combine a powder order to save on shipping. Bullets are constantly going up in price with the war effort on, so order soon.

hodaka · June 13, 2007, 09:24 PM

My 700 vls loves 52 gr. Sierra, Berger and Hornady Vmax with the Bergers possibly a tad better. Most powers work well but H322 and IMR 4198 seem to be the favorites. When the wind doesn't blow, and I stay off the coffee, this thing shoots under an inch at 300yds, believe it or not. Maybe Remington just screwed up and put a good barrel on mine.

bigautomatic · June 14, 2007, 02:55 PM

I have a 700 VLS and have great results using the same bullets and powders that hodaka uses. I have also have had great luck with BL-C(2).

jstoots · June 16, 2007, 10:15 PM

I had one of those a few years back. Now I have a 700 BDL varmint special. They both like W748 27.7 gr with a 50 gr. Combined Technology Ballistic Silvertip. The first group (with a clean barrel) is usually about 1", but after that, they really tighten up. I'm not a great shot, but I've taken crows at 400 yards. Good luck with your loads!

629 shooter · June 17, 2007, 06:59 AM

Quote:

My 700 vls loves 52 gr. Sierra, Berger and Hornady Vmax with the Bergers possibly a tad better.

I used to have a 1 in 12" twist .223 VLS and it also was a great shooter with the 52 Berger match with 748 powder and H322 was pretty good too. Not a cheap bullet but for precision shooting it was hard to beat.

For the varmints I too would give the V-MAX a try.

I no longer have the VLS but a 1 in 9" twist 700LTR and it is very accurate with the 52 Sierra , in this rifle seems to shoot it just as well as the 52 Berger. Although an old lot of 55 Berger varmint produced some outstanding accuracy. Benchmark is a powder I have excellent results with in the LTR with 52-69 grain bullets.

firechicken · June 17, 2007, 08:02 AM

I have a 700 VLS in 223, and have been trying to find "the" load for it for a while now. It shoots about anything good, (3/4 - 1 1/2 MOA) but I'm having a hard time finding something that it shoots really well. I did stumble accros a load that put 5 shots in a .482" CTC group at 100yards the other day. The first 4 shots measured .292", the last one was a flyer. I'm going to try a few more 5-shot groups of that load today. Speer 50gr TNT over a healthy dose of Benchmark with a Remington 6 1/2 primer gave me 3550 fps from my 26" barrel.

enstorm · August 7, 2007, 09:51 PM

Firechicken, I saw your post looking for similar infor. Here's my most accurate loads for 223 m700 vs with 26" 1-12" twist, which you probably have:

My 2 faves: Combined Technologies 55 grain silver tip with Varget 27.0 grains at 2.363 OAL. Combined Technologies 50 grain silver tip with 23.4 grains AA2015at 2.232 OAL.

Also outstanding results per my older notes for the following:

H335: 26 and 27 grains with combined technologies 40 grain at 2.232-2.235 OAL; 27.4 grans with 40 g. vmax non-moly at 2.20 OAL; 25.5 grains with speer 52 g. at 2.250 OAL.

AA2230: 25.5 grains with vmax 40 non-moly at 2.215 OAL.

Benchmark: Amax, speer, sierra 52 grain at 25.8 grains, 2.20 (sierra)-2.30 (others) OAL; 28.0 grains with vmax non-moly 40 g. at 2.20 OAL.

Hope this helps

Trapper L · August 7, 2007, 10:49 PM

Ya know Wahnsinn, I was on my way back home from an engineers meeting in Austin and passed thru Kyle and saw the new Cabelas and stopped in just to see. Well, as luck would have it, they had the 700VLS on sale for $299.00. I couldn't pass that up so I bought one. I put a Burris 4.5-14 on top and it doesn't seem to matter what I stick in it, it shoots an inch. From 36 gr pills to 62grs it still shoots an inch at 100 yds. My load that I shoot in my ARs, which is another one of those loads that it doesn't matter which 223 you stuff it in, it shoots an inch. So that's my load- 25.0 grs 2230 with any 55 gr bullet. It is one fine shooter. It's far from being the slickest Remington I own but its a dependable one. Hope yours is a dandy too.

enstorm · August 7, 2007, 11:16 PM

Firechicken, I had a typo for the 55 grain CT silvertip. that's 27.5 grains of varget, not 27.0

Bullet94 · August 8, 2007, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Wahnsinn
Does loading for one specific rifle (assuming same barrel twist) really make much difference? Say I've got an AR with a 1:12" twist (as this Remington does) with a 26" barrel, would there be much difference in how they would shoot with the same loading?

Wahnsinn if your still interested in this revived thread.
Sierra lists different data for bolt guns and AR’s.
Check this out for Sierra’s data and lots of interesting stuff –

http://www.6mmbr.com/223Rem.html

caz223 · August 8, 2007, 04:52 AM

My VS is a one holer at 100 yards, but I got killer optics on it, which helps.
I started loading for it with leftover .22 hornet bullets, and I gotta say it loves 'em.
I use H335 23 grains, (I know, it's light, but I just wanted accuracy.) and a speer 45 grain spitzer. Those bullets have really thin jackets, and you don't need velocity for explosive kills.
I loaded up a huge number of them and let myself run out of components, but IIRC the bullet was speer #1023 45 grain.
Explosive kills at 200 yards.

Alleykat · August 8, 2007, 05:40 AM

My VS shoots in the low 2s, with good bullets and careful loading. I like H335. Also recommend using the Stoney Point tool or something similar for determining o.a.l., relative to the lands.

If you don't have the trigger down to no more than about 1#, that'd also be a good start.

Bullet94 · August 8, 2007, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Alleykat
Also recommend using the Stoney Point tool or something similar for determining o.a.l., relative to the lands.

Why do you want to know the OAL relative to the lands?

caz223 · August 8, 2007, 08:18 AM

With the twist on a VS, it's almost necessary to load 45 grain bullets.
With those 45 grain bullets, you're not gonna load 'em out to the lands, not gonna happen. Cut your powder back a grain from the starting load and load 'em short., then .005 farther out, then .005 farther out, which ever shoots best. Surprisingly, mine shot best short, figure it out fo yourself. Start with the bullet base even with the back of the neck. 20 of each should tell you the story on which ones shoot best. Once you got the OAL figured out, tweak the powder charge the same way.
Save yourself the price of the gage, you won't need it.

sundog · August 8, 2007, 08:30 AM

24.0/2230-C and 50 gr Hdy VMax. 3-shot clover leafs at a hunert. I have the laminated stock on my 700 and I trimmed out the harmonic dampner in the barrel channel and bedded the action and floated the bbl. The lug well was way too large as cut. A little trigger adjustment, and voila. Topped with a Weaver V-series with a mildot reticle.

2230-C (surplus which apparently is no longer available) has a burn rate equivalent of AA2460 which is real close to H335. WC844 (another surplus) is another good powder for this application.

Alleykat · August 8, 2007, 02:45 PM

caz223 almost answered the question, regarding o.a.l., relative to the lands. The Stoney Point tool tells you at exactly what o.a.l. a particular bullet requires, in order to touch the lands. I back off a few thousandths and work up my loads/o.a.l. I've shot a lot of good groups, using 52-55gr. bullets.

June 16, 2007, 10:15 PM	#7
jstoots Junior Member Join Date: May 30, 2007 Posts: 10	700 VS loads I had one of those a few years back. Now I have a 700 BDL varmint special. They both like W748 27.7 gr with a 50 gr. Combined Technology Ballistic Silvertip. The first group (with a clean barrel) is usually about 1", but after that, they really tighten up. I'm not a great shot, but I've taken crows at 400 yards. Good luck with your loads!

June 17, 2007, 08:02 AM	#9
firechicken Senior Member Join Date: April 17, 2006 Location: Savannah, MO Posts: 224	I have a 700 VLS in 223, and have been trying to find "the" load for it for a while now. It shoots about anything good, (3/4 - 1 1/2 MOA) but I'm having a hard time finding something that it shoots really well. I did stumble accros a load that put 5 shots in a .482" CTC group at 100yards the other day. The first 4 shots measured .292", the last one was a flyer. I'm going to try a few more 5-shot groups of that load today. Speer 50gr TNT over a healthy dose of Benchmark with a Remington 6 1/2 primer gave me 3550 fps from my 26" barrel. __________________ The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. - Edmund Burke

August 8, 2007, 04:52 AM	#14
caz223 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,429	My VS is a one holer at 100 yards, but I got killer optics on it, which helps. I started loading for it with leftover .22 hornet bullets, and I gotta say it loves 'em. I use H335 23 grains, (I know, it's light, but I just wanted accuracy.) and a speer 45 grain spitzer. Those bullets have really thin jackets, and you don't need velocity for explosive kills. I loaded up a huge number of them and let myself run out of components, but IIRC the bullet was speer #1023 45 grain. Explosive kills at 200 yards. __________________ I'm not just a gun. I'm YOUR gun. (Hold me.)

August 8, 2007, 08:18 AM	#17
caz223 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,429	With the twist on a VS, it's almost necessary to load 45 grain bullets. With those 45 grain bullets, you're not gonna load 'em out to the lands, not gonna happen. Cut your powder back a grain from the starting load and load 'em short., then .005 farther out, then .005 farther out, which ever shoots best. Surprisingly, mine shot best short, figure it out fo yourself. Start with the bullet base even with the back of the neck. 20 of each should tell you the story on which ones shoot best. Once you got the OAL figured out, tweak the powder charge the same way. Save yourself the price of the gage, you won't need it. __________________ I'm not just a gun. I'm YOUR gun. (Hold me.)

August 8, 2007, 08:30 AM	#18
sundog Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 1999 Location: Green Country, OK Posts: 782	24.0/2230-C and 50 gr Hdy VMax. 3-shot clover leafs at a hunert. I have the laminated stock on my 700 and I trimmed out the harmonic dampner in the barrel channel and bedded the action and floated the bbl. The lug well was way too large as cut. A little trigger adjustment, and voila. Topped with a Weaver V-series with a mildot reticle. 2230-C (surplus which apparently is no longer available) has a burn rate equivalent of AA2460 which is real close to H335. WC844 (another surplus) is another good powder for this application. __________________ safety first

June 13, 2007, 03:53 PM	#1
Wahnsinn Junior Member Join Date: May 16, 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 6	Remington 700 VS .223 Loads Hello, is there anyone out there that happens to load for one of these rifles? I bought it some time ago and it has shot very well with anything I've put through it (Federal AE 55FMJ, Win 45grJHP, Hornady 55BT, etc), all under 1" at 100yds...probably do better with a better shooter I'm just now getting into reloading, got all my gear recently, now I just need to get around to some dirty work. Have to make room in my office for reloading (have a big bench already setup) and then start working up loads for her (among others). My primary use will just be at the range, but I also want to get into hunting varmints somewhere around here (Dallas area). If you do happen to load for one of these, is there anything in particular you've found that works well? Does loading for one specific rifle (assuming same barrel twist) really make much difference? Say I've got an AR with a 1:12" twist (as this Remington does) with a 26" barrel, would there be much difference in how they would shoot with the same loading? I know there are many variables, throat depth, etc. Thanks! Tim

June 13, 2007, 05:05 PM	#2
kingudaroad Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2005 Location: austin Posts: 735	I think we have to assume that all rifles are different. The same load will shoot differently in the same make and model and twist of a different rifle. I would think that the first thing you need to do is get a reloading manual and read through it a couple of times. Do some research on the .223 and then you can determine which bullet,powder,primer,brass you want to start to work up your load with. Some reloading manuals will give a listing of most accurate powder tested and I have found this a good place to start. Bottleneck rifle cartridges in my opinion are the most rewarding to reload for. I would be hesitant to use data from the internet that isn't confirmed in a reloading manual. Be safe

June 13, 2007, 05:31 PM	#3
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...under 1" at 100yds..." That's not at all shabby. Work up a load using Hornady V-Max bullets of those bullet weights. Your groups will likely go down a wee bit. You might find a load that puts them all into one hole.

June 13, 2007, 08:57 PM	#4
crowbeaner Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,943	Get the Hodgdon manual from 1995[25thedition]. It shows excellent loads with several powders. Ball powder is the easiest to measure, and any loads I've worked up have been very satisfactory. Look around at different suppliers to get prices on powder. If you have buddies that handload you might be able to combine a powder order to save on shipping. Bullets are constantly going up in price with the war effort on, so order soon.

June 13, 2007, 09:24 PM	#5
hodaka Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,010	My 700 vls loves 52 gr. Sierra, Berger and Hornady Vmax with the Bergers possibly a tad better. Most powers work well but H322 and IMR 4198 seem to be the favorites. When the wind doesn't blow, and I stay off the coffee, this thing shoots under an inch at 300yds, believe it or not. Maybe Remington just screwed up and put a good barrel on mine.

June 14, 2007, 02:55 PM	#6
bigautomatic Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 610	I have a 700 VLS and have great results using the same bullets and powders that hodaka uses. I have also have had great luck with BL-C(2).

August 7, 2007, 09:51 PM	#10
enstorm Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2005 Posts: 217	Firechicken, I saw your post looking for similar infor. Here's my most accurate loads for 223 m700 vs with 26" 1-12" twist, which you probably have: My 2 faves: Combined Technologies 55 grain silver tip with Varget 27.0 grains at 2.363 OAL. Combined Technologies 50 grain silver tip with 23.4 grains AA2015at 2.232 OAL. Also outstanding results per my older notes for the following: H335: 26 and 27 grains with combined technologies 40 grain at 2.232-2.235 OAL; 27.4 grans with 40 g. vmax non-moly at 2.20 OAL; 25.5 grains with speer 52 g. at 2.250 OAL. AA2230: 25.5 grains with vmax 40 non-moly at 2.215 OAL. Benchmark: Amax, speer, sierra 52 grain at 25.8 grains, 2.20 (sierra)-2.30 (others) OAL; 28.0 grains with vmax non-moly 40 g. at 2.20 OAL. Hope this helps

August 7, 2007, 10:49 PM	#11
Trapper L Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 804	Ya know Wahnsinn, I was on my way back home from an engineers meeting in Austin and passed thru Kyle and saw the new Cabelas and stopped in just to see. Well, as luck would have it, they had the 700VLS on sale for $299.00. I couldn't pass that up so I bought one. I put a Burris 4.5-14 on top and it doesn't seem to matter what I stick in it, it shoots an inch. From 36 gr pills to 62grs it still shoots an inch at 100 yds. My load that I shoot in my ARs, which is another one of those loads that it doesn't matter which 223 you stuff it in, it shoots an inch. So that's my load- 25.0 grs 2230 with any 55 gr bullet. It is one fine shooter. It's far from being the slickest Remington I own but its a dependable one. Hope yours is a dandy too.

August 7, 2007, 11:16 PM	#12
enstorm Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2005 Posts: 217	Firechicken, I had a typo for the 55 grain CT silvertip. that's 27.5 grains of varget, not 27.0

August 8, 2007, 05:40 AM	#15
Alleykat Junior member Join Date: July 26, 2007 Posts: 3,668	My VS shoots in the low 2s, with good bullets and careful loading. I like H335. Also recommend using the Stoney Point tool or something similar for determining o.a.l., relative to the lands. If you don't have the trigger down to no more than about 1#, that'd also be a good start.

August 8, 2007, 02:45 PM	#19
Alleykat Junior member Join Date: July 26, 2007 Posts: 3,668	caz223 almost answered the question, regarding o.a.l., relative to the lands. The Stoney Point tool tells you at exactly what o.a.l. a particular bullet requires, in order to touch the lands. I back off a few thousandths and work up my loads/o.a.l. I've shot a lot of good groups, using 52-55gr. bullets.