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Old January 14, 2014, 11:07 PM   #26
A_Gamehog
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Quote from Ed Harris, I have found this basic article to be a fountain of good loads. (Ed's Red) fame....

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


Best all-around accurate load I have found, regardless of rifle type or
barrel twist is to use the Sierra 52-gr. or 53-gr. benchrest bullets
and 22 grs. of H4198 or IMR4198; or alternately 23.5 grs. of H322, and
anybody's match primer, in whatever brass you have, but sorted by make
or arsenal and year. This is not a high velocity load, about 2950 fps
in the AR-15, but HIGHLY accurate. Shoots well in 7" twist or 12" twist
barrels. This load was recommended to me by Wally Hart when I started
shooting benchrest and I have concluded that if a .223 rifle will not
group with this load, it will not group with ANYTHING! In a full
blown benchrest rifle, taking GI cases assembled on a Dillon loader,
with no benchrest tricks whatever, the stuff averaged 1.39" for
twenty-five consecutive 10-shot groups at 200 meters fired the same
day, running a round-robin on five different makes of primers. Primer
make made no difference either! Likes CCI450 and Federal 205 best, but
Winchester WSR is also very good if priced compettively. DO NOT exceed
this charge with 4198, as this is a fairly fast burning powder for this
case. As for the H322, this surplus powder varies from batch to batch,
and while the 23.5 gr. charge suggested to me was a mild load with the
lot I used, others may run faster, so please be careful.
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Old January 14, 2014, 11:14 PM   #27
Ritz
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22gr of H4198 exceeds the maximum load according to Hodgdon's loading data for the Siera 53gr bullet. Their max load is 21.5gr.

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Old January 14, 2014, 11:30 PM   #28
Marco Califo
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Quote:
22gr of H4198 exceeds the maximum load according to Hodgdon's loading data for the Siera 53gr bullet. Their max load is 21.5gr.
Thank God for Sierra's data: 22.4 is the max. for Bolt guns. NOTE: AR loads are different see Sierra's other guide below. I also notice that H335 is just about always one of the powders with the highest MV in 223. It will do 3400 fps whereas 4198 tops out at 3300.

Powder /Velocity 2900 3000 3100 3200 3300 3400
Viht N130 20.9 21.8 22.7 23.6 24.5
Viht N133 21.9 22.6 23.3 24.0 24.7 25.4
IMR-4198 19.6 20.3 21.0 21.7 22.4
AA-2015 21.8 22.5 23.2 23.9 24.6
RE-7 20.6 21.6 22.6 23.6
H322 22.5 23.4 24.3
AA-2230 23.7 24.4 25.1 25.8
748 25.0 25.5 26.0 26.5
BLC-(2) 26.6 27.3 28.0 28.7
H335 24.1 24.8 25.5 26.2 26.9 27.6
H4895 23.8 24.4 25.0 25.6 26.2 26.8

http://accurateshooter.net/Downloads...223rembolt.pdf
http://accurateshooter.net/Downloads/sierra223ar.pdf
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Old January 15, 2014, 04:50 AM   #29
Ritz
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IMR4198 and H4198 are not the same powder. Very similar, but not the same.

Also, while I don't doubt that load above is accurate in the poster's gun, it's not typical for guns to shoot at their most accurate when pushed to the fringes of their maximum safe load and highest velocity. At least that's my understanding of things.

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Old January 15, 2014, 11:00 AM   #30
A_Gamehog
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Quote:
It will do 3400 fps whereas 4198 tops out at 3300.
Marco, I always stride for accuracy instead of speed.

I never thought anyone reading this would start at a max load, most loads are to be worked up in our own rifles. I actually shoot a higher load with H322 than he does. (lots vary).

24 Grains H322
50 Barnes Varmint Grenade
Lake City new brass
CCI 450's
Savage 1-9 twist 24" barrel

Shoots 1" @ 200 or better.
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Old January 16, 2014, 12:40 AM   #31
Marco Califo
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Quote:
Marco, I always stride for accuracy instead of speed.
So, in that case you just use a little less H335 then.

Sierra's Accuracy Load H335 26.9 3300 1282
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Old January 16, 2014, 01:26 AM   #32
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25.0 gr Norma 201
55 gr FMJ or SP seated to cannellure
Any case
Any rifle (including gas guns)
Any standard primer

Plus... it's wonderfully clean.

In some rifles, with some lots of brass, you can run up to 28.0 gr. But, it isn't necessary.

Now, I know Norma 201 isn't exactly easy to come by in the states, and there have been some reports that it has been discontinued ()... but it's a great load.
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Old January 18, 2014, 01:36 AM   #33
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My "go to" loads for the .223 bolt actions I have used were:
25.0 gr Accurate 2015-BR, Nosler 50 gr Ballistic Tip, RP 7 1/2 primer Win case
in rifles with a 1 in 12" twist. (Note over some book max, maximum for the books at the time I loaded it, still seems safe in my rifles as well as within Lyman No. 49 and Sierra load data)
Current favorites:
27.5 gr Ramshot TAC, Nosler 40 gr Ballistic Tip or Varmageddon, or Hornady Z-Max or V-Max, RP 7 1/2 or Wolf 223 primer, LC or Fiocchi or Fed case
26.0 gr Varget, Nosler 55 gr Ballistic Tip or Varmageddon or Hornady 55 gr Z-Max or SP, RP 7 1/2 or Wolf 223 primer, LC Or Fiocchi or Fed case
I use the 40 gr loads in my 1 in 12" twist bolt guns and the 55 gr loads in our AR's. I also like the 40 gr bullets with 26.5 gr of Accurate 2015.
Still playing around with some Benchmark and IMR-8208 XBR powder to see if I can find even better loads.
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