MVP .223

SixShooterBP · May 22, 2020, 10:32 PM

Doing some load development for my Mossberg MVP and wondering what powders to try initially. Mine is the 24” barrel varminter. Just loaded up some Hornady 55gr V-Max, 55gr Nosler CT and regular BT over H335. Twist rate is 1-9”.

kilotanker22 · May 22, 2020, 11:46 PM

I don't have the Mossberg, but my 5.56 really likes Varget with the 69 grain Sierra Tipped Matchkings.

10-96 · May 23, 2020, 12:55 PM

When I had mine, it really liked 55gr V-Max bullets, Prvi Partizan and Winchester brass, CCI SR primers, and a half grain below max (Lyman 47th) of Varget.

m&p45acp10+1 · May 24, 2020, 07:30 AM

55 grain bullets and H335 are an awesome combo in my book. None of my .223 rifles will shoot them badly. The V-Max is a very good all around bullet. Decent price, and very good accuracy.

Top level accuracy is a 68 grain HPBT Match Hornady. Loaded with Reloader15. Pick a primer it seems to shoot well with Wolf, CCI, S&B, and Winchester SR primers.

Varget is a good powder for the 65 grain and heavier bullets in place of RL15. Both are close in performance. RL15 does a wee bit better across the board for me in .223 and also in 6.5CM.

ballisticxlr · May 24, 2020, 08:28 AM

My MVP Varmint (24") never liked light bullets. Anything less than 62's it would make 6" groups with no matter what I did with the load recipe. I got the best performance from Berger 70gr VLD's and Hornady 75gr BTHPs and more recently from 73gr and 75gr ELD's. For powders, Varget, Benchmark, BL-C(2), IMR-4895 and similar medium burn rate powders did really well for me. For primers, I have never had good luck with non-magnum primers in .223's and usually use CCI #41's or Federal AR match or CCI #450s. I won't give out my charge weights because they're all massively over book. One tip, the MVP tends to have a long throat so skip mag-length loading, load long for .010 jump to get the powder capacity back, use that extra capacity and single feed them. I was able to get 70's and 75's to 2950fps that way though I would recommend working up slowly once you get near book max.

My factory MVP barrel was toasted pretty quickly due to me firing about 1000 rounds of copper washed steel jackets. That tore up the throat (and the rest of the barrel) pretty badly and ruined it as a target rifle (it did surprisingly well with the factory barrel) so I replaced the factory barrel with a 26" tube from Columbia River Arms in 1:7 twist. The rifling is polygonal instead of Enfield type so it doesn't engrave the bullet which doesn't abuse the jackets so bad allowing me to shoot really fragile and light weight bullets without jacket failures and I'm able to launch 80's with full stability.

Bart B. · May 24, 2020, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballisticxlr

I won't give out my charge weights because they're all massively over book.

Why is so important to load way over listed maximum?

SixShooterBP · May 24, 2020, 08:16 PM

On to something good I think.
55gr V-Max with H335

May 22, 2020, 10:32 PM	#1
SixShooterBP Member Join Date: July 10, 2006 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 33	MVP .223 Doing some load development for my Mossberg MVP and wondering what powders to try initially. Mine is the 24” barrel varminter. Just loaded up some Hornady 55gr V-Max, 55gr Nosler CT and regular BT over H335. Twist rate is 1-9”.

May 22, 2020, 11:46 PM	#2
kilotanker22 Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2012 Location: North Central, PA Posts: 2,117	I don't have the Mossberg, but my 5.56 really likes Varget with the 69 grain Sierra Tipped Matchkings. __________________ “We do not seek peace in order to be at war, but we go to war that we may have peace. Be peaceful, therefore, in warring, so that you may vanquish those whom you war against, and bring them to the prosperity of peace. – St. Augustine

May 23, 2020, 12:55 PM	#3
10-96 Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2005 Location: Tx Panhandle Territory Posts: 4,160	When I had mine, it really liked 55gr V-Max bullets, Prvi Partizan and Winchester brass, CCI SR primers, and a half grain below max (Lyman 47th) of Varget. __________________ Rednecks... Keeping the woods critter-free since March 2, 1836. (TX Independence Day) I suspect a thing or two... because I've seen a thing or two.

May 24, 2020, 07:30 AM	#4
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	55 grain bullets and H335 are an awesome combo in my book. None of my .223 rifles will shoot them badly. The V-Max is a very good all around bullet. Decent price, and very good accuracy. Top level accuracy is a 68 grain HPBT Match Hornady. Loaded with Reloader15. Pick a primer it seems to shoot well with Wolf, CCI, S&B, and Winchester SR primers. Varget is a good powder for the 65 grain and heavier bullets in place of RL15. Both are close in performance. RL15 does a wee bit better across the board for me in .223 and also in 6.5CM. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

May 24, 2020, 08:28 AM	#5
ballisticxlr Member Join Date: April 25, 2020 Posts: 83	My MVP Varmint (24") never liked light bullets. Anything less than 62's it would make 6" groups with no matter what I did with the load recipe. I got the best performance from Berger 70gr VLD's and Hornady 75gr BTHPs and more recently from 73gr and 75gr ELD's. For powders, Varget, Benchmark, BL-C(2), IMR-4895 and similar medium burn rate powders did really well for me. For primers, I have never had good luck with non-magnum primers in .223's and usually use CCI #41's or Federal AR match or CCI #450s. I won't give out my charge weights because they're all massively over book. One tip, the MVP tends to have a long throat so skip mag-length loading, load long for .010 jump to get the powder capacity back, use that extra capacity and single feed them. I was able to get 70's and 75's to 2950fps that way though I would recommend working up slowly once you get near book max. My factory MVP barrel was toasted pretty quickly due to me firing about 1000 rounds of copper washed steel jackets. That tore up the throat (and the rest of the barrel) pretty badly and ruined it as a target rifle (it did surprisingly well with the factory barrel) so I replaced the factory barrel with a 26" tube from Columbia River Arms in 1:7 twist. The rifling is polygonal instead of Enfield type so it doesn't engrave the bullet which doesn't abuse the jackets so bad allowing me to shoot really fragile and light weight bullets without jacket failures and I'm able to launch 80's with full stability.

May 24, 2020, 08:16 PM	#7
SixShooterBP Member Join Date: July 10, 2006 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 33	On to something good I think. 55gr V-Max with H335