Your experience - most accurate 22 caliber bullets

[flashhole]

What have you found to be the most accurate 22 caliber bullet? I am shooting a Rem 700 1:12 twist 221 Fireball and a Kimber Longmaster Classic 1:9 twist in 223 Rem.

[Red_Eagle]

55 grain Nosler ballistic tip in my 22-250 and 55 grain V-Max in 223.

[wncchester]

My 45 years of experiece is that each rifle is a law unto it's self. Any attempt to predict performance is often futile. That said, I think it can be established that Sierra's are accurate more often than any other. After that, maybe a tie between Hornady and Nosler. But, some rifles really like Speer's and even Remington's CL/HPs. A few do really well with Barnes; my 22-250 really likes the 36gr Varmint Grenades at a bit over 4,100 fps! Then some rifles won't hit well with much of anything I've been able to find.

But, start with Sierras, they are slightly more likely to shoot well in anything.

[gendoc]

like the last guy said, there all different.......

anyway my .223 likes hornady 60gr v-max
while my hornet likes nosler 40gr ballistic tips
to each is his own, i guess!!!!!!!!

[flashhole]

I'm doing better with Sierra's than any of the other brands. Your comments related to each rifle being a unique challenge unto itself is spot on. I tried several different types of 55 grain bullets (and powders) in my 223 and not one of them worked worth a hoot. Others had great success with them but my gun doesn't like that weight for some reason. The 63 grain Sierra is the best so far.

[flashhole]

My 223 likes the 40 grain Ballistic Tips too. I haven't tried the 60 grain equivalents ... yet. I would like to try some of the Speer TNT bullets.

[csmsss]

.223's seem to be particularly finicky as regards barrel twist rate, and the twist rate is significantly different between your two rifles. I'll bet you'll find after experimentation that the most reliably accurate bullet will be different for each rifle.

[margiesex]

I agree with all the above - it's unique - to each gun, load, even brass. Back in the day I was shooting a .222 Rem. heavy varmit...only one that worked was Sierra 53 grain HP matchking - not the 52 HPBT or anything close.

Then, when I loaded .06.....same issue, but with brass batches. The bullet was the 168 grain Sierra HPBT Matchking, but all the brass had to be the same, and all had to be only neck sized.....who'd a thunk it?

But that's the fun, isn't it? Working up each load, taking the care to match them all, measure them, polish them, and use your best at the range with each shot? YEAH! Sure, it's time, but my fun is in the chase for the BEST for each gun I own. And, I'm aware that on any given day anyone with any gun can outshoot me, too.

Good luck and enjoy!

Margiesex

And remember: Hug your God and your guns - 'cause he's coming for them both, and soon!

[Bike Effects]

My 22-250 Ruger M77 always seemed to favor Sierra 52gr HPBT Match. Getting a new barrel and will start with that bullet.

[Sidewinder72]

I am using 55 V max in 22-250 & 223.

[ISP 5353]

Sierra 52gr HPBT Match with a load of Varget has alsways been best in most of the .223s that I have tried. AA2520 works well too.

[Unclenick]

I'd say a Berger or a Sierra are most likely to be found to be best in most guns, but I've got a .222 Rem load of 4198 where a Hornady bullet does best in a particular gun of mine. Overall, for shorter range (200 yards and under), in a bullet compatible with slower twists, I shoot a lot of the flat base 53 grain Sierra MK's. Beyond that range, the boattails get hard to beat. The Noslers are funny in that they have a very slight taper to their bearing surface that some guns love and some hate. Their bullets will be a trial and error thing for your.

I always think finding the right bullet for your particular application is a little like the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The late Arthur C. Clark once wrote words to the effect that the matter could not be settled by logic or reason, no matter how compelling, but only by evidence. So while you can improve your odds of early satisfaction by starting with the brands and weights and styles mentioned by myself and the others, you'll undoubtedly have to try a number of things before the winner is established.

[djb_249]

My Rem. 700 loves 50gr. v-max's. but like everyone else said...every firearm is unique in it's own way. Plus mine has a 1 in 14" twist...so 55 gr. would pry be a better place to start for you.

[flashhole]

Thanks for the replies. I picked up 500 Sierra 50 grain flat base spire point bullets and a couple pounds of BL-(C)2. I couldn't pass them up. They were old stock and marked $9.50/100 so I bought all he had. If my 223 won't shoot them I'm sure my Fireball will. I worked up 5 different loads for the range tomorrow. I'll share which worked best.

[flashhole]

Well I think I found another bullet my 223 doesn't like. I loaded 5 each: 26.5, 27, 27.5, 28, 28.5 grains of BL-(C)2 with the 50 grain spitzers. I was shooting at 100 yards, barrel cleaned and cooled between volleys, no standout, all groups were about 1.5" the only difference being as the charge increased they hit higher on the target. No pressure signs on any load. I will try the same bullet using Varget.

[wingman]

Sierra and Speer 52 or 53 gr match along with H322 powder if i do my job
always less then one inch @100 yards, 223 cal. 1-9 twist.

[TimT]

I get good results with 50 and 55 grain Vmax's.

However, the most accurate bullets I've tried have been Bergers. They are more pricey, but more accurate.

I don't know that they are worth the cost at the ranges I normally shoot at.

[flashhole]

I loaded up some Barnes 40 grain varmint grenade bullets and will shoot them later today.

I also loaded some of the 50 grain spitzers for my Fireball. I've yet to find a bad load combination for my Fireball. It seems to like everything I try but some are better than others.

[McClintock]

I've used the 36 gr. Varmint Grenades with reasonably good (just a hair over 1"@100 yds.) results. Charge was 26.0 gr. of Varget that yielded the tightest groups. Rifle was a Savage 16 FCSS with a 1:9 twist barrel.

Cheers!
McClintock

[flashhole]

The 40 grain Barnes bullets were better than the 50 grain Sierras but the results were a little inconsistent. I'd get 3 holes touching then a flyer about 1/2" separated from the tight group.

The 50 grain bullets worked well in the Fireball over LilGun powder. No surprise there. I expected it would do well.

The big plus to all of this is I'm getting quite a bit of trigger time.

[Shoney]

wncchester and Unclenick give good insight here, but didn't get into the better weights for 9 or 12 twist.

Without regard to brand, the 12 twist will handle 50-63 gr but best accuracy will be obtained with 50-60 gr bullets.

The 9 twist will handle weights 55-75 gr (some go as high as 80), while best accuracy comes from 68-75 gr bullets.

[223 shooter]

In my 1 in 12" .223s the 52 Sierra MatchKing with N133 is proving to be very accurate. Also shoots very well in my 1 in 9" 700LTR.

The 52 Berger always has turned in great accuracy for me too.

The 55 Berger Match and Match Varmint work extremely well in my 1 in 9" twist .223s.

The Sierra 69 MatchKing is very accurate in both of my 1 in 9 .223s.

[flashhole]

I've been keeping a peeled eye for the 69 grain Match Kings but thus far have not seen any on the shelves. I will most likely order them on line.

[Big Caliber]

Have not seen them for a while, but I had exceptional luck using Federal Match Grade .22's in a 10/22. But nothing else seems to shoot straight in that thing.

[Unclenick]

I have to say BL-(C)2 would not be my first choice for light bullets. The littler guys don't have a lot of area gripped by the case neck for start pressure, and they don't offer much of Newton's equal and opposite reaction force as they are accelerated down the tube. These factors make it harder for a middling or slower progressive powder to build pressure. In particular, spherical propellants are harder to light than other grain forms in the first place and will suffer extra because of that. They're the only powders I've gotten measurable improvements with from flashhole deburring, in one instance reducing a .308 load's groups from 1.25 moa to 0.75 moa. It is an indicator of their need for good ignition. As a result of the above, the ballistic efficiency is poor (around 20% with a 20" barrel), so you have more powder tossed out with the bullet and more muzzle blast to deflect the bullet at its base.

I would have started with IMR 4198 (BE 27% at same peak pressure as a case full of BL-(C)2), which has always been terrifically accurate for me. It is the powder Stoner designed the AR for. I might try coming down slightly slower in burn rate to get better case fill by trying Reloader 10X or maybe even H322 (BE's around 25%). But that would be about the slowest I would go until I got the bullet up to 60 grains or so. I'm sure there are plenty of folks with examples of exceptions particular to their guns, but, in general, I leave sphericals for 60 grain bullets and up. 748 is famous for needing that additional weight to shine, and I don't see why others would not as well?

Sorry you are having issues with the old Sierra's. I've never fired that particular bullet. It is their 53 grain bullet #1400 that has worked exceptionally well for me.