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Old November 11, 2012, 01:31 PM   #1
603Country
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What bullet for my 223 for max accuracy?

Now before ya'll all tell me that it depends on the rifle, powder, etc., I know all that. But I'm a hunter and a picky shooter, but not a true target shooter, and therefore I have no match grade bullets (I used to, but threw them all out a few years ago). I'm going to run an accuracy test (which I'll tell ya'll about later) and I'm going to need a lot of bullets. My 223 likes several specific bullets, particularly the 65 gr Sierra GK, but I don't want to shoot up all of those. The bullet I want is the bullet that you learned folk would expect to shoot best in my 1 in 9 twist sporter weight barrel. Right now I'm leaning toward the 53 gr Sierra MK, but maybe I'd be better off going heavier. Maybe the 69 gr Sierra HPBT MK would be better in that twist. I have 'history' on that gun, knowing that it likes that 65 gr GK, but it also shoots the 40 Nosler BT very well, though maybe not as well as it does the 65 grainer. My point is that I have no history with this gun on 55 grain bullets or similar weights. Should I go with the 53 gr MK or the 69 gr MK? I want what you might think is the most likely to yield best accuracy.
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Old November 11, 2012, 02:05 PM   #2
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Quote:
Maybe the 69 gr Sierra HPBT MK would be better in that twist.
That'd be the one I'd be looking at for best accuracy. If you want to try something different, perhaps a Berger 73 gr BT match.
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Old November 11, 2012, 02:06 PM   #3
Brian Pfleuger
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I'm no AR expert but when the question is accuracy, the answer is very often Lapua or Berger.
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Old November 11, 2012, 03:39 PM   #4
603Country
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It's a bolt gun. I should have mentioned that. Ruger 77 Hawkeye in stainless.
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Old November 11, 2012, 04:28 PM   #5
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I just got back from sighting in my new scope on my AR and I use the 65g SGK, and they are awesome! Im now only using a fixed 3X scope, but when I did my load testing I was using a fixed 6X. I was getting just under .5" groups at 100 yds, just over that now with the 3X scope. Out of all the bullets Ive tried, Sierras are by far the best!
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Old November 11, 2012, 05:48 PM   #6
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75 gr Hornady HPBT

My 1:9" Savage bolt Edge (now called Axis) shoots the 75 gr Hornady HPBT best, most noticeably at 400 yards (uphill) using a maximum load of WC844 (H335). CCI 400 primers work but perforate in this load. I need to work it up again with CCI#41's which have a thicker primer cup. It seems to be a very good combination of full case capacity, aerodynamics, velocity x mass = momentum, and correct stabilization.
An added advantage is PRICE, that bullet is relatively inexpensive @ $16.19 per 100 from Midway. Wideners sells a similar MB2275HP 500 22CAL 75GR HPBT $65.00 /500 . i will buy some my next order.
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Old November 11, 2012, 06:10 PM   #7
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Hornady 68 or 77 grain HPBT Match bullets with Reloader 15 would be a good start. Varget will work well with those bullets as well. Though I give a slight edge to the RL15. I have had outstanding results with both in a 1 in 9 Savage Bolt action.

For a pretty darn accurate load to 400 or so yards/meters a 55 grain Hornady V-Max with H-335 has been a sub MOA load in 8 rifles that I have tested them in. 6 were various AR platforms that were around 1 inch for 3 shots. One single shot TC Encore gave a 3/4 inch 5 shot group. My Savage bull barrel will put them in the same hole.
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Old November 11, 2012, 06:17 PM   #8
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Don't overlook the Speer 52-gr HP. That shot the best out of my 1 to 9 twist Savage. It doesn't look like an accurate bullet, but it is. I was getting 1/3-inch groups with it. The added bonus is that they are relatively low priced.
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Old November 11, 2012, 06:49 PM   #9
Brian Pfleuger
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 603Country
It's a bolt gun.
Doh!

Sorry, I was using TapaTalk on my phone and you can't see the OP when you're replying. I thought I remembered mention of an AR.

Still, Lapua and Berger bullets are renowned for their accuracy.
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Old November 11, 2012, 07:15 PM   #10
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You may find your gun does not like bullets around mid 50s. Mine sure didn't, a Kimber Longmaster Classic with a 1:9 twist. It loves the 63 grain Sierra Semi Spitzer.
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Old November 11, 2012, 08:01 PM   #11
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Because of the way the rifle shoots those 65 gr Sierra GK's, I think I'll get a couple boxes of the Sierra HPBT 69 grainers. I'll probably put Varget behind them. Norma cases and CCI BR4 primers will be the rest of the load. I'd go with the 52 or 53 gr Matchkings, but have decided that I'm either going to keep using the 40 gr Nosler BT's or the Sierra 65 gr GK's for my normal shooting. I'll use all my 55 grainers for the 220 Swift.

I'll tell you what I'm going to do with them. I'm going to load up a bunch of neck sized cases and shoot for accuracy. Then I'll do the same with FL resized cases (same 50 cases) and then with partial resized cases (same 50 cases). I'm by golly going to see which shoots best and I'm going to burn a lot of ammo doing it. And then I'm gonna tell ya'll. I'm doing this with the 223 Hawkeye because it's an off the shelf rifle (new trigger and stock). I don't want to use any of my 'tuned up' rifles for this experiment. This may take a while.
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Old November 12, 2012, 09:05 PM   #12
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Lapua, Sierra and berger you've heard already.

Try out Nosler bullets - either their SHOTS or their Custom Comp BT bullets. They're outstanding in all of my rifles and WAY cheaper then the rest. Wont hurt to try.
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Old November 12, 2012, 09:56 PM   #13
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A sporter weight 1;9?

Max accuracy will depend a bit on range. The 53gr HP Flat Base bullets will likely group the absolute tightest at 100 or 200. The 68/69gr HPBTs will likely group the absolute tightest at 400 through 600.

So if you don't have access to longer ranges, stick with the 52/53gr hollow tip flat base match bullets.

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Old November 13, 2012, 08:19 AM   #14
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First thing I would do to decide what bullet to use is measure the barrel's groove diameter. Slug it with a lead ball pushed from breech to muzzle, then carefully use a micrometer that gets repeatable readings to the ten-thousandths of an inch. Bullets smaller than groove diameter have never consistantly shot super accurate in any barrel.

Second, find a bullet of around 70 grains that's a few ten-thousandths bigger than your barrel's groove diameter. One even 7 or 8 ten-thousandths would still be very good.

Third, use an extruded powder of the same speed as H322 then work up loads that are safe. Use the powder and primer that produces the best accuracy.

Determine accuracy by the size of the largest group shot with a given load. Ignore the smallest ones. The largest one is what you can count on all the time; smallest ones are seldom repeated.
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Old November 13, 2012, 06:40 PM   #15
603Country
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I bought the Sierra 69 gr MK HPBT bullets. Powders on hand are Varget, 4064, H335, and AA2230 and maybe 3031. The 65 gr Sierra GK's shoot best with the AA2230, but I'm going to start with the Varget.
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Old November 15, 2012, 11:50 AM   #16
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52/53 for under 200 yards, 68gr-75gr for 200-600 yards.

AA2230, Benchmark, Varget, R15 have been great.
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Old November 19, 2012, 04:55 AM   #17
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My AR15 also likes the 65 gr SGK. 24.6 gr of Varget. Shoots even better with 75 gr Hornady BTHP and 23.0 gr Varget.

Have also got good accuracy with 23.8 gr H335 with either the 65 SGK or 68 gr BTHP.

Another pretty decent load is the same 24.6 gr Varget and 60 gr Hornady SP which are only $14/100.

I tried Varget, H335, BLC2, and H4895 and Varget and H335 gave best accuracy. Have not tried accuracy test with anything under 60 gr yet but I expect any HP and H335 or H323 would be accurate.
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