.223 loads

[austin_voy]

Anybody who loads. What are you using for 55 grn boattails?

If you don't know what I'm talking about, never mind. (Thank you, "Emily", we miss you.)

[Slotgoop]

Don't load that light as I'm usually shooting matches and the heavier 69 gr which work much better. But, I've had nothing but great success with Sierra's and Speer in 223 and .30. Very consistent weights and ogive placement.

[alcatraz]

Originally Posted by Slotgoop

Don't load that light as I'm usually shooting matches and the heavier 69 gr which work much better. But, I've had nothing but great success with Sierra's and Speer in 223 and .30. Very consistent weights and ogive placement.

Slootgoop - are you using a rifle with a 1/7 or the bushmaster standard 1/9 twist?

I am putting together another rifle and trying to figure out which I want to go with...this will be a longer range 300-600 meter rifle with a 20 in free float barrel, 10x scope and harris bipod.

Austin-Voy- For the life of me I don't have the patience to load...I have quite a few buddies who do and I can ask them...what exactly are you trying to figure out? (type, weight, and are you trying to match?)

[Slotgoop]

For 69 Gr, you pretty much need 1 in 8 or faster to be competitive beyond 300 yards. I've got an older Colt HBar with 1/7 that I use. 69Gr will still shoot with a 1/9, but the groups really start to open up beyond 150yds. For best accuracy over 300yds go with a heavier bullet and go with 1/7. The risk you run is that with really light bullets you can actually overspin them and have them come apart just outside the muzzle. When you get up around 3300 fps like you have with lighter rounds in a 1/7 twist, you're close to 300,000 rpm on the bullet and a light jacketed bullet that does not have a bonded core will come apart. 1/9 will be more versatile and let you reliably use pretty much any bullet weight, but you won't get the best accuracy at longer ranges with a heavier bullet, though 55gr will do good as long as the wind is light.

[theaustinescorts]

So complicated. Just use a .50 cal and get it over with....

[Slotgoop]

Originally Posted by theaustinescorts

So complicated. Just use a .50 cal and get it over with....

The closest facility I'm aware of open to civilians where you can shoot a 50 at 600 yards or better is in Raton New Mexico.

[alcatraz]

Unless you can access military ranges. There are a few contractor ranges that allow 1000 meter + shots. There is one near San Antonio and I know of a 40 sq mile open range near El Paso. Of course we are talking some high priced shooting.

Haven't really used an accurate .50 sniper rifle. The M107 (Barrett) is 3+ moa weapon. If I had the money I would go for a nice .338 lapua and still reach out and touch targets over a mile away.

[theaustinescorts]

No, really...

The .223 round was developed exclusively for the M-16, which was not intended as an aimed-fire weapon.

It's to it's credit that it can be adapted for accurate fire, but trying to squeeze accuracy out of a .22 caliber round that was never intended for it is IMHO folly.

Why not use rounds that were intended for high accuracy instead? There are so many of them. My favorites were the Weatherby .270 and the Winchester .270.
For long range shooting the Lapua is said now to be among the best...

[John_TX]

Originally Posted by Slotgoop

The closest facility I'm aware of open to civilians where you can shoot a 50 at 600 yards or better is in Raton New Mexico.

try the new gun range in Liberty Hill. 1000 yards. Best of the West it's called.

[John_TX]

Originally Posted by alcatraz

Slootgoop - are you using a rifle with a 1/7 or the bushmaster standard 1/9 twist?

I am putting together another rifle and trying to figure out which I want to go with...this will be a longer range 300-600 meter rifle with a 20 in free float barrel, 10x scope and harris bipod.

Austin-Voy- For the life of me I don't have the patience to load...I have quite a few buddies who do and I can ask them...what exactly are you trying to figure out? (type, weight, and are you trying to match?)

if you're using a 20" barrel you can still push a 69 grain bullet with a 1/9. there is sufficient barrel length as you are still getting two full rotations. the 1/7 is better in the 20" with pushing 75-77 grain loads.

the original question i think was about a 55 grain bullet, so he can shoot a 1/12 20" barrel (the original AR15 barrel twist) and it will still stabilize.

[Gump42]

Originally Posted by alcatraz

I am putting together another rifle and trying to figure out which I want to go with...this will be a longer range 300-600 meter rifle with a 20 in free float barrel, 10x scope and harris bipod.

Why on earth would you build a 300-600 meter rifle using the .223 platform? Seems like a waste of money to me.

[alcatraz]

Originally Posted by Gump42

Why on earth would you build a 300-600 meter rifle using the .223 platform? Seems like a waste of money to me.

Because I shoot 62 grain green tip for free. And if you train AR carriers you have to stay 5.56/.223. I have a nice mil spec Remington 700 to reach out longer ranges. And if I don't play away all my funds I am really looking at a nice .338 lapua. Probably have to invest in reloading for that bad boy.
Can you ever have too many?

[TXhandyman]

You can use Hodgdon 2230 or h335 with 55gr or a 69gr if your shooting close use 55gr want shoot out 300 meter or better use the 69gr also use a CCI primer.

[austin_voy]

Originally Posted by theaustinescorts

No, really...


For long range shooting the Lapua is said now to be among the best...

I've been looking at the 98 Bravo, but suddenly "everybody's" coming out with a .338 Mag!!!

It now appears that those danged Canadians have moved from the .50 BMG (using their rifles and our ammo) to the .338 Mag (sounds like the MIL SPEC version of the 98 Bravo) and still dropping them in the 2300-2500 metre range, including a new record shot! Poor Taliban

But it's very expensive to load. Dillon has some dies coming out pretty soon, but brass is nonexistent!

Thanks guys, this is for a race gun, although probably limited for a while. It goes with a very nice Para and an 1100. So, if you race, we may run into each other some weekend.

[austin_voy]

Originally Posted by Gump42

Why on earth would you build a 300-600 meter rifle using the .223 platform? Seems like a waste of money to me.

Yeah, I agree on that one. 5.56 NATO out to 100 metres, 7.62 NATO to about 800 and .50 BMG or .338 Mag beyond that. Out to way, way, way longer than I can shoot. There are only a few ranges in North America and you can't get on them unless you're wearing a uniform.

Used to have a T/C in .223 and 7mm-08. But both hurt way too much!