223 barrel length & speed

[Wyoming Shooter]

Not questioning your results just my recent purchase. I just spent $400 hoping 8208 would be as fast or faster than N540

No worries. Understood. The results I posted were from a 16" barrel. I have a new Tikka T3X Varmint 223 that I had chopped to 20". I will try to get some chrono results from that rifle for comparison. Best, ELN.

 

[BAC]

Between this thread and the ".223 for all the things" thread, it looks like 16" 1:7 and 1:8 twist barrels are consistently producing 2600+ fps with 77gr tmk's and consistently performing well. I'm really starting to wonder if my incoming 16" 1:8 upper won't end up becoming my go-to until I get the Tikka. I don't think I'm going to lose much velocity/range on the AR vs bolt gun.

 

[Northpark]

Between this thread and the ".223 for all the things" thread, it looks like 16" 1:7 and 1:8 twist barrels are consistently producing 2600+ fps with 77gr tmk's and consistently performing well. I'm really starting to wonder if my incoming 16" 1:8 upper won't end up becoming my go-to until I get the Tikka. I don't think I'm going to lose much velocity/range on the AR vs bolt gun.

I’ve never owned a .223 bolt gun. Only ARs. I’ll be honest with todays bullet technology the little .223 Rem is an actual deer rifle now. I know folks are killing elk and everything else. I personally don’t go that far but my 16” 1-8 twist AR-15 in 5.56mm has become a go to hunting rifle. It’s short and handy even with a suppressor on it. I like monolithic bullets in mine and I’ve seen darn impressive kills with the 70gr Barnes tsx, 63gr absolute hammer, and 64gr hammer hunter. And I have never lost or even had a deer or hog make it out of sight. And that’s probably like 15-20 animals at this point. I have to admit the carnage I’ve seen in some of the 77tmk photos in the .223 thread have me thinking of trying them out too.

On a side note I remember the first time me and my brother decided to try out a .223 on deer. We used a 70gr Barnes and I backed him up with a .300 win mag because we didn’t exactly know how that would go. This doe comes in to about 60 yards and figures out we are sitting there so before she could spook my brother put that 70gr Barnes through the shoulder. Since she was quartered towards us the bullet went in directly through the big knuckle in the shoulder, zipped through both lungs and the liver and exited the opposite side at the last rib and buried itself in the dirt. That doe doe made it maybe 15’. We decided the .223 was plenty for deer after that.

 

[BAC]

I still want a bolt gun mind you, but this upper was already a planned purchase to replace my current 16" AR that I'm liable to throw into the classifieds here. The bolt gun just seems less necessary now, especially if the upper lives up to its promised sub-1-moa guarantee. The 77gr TMK is staying north of 2000 fps for what, 400-450y out of 16" barrels? That's ample. I'll need to pick up a chrono for myself to see how the mono bullets do out of the same barrel.

 

[SDRuger21]

Tikka T3X Compact cut to 19" getting an average of 2659 shooting factory 73 ELD-M.

 

[mills0713]

I imagine this has been covered before. If so, I apologize

I’m wanting to convert a tikka ctr 223 into a rockslide special (the only option for us lefties).

I will be placing a cgs Hyperion k on the rifle, and I’m wanting to know the barrel length to have it cut to. Assuming your run-of-the-mill 77tmk load, what would be the respective effective range (down to 1800fps?) of a 16, 18, 20inch barrel?

 

[Wyoming Shooter]

Tikka T3X Varmint 223 - 20" with TBAC 9 Suppressor

Berger 75 Target
23.6 gr 8208 XBR
2826 FPS

Horn 75 BTHP
23.6 gr 8208 XBR
2851 FPS

Horn 75 ELDM
23.6 gr 8208 XBR
2846 FPS

Berger 75 Target
24 gr Varget
2731 FPS

Horn 75 BTHP
24 gr Varget
2753 FPS

Horn 75 ELDM
24 gr Varget
2721 FPS

 

[Wyoming Shooter]

Tikka T3X Varmint 223 - 20" with TBAC 9 Suppressor

Sierra 77 TMK
24.2 gr Varget
2724 FPS

 

[BigStick]

Bummer...........

 

[sveltri]

I was feeling pretty good after the first 5 as they were all in the one hole cluster, not sure which shots of the next 5 came out of the group. 24” Tikka Varmint 29.2 8208 77 TMK

 

[leomort]

I imagine this has been covered before. If so, I apologize

I’m wanting to convert a tikka ctr 223 into a rockslide special (the only option for us lefties).

I will be placing a cgs Hyperion k on the rifle, and I’m wanting to know the barrel length to have it cut to. Assuming your run-of-the-mill 77tmk load, what would be the respective effective range (down to 1800fps?) of a 16, 18, 20inch barrel?

mills0713.

Did you get the 24" barrel lefty tikka ctr 223? That's the one I got. This thread has me thinking I should have gotten the 20" barrel, lol!

 

[mills0713]

mills0713.

Did you get the 24" barrel lefty tikka ctr 223? That's the one I got. This thread has me thinking I should have gotten the 20" barrel, lol!

I picked up the 20", but the twist is 1:12. I'll likely do a re barrel to 1:7 or 1:8. Pretty frustrating to have to pay that much for a Tikka 223 lefty. Worst part: I'm right handed but cross eye dominant. I've tried shooting right hand rifles, but the lefties are just more comfortable.

 

[Wyoming Shooter]

Hornady 80 ELD-M
24.4 gr Varget
BR-4 Primer

Tikka T3X Varmint 20"
2746 FPS

Christensen Arms Ridgeline Scout 16"
2636 FPS

 

[Jay Ell Gee]

Christensen Arms Ridgeline Scout 16"
2636 FPS

I had no idea that this line existed. How do you like the rifle, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Wyoming Shooter]

I had no idea that this line existed. How do you like the rifle, if you don't mind me asking?

I like the rifle. Some additional info here: CA Ridgeline Scout

The 80 ELD-M with 24.4 grains Varget shoots well.

 

[leomort]

@Wyoming Shooter,

Those velocities are without the suppressor, correct? Would the suppressor add any velocity?

 

[leomort]

Brand new 20” PVA barrel with Nomad ti.
Churned out some 69TMK / LC brass /
CCI 400 / 24.5 gr TAC @ AR mag length on my Dillon RL1100 and they shot OK @ 2950fps. Got 100 rounds down range and now I’m going to start load dev with Lapua brass and some 77s.

The other night waiting on some pigs with my PIC.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

DoveBlaster,

How do you like the Nomad Ti suppressor? I have Dead Air Mask HD for my 22lr and like it a lot. So was thinking of staying in the Dead Air family for my 223rem tikka bolt rifle.

 

[Wyoming Shooter]

@Wyoming Shooter,

Those velocities are without the suppressor, correct? Would the suppressor add any velocity?

Those results are with a TBAC 9 suppressor in use. I don't see much difference without the suppressor. Maybe 10 - 15 FPS.

 

[DoveBlaster]

DoveBlaster,

How do you like the Nomad Ti suppressor? I have Dead Air Mask HD for my 22lr and like it a lot. So was thinking of staying in the Dead Air family for my 223rem tikka bolt rifle.

Honestly I'm probably not the best person to ask since its the only 30 cal suppressor I have any experience with. I do like it a lot as a do it all can. Its lightweight, can bounce from my .223/6mm/6.5mm/30 cal guns and it does a good job at suppressing/ recoil reduction on all the above. YMMV

 

[xsn10s]

Out of my AR15 20" 1-7" twist. 3 shot groups off my pistol range bag as a front rest.