.223 load development for varmint

[JimmyJames]

Waspocrew, that is just the range and level of accuracy I'm looking for. Has Benchmark been difficult to find these days?

 

[waspocrew]

Waspocrew, that is just the range and level of accuracy I'm looking for. Has Benchmark been difficult to find these days?

I’ve seen it on the shelves recently out in Cleveland at a few shops. Like most powder, it was hard to find for a while but it seems to be leveling out. It’s a great powder in .223 with 50 grain and lower projectiles. 55 gr and heavier, I tend to load with Varget.

 

[wind gypsy]

Wind gypsy, when it's -20, this gives me something to do besides watching Gilligan's Island re-runs... I hear you about the time vs money ratio though. I already have all the brass I could possibly need for feeding a bolt action, I bought a mess of primers when they were stupid cheap, and have a pretty good assortment of powder so what I'm lacking is projectiles. That, and I'm a puzzle guy so it's fun figuring out what does or doesn't work for my rifle. I'm also introducing junior to the world of reloading so it's quality time spent with him.

Yeah and come to think of it the 55 sbk might be pushing the envelope of stability in a 12 twist.

 

[Zackw]

My tikka has a 1:8 twist, so I can’t speak to that, but it shoots those 53gr vmax’s into 1/2” all day. I’m running them over W748 and I’m getting about 3230 fps. Incredibly accurate bullet and devastating effect on coyotes.

 

[FLS]

I had a 1-12 twist 223 BDL. Never had a problem with 55 grain bullets. 24-25 grains of H335 in LC brass lit by a BR4 was very accurate

 

[NRA4LIFE]

If your having problems finding components, call Midwestern Shooters Supply. They are just south of Fon Du Lac on 41 if you get down that way at all. They usually have a good stock of things.

 

[JimmyJames]

I had a 1-12 twist 223 BDL. Never had a problem with 55 grain bullets. 24-25 grains of H335 in LC brass lit by a BR4 was very accurate

Thanks FLS. I've loaded with Speer 55gr TNT hollowpoints and they definitely turned PD's into red mist, but never was able to get them to group nicely. Maybe I need to try a different powder and see how that turns out.

 

[JimmyJames]

If your having problems finding components, call Midwestern Shooters Supply. They are just south of Fon Du Lac on 41 if you get down that way at all. They usually have a good stock of things.

That is a great store for sure. I've been going to Ciminos in Merrill for the past few years and they've had a decent selection of components even during the shortage.

 

[shtrbc]

Also, try the Speer part # 1035, which is a 52 gr. HP with the 24.5 gr charge of H335. The hollow point on that bullet is obnoxious, in a good way. Great bullet out to 200-250ish. After that the ballistic tips are far better. That is the original bullet we used in the early 80's before the ballistic tip style came out. A fine red mist....

 

[JimmyJames]

From the great advice I'm getting, it looks like I'm going to need to buy some more H335 and maybe add some Benchmark or Varget to my collection see what works best for my setup. I'm certainly going to investigate the sub 50gr bullets that are out there now because it seems like they are just what I'm looking for.