shooting .223 in a Savage 12 with a 26" varmit barrel.

For accuracy only, what loads do you recommend for 50gr soft point bullets?

Since I was able to buy several thousand of them, I'm using Varget and IMR 3031 (only powders available locally) and looking for an accuracy sweet spot.

cliffs:
light bullet, varmit barrel, accurate .223 load?

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One of my favorite loads for .223:

Once fired PMC brass, cleaned/trimmed/etc
cci small rifle primers
26gr Varget
Hornady 50gr V-Max/Z-Max

I know these are ballistic tips and not soft tips, but thought I'd mention it since I saw you have Varget. I'm about to run out of Varget, would be great if there was any available here....

Oh and this was out of my Bushmaster Varminter, AR-15, 24" fluted barrel, gives me .5 moa at 100 yards...

Howdy,
You named one of my favorites 3031. The other is H-322.
Good luck
Mike

IMR 3031 is the companys top of the line powder for small case rifle loadings and is used in many loadings.
Speer has it starting out at 23grs up to a maximum load of 25 grs but some that have bolt actions have found out with the light bullet, that 22.5grs with a cci or win. primer can give some very nice groups with minimum recoil.

I normally use the cci but one of my rifles loves the win. primer with the Speer 55gr spitzer
Quarter is over load data............sorry 100yard target.

Thanks!

I'll load up some 3031 this weekend.

Anyone else have a Varget or 3031 favorite load behind 50gr bullets out of a varmit barrel?

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27.0 Varget and Fed primers. Sub 1/2 moa out of my Stag 22" heavy varmint barrel with 1:8 twist. Love Varget in ALL of my .223 rounds from 50-77 grains.

Your "sweet spot" will be between 26.5 and 27.5 grains, and yes its a compressed load that I have used in several AR15s with no signs of pressure in any of them, but as always, work up, that's close to max if I remember right.

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Still got the shovel

Thanks

Just loaded from 25 to 27.5 (max) in .3 increments.

Hope the weather breaks so I can shoot tomorrow.

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Just whose bullet did you purchase several thousand of in the past? That can have a huge effect on accuracy. And for an answer, H322, the old bench rest powder, has produced the best groups in my bolt gun. the problem with the IMR powders is the fact that the extruded method of powder production does not yield itself to throwing repeatable charges as good as a spherical or ball powder does, if you can find some H322, you will be pleased. Varget is good, but I do not have any experience with it as I have a lot of the Hogdon power on hand.
\

N133, Fed SR benchrest primers and 50 gr V match. This load will shoot under a 1" at 300yds in a Savage 112 in the right conditions.

Varmit Nightmare X-Treme 50gr SP in bulk

got an email notice they were in stock so I bought a few thousand

no other .223 bullets were in stock

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found a sweet spot today



And how is it possible for one round to tumble sideways but still be right on the money?

What would cause that?

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Good question. Never seen that before. Looks like the varget is gunna work for you though with some fine tuning.

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Still got the shovel

My Savage has a 1 in 9 twist and is only marginally stable with any bullet under 52 grains. It far prefers 55 gr-60 gr bullets. I hope that this is not the twist that you have in your gun.

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Front sight and squeeze

It's 1/9 and likes 55gr's.

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Doc, I have seen my bullets with yaw/tipping with the lighter weights but not the tumbling that your target shows.I am amazed to see it on target and with the rest of the group so tight.

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Front sight and squeeze

Now I'm doubting that it tumbled.

But none of the other 8 targets have that tear pattern.

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For sub 150 yd shooting , I found 11gr of BlueDot under a 50gr soft point produced great accuracy AND significantly reduced noise and blast out on my Savage FP10. Muzzle velocity is around 2400 FPS which is enough to get most jobs done at those distances.

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Dave

I just ran a bullet stabilization quiz on bergers website having to guesstimate that .50 gr bullet to be somewhere close to .700 in length and that powder crarge to be pushing it somewhere in the 2,950 fps range and it showed that load to fall out of the stability range. Different bullet shapes in a given weight and length can have longer or shorter load bearing surface lengths which can make or break a bullet insofar as how far down range a bullet will stabilize if at all. This is why you can get some that look pretty impressive at 100 yards and when move out to 200 yards they go to hell in a hand basket. Try running your load up at least .5 gr. and see what happens. I have a 1 in 8 twist Tikka T3 Lite that will shoot 52 gr. Sierras very well at near max loads of H322 . Good luck.

10 Spot

Thanks

I concentrated on being more precise and consistent with my powder throws with this batch.

better, but a long way to go

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Nothing like a new "Toy" to keep you busy for a year or two.......................
Lots of different powders,bullets,primers to go through to find that perfect group.
My rifle would not settle down til I used the 52gr bullet or heavier..............looks like your rifle is doing fine with the little guys.

Have fun.

Nothing like the smell of Varget in the morning

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Still got the shovel

First time out to 200 yds.

A lot more of a challenge and more fun than 100, that's for sure!

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Checked my targets. 27.1 grains of varget gave me the best groups with the 50 grain vmax. Was .535" 5 shot group @100 yards.

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Still got the shovel

powder's scarce around here these days so I snagged a pound of Win 748 today.

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Professional Trainer

My Ruger 77 bull barrel 22-250.......... LOVES w748
with 37.5grs of powder and a Speer #1047 55gr SP bullet,
with a w120 primer.

I think you will like it in medium and max loads.

Good shooting.

My 7/08 LOVES 748 with light bullets. Shot the best group I've ever shot out of that rifle with 748 & 100 grain sierra varminters. Could hardly tell it was three bullet holes. (no, I did not throw one completely off the paper)

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Still got the shovel

Infidel;

How did you get the powder burn marks of the target...........?
Just kidding.

Yes it is amazing how 748 can group some times in the smaller rifle cases. If any of you use IMR powders I found that 4895 works well with most of the middle weight bullets
in most of my loads with 52-55gr bullets mostly at target velositys.

I am in a good mood today, Reno finally got some rain and snow is on the way,snow pak at only 78% and parts of Nevada are already getting Federal help for the ranchers.
later.

Doc540 - Loved that target with the 75 gr moly bullets. Looks like a weather report (old bench rest term). Do you use wind flags? I shot bench rest for years, so when you get 3 or 5 all at the same height on the target and there is any wind (rare time if there in not some wind), it is moving the bullet left or right, even a tail or head wind will shift some left, right. Old bench shooters "tune out the vertical" because when you get out the vertical, then all you have to do is read the flags for the same wind to shoot them in one hole. Yes, 200 yards is a lot, lot more fun that 100 yards in my opinion. Those old bench rest powders of H322 and VV 133 will give you the best groups. looks like you are on the correct trail. Lets see some of those 200 yard groups with those 75's in that 1/9 twist. Some of those Savage heavy barrels are great shooters.

I've had good luck with IMR 4320 in 223 loads. It is pretty close to Varget on the burn rate chart, and is easier to find; at least for me it is.

Excellent idea.

Hope to load some new combo's tomorrow.

And, no sir, I don't have wind flags. Just a noob at shooting long guns, but I do staple a piece of orange "deer" tape to the bottom of the target stand.

Our range is pretty windy, but that's just adding to the challenge.

My improvised 200yd target is a blank, white background with several 1.5" stick-on dots. I just flip a bullseye target around and have the blank side showing.

Been reading (dangerous thing for a noob to do) and it seems moly bullets are rather controversial.

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I do like the way imr 4320 meters with those fine grains.....

nothing too shaby with BLC,748,H380 either and I also like
H414 for those heavy weight bullets and a cci250 primer but
watch out for high pressures.

For some odd reason Varget did not work out well for me but
my friends gun loves it............. never know.

The two powders my 7/08 likes the best are H4985 and varget. I shoot it out to 1k with 162 grain hornady bthp match bullets. Has about 16/1700 fps remaining at that distance and 1k ft lbs of energy. My range is at 6500 ft though.

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Still got the shovel

tried some of this Win 748 powder and 68gr bullets.

sure meters like sugar!

and the 1/9 twist seems to like 68/69gr