223 fps extreme spread

[Tom]

Had a Ruger VT in .223 once that would put 5-shots tight up to each other at 100 yards, the load being mollied 50 Nosler BTs and AA 2520 powder, but the extreme spread would be spread all over the place. Traded that rifle to my dealer with some targets showing what that load would do. Next time when I was at my dealer, he showed me some targets where the extreme spread was in the teens. All he did was switch to CCI-450 primers. He burned the barrel up on that rifle out in South Dakota.

Tom

[L Cazador]

Seating depth will affect bullet tension, so I would try a different seating depth as well as annealing and a tighter bushing. One thing a time of course. Hopefully all your cases are trimmed to the exact same length as this will also affect neck tension on the bullet. On my 1000 yard loads I favor a load that will print at the same elevation with a plus or minus two tenths of a grain of powder charge. I weigh every load, but even that can produce errors of a tenth of a grain. In other words if my powder charges vary slightly due to weather conditions or my own loading techniques, it will not effect my down range efforts. So your selected load should tolerate these variations in powder charges. By the way there is no substitute for a good barrel that will produce consistent low extreme spreads!

[ackleyman]

Waxing bullets lowers SD, found that out long time ago. Contact Todd Kindler for his SPL wax, cheap, easy, no brainer.

[manitou210]

Rem 700 223 hart barrel 80gr SMK VIT 540, cci br4, Lapua brass all prepped
10 shots over Oehler 35 chronograph
extreme spread 8 fps
Try changing powders I was never able to get low numbers with Varget

[Chickenthief]

Have you shot moly in that barrel earlier?
Moly will coat and wear uneven!

[Dean2]

So Andy221

How did the primer change and/or powder switch to 8208 work out for you? Would be interested to hear which element fixed the ES and SD issues.

Dean

[nvreloader]

One of the first thing I would do is, IMHO,

Use only fired brass from that rifle,

Make sure all the fired brass weighs the same, (as there is a difference between the cases) even from the same lot numbers etc,
remove primers, tumble clean, before weighing,

Keep all cases that weighed the same into lots, (I use 1/10th gr if I have lots of brass to chose from),

Then check the case capacity via the H20 method,
to make sure they have the SAME internal capacity's,
as this can and will cause lots of variations in FPS,
which will also effect ES etc,

Then test and record the results for the biggests lots,
use the smaller lots to make bullet seating gages etc.

All the other info posted goes along with making accurate ammo.

Tia,
Don

[andy221]

Originally Posted by Dean2

So Andy221

How did the primer change and/or powder switch to 8208 work out for you? Would be interested to hear which element fixed the ES and SD issues.

Dean

I wish i could reply with results but, I had a lack of time and didnt get a chance to test powder or primers last summer. I still would like to though.

Its a lot of work working up a load, fun but, time consuming so I think the next thing I'll do with it is sort by case volume. And increase neck tension.

I did do a little bit more testing later in the summer, I switched from a Harris bipod to a Sinclair. I got rid of the flyers and the groups tightened up a bit. My vertical at 600 went down to 2 to 2-1/4 inches. At 1000 I would say it is closer 3/4 moa maybe under. It is hard to tell as the range I shoot 1000 at, as it has conditions at times that cause vertical, even with the guys that shoot the big 7mm's, they get pushed into the 9 ring.

L cazador, tension is consistent but, I think neck tension is something I will try too. I have really light tension about .001.

Chickentheif, no moly.

nvreloader, all usuall brass prep was performed an I only use the brass shot from this rifle. Like I said I think case volume sorting is worth a try. Thanks for the suggestion


For this coming season I have a new gun and I am going to try the 90 vld's. I am going to use my other 223 with the 80 smk' as a backup.

When I get a chance to try all this I'll let you all know. Thanks for all the input.

[trotterlg]

How fine are you measuring the powder charge? Larry

[andy221]

Originally Posted by trotterlg

How fine are you measuring the powder charge? Larry

+/- .02 is the accuracy of my scale.