WHAT .223 BULLETS FOR RELOADING?

[RaymondMillbrae]

Hey folks,

I am now at the point to start reloading.

The gear and accessories are out of the way, my Dillon XL650 is set-up for .223, the brass is waiting, and now I am about to order bullets and powder.

First-off...I will be shooting a POF P415-14-P9SX-223. It is recently ordered, and should be here within a month or two. (Anticipation is killing me).

So the question is: What manufacturer's bullets are yall firing down your barrels? I pretty much stick to Rainier Ballistic for pistol practice (I purchase them in 5000-round bulks), and Hornady XTP HP for my meat-eaters.

I know that different barrels prefer different bullets - so if there are any POF reloaders, I would appreciate their opinions.

I am especially interested in two things: What bullets are they using for competition bulk buys (the most accurate stuff), and home defense bullets.

Thanks.

It looks like I am getting down to the last phase of purchasing for 3-gun. *whew*

In Christ: Raymond

[bohoki]

the cheapest 55 grainers you can find


boattail reduces mush mouth(avoid the remington mc) unless you run your machine a tad more gentle than usual

[3GunFunShooter]

55gr.

[RaymondMillbrae]

Sorry folks,

maybe I neeed to be more specific.

I know (from previous posts) that for close range stuff, the 55-grainers are king. And for more "reach out and touch someone" distances, the 65-77-grainers are king.

But I am specifically interested in manufacturer's.

At short distances (50 to 100 yards), are there bulk buys that certain manufacturers offer that are preferred over others?

For example, there are deals at Gun Broker that seem pretty decent. (Click HERE). I assume that these are OK for the short range 55-grainers.

But what about bullets for distance shooting - the 65 to 77-grainer. (Like HERE). Are there preferred manufacturers that make more accurate bullets?

I'd appreciate responses from reloaders, as yall are the ones who know a bit more about the specifics of making custom, ACCURATE, rounds for specific purposes. (And please don't say that they are all the same...because then I will know that you do not know what you are talking about)!

Thanks.

In Christ: Raymond

[TMC]

I use Nosler 55's and 69's. Out of my 20" Saber Defense barrel the 69's group better at 200 than the 55's. The Nosler 55's shoot a bit better than Winchester 55's. Sorry I can't be and more help, that's all the bullets I've tested. I found something that shoots under 2" at 200 and stopped. That's all I need for 3-gun. For me, if its not windy and I'm shooting 200 or less I'll use the 55's because I'm cheap but at the Ironman we shot a plate rack with 6" plates at 215 and I used 69's, went 1 for 1. Its a good shootin bullet.

I've worked out loads so both have the sale filght path out to 200 and I use the same powder for both. Just makes things easier.

Wow, $250 for 1000 55's? I bought 6,000 Nosler 55's a year and half ago and paid about $400. Doesn't seem like a deal to me but I haven't been in the market for 223 bullets for a while.

[JamesY]

For 3-gun/plinking stuff, use 55gr FMJ BT bullets. Montana Gold, Armscor, Winchester, Lake City, Sierra, and other no-name ones should be good to go. The cheaper the better.

For the longer distances, Sierra Match Kings are great. I haven't tried others but I also hear good things about Nosler and the rest. You just have to do your part and find your recipe tailored to your rifle. Get an RCBS precision mic and set your sizer die to go .002 under your chamber's size (just because you get new brass doesn't mean you don't have to size them). From there, work on your OAL and powder charges. Post pics of your < MOA groupings when done. Have fun!

[joelogic]

I bought hornady's 6k 55gr bulk box for $429 delivered only a couple of months ago. Shoots great.

[RaymondMillbrae]

Thanks for the info, folks.

That is EXACTLY what I was looking for.

I ordered the RCBS PRECISIOON MIC Saturday morning, as well as a few other thingies.

Man!!! Those bulk buys look pretty good. Where are they when you need them, huh?

I still have a month or two before my new POF rifle arrives, so I will wait a bit before committing to bullets and primers. (Maybe the prices will drop a bit).

In Christ: Raymond

[foxtrotuniformlima]

55 gr FMJBT from Hornady for general shooting. Out of my gun, I can get them to 1.5" @ 100.

69gr SMK ( Sierra Match Kings ) for most all 3 gun competition stuff. Same upper will keep these < 0.5".

Both over 25.5 gr Varget, LC brass & Wolf SR primers.

[BerKim]

What's the twist on your rifle?

[RaymondMillbrae]

Rifling twist rates

The rate of twist, expressed as one turn in so many inches (i.e. 1 in 10"), is designed to stabilize the range of bullets normally used in a particular caliber. It takes less twist to stabilize a given bullet at high velocity than at low velocity. At the same velocity in the same caliber, longer (pointed) bullets require faster twist rates than shorter (round nose) bullets of the same weight and heavier bullets require faster twist rates than lighter bullets of the same shape. It is undesirable to spin a bullet a great deal faster than necessary, as this can degrade accuracy. A fast twist increases pressure and also the strain on the bullet jacket.

Fortunately, the rate of twist chosen by the rifle maker is usually appropriate for the intended cartridge. Anyone ordering a new barrel for a rifle will generally do well to specify the standard twist as supplied by the major rifle manufacturers for that caliber.

In Christ: Raymond

[gose]

55gr out to 200y.
69gr after that.

Zeroed at 200y with both.

[3GunFunShooter]

+1 on what gose posted.

[RaymondMillbrae]

Gose,

what are the FPS for your rounds? (FPS for 55 grain & FPS for 69 grain)?

In Christ: Raymond

[thmpr]

If you don't plan to shoot greater than 200 yards, don't waste your money on expensive bullets. Thats what I've learned so far.

FPS: 2900 to 3100