Favorite 223 loads

[ar15barrels]

Give me your favorite 223 loads using either a 69gr sierra matchking or a 75gr hornady amax.

I just got a 20" heavy barreled Remington 700 and I want to go try shooting a few groups with it before I yank the barrel off it.

[Ugly Dwarf]

I had some success with 75 Hornady HPBT's (Not A-Max mind you) out of my Model 200 over TAC and H335.

I'll try to post some details when I get home tonight and have access to my notes.

[xrMike]

I just started reloading for .223 so I don't have a lot of experience to draw on, but so far my best-grouping load with 69 grain Nosler BTHPs out of my AR is 23.2 grains of Ramshot TAC, seated to 1.260" (max mag length). That's out of a 20-inch stainless 1:7 match-grade barrel.

This yeilds 1.5 MOA on average (from the bench w/irons), with occasional groups as good as sub-MOA. I'm sure it's capable of better, if I was using a scope. I haven't played with seating depth yet either.

[NRAhighpowershooter]

24.0 Gr Varget with the 69gr SMK's good out to 300yds in my AR OLL Serrvice Rifle.

[Ugly Dwarf]

Sorry, haven't been on my home PC in a while, but here goes.

The 75 Grain Hornady loads (again, they were BTHP # 2279, not A-Max) that I had good luck with were pushed by:

H335 - 22.5 grains. Three, three shot groups gave me an average group of 5/8" (largest was 13/16"), Average Velocity of 2539fps, 66.65 ES and 23.57 SD. COL was quite long at 2.320. This was not my maximum loading.

TAC - 23.6 grains. Three, three shot groups gave me an average group of 13/16" (largest was 1"), Average Velocity of 2697, 95.86 ES and 27.64 SD. COL was the same at 2.320. This was the maximum load I tried.

These were fired out of my Stevens Model 200, with a 1x9" twist barrel.

If nothing else, I hope that gives you somewhere to start. Good luck with the load work up.

[JTROKS]

77 GR. SIE HPBT Hodgdon Varget .224" 2.260" 21.0 2528fps 42,700 CUP 23.7C 2737fps 50,700 CUP. This is what I used, but my own personal load for my Colt HBar is over the max load listed. I do seat the bullets just enough to feed through a plastic 10 round mag. My rounds won't fit in an aluminum GI magazine.

[rksimple]

In Winchester brass, 24.5gr of Varget with the 75 amax seated to 2.490". Shoots great and kills things quick. Many o' rabbits have...well um...come unglued with that one.

[Gunsrruss]

Loads....

69gr sierra...24.5gr wcc 844 (H335)
75gr Hornady Match or A-max 24.7gr of wcc 846 (BLC-2) OAL 2.390 on A-max
80 Nosler 24.7gr of WCC 846 OAL 2.435

[ar15barrels]

Thanks everyone.
I settled on 24.5gr of Varget under 69gr SMK's.
I have a scope sitting on the gun now and it's dropped into a McMillan benchrest stock I have.