Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Rimfire Alternative: Part Deux

Report back when you have tried them!

Any idea what the actual or expected velocity is outta that combination?

It does my heart good to see y'all discovering what a lot of us have been doing for decades- drastically reduced loads can be just as much (if not more) fun as full-tilt loads. That goes for every cartridge, not just .22CFs. Now if I could just tempt y'all away from using jacketed bullets you have to pay good money for...

Im expecting 1900 fps plus or minus.

The trajectory is about right for that speed.

Shot three 4-shot groups @ 50 yards this morning. I tried it in three different brands of brass, just to see if there was a preference.

Ruger M77 Hawkeye w/ 22" barrel
55 grain Hornady SP w/cann #2266
CCI 400 primers
12.5g IMR 4198
COAL 2.190" (0.011" off the lands in my rifle)

First up, FC brass (0.754" 4-shot group @ 50y)

V1 = 2,011 fps
V2 = 2,053 fps
V3 = 2,059 fps
V4 = 2,084 fps

Average velocity was 2,052 fps with a s.d. of 30.29 fps.

Next up, LC 14 brass (1.035" 4-shot group @ 50y)

(Chronograph failed to read all 4 shots)

Finally, R-P brass (0.781" 4-shot group @ 50y)

V1 = 2,008 fps
V2 = 2,023 fps
V3 = 2,019 fps
V4 = 1,978 fps

Average velocity was 2,007 fps with a s.d. of 20.34 fps.

I'm not sure about the double grouping. Perhaps a COAL adjustment may cure that? Not quite the same accuracy you are getting with the 50g V-MAX but the only other time I've tried this bullet it didn't group well at 100 yards (1.93"-2.85" 4-shot groups). So I'd say it did pretty darn well at 50 yards with a "bunny load".

These loads were a blast to shoot and make plinking darn cheap. I'm definitely going to play with this more, but I'm glad for this discussion.

Great load Seafire. And thanks for the thread, ingwe.

If you are shooting further than Ingwe was with his bunny loads... try up'ing the charge of 4198 to 14 grains...

should tighten up accuracy a little and also will yield an even 500 rounds out of a pound of powder...

Loading up for sage rat season coming up, I've been shooting them to 200 yds, with minute of sage rat or pop can accuracy, with 50 and 55 grain bullets...

the scope on top of the two rifles that will be using those loads this season do have Bushnell AR 223 scopes on top.. one in 3 x 12 and one in 4.5 x 18....

they have a few drop compensation points on the reticle and nice target turrets....

good enough glass for the job at hand...

reasonable prices.. got mine thru Optics Planet...

I tried Seafire's load of 8 Grains of Bluedot in my 204 Ruger. It shot well.

And to think I just finished a 223AI . . . . . .

No worries...the .223AI can be shot with reduced loads...I killed 52 bunnies with the AI and Trail Boss this past fall.

Looking good Azar! I don't know about the double grouping either, but the first place I'd go would be seating depth....as you mentioned COAL.

This is a very viable option to try for the double grouping too. In fact, Id try it first.

Well for tightening up those Groups Tom, I have a better idea...


use a dime to shoot at instead of a quarter....

Oregon Logic...

" Oregon Logic"



Thats like " Woman Logic" isn't it?

Worse, but not as bad as Oregon Women Logic....

and better than Ghetto BLM logic....

OK you wankers...it was a nice day at the range so I thought I'd play...


On one of these threads about reduced loads some guys asked ( after seeing 50 yard groups...) how they performed at 100 yards..


Since I'm a turret spinning MoFo,I spun and shot a couple for you....




Close-ups...both three shot groups.








It doesn't always turn out this way...but more than often enough!



The gophers are in for BIG trouble this spring!

Sweet!
What model Burris did you end up going with again?

The Burris MSR....$139 on either Amazon or Ebay....

Swweeeeeet there IngWe.....

That looks like a nice Budget Scope there...

3 x 9 or 4 x 12?

Might have to try one of those...

come Gopher Season and you realize that load will yield over 500 rounds from a pound of powder.... a lot of good trigger time is in your future...and Montana Gophers are going to have to tread lightly...

the coyotes, magpies, hawks, owls and Eagles will also be eatin well this spring...

3x9 Cant tell the difference between it and a FFII...and frankly, they are the same price, soooooo...

I never did post an update to trying more powder and seating depth adjustments with my reduced 55g Hornady SP loads w/ IMR 4198.

I took the load in FC brass and loaded up 13.0, 13.5, and 14.0 grains and shot them at 50 yards.

13.0g: 0.620" for 4-shots. A nice triangle with 2 in one hole. 2,119 fps, 20.3 fps S.D.
13.5g: 0.981" an oblong triangle with 2 in one hole. 2,193 fps, 31.2 fps S.D.
14.0g" 0.817" a slightly oblong triangle with 2 in one hole. 2,272 fps, 23.4 fps S.D.

I went from double grouping to getting at least two shots in one ragged hole and a triangle for each group. But the 13.0g was the smallest and "nicest" triangle. I decided to try a COAL adjustment with that to see what that would net me.

So I loaded up 13.0g IMR 4198 at 2.178" and 2.169" (was supposed to be 2.180" and 2.170" but slightly overshot on the seater stem both times).

13.0g @ 2.178": 0.784" for 4-shots. Three stacked vertically with one to the right forming a "sorta triangle". 2,058 fps, 8.0 fps S.D.
13.0g @ 2.169": 0.860" for 4-shots. Mostly a horizontal string with very little vertical dispersion. 2,053 fps, 20.2 fps S.D.

I think I'll stick with the 13.0g load @ 2.190" COAL (although the 2.180" COAL gave me the most consistent velocities).

Thanks for the tips guys!