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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 152
Campfire Member
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OP
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 152 |
Mule Deer,
In the July-August 2017 issue of "Rifle", you mention that your current "big" prairie dog rifle for ranges beyond 500 yards is a Ruger American .223 Remington using Hornady 75-grain A-MAX bullets. Would you be willing to share your load for that combo?
I have a stainless Ruger American that I'm struggling with right now. Unlike it's twin in 243 that shoots very well, all I can coax out of the 223 are groups that hover around 1" to 1 1/4"'. Free floating the barrel did make a difference of maybe 1/4" to average group size. So far the heaviest bullet I've tried is the 50 gr Nosler BT, so maybe with the 1-8" twist I need to go heavier?
jaycee
Last edited by jaycee; 12/27/17.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,156 Likes: 13
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,156 Likes: 13 |
A lot of powders will work with 75's in fast-twist .223's, but as a general trend I've found Varget tends to shoot well in many rifles. Hodgdon lists 25.0 grains as max with 75's, but .223 data is relatively low-pressure, due to the SAAMI limit of 55,000 PSI for maximum average pressure. I've pushed it a little bit, depending on the brass, bullet, primer, etc.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 152
Campfire Member
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OP
Campfire Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 152 |
Thanks, I'll reduce that a grain or two and start chronying.
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Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 521
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 521 |
A lot of powders will work with 75's in fast-twist .223's, but as a general trend I've found Varget tends to shoot well in many rifles. Hodgdon lists 25.0 grains as max with 75's, but .223 data is relatively low-pressure, due to the SAAMI limit of 55,000 PSI for maximum average pressure. I've pushed it a little bit, depending on the brass, bullet, primer, etc. 25 grains of Varget under the 75 AMax, Lapua brass, BR-4 primer, is the best in my 223 Remington, 8 twist Criterion barrel, screwed in a Savage target action. No other bullet / load even comes close to the accuracy of these loads ( in my rifle, of course). Hopefully, the 75 ELD's will be as good, since the AMax's have been dopped....
"...and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
Luke 22:36
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Joined: Mar 2001
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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In my 9T Montana, I tried Varget and didn't look any further. With RP cases and CCI 400s, 25.5 grains seated 5 thou in gave 2950 fps with tiny velocity spreads, wonderful accuracy and long case life. Hard to beat!
The only downside to Varget is the tendancy to bridge occasionally in the powder measure.
FWIW, 25.0 gave 2880 fps.
Anybody who seriously concerns themselves with the adequacy of a Big 7mm for anything we hunt here short of brown bear, is a dufus. They are mostly making shidt up. Crunch! Nite-nite!
Stolen from an erudite CF member.
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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RL15 worked well in my RAR.
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