Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Favorite load for 223

Just picked up a Ruger 223 Varmint 77 MKII and plan on using this rifle for p-dogs and a 40 gr bullet. What is you favorite load for the cartridge and the 40 grainer.

I shoot 40gr Hdy V-max and IMR4198.....might try 40gr Noz BT's to see if accuracy improves.

BTW-50gr SPSX's over IMR3031 shoot bug holes!

Brett

My favorite bullet for the 223 for PDs is the 40gr Blitzking, these are grenades on dogs, and they shoot very well. I am running H335 at 28gr. Just picked up the rifle the other day. Might not have to do much load testing as this load shot .5. HAPPY HUNTING

VV-133 26.3 gr / 40 gr Nosler BT's just kissing the lands - sub 1/2 inch groups out of my Cooper Varminter.

H4895 / 27.0 gr / 40 gr Nosler BT's just kissing the lands - 1/2 inch groups out of my Cooper Varminter.

Both loads shoot to the same point of impact and both make chunky soup out of PD's. They both work well on coyotes also, they just turn them into soup in a hide.

I used IMR 4198 with 40gr V-Maxes and got tiny groups at 3725fps. The load was 24.1grs and is well over the max listed for any data that I can find. The reason I was able to push it that far is because the bullet is completely out of the case by the time it gets to the rifling.

If your rifles throat is short enough to get much closer to the lands, or you use the BT which is closer to the rifling when loaded, you can still get close to that speed with less powder.

You may not end up with that charge, but IMR 4198 is fast and accurate.

I also use 28 gr of H-335, or a load with 24.5 gr of H-322 with either the 40 gr BT or V-Max. Both are very accurate and wonderfully effective on prairie dogs and ground squirrels.

Panhandle: If you ever want to see how accurate your Ruger 77 V/T is try this combo!
My Ruger 77 V/T (and a couple other 223's of mine as well) loves this load.
Berger 52 grain bullet with H 335 powder and Federal 205M (match) primers and LaPua brass!
You may not want to go back to 40 grainers after you try this combo?
Best of luck with your new Ruger!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

40 grain Vmax over 28 grains of H335 shoots bug holes in two of mine.

Ar likes 60 gr Vmax and Varget although I have some Tac I need to try.

Remington 7 1/2 and Win brass

Load is considered HOT in newer manuals...so if you use it, work up...

RL 7, 24 grains...work up in your brass...I have found Win, Rem,and LC brass will take up to 28 grains with a 40 grain bullet in my rifles...

If you use Federal Brass, 26 grains is Maximum...

this is safe in my rifles, but is presented as strictly academic here.. use at your own risk.. ( simply because you won't find it in reload manuals any more..)

but it will definitely be about the fastest load you will get for a 30 to 40 grain bullet in a 223...

and it has proven accurate as hell in each one of my rifles...

DO NOT use a Small Rifle Mag Primer tho...

I've reloaded cases 10 times using this load, so it has proven more than safe in my rifles...

If you want an economy load.. 14.5 grains of Blue Dot.. should give an MV about 3300 fps...and yields about 500 rounds out of a pound of powder...I shoot that one the most...

340,

Try Benchmark or RL7. Both burn super clean in the AR's, meter excellent and give good velocity with 55gr bullets.

Matt

Panhandle: Two of my Varmint guns in caliber 223 Remington REALLY love Nosler 40 grain Ballistic Tips and AA 2015 powder!
This bullet is IMPRESSIVE when used for Hunting Prairie Dogs!
Good luck with the new Rifle and the 40 grainers.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I want to thank everyone for their inputs, this gives me several loads to start with and hopefully at least one of them will fall in love with this Ruger barrel. Thanks again.

50 V-MAX or 50 Blitzking over 26.5 Gr of BL-C (2) 3400 fps and very accurate.

50 gr BT with 26.5 gr TAC, burns very clean.

with 40gr bullets several of my rifles like 27.5-28gr H335 or 27-27.5gr Benchmark. My all time favorite load for accuracy and terminal performance in the .223 is 26.5gr Benchmark behind a 50gr V-Max or BT.

All these were worked up in a 700VS and shoot under 1/2" usually under 1/4" but that depends on who's squeezing the trigger. The 27 gr of Bench Mark is a max load and it to hot in the summer for mine anyway. Always drop the charge and come up watching for pressure signs. What is great in mine my be to hot for yours.

All loads are with 40GR VMax
Lake City Bass and Lapua
Fed 205M or Rem 7 1/2 primers
24.2 gr AA 2015
26.5 Benchmark
27 Benchmark
27 H335
All running between 3550 & 3670 out of my 26" barrel 1/12 twist, not familiar with your twist or barrel length.

Good info. Thanks.
I'll save those loads and try them.
27 grains of H-335 with Sierra's 40 grain Blitz bullets shoot very well in a 223 rifle I have. Haven't tried Benchmark yet, but will do so. I have tons of time here in the winter... Our range is snowed in, so I can't shoot, but can reload.

I have a load with the 52 Amax that has shot a bunch of just about 1 hole groups at 100 out of that rifle but it's running less than 3100FPS. Best group to date is .016 with 5 rounds but as long as I don't do something wrong they are always under 1/4" I use Nosler Brass and the Remington 7 1/2 primers for this load. 23.8 grains of AA2015...I run those loads 2.285, which is off the lands about .020 in my rifle.Depending on what book you look in that load is above max for a berger and a full grain under max for Sierra so build up to it if you try. I feel Sierra is closer to right. Same load almost as accurate with 52 gr Sierra BTHP and the Hornady 52 gr BTHP with the LC 07 brass and Rem 7 1/2. I'm one of those people that just don't have a lot of luck with a flat base bullet.

Thanks for the info!!!
I also get very good groups with boat tail bullets. And, there are a few flat base bullets that shoot well; the Speer 52 grain HP is one that is very accurate, in every rifle I've shot them in. But, overall, BT's rule. The Nosler 52 grain HPBT is hugely accurate in a 222 Rem I have; three shots into a .187 group at 100 yards. Also, any of the Starke flat base bullets shoot better than any other flat bases, but he isn't in the bullet making business any longer.
You're in NE Alabama. Are you in the Fort Payne/Mentone area? I LOVE that area...

Take care,

Don