Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Remington 700 .223 Rem Accuracy Loads

I found a phenomenal load that shoots 1/4MOA at 100 yards in my Remington 700 VLS, the picture is a three shot group measuring .251" C-T-C. Although other shots on different bowls put them in the same exact spot as this group, so the accuracy consistency is there, it wasn't just a lucky group. The green circle in the picture has a radius of .5".



Winchester brass (1.750" trim length)
Hornady 50 grain V-max
26.4 grains of Benchmark
CCI #400 small rifle Primers
C.O.A.L- 2.275"

Looks like you are getting there! Do you have a chrony? I think if you notice on the ones I had speed down on about all my most accurate loads were within just a few feet of the same speed with like bullets. That's where the harmonics of the barrel comes in. If you can match that speed with other powders you will have your sweat spot if I'm not badly mistaken.

weighing brass is in the catagory of sitting on the front porch killing ants with a claw hammer. It's fun and fills your time, but not much of anything of quality is accomplished.

In my 23" hart barrel 223 AI with a 14 twist, I am shooting the 50's at 3750-3800 with N-133, 7 1/2 primers.

Same barrel shoots the 55g Sierra blitz at 3600-3650 fps.

Benchmark is slower by 100-150 fps...can't recall exactly.

H335 shoots very tiny groups, but have not checked the speed.

My 27" barrel is 100 fps faster than the 23" barrel, almost exactly with the same powder charges.

My chamber is cut with a minimum spec match reamer with a .2245 throat and zero freebore.

I have a load with N133 shooting the 40's at 4200 fps.

I use IMI brass that is tough as an anvil.

Three shots are NOT a group. Five shots are a group. The average of five, five shot groups is an agg.

I'm enjoying 10X and 60gr V-Max out of a Winchester Coyote, 1-9",appears to be a good punching load,wither paper or groundhog!

I normally am not satisfied with a three shot group, but on this particular day I removed my old scope and put on a Bushnell Elite 6500 4.5-30x50 with a Mil-dot reticule, so I sighted it in. Took me two shots by the way (:, and my last sighter shot on the top left bowl to confirm zero would have been directly in the center of the three shot group on the right bowl if I had shot it there, four shots is a pretty good compromise between 3 and 5 shots.

Braxton

WW brass, CCI 400, 26.0 gr H-335, 50-gr V-max.

Stillbeeman: Three shot groups are INDEED groups!
Having said that I only use 5 shot groups for my load development and sight-in verifications on my numerous Varmint Rifles.
Having said that - my father would dig his way out of his grave at Tahoma National Cemetary in Washington state and walk to Montana and kick my ass if he were to find out I was shooting five - five shot groups for each load I tested!
I have got along just wonderfully for the last 45 years shooting two five shot groups for load/accuracy tests.
If you are implying that a fella needs to shoot "an agg" (five - five shot groups) for each load tested then I can't agree with that. I think that is a little to much duplication of effort.
AND I know several very accomplished Varmint Hunters that DO use the 3 shot group method for load testing and sight-in.
I think this would be a good topic to kick around - amongst Varminting handloaders.
I choose you to start the new topic off with your experiences/opinions.
"I" do use "3 shot groups" for sight-in verification on my Magnum Big Game Rifles - again I have gotten along really well for decades with this policy.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

AALF, let me see if I understand this. You do a full (and foolish) work up of primer pockets, flash holes, neck turning, etc, etc, etc on the brass you are taking Pdog shooting????

WOW! You have a lot more free time than I do.