Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Load Suggestions - 223 Rem & Hornady 53 gr V-Max

You're trying real hard to get into something. I'll say it once more and be nice......varmint buffoon throws lots of numbers around and talks crap. I'm not gonna look through 4300 posts. You want to, fine.

More than me are just saying you throw lots of [bleep] or you would have had the URL out there by now mouth!

Yap.....4300 posts, go look for yourownself.

No you are saying I painted myself into a corner and now I expect you to dig me out of it. No son you do your own digging.

No dumbazz....I'm sayin I won't go looking through 4300 posts just cause you say so. Stop yapping, give it a rest.

"Gee, can't we all just get along??"..Rodney King

In regards to the 223 and 53 gr Vmax, I couldn't get them to shoot in my RRA Coyote AR rifle. I used AA2230, Varget, Benchmark and H4895. Out of 100 rds only two loads went under a MOA, and that was with starting loads of H4895 and Benchmark.

50 amd 55 gr Vmax hardly shot over a MOA regardless of the load.

Hodgdon website: 223 Rem, H335, 25.3 GR. 55 GR. SPR SP, 2.200", 24" barrel, 3203 fps, 49,300 CUP

Test 8-19-2003: Ruger #1, CCI 400 small rifle primers, LC brass once fired processed from Scharch and prepped by me, 55 gr Vmax moly, H335


pic left to right: unfired 27 gr, 28, 29, 30, and 31 gr.
27 gr, unfired, extractor groove .329"
28 gr, extractor groove .329", 11% overload 69 kpsi QL estimate
29 gr, extractor groove .329", 15% overload 80kpsi QL estimate
30 gr, extractor groove .3295", 19% overload 92kpsi QL estimate
31 gr, extractor groove .3320", 23% overload 106kpsi QL estimate

What does it all mean?
Beginning or otherwise novice reloaders use 25.3 gr.
Advanced reloaders find the threshold of extractor groove growth between 29 and 30 gr, and then subtract 4% margin = ~ 28.3 gr for long brass life.
The advanced answer for any .223 load will ultimately be 75 kpsi in Quickload, if you want to cut to the chase.

Clark,

long time, no see..

if there is one powder I avoid in the 223, it is H 335.. although I know it is a standard goto powder for the 223, I have had some bad luck with it..

I have had a standard load of 25 grains of H335 and a 55 grain bullet, not only blow an action up enough to have to have the stock replaced on a Ruger 77 in 223... but after I replaced the stock, two months later it did the same thing again! Blew the action to needing repair and destroyed the stock...

ended up giving the action and barrel to a gunsmith friend.... and the stock was made into firewood...

powder was not from the same lot number..

one was a factory load from Blackhills...

PS... for those of you using a 53 GR V Max, I just found out yesterday, that a one in 14 twist won't stabilize them....

called Hornady a few moments ago and said that it should have said so on the box... mine didn't...

I gave him the lot number on it.. and he finally said he didn't realize that they have "been making that bullet that long"..

I compared it side by side with a 52 grain A Max, and there is only a hair difference in length, and the AMAX has a more pronounced Boattail to it... and the A Max states one in 14 twist on the box...

didn't seem that little difference would cause one to keyhole and one not to...

Hi Seafire,
An odd thing about stabilizing bullets, is that it is slightly velocity dependent.

A 1 in 16" twist barrel meant for 22 rimfire, but chambered in .223, will stabilize a 50 gr bullet, out to 100 yards.

A 1 in 14" twist in 6mmPPC take off barrel now in 6mmBR, will stabilize a 75 gr bullet out to 50 yards, but keyhole at 100 yards.

A 1 in 9.25" 7mmRemMag with 180 gr VLD, .. etc



Good group at 50y, but keyholes at 100 yards

53 vmax, win case, cci 400, 25g Benchmark =1/2 moa at 3200 fps from my 20" RRA predator pursuit. Also shoots 1/2 moa and 3200 fps from my 21" pac-nor barreled 223 AI as a fire forming load.

I have also found that in fire formed 223 AI brass with a cci no.41 primer 27.5g of benchmark and a 53 Vmax does 3500 fps and shoots 1/2 MOA. Both guns are 8 twists so I have no problems stabilizing them and they still make it to the target. For years I loved the 50g Vmax but I've been buying the new 53's lately.

Bb

Clark,

I did get to test them over a chronograph with AR Comp... they were running close to 3900 fps out of a 28 inch barrel..
sadly it won't stabilize in the one in 14 twist...

the Ruger has a one in 12 twist... and then I have a Pac Nor Barrel on a Ruger Sporter with a real fast twist.. that should shoot them real well... or at least stabilize them..that rifle has a 24 inch heavy magnum contour barrel on it..

I can not believe that the Admin. lets this kind of bulls--- go on here.

Welcome to the Fire. Get used to it.

Seafire,

Never shot a 53 V Max, reason being I gave up on Hornady along time ago. Few bad experiences. But thats just me. But will say this is my base load. Shooting a 52 gr Sierra. 5 shot group 32 degrees, standard IBS 100 yrd target for size. Works dandy in the cooler weather. Sorry but its 335




Burleyboy, Benchmark is a good one too. Bad shooter, not a bad load. Again 52 gr Sierra test load, 14 Twist.







Swifty

VG,
I'd say Varget is better at 55 and up, and hits the sweetness at 60 grains.
I would definitely look at 4895 in that 53 grain window, and with several different guns, TAC rocks in that weight range from 50-55.

Well Dwayne old boy, if you are referring to my post.. it was not mentioned, but 3900 fps out of a 28 barrel was referring to a 22.250, not a 223... I had tried the bullet in a 22.250 and had mentioned that it would not stabilize, as the rifle had a one in 14 twist...

in my 22 cal rifles with a 1 in 12 twist they do just fine...

so before you claim BS on something, maybe clarify your reasoning to question something first...

being new and calling BS in 9 short posts doesn't make you a hero real quick...

No Seafire I was talking about the language in the begging of the post. I have loaded for over 50yrs. I have been reading the campfire for years just don,t say anything .

I scrolled back and didnt see any begging in the post....

Well read the first few posts, Maybe that's accepted here.