Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles .223 rem... favorite handloads

Two main loads for my ruger bolt .223 are:

H4895-25.5 gr. cci 450 cap, w/55 gr. Horn sx, V-max and b-tips shoot the best. Explosive terminal performance at its best. 3300 fps average chrono

Imr 4198 22 gr. cci 450 cap w/55 gr. bullet. Powr-lokts shoot real good with this load. Does not seem to have the "explosive varmint" effect of poly tipped bullets. 3340 fps average chrono.

On the other end of the scale.....

Got a 60 gr. partition load with 25gr./imr4895 3000 fps that kills deer like there is no tomorrow breaking shoulders, leg bones and exiting opposite side....

A black bear was also done in with a single 55 gr. sx load to the brain pan.

The younger members of my family like to shoot the little bolt gun because of the lack of recoil. In turn, they shoot it quite well.

So, whats your loads??

52 gr Sierras or Noslers. 25.8 grs BM CCI BR4
50 gr BTs same load
55 Sierras or Noslers 25 grs Varget.

All 3 print .25 inch groups for 5 shots.

Swifty

60 grain V Max over 26 grains Varget in civilian cases ( big FC, Rem and Win ). Fed or CCI standard primers. Seems to work well in most barrels tried in and friends say they too switch to it after trying it. functions every gas gun that I have tried it in and never noticed any pressure issues even in ambient temps near 100 degrees. I recommend starting at 25 grains until tested.

Boomwack: I just bought my 13th and 14th Varmint guns in caliber 223 Remington in the last two weeks.
I have now shot them both but due to COLD (12 degrees!) I did not get a chance to fully "wring them out".
One of these Rifles I bought from an old an "eccentric" friend of mine.
I buy more guns from him than I care to admit.
He is wealthy and has a short attention span and looses interest in guns rather quickly.
This past spring he bought a Remington 700 SPS-V in stainless steel.
He bought a new and expensive laminated Varmint style stock for it and sighted it in with "his" favorite 223 load.
He lamented as he sold it to me that this was the best shooting 223 he had ever owned - I said "yeah uh-huh right".
Well I took it to the rnage and with his loading I fired a 5 shot 100 yard group measuring .307"!
And I did this with a 16 power scope.
So indeed this Rifle/loading WILL shoot.
Anyway his and now my "favorite" load is:
Winchester brass
Federal 205M (match) primers
Hornady 40 grain V-Max bullets
Winchester 748 powder
I actually have several "favorite" 223 loads (depending on the intended uses). But this load impressed me no end earlier this week in difficult conditions (cold temperatures and a tail wind).
I have, to date, never fired a handloaded bullet heavier than 55 grains in any of my 223's.
Long live the 223.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Should have pointed out, Both 55 gr. loads of mine hover in the 1/2 moa range @ 100 yards, Little better when things are right. My ruger 223 is just a standard weight barrel with the 16 lb. trigger pull they came with at the time. I'm sorta embarrassed but just a cheap tasco 3x9-40 for glass. Mostly, the work this .223 gets is done with the 55 grain bullets.

Loaded some 50gr. v-max with some imr 4198. Shoot just as good as everything elts. I have not chrono'd them or used them on anything but targets so far. Not so much worried what they are going to chrono, but working on seeing how they affect coyotes, hopefully with a cougar, bobcat or wolf thrown in along the line.

What I have noticed is the terminal difference from regular soft points compared to the poly tipped bullets in the 223. Hands down, poly tipped are the way to go for excellent upset of bullet and internals..... Second is the hornady SX bullet, Which is built with a thinner jacket overall.

IMR 4895 25.5 Gr. and your choice of 55 grain bullet..

Two of my favorite loads are:

55g Winchester, 55g Sierra Blitz, 55g anything
26.0-26.5g of Win 748

50g Sierra lead tip bliz
27.5g of Win 748

H335 is a hands down winner in any bullet weight from 40-55g, high velocity with great accuracy

H322, 23.5g with a 55g, 24.5g with a 55g, fed 205


H4895 produces very low pressures with 55g bullets, low speeds also.

55g lead tip sierra blitz blows tremendous holes in coyotes with H335, accuracy will be at a max load for your rifle...no prisioners.

N133 procuces the highest velocities with the 50's, and N135 produces the highest velocities with the 55's, all with thick cup primers, high dollar powder, with special purpose results.

Jogged my memory on another...

27.0 grains H335 and a 50 V-max


Just dont shoot a bunch in a row if its hot outside....

Just FYI VarmintGuy,
I shot W748 powder for years in the 223 with similar great results in alot of rifles.
Usually somewhere between 27-28 grs 748 under a 40gr H-Vmax or a 40gr N-BT will drive tacks in most decent 223 rifles.
I have good luck with just Std. Win. primers which seem to do better in cold weather with the ball powder.
If shooting in hot weather the 748 can show some tendency for high pressure, but it just requires some common sense.
Another powder that you seldom see mentioned that works great with the light 40gr bullets is AA2460.
It will provide very similar accuracy as the W748, but will get more velocity with the light pills.
I have clocked over 3800fps out of a couple (but not all)of 26" bbls with the 40gr Vmaxes with that powder, moly coated bullets and stiff loads (which I won't get specific about), but the almost same charge weights for 2460 as with the 748 - between 27-28grs with no pressure issues.
I start at 27grs and work up in .2gr increments until I hit a sweet spot with both powders.
These days I've found some of the newer powders do great things as well, and have gotten great results with Benchmark, Varget, TAC and some others.
Between 25-26grs of TAC under a 50gr H-Vmax or 50gr N-BT has shot well in every 223 I've shot it in.
Ted

Couple other favorites
Win case
WW primer
25.1 grs of Benchmark
52 gr Amax

Win case
WW primer
24.0 grs Benchmark
55 Vmax

I have a 1lb of Tac to try with some 55 gr Vmax's next!

my two favorite loads both with rem 7 1/2 primers

40 grn blitzking or v-max
26.5 grns tac


53 grn tsx
25.5 grn varget

40 gr Noslet BT - 26.3 gr VV-133

40 gr Nosler BT - 27 gr Xterminator

IMO the 223 and 40 gr bullets are a match made in heaven, they prety much do it all - from ground squirrels to coyotes.

drover

Although its not for a bolt rifle, my AR really likes 25 grains of TAC, 50 NBT/Vmax, Magtech primers loaded to mag lenght. Puts 5 in less than an inch every time.

24 grains of Benchmark with a 50 g. V-max, CCI 400. .005 off.
Itty bitty bugholes,scary accurate. Do my part and all 5 shots could/should be touching, with a factory 700.

24.6 grains Benchmark with 60 gr. V-max, CCI400. .005 off.
very accurate.

Velocity,no clue and don't care.

40 grain v-max with h335

26.5 gr 748 works in all my 223s

50 Gr V-Max
WW brass
Wolfe Small Rifle Magnum primer
26.5 Gr of WC846

53's
Lapua
CCI
26.6 H335
2.307

Volume shooting:

40 grainers...14.5 grs of Blue Dot or 15 grs of SR 4759

50 grainers: 14 grains of Blue Dot or 17.5 grs of SR 4759

55 grainers... 11-12.5 grains of Blue Dot or 17.5 grs of SR 4759

35 gr NTXs: 15.5 grains of Blue Dot

How many reloads do you get out of that load with the Lapua cases?