Originally Posted by Yondering
Originally Posted by stevelyn
I've been using TAC as my "next" powder for .223 load development. So far it's given me the tightest groups of all the powders I've tried. often with 4 of 5 rounds touching in a 5rnd group. But there's always one weird flier that lands about 3" or so outside the group. I haven't determined where in the string it occurs yet. I suspect it's a barrel/heat problem.


2 suggestions:

- double check that nothing is contacting your barrel, especially when the barrel and/or forend flex
- try a different primer. The S&B primers gave me better accuracy in 223 than CCI 400/450. WSR were decent as well.

Also depending on your bullet weight, XTerminator is worth trying as well. It's just a hair faster than TAC, and gave me a little better accuracy and a little more velocity with bullet weights from 50-69gr. Stick with TAC for the heavier bullets. For the really light stuff, 40-45gr, Xterminator was definitely better. Same powder is also sold as AA2230.



I did the barrel thing. It was the first modification I made. I opened up the barrel channel to where I can slide a small sheet of Rite-in-Rain note paper all the way up to the front of the chamber.

I tried X-Terminator before futzing with TAC and found a load that I can live with if I need to fall back on it. I still have a flier outside the group, but it's only an inch or so consistently. It'll shoot minute-of-wolf as far out as I dare to try it in this rain-soaked blowhole. All the bullets are 55gr Sierra SBT.

I never thought of changing the primers. I've been stuck on Remington 7 1/2 BR. I do have a supply of both CCI 400, WSRs and maybe two boxes of Remington 6 1/2 SR. I also have Norma 200 and Varget to try out yet too, but I'll try swapping the primers out with the TAC loads and maybe the X-Terminator loads and see what happens.

Thanks!

[Linked Image from i.pinimg.com]

Z