Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Odd 223 groups - Suggestions

How frequently are you cleaning?

I would fold up a business card or something similar and put some pressure on the barrel at the forend tip. Get slight pressure, shoot a group, then fold or add another piece and shoot again. Keep going if you see improvement.

Tac is great but I would try around 25.5 grains of benchmark with the 55 Hornady and the nosler bt. It never hurts to try another powder and that load has worked in every 223 I've tried it in

That would be the quickest approach and what I'd try first.

Have you checked to make sure the mag box is not binding when the action screws are tight? This is a common problem with M77's. I like mine to move around easily when I open the floorplate and check.

I cleaned both before I went and shot the groups pictured. I did shoot a few foulers before shooting the groups. I've worked on the mag boxes on both rifles to make sure they weren't binding and all screws were tight.

I'll try the business card method first with my current loads, then I will try Benchmark next if that doesn't work. If neither work, looks like different bullets are in order.

Sounds like a very good place to start!


Shod

55vmax in my 22/250, and 50nbt in my AR.....

Both are extremely accurate.

Tonyy

I don't have either of those bullets on hand. The smallest bullets I have are 50 and 53gr Barnes. Only varmint bullets I have are 55gr Sierra Blitz Kings and 55gr NBTs. I don't do any dedicated varmint hunting since we don't have prairie dogs or ground squirrels around here. I've shot a couple of coyotes while deer hunting but I've never hunted coyotes specifically. Because of this, I try to work up loads for all of my 22cal rifles that are capable of being used on our relatively small whitetails.

I have had numerous Rugers and only one could I get decent accuracy after changing powder and bullets. The rest were a nightmare to me and I sold all the others.

Considering your barrel is OK, it sure sounds to me like something is loose causing the eratic grouping. I would double check the possible bridging of the magazine box, causing the BA from fully seating in the stock.

Next I would check all scope screws, which you probably done.

Next I would change the scope out. I once had a newer weaver that would shoot a good group and then throw one bullet out of the group by 3/4". It just never held zero for very long.

It could be the crown. I have not read all of the threads, so if I repeat what was said previously, pardon me. By the way, I was trying some 20 caliber bullets. One time out, they shot 1" groups. Then the groups would be into less than a quarter inch. Never consistent.

About once a week. Do you think dirty underwear and body odor could be the cause of my poor shooting?

As an experiment, load 20-30 rounds with what you think is the best load,start shooting and don't clean it at all.

See what happens.

If you've done this and I missed it, never mind.

Yep, this is worth a try. Some rifles just like to play dirty.

Another vote for this. I have 3 Hawkeyes and don't clean them between sessions. I also left the barrel touching the stock but did float the mag boxes. If the action was swimming around, I'd consider bedding the action as well.

I always bed the recoil lug area of the 77:





Bed them tight and groups will usually shrink by about 1/2 in my experience..

And some don't like it when you mess of their shower, and open up after 15-20 rounds.

And some don't seem to care, but there might be some additional costs involved with these.

That's some pretty bedding.

Very nice.

Tatelaw,

That is frustrating! I picked up a new Ruger Hawkeye .223 last December and while I've been having a ball with it the 55g Hornady SP has been the one bullet so far that has not wanted to shoot. I initially tried it with H4895 shooting 4-shot groups at 100 yards and the best group was just under 2" while the worst group was just over 3".

I've had much better luck with the 55g Sierra HPBT GK and the 53g Hornady V-MAX. It's a shame as I have probably 275+ left of the 55g Horn's... Right now I'm trying them out in "bunny loads" with IMR 4198 loaded down to 22 mag levels (~2,000-2,100 fps) as suggested by Seafire and Ingwe. Loads of fun.

As for your issue the first thing I'd do (besides get some V-MAX's or perhaps NBT's on order) is swap the scope and check the action screws. It really does look like something is loose...

55gr blitzking + 25grs h335. If that doesn't shoot, then something mechanical is wrong.

PS, a dirty barrel shouldn't turn a good shooter into dog crap...

Dragging up an old thread but I finally got time, at the same time the wind was not blowing. Shot 2 groups before being rained out. 1st was the 50 gr ballistic tip using IMR 4166 and the 3 shot group was .277 and the 2nd was the same bullets using 748 powder and the group was .75 with 2 touching and 1 out. Could have been me as the rain was getting harder and I might have hurried it. I know that this small sampling means little, but it is promising. I just got into dry clothes after taking a shower, but will load more and if the weather will cooperate, see if I can match some of this. miles