I posted this on the handloading section also...but putting it here also, as I know some are looking for data on this, and wondering what is accurate and what isn't...

had a chance to get to the range today, when there was actually a brief break in the weather, so that I wasn't shooting in a down pour...

I was able to test 5 different loads with the 36 grain Barnes Varmint Grenade bullets...

This was done at 100 yds with a Ruger 77 Mk2 VT and the scope was a 6.5 x 20 Simmons, set on 8 power...

The following loads were tested...

1. Blue Dot: 14.5 grains
2. Benchmark: 28 grains
3. IMR 4895/ 27 grs
4. Reloader 7, 25 grs
5. IMR 4198, 24 grs.

All primers were Winchester Small Rifle
Brass was used Lake City

Temp was in the low 40s, no wind.. semi sunny..( break in rolling weather fronts)...

All groups could be covered by a quarter...

tighest group goes to the IMR 4895 load..

tied for second were the Blue Dot and IMR 4198 loads...

The the largest groups were Benchmark and RL 7...still coverable by a quarter....

Bottom line point is, that if someone is looking for an accurate load with that bullet, all the above charges were more than accurate enough for sage rats/gophers at 300 yds, and easily prairie dogs at 400 yds.. if one can manage the trajectory....

I did not get a chance to chronograph these loads.. however all loads were set at what is listed as max for each powder, OR what was listed as max for a 40 grain bullet in the 223...( or a little extra, like in the case of RL 7)

slowest velocity would have been the IMR 4895 load.. but also the most accurate...

all would have been exceeding 3400 fps and been as high as 3800 fps, according to stats..

someone with quick load may be able to verify that...OR not...

with these loads, they certainly weren't giving groups as small as possible with the same loads using 40 grain bullets ( V Max, Ballistic Tip or Sierra 40 gr HP)... however, they were more than accurate enough for varminting out to 300 yds and beyond fairly consistently...

NOTE: this rifle has a one in 12 twist on it...

Cheers
seafire


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