Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 223 Velocity issue

Savage Mdl. 12 Varminter 24" barrel

Benchmark 25.5 gr, 26.5 is max. 52 gr Nosler Custom Competition bullet. Nosler book #6 says 3411fps. OAL of 2.260. Chrono says 3204. Shot .435 group

BL-C2 27.5 gr, 27.4 is max. I fudged a little. 53 gr Horny V max. Horny Book #7 says 3400 fps. Chrono says 3215. OAL 2.356. Shot .378 group.

Don't have Ogive to lands yet haven't drilled and tapped fired case yet. So I don't have any idea how close I am to lands.

Have never shot any of my loads that didn't get real close or exceed book velocity. Rifle shoots Horny loaded superformance ammo with 53 gr V-Max which box says 3450 Chrono says 3490 to 3512. They measure 2.249 OAL.

Have checked digital scales, powder and everything I can think of. I don't know if I can cram anymore powder in them. There were no pressure signs. Oops almost forgot, these were 100 yd shots.

This is new Starline brass just ran thru the expander ball with CCI BR-4 primer.

Thanks for your comments and thoughts.

What brand/model of chronograph are you using?

Garmin Chrono. Which I've verified when I first got it with my CED Millineum. They are within 2-4 fps of each other. Also the Garmin has been within a couple fps with my known existing loads with my other rifle loads. It's not the Garmin I'm sure.

You don't have to drill and tap the case to find the distance to the lands. This measurement can easily be done without any tools. Sounds like you have a "slow" barrel on your Savage though. Could be a rough barrel causing this. If you are getting good accuracy, with acceptable velocities, I wouldn't worry about it.

Do you really 'need' that extra 200 fps?

Up your charge a little and see what you've got... I'll take accuracy any day of the week over velocity.

If you want more velocity, have you made a dummy round, with the bullet seated out long and rammed it home in your Savage?
If not, that will show you were the lands is...then try your load again and then see what your chronograph says then.

Remember, this may be what Nosler's Chronograph says it supposedly got....but any other rifle can get more or less..
In reloading, nothing is exact... minor deviations in this rifle chamber and another can give different results, based on the closeness to the lands, or the barrel twist, and how clean the bore is.

If you are shooting distance and need that last 200 fps, a couple of clicks up on the elevation knob, will give awfully close POI to the 3400 fps load.

Could even just be the BR 4 primers vs others....

Good luck on ironing your wrinkles out on this.

First thing, it is not often that I have found that "book" velocity and actual velocity are close to the same for a given load. In almost every case, the "book" speed will be higher, sometimes by a little, sometimes by a lot.

Secondly, as other posters point out, if the accuracy is there, then why worry about a little more velocity. But, I will say this, in the 223, I have usually been able to be close to the "book" advertised speed most of the time.

First suspect is the brass. Some Starline brass I’ve weighed was heavier than say, Hornady, but their 6.5 Grendel is lighter, so should hold more and give less pressure. I imagine that brass will yield even less velocity when you fill it up again.

Also, some book data is shot in actual rifles, others in test barrels on a universal receiver. Those test barrels likely have minimal chambers and maybe bores, yielding higher speeds than “real” rifles.

Or, as was mentioned, your Savage is a bit slow.

I’ll take the accuracy you're getting any day over a little speed.

Thanks guys

Pulled this up might help. Your velocity might be a tad low, but not out of line

53 Varmageddon
26.5 BM
GMM
Norma
3387

53 SMK
25.5 BM
BR4
Norma
3279

52 CC
25.8 BM
GMM
Nosler
3323

Highest velocity I got out of 223 and it wasnt BM. Never did match Nosler’s speed with that powder.

Thanks a million for everyone's help. Seafire I'm going to relax, take a deep breath and move on. As you say groups are pretty good, didn't blow anything or myself up, so life is good. Found some new Nosler brass today and may try that for fun. Also local shop has Win small rifle primers and may go back and try them. $89.95 for a brick. BTW, CCI BR-4's were $116.95!!!!!

26.5 gr Benchmark, 50gr BT Varmint, 2.260” oal, 3400 fps on the dot, 22.4” stainless T3.





P

I ran my Garmin today while dialing in my new SS Howa Mini 6.5 Grendel. I’m way under book speed too, by at least 200 fps, but I’ll live…….

BR4’s were way overpriced at 55 bucks a thou. I can walk right past em.