Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Varmint Season Requests, Blue Dot and the 223

in my rifles just fine... In fact I have used a lot of the 40 grainers in the 223, from the V Max, to the Ballistic Tip, to the Blitz King and the 40 grain HP from Sierra...

before they were put on hold, I WAS planning on standardizing on the 40 grain Varmaggeddon, the 35 NTX and the 35 grain Nosler Lead Free, for the batch of bolt action 223s I have...

but production of each one are temporarily suspended right now...

I enquired about bulking up my supplies of Nosler lead free BT 35gr pills as I also like them. Used to pay $29 per 100 ... latest price over here ... $47 per 100. 40gr Z-Max at $100/500 ... now stocked up.
Cheers...
Con

Hi Seafire, how's it going? As you know, I like 11 Grains of Blue Dot in my Rem 700 223, with a 50 grains bullet very accurate and economical, thanks. Oh BTW, I am still messing around with that Savage 11 we spoke of some time ago. I have bedded it, and am now going to try some of Tubb's final finish. You know gotta have something to mess with. If after this, I am not happy, I'll send it down the road or rebarrel or what ever. See you.

Jerry

Seafire's comment about the penetration increasing in the Nosler 40g BT as the velocity stayed below 2700 fps got me thinking a long time ago about other applications for this round.

I loaded some .223 rounds with 40g. Nosler BT and shot them out of a Rem 700 26" barrel bolt varmint rig that also had a 6" suppressor on it and clocked them at 3950fps through my chronograph using RL-7 powder. Using Seafire's findings, but acting on my own, determined that I would use that combo for a deer rifle for some smaller mule deer at longer ranges. I know I know about the .223/deer controversy, but it works. Over the years I've taken 6 smaller mule deer bucks with that combo when the range allowed for the velocity to drop down to below 2700fps which for my load was 300-350 yards.

That is the same varmint rifle that I use all year round unless I'm carrying my AR. I have also used that same load in my AR with a 16.5" barrel to take 2 mule deer. The varmint rifles would have 300-400 rounds a year through it and it super accurate with great glass and a great trigger.

I just used Seafire's research and applied it for my use only.