best group so far. Five shots at 100 yards (0.295") 40 v-max.


five shots at 200 yards with 40 v-max (0.837")

Thought I'd show a couple of targets. These are some of the best groups so far. The 100 yard target looks like three shots at first glance but there are really five.

Dog Zapper, How well does your LVSF shoot? I've killed quite a few ground squirrels with the 40 v-max, but never got a chance to try them on a coyote.

Hey Lochsa,

I haven't gotten out with the LVSF much. My male dog, a Scottish terrier and an all-around good guy, is dying and I've been spending a lot of time at home with him. It's the least I can do for my buddy and my old friend.

Anyway, I've only been to the range a couple of times with the LVSF. Mike (hrnhntr) shot about fifty rounds through the LVSF, using Black Hills ammo and he reported three-quarter inch groups in a "Montana wind." I tried the Black Hills, in both 40s and 50s, and Mike was right on target.

I also shot a couple of boxes of Winchester Supreme, again 40s and 50s, and the groups are tighter, averaging five shots in the high six-tenths range.

My old standby, 27.5 grains of H-335 with 40-grain Nosler Ballistic Tips, shoots consistent five shot groups slightly under six-tenths, call it .55" groups......time after time.

You are probably wise to use Benchmark. I shared a hunt with one of Hodgdon's ballistics guys, a fella named Ron Reiber, a few years ago and he was totally convinced that Benchmark was absolutely tailor-made for the .223 Remington. I have absolutely every confidence that he is right.

My next adventure will be to give Benchmark a total workout in my LVSF. I have no doubt that it will perform in a superb fashion.

I'm not writing for publication any more, so it will be a my privilage to post all of my LVSF results on the Campfire. I may even ask Rick Bin if he wants to cyber-publish a short article (at no cost to him, of course) on the Campfire. Perhaps it will give others a "leg up" when they load for their own .223s.

As far as the LVSF goes, it is probably the finest factory .223 I've ever shot. The stock configuration is wonderful off the bench and great in the field; just an excellent combination of shape and form. And the barrel.....WOW.....it's the slickest, most non-fouling, easiest to clean factory barrel I've ever shot. Remington is obviously doing a lot of things very right with the LVSF.

Friend, your LVSF is really doing well. Great to see it.

Steve

DZ, Sorry to hear about your terrier. I have a young lab and can't imagine being without him.

So far, I've had the best results with Benchmark and TAC. I haven't chronographed anything with TAC, but it is the most accurate with all 50 gr. bullets that I've tried.

My gun shoots best after several rounds (20-30) have been fired. The 40 v-max/benchmark load will open up to an inch or more with a clean barrel.

I look forward to your article and any info you can share.

Hey DZ, I picked up a bottle of Benchmark to go with my first 40 gr. BTs. I had always used H-335 in the past behind 50 gr boolits. I'm using an RCBS thrower and find it necessary to trickle the Benchmark while the H-335 throws PERFECTLY. I plan to go back to H-335 once I burn up this bottle.

Boise,

I've loved H-335 for a long, long time. Yup, you're right, it goes through a measure like quicksilver.

Steve

Boise,

Give Ramshot TAC a try. The burn rate is nearly the same as H335, is clean burning and less temperature sensative. TAC is a fine powder like H335 also.

In my rifle, H335 was good, but TAC was even better and worked well with every 50 gr. bullet that I've tried so far.

lochsa, thanks for the suggestion. I pulled up the Ramshot website and they don't list a load for the 40 gr. with TAC. They are suggesting their faster buring X-terminator (got'a love that name). I was thinking the H335 may be a tad slow when I dropped from the 50 to 40 gr. Benchmark is actually faster than X-terminator. Does H322 meter as well as H335?

Boise,
TAC and X-Term both meter just as well as H335 or any fine grained ball powder.

I personally have had better luck with X-Term and 40gr bullets, but TAC does work pretty well. It will most likely be a compressed load, which is not necesarily a bad thing.

I've switched all my H322 and H335 loads over to X-Term and TAC respectively. Accuracy has not been worse with any load, and most have been better. Bores are easier to clean, and the loads don't do anything wierd when temps change. Ramshot is good stuff.

Thank you for the suggestion sirs, I always look forward to a reason to move away from a perfectly good load and the need to head out to the range. I guess I'm just a little strange that way. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I'll likely retire the .223 soon, it is already moving towards the back of the safe. A new 6 mm and 55 gr. BTs has really caught my attention. Nothing like 4104 fps door bell to ring the rockchuck's chimes. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

This is a timely post...I just hung a 3.5-10 Leopold tactical on my friend's LVSF today in Talley LW's and loaded up some 50gr V's with H335 that Stick had laying around.

The weather sucked, so that's as far as we got...but I'm hopeful for tomorrow.

The LVSF is a sweet little setup..

dave

Whispering in your ear..(50's man,50's!).

Great rig................

This is a group with 50 v-max and TAC after 80+ rounds. TAC has nearly the same burn rate as H335, is cleaner burning and less temperature sensative.

I went out today to chronograph this load, but chronograph had a dead battery.........&*%#$!!

Dave, I'd like to here how the LVSF shoots.

Stick,

I like the 50's too. I shot both 50 and 40 v-max at 200 yards. Both have nearly the same point of impact at 100. The 50's had a little more drop, but were less effected by wind drift.

It's easier for me to adjust for elevation than windage.

The 40's are my "fur friendly" coyote load......still untested.

I find that H322 to be one of the very best powders in 223.
I use 25.5 with the 40 Nosler for 3488 avg. Awesome accurate.
David

DogZapper, have you done any more with your 223 LVSF since your last post? Would like to here where your at and if you've tried any Benchmark in it yet.

Would also like to hear Dave's results with the friends gun as well.

Naw, I haven't been out to the range for a while. My dog is dying and I've been trying to spend some quality time with the old guy. I love Stuart dearly, he is my buddy, and it will be a very sad day when he leaves. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I did a really cool thing with the LVSF, however. In the current (2005-A) Sinclair catalogue I found the PIERCEision Gun Works Remington Firing Pin Assembly. Sinclair sells it in long & short (action), with either a black or silver bolt shroud.

The claim is that it shortens lock time to 2.3 milliseconds, that it increases firing pin energy to 4.3 inch-pounds and that it eliminates the "convolted firing pin spring" of the J-lock assembly.

I was wondering what the convolted spring comment was all about until I pulled the OEM J-lock firing pin spring assembly. Holy Crap, the Remington spring looks like a nightcrawler in rut.

Soooo, I fired off a letter to Sinclair's president (and personal friend) Bill Gravatt. In the letter, I asked him to sell me one if it was a superior product and if he would put one in his own rifles. He said that it is and he would, so he charged a unit to my Cabela's Visa and sent me one for my LVSF.

Oh man, does the LVSF look spiffy with the new silver firing pin assembly. And something that doesn't show is that the spring is straight, so I will lose no power or time as the spring propels the firing pin down the chute. Friends, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the PIERCision unit is superior. Love it.

I'll try my darndest to attach a photo of the J-lock assembly and the PIERCision firing pin assembly. Betcha can tell which spring is "convolted" and which is the new, much finer assembly <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> The comparison is stunning, to say the least.

Oh, for those that are wondering, all it takes to change a firing pin assembly in a Remington 700 is your bootlace. You just hook the flat part of the sear notch under your lace, pull back and turn; the firing pin assembly comes out easily. To put the assembly, or a new one, back in, just reverse the procedure. This is a super-neat trick and one that I've used many times in the field. I showed the trick to Larry Weisheun once and I thought that he was going to split a gusset. The super-sized gentle man (he is my friend) thought that it was the coolest thing he'd ever seen. It is.

Anyway, as soon as Stuart passes I'll be spending some serious range time with the LVSF. At this time, Stuart has a few days or, at the most a week or two.....and we'll be enjoying every single day of our remaining time together. He is my good buddy and, believe me, the time is for both of us.

Steve

Steve,
A picture really is worth a thousand words. Thanks for the heads up.
FVA

FVA,

Ain't it the truth?

Steve

Friend Steve,
I am truly sorry about your dog. My best dog buddy passed on over a year ago. He was ornery, smelly, shed hair by the pound, ate like a pig and destroyed about half my house at one time or another. In other words, he was the perfect companion. It hurts like hell to lose as good a friend as your dog. Enjoy your days together. Ward

Ward,

Thanks, my friend, I needed that. Wasn't a good day.

Steve

Steve; My thoughts are with you, Karen and Stuart. We lost our 8 year old Golden Retriever a year ago and my heart is still heavy with the loss. Sam was a great companion and a gentle spirit...as I write this, her ashes are on the desk in front of me. Nancy and I are going to spread them under a cluster of pine trees where Sam kicked up many a rooster pheasant for us. The pine trees are also a resting area for my brother's chocolate lab, Yukon, so Samantha will be in good company.

We've packed up the shovels and Sam's ashes on several occasions, but have always turned back before getting to the pine trees...call me sappy, I guess.

Take care. -Al Nyhus

Friend Al,

I miss seeing you and I miss our long, enjoyable conversations.

My hearfelt condolences on Sam's passing over the Rainbow Bridge. I truly believe that the grieving we go through is directly proportional to the love we feel for our critters. If we didn't care, we wouldn't grieve. It takes time...and at the end, we have only pleasant memories.

Stuart's predecessor was a Scotty named Mac. Mac lived to be fourteen and he was my buddy, my soulmate. Interestingly, Stuart was born a day after Mac died. When we got Stuart, he was three and was a retired show dog. Believe it or not, his personality is precisely like Mac's. We've always refered to it as daja dog and it's like Mac came back for another go-around.

I know precisely what you are going through with Samantha; your trips to the tree and all of that. A half-cup of Mac's ashes and a half-cup of Stuart's ashes will be mixed up with our ashes. We aren't rushing it, but that is the plan.

I feel sorry for those who do not have deep feelings and a love of dogs.

Steve