Final load development for 65gr Gamekings:
23.0 gr A2230 3017, 3002, 2983 ONE HOLE CLOVERLEAF at 100yards

Outstanding! Care to share rifle details?

Ed

Welcome to the fire.

My custom Ranch Rifle likes 65 gr. Gamekings.

You might consider the 62 Barnes TTSX.

If you got the twist...

IIRC, the Poobah likes lighter Barnes bullets in his .223.

I'd go 62 gr. in a .22-250 before I'd use them in a .223. Monos like speed. 50's run faster than 60's.

DF

Dirtfarmer
26 grains of what powder to push those bullets in that nice small group?

26 gr. Ball C.

DF

Thanks for posting your results. I'm about to order some of that bullet and I also have some 2230. Is your rifle a 12-twist?
Thanks,
Rick

9 twist.

DF

Dirt: tell us more about your Mini-14. Obviously not stock. Thanks

I provided my ranch hands a Ranch Rifle which they carried for years in various pickup trucks, lots of 'yotes died. When I got it back, it was pretty well "depreciated"...

So, I decided to turn it into something useful and sent it to these folks http://www.mini14ranch.com/ for a full house do-over. That was a number of years ago before they got expensive.

I did the stock myself, cut the top off the factory stock with a table saw, glued a piece of pine for increased height, shaped to suit then rattle can sprayed Brownells' crinkle finish. I cut the "c" butt plate square and installed a recoil pad for length.

I got a Picatinny rail from Brownells and used low Weavers for the Bushnell 4200.

Accuracy Systems did their three point bedding, did a great trigger job, installed a premium barrel and gas block with their proprietary muzzle brake. Photos show how they bedded the action to the stock, using threaded steel inserts set in the wood.

DF

What are the chances of this bullet stabilizing in a 12 twist 223. My remington is a 12 and I don't know if I would be wasting my time or not. The box does say 10 twist or faster.

Probably too slow. But just try it.

Shorter bullets work better. It’s length not weight.

DF

You'll have better luck stabilizing the 64 Nosler or 63 Sierra.

The 60 grn nosler partition is the heaviest bullet my mdl Seven will shot acceptably. It has a 12" twists.

dh84; Have you tried the 63 Sierra..My 225Win shoots bug holes with it. And it has a 14" twist.

Why bother ? The 55 gr. Hornady sp will stabilize for sure and kills deer every bit as well if not better than the 65 Sierra.

63 Sierra never failed us in 223 or 22-250... IIRC the 250 twist was 14. 223s I've never owned a slow twist, actually take that back had a 10 once for a few months...

TTSX in 223 I have 62s but tend to lean towards the 50-55 grain area with them.

Southtexas, no I havnt tried the 63 grain Sierras. I was trying to find a deer load for the .223. I tried factory loaded 62 grn Fusions and 63 grn Bitterroot Vally loads. They wouldn't group at all. The Federal 60 grn partions shot about 1.5" and that good enough for deer. This rifle shoots any 55 grn soft point load very well so Im thinking its the twists. I do handload but I don't like handloading such a small round that's so easy to buy. Is that 63 grain sierra a boattail? If its a Gameking it may be good in my Bushmaster.

I like the suggestion of the 60 gr. Partition for game.

There are a lot of varmint options, Partitions are hard to beat and your twist will work.

DF

63 is a flat base semi-spitzer bullet, lots of guys here swear by them for deer in slow twists.

64 Nosler is a short stubby bullet also.

I've had issues getting the 64 BSB to group, .223 and .22-250. They reportedly have great terminal performance, but if they don't group, I'm off to find another option.

I got 500, 62 gr. Fed Fusion from Rocky Mountain Reloaders for a good price. They group very well in my fast twist AR .223. Not sure how they'd work in a 12 twist. These bullets have very good terminal performance from all accounts.

60 gr. Partition is a slam dunk for 12 twist, great terminal performance.

DF

Dirt: Thanks for the rifle and bullet info. LOL at "fully depreciated".

If you'd have seen it...

DF

Yeah, 60 NPT would surely work if accurate. The 64's shoot as well for me as the 65 GK's and as well as I can see; got to get these cataracts fixed.

Agree.

I'd say 60 NPT, a sure thing. Generally they shoot pretty well in most guns, some guns really like them, others so-so.

The other bullets mentioned, I'd try them and see if they shot OK. Who knows for sure until you take them to the range.

DF

I haven’t tried the 60gr Nosler Partition in my .223 yet but I’ve shot plenty of pigs and deer with it in my Swift. It works very well.

I wish somebody would just make and offer a 55 grn bonded soft point. Maybe someone does and I hav'nt found it yet.

I haven't seen it mentioned....anyone have experience with the Sierra 55gr bthp on whitetail? Most of my 223's shoot that bullet well and I think I understand it is a pretty "hard" bullet. Also, most of my 223's are 1-12.
Rick

I have shot a lot of deer and antelope with that bullet out of an old .22-250.. Never a problem, but I had lots of time and game.. No chance shots..

Yep, No chance shots is what I'm thinking. Most anything will work in a "pick your shot" situation. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of deer and shot opportunities are sometimes pretty quick and sometimes unforgiving. It's take what you can get, but not reckless, of course. I usually hunt with 7-08, 300 Savage, 308 type cartridges. I'm having some shoulder issues and thinking I may have to crank it down several notches this year in the recoil department.
Thanks for the quick answer,
Rick

I just picked up 500 Speer Gold Dots...55 grain bonded soft point...Havent used them on game yet...

They work on pigs of all sizes...

The .224" 63 spitzer is honestly about the only bullet made by Sierra that I would fire at a deer sized critter, regardless of caliber or weight. Every other sierra bullet I have shot critters with (including the 65 grain game king) was either unpredictable in its expansion, or reliably over expanded...that is to say they make an absolute mess.

The 63 sierra is kind of a wonder bullet---it'll stabilize in rifles that normally don't like anything, and will hold together at sane velocities. I don't know what it is about that bullet, but it is good.

Be aware of state laws. Here in Colorado for deer & antelope a minimum 24 cal with at least a 70gr bullet is required.

I've heard that the centerfire .22s arent legal in most places, and not ethical in others....on the internet, so it must be true....

You'd think there'd be an exception for a bonafied stunt shooter...

DF

I have a Ruger 77 MKII in .223 with 12" twist. Bought the rifle new in '91 and it's been shot a great deal, mostly with 50 gr. and 55 gr. varmint bullets. I didn't try the 65 GK in it, but the 63 Sierra did very well with 100 yard, 5-shot groups of well under an inch using H4895. For comparison, the 60 Partition grouped over 2" and the Nosler 64 Bonded did around an inch and a half.

The 64 win bullet has worked well for me in on old Herters 14 twist. the recovered bullets had a nice mushroom shape.

I've got a Bushmaster as well. I've shot factory Winchester 64 gr. PowerPoint Ranger ammo in it for several years. It still doesn't group as well as I would like it to, but it's good enough for deer and such. I've killed a pile of axis deer with it, a couple of hogs, the longest at 168 yards, and some sheep (mouflon cross) the longest at 188 yards. I've never been satisfied with its accuracy though. I'm still loading and buying factory stuff to find out what it likes. I've got a box of 75 gr. Speer Gold Dot factory stuff I'm gonna try next. I've put a new scope on it and changed out that crappy factory trigger as well.

My CZ 527, on the other hand, shoots handloaded 50 gr. Nosler BT into darn near one hole. It is a 12 twist. I bought some Hornady 55 gr HP Steel Match the other day to sight in a new scope. It shot that stuff so well I bought two more boxes of it.