223 Rem long range input

[Buzzsaw]

good thread, following, Just had this built Proof 20" .223, 8 twist

 

[Blancoalex]

Nice rifle Buzzsaw, 223's with heavy bullets are fun. What is your bullet and powder plans? I am hearing I need to try other powders to boost my velocities.

 

[Buzzsaw]

The guys who built it Alamo Precision, love IMR 8208 and the 75ELDM. I like Varget with the 69 and 77 grain TMK's. I have only sighted it in with Copper Creek factory ammo. I have lots of testing to do. Just got the gun. Put my NX8 4-32 on it. I'll report back when I get some results

 

[OrionsStar]

I use a 77 TMK with IMR 8208 with a 7.5 twist. I am going to try the Varget as well. I want a more temp stable powder.
Thanks for the thoughts and discussion.
Jim

 

[Wv shooter]

I am shooting Tikka 8 twist with 69 and 77 and 80 mk with varget at 300 yards inside of 1inch this is a factory rifle just happens that is has long chamber and can get a lot of powder in the little case wow Tikka makes great rifles just wish I could find varget in my area have also shot cfe 223 with good results and old standby H335

 

[del2les]

Glad to read a few more are recognizing the LR potential of the .224 heavies with fast twists. I've been doing this for over a couple of decades with 223/5.56's, 223AI's, 22-250's and 22-250AI's. Several 223/5.56 bolt guns with long throats and 9 and 8 twists and AR's with 8 twist. I've used the 75 AMAX, 80 AMAX, 75/80 Bergers on top of loads of an old lot of Data74 powder, CFE223 and AA2520(Very similar to the Data74 powder). In the 26in tubes, I've been running the 75's at 3,000-3,050fps, the 80's at 2950 or so and the AR's with 24" tubes in the 2,900+fps

600yd 6" gongs and 1,000yd 10" gongs are great practice for the matches and practice for wind readings. IN the 22-250 and 22-250AI, I have pushed the 80's out to 1 mile! Loads of fun.

Before our range changed, we had a 930yd P-dog gong that really took a beating from these rifles and loads.

 

[Blancoalex]

Good points del2les! If you think about it the 224 bullet only needs 85 gr bullet to get 500+ BC vs 6mm 105gr and 6.5. 123gr . Not for hunting big game but for fun and practice!

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

this thread gets me excited - i have a 20" 7 twist proof being chambered in 223 ai this week! this will be a sweet little shooter suppressed - i intend to run 90 gr smk's. we shall see what this little shorty puts out for velocity soon.

ive got several powders on hand, cfe 223, h322, 4895, varget, h380 etc. anyone run 90's?

 

[del2les]

Good points del2les! If you think about it the 224 bullet only needs 85 gr bullet to get 500+ BC vs 6mm 105gr and 6.5. 123gr . Not for hunting big game but for fun and practice!

Exactly! It is very common to spend a day at the range and expend a couple of hundred of these .224 rounds and not overly worry about throat erosion or the added appetite/expense of the larger LR rounds. Lots of Trigger Time to be had, and we all know how that helps any LR/ELR shooter.

 

[Canhunter35]

I've started fiddling with a 5.56 1:8 twist.
69tmk and cfe 223 didn't produce the accuracy I wanted. Loaded some up with varget and got better results, but need to fine tune yet.
Have some 77tmks gonna start with benchmark for temp stability

 

[Hand Skills]

Saw on another thread someone was having success with the new 85.5 Berger in an 8 twist.

I don't know how well that's going to stabilize at my ASL, but .524 G1 is hard to deny.

I've been enjoying the 75gr bergers over Varget thinking that's as good as it was going to get!

 

[Nomosendero]

I use a 77 TMK with IMR 8208 with a 7.5 twist. I am going to try the Varget as well. I want a more temp stable powder.
Thanks for the thoughts and discussion.
Jim

I thought 8208 was supposed to be temp. stable as well.

 

[bpcrshooter]

I have a 5.56, 8 twist and run 24.8gr of Varget with a 75gr hornady hpbt. shoots lights out

 

[OrionsStar]

That's what I have read too. Maybe it's a combination of me pushing it a bit hard or a lot change. I love the accuracy I have achieved with 8208 though. I have been planning on a swap over to Varget or Benchmark. Either way, now that it's getting hot, I will run some temperature tests on both and report back.
How is 77 TMK bullets holding up with Benchmark?