There has been a lot of personal emails asking for this.



I have also been asked to post these results on the forum.

My apologies to those that are getting tired of it. We all have to share the same space here.



I plan on doing similar testing, complete like this, on the 22/250 and the 243 in the near future. I have put this in Word format for anyone who wants to email me and have me email them this.



seafire



Blue Dot Range Report: 223 Caliber ( Full )



Bullet Weights Tested:

1. 35 grain Hornady V Max

2. 40 grain Hornady Vmax

3. 45 grain Sierra SP

4. 50 grain Sierra SMP

5. 52 grain Sierra Boat Tail Match

6. 55 grain Winchester FMJ



Rifle Used: Ruger 77 Mk 2, VT 26 inch Barrel, Stainless Steel First yr Model



Case: Lake City Surplus, previously fired



Primer: Remington 6 �



Powder: Blue Dot



Charge Weight Tested: 4 grains to 14 grains.





Weather: Sunny, NO clouds, 80 degrees, NO wind,



Altitude: 2000 ft



Humidity: Very Low





Field Results:





35 grain Hornady V Max:



4 grs: 1284 fps

5 grs: 1488 fps

6 grs: 1862 fps

7 grs: 2163 fps

8 grs: 2392 fps



9 grs: 2636 fps

10 grs: 2722 fps

11 grs: 3076 fps

12 grs: 3205 fps

13 grs: NO Reading

14 grs: 3518 fps



15 grs: NO Reading, Too hot, Extractor Marks, Scrapped Case

16 grs: NO Reading, Too Hot Blew Primer





Hornady 40 grain Vmax:



4 grs: 1161 fps

5 grs: 1538 fps

6 grs: 1798 fps

7 grs: 2148 fps



8 grs: 2243 fps

9 grs: 2539 fps

10 grs: 2771 fps

11 grs: 2956 fps



12 grs: 3013 fps

13 grs: 3218 fps

14 grs: 3375 fps





Sierra 45 grain SP



4 grs: 1239 fps

5 grs: 1447 fps

6 grs: 1688 fps

7 grs: 1880 fps



8 grs: 2118 fps

9 grs: 2363 fps

10 grs: 2553 fps

11 grs: 2811 fps



12 grs: 2875 fps

13 grs: 3008 fps

14 grs: 3164 fps





Sierra 50 grains SMP



4 grs: 1064 fps

5 grs: 1345 fps

6 grs: 1624 fps

7 grs: 1788 fps



8 grs: 2033 fps

9 grs: 2257 fps

10 grs: 2466 fps

11 grs: 2655 fps

12 grs: 2779 fps



13 grs: 2882 fps

14 grs: 3038 fps





Sierra 52 grain Boattail Hollow Point Match



4 grs: 1061 fps

5grs: 1460 fps

6 grs: 1632 fps

7 grs: 1916 fps



8 grs: 2142 fps

9 grs: 2225 fps

10 gr: NO Reading

11 grs: 2673 fps



12 grs: 2782 fps

13 grs: 2879 fps

14 grs: 3012 fps





Winchester 55 grain FMJ



4 grs: 896 fps

5 grs: 1264 fps

6 grs: 1568 fps

7 grs: 1825 fps

8 grs: 1994 fps



9 grs: 2201 fps

10 grs: 2328 fps

11 grs: 2453 fps



12 grs: 2677 fps

13 grs: 2821 fps

14 grs: 2915 fps



Notes:



1. IN the evaluation of the 223, I came further to the conclusion of the versatility of the 223 in the use of training new shooters, and for a very versatile varmint caliber.

2. Essentially the 223 can be loaded to the specs of a 22 Long rifle, a 218 Bee, a 221 Fireball, a 222 Remington, a 22 Hornet, and a 22 Win Mag., while allowing the shooter to be able to pick the type of bullet that he prefers.

3. Bullets were limited to use of 35 grains to 55 grains. Heavier bullets will not serve any purpose unless a 223 is to be used for deer hunting. I do not believe that their would be a significant difference in the use of a 55 grain bullet vs a 60 grain bullet.

4. The recoil on the lighter loads using 4 to 6 grains of powder had minimal recoil if any at all. These would be ideal for young shooters being trained.

5. Noise level on the lighter loads ( 4 to 6 grains) were on par with a rim fire. An increase in noise level was very noticeable above 7 grains, but still very acceptable. ( No sounding like a rim fire any more)



Noted Observations:



1. It was noted but not considered part of the testing, with a tree used as a back stop for some of the testing, that all bullets ( 45 to 55 grains)penetrated thru the tree at a distance of 20 yds.

2. The diameter of the tree was measured at 5 inches.

3. The 40 grain Vmax loads failed to penetrate the tree at loads above 10 grs, above 2771 fps. However at 10 grains and less, the bullets penetrated thru the tree and did a large amount of damage ( like turning the wood into tooth picks) on the exit side of the tree. The penetration stopped at the 5 grain load.





Some of the Author�s Conclusions:



1. I learned some significant items beyond the versatility of the 223 with the bullets tested, but focusing on its use in the field, got some ideas.

2. A light rifle such as a Winchester Featherweight or Rugers Compact model with a 16.5 inch barrel or the Ultra Light with a 20 inch barrel would make a good combo with the use of Blue Dot.

3. Since the powder is burned cleanly in the first 10 to 12 inches of barrel, the shorter barrels are not handicappiing velocity in the lighter shorter rifles.

4. The penetration of the 40 grain Vmax into the tree did make me ponder the use of those plastic tip varmint rounds as potential loads for small deer for youth shooters. Just like my observations in the larger calibers, the plastic tipped bullet seem to do a lot more damage, at velocities under 27000 fps. The Vmax surprised me. This is a decision any shooter will have to test on his own and make their own decisions. I am just passing on that I saw potential merit in the application.

5. Although one has to weigh out the potential of Plastic Tipped Varmint bullets on bigger game like deer and antelope, some of these loads in life rifles, utilizing Barnes�s X bullets in 22 caliber I can recommend. They make a 45 grain, 50 grain and 53 grain bullet. The way I saw much better penetration and more damage in wood, at the lower range velocities, 2200 to 2700 fps, this would make a good deer load in many parts of the USA, and recoil is minimal.





I did not test any bigger bullets as I feel that those tested would be represent the best potential with the powder. 60, 63, 64, 65 grain bullets and then the larger match bullets did not give what I considered useful velocity when I have shot them before with Blue Dot, in ratio to their field design uses.





Cheers and Good shooting

seafire

Thanks for that post.
I am tempted to clipboard it into my own load notes as if I did it

I am sold on Blue Dot in .223, I fired 200 rounds of 13 gr. Blue Dot, 60 gr. moly, in 3 hours, and the barrel never got hot. When I cleaned the barrel, the patches looked like I fired one round, not 200!

I want to get some 46 gr. Win hollow point bullet moly coated and shoot them. What is the upper limit of practical? What stops you at ~ 14 gr.? What gives first? The brass life?

--
A society that teaches evolution as fact will breed a generation of atheists that will destroy the society. It is Darwinian.

Clark,

My load with them is 14.5 grains of BD. I usually suffer more loss of brass in the reloading process by screwing up on my press.

I pretty much shoot Lake City surplus brass, so most casualties are based on the necks finally splitting open, due to becoming brittle.

With 14.5 grains the velocity of the 46 grain HP is about 3250 fps. I don't like to mess around with the moly, but I am sure it helps keep the barrel heat to a minimum.

I stop at 14.5 grains with the 46 gr bullet. Like on the tests, anything, even with a 35 grain bullet, when you hit 15 grains you get pressure signs in the primer and ejector marks. At 16 grains it will blow a primer, even with the little 35 grain bullet seated pretty far out for its size.

60% of max capacity seems to be the upper limit of blue dot in any cases I have tried. some , like the 30/06 wouldn't even take that much ( only 50% or less)

4 grains represented 20 % and 14 grains represented like 62.%.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

Down loaded and forwarded roger

"I want to get some 46 gr. Win hollow point bullet moly coated and shoot them." --
Have used the 46grhp in 2ea. 22-250s, a.222 and a .223 and haven't found an accurate round yet; a little bigger than 1" groups so far. If you find a fair load for them give a shout. roger

Roger:

In a 223, with the 14.5 grains of blue dot, this load shoots like crazy in two Remington 700 Varmint rifles.

It is amazing me constantly of what it hits at distances out to 250 to 300 yds. It shoots better than I do. And I am talking live targets ( sage rats) not paper.

I hadn't had much luck with it either, and I just loaded up the last 50 I had to just burn them up. However, when I got home after just "burning them up" I ordered a thousand of them. and since then ordered another 2000 recently.

That bullet with the Blue Dot in a 223 seems to perform very very well for me. Based on the terminal performance and the accuracy, along with the cost, it is my Go To bullet for my volume rat shooting round.

Hopefully Clark will find the same thing out, and let us know that it is not just a starcrossed load in my Remingtons, Winchester and several Ruger VTs.

cheers and good shooting
seafire

Seafire,

I got your email copy of the information you posted above. Thanks!

I have to agree on the Win 46 gr HP's. They are pretty accurate in the guns I have shot them in. Midway had them the other night for $31/500 and I ordered them and 500 more bullets!

Much to my surprise, I am not getting good results with V-Max bullets. The cheap Rem's are doing better than any of the more "premium" bullets, including Noslers. Of course, I'm using cheap NEF Handi rifles!