I have a 24" SS Shilen barrel 1:8 twist. I want to find a few good loads for 60-80 grain bullets. Anybody have a recipe there fond of?

Thanks

I use 23.5 grains of Reloder 15 for both 77 and 80 grain Sierra Matchkings, Winchester cases and primers, 80 grain bullets are seated .010 off lands and the 77 grain magazine length for AR-15.

Get your self some VV 540 and the Sierra 77 or the Hornady 75 grain A-Max if you wish to single load (long seated bullet.) Work up and to the VV maximum or just short of it... Accurate as heck, and FAST.

Mike...have you tried the Berger 80 gr VLD's with RE15? Just wondering.

The Matchkings have always worked well out to 600 yards, so I never have tried the Bergers.

I haven't used the Finnish powders, but shooting a lot of 68 to 80 grainers out of my Savage 12 BVSS....

Varget, IMR 4895, IMR 4064, W 748, H 322... and I hate to say it as I hate this powder, but H 4895.. all do better than RL 15 in this application...

and this from a RL 15 fan, which seems to work pretty darn well in about everything.. however this application isn't one of them...

Seafire,

I have tried the 748 and IMR 4895 but got better results velocity and accuracy wise with RL 15. All the powders you listed are faster burning than RL-15, could it be a difference between a gas gun and a bolt gun? I shoot a Frank White AR-15 with a 28" Barrel. A lot of shooters I know use Varget with the 77 and 80 grain MK's, I always had a little pressure problem with Varget. Like the man said results will vary.

I may try the 4064 I always have been fond of that powder.

Im using 75amax with 23gr varget out of my savage 1:9 twist 223.

Just went to the range today with some 80gr Berger VLD's in front of Varget and Win SR primers.

I have an AR15 clone with a 20" 1:8 twist barrel. I've always heard and read good things about Berger's and Varget. The rifel hated Federal Gold Medal 69gr Sierra MKs. But I had to sight it in using something of a heavyweight round.

HOWEVER...the reason I asked Mike about the 80 gr VLD's is because I wanted to work up a good longer distant load. I have to tell you that I have to find a longer distance range. I started with 22.1 grains of Varget and in 0.3 grain increments I worked up to the max of 24 grains of Varget that Mr. Walt Berger sent me as max for Varget. I HONESTLY couldn't tell any difference in accuracy between the loads at that range. All ranged from 5 touching with a load of 23.3 grains Varget to 0.85 inches with 24 grains of Varget. I even had a flyer with 23.7 grains of Varget. I rate a couple those to my lack of focus and concentration to what I was doing.

It can be a long afternoon shooting, waiting for the barrel to cool, to cleaning, etc. and in the end I think I got a little antsy. SO I will be sticking with the 24 grain of Varget load. My initial question to Mike was because I was wondering if anyone else had been using a load like this for 80 grain VLD's? I hesitate to increase my powder charge, so was wondering if anyone else had used the 80 grain Berger VLDs.

ARRGH! No where in my previous post did I mention that I had been shooting at 100 yards today. LOL!

Thanks everybody for the help. I'll try some of them as soon as the new press comes in the mail.

CJ, not to hijack your thread but I have an unopened box of Berger 80 gr VLD bullets I have no need for. I am not really interested in selling them but if you have some comparable item laying around you'd be interested in swapping feel free to send a PM.

I used up another box trying to get them to stabilize in a 12" twist and was never happy. I'd thought that may be the case but you never know until you try!

Mark, sent PM.

Anybody checking velocity? I want to be right around 2800-3000 to try and match the retcial on my scope. I'm shooting a Bushmaster AR-15 with the Shilen barrel, it has a 4 grove ratchet twist. This helps keep the MV higher and cleans alot easier.

cj,

You didn't mention what you require the loads for; although with a AR-15 probably target shooting.

For hunting though the premium-est .223 Remington bullet that I've managed to locate and also get to shoot well in several .223's is the 74 grain RWS Cone Point that is furnished in factory RWS ammo for the 5.6x57. They are available as components although spendy but since I've never managed to get a 60 grain Nosler Partition to shoot in any .222, .223, 5.6x50R or .22-250 worth a hoot the RWS bullets have.

Provide real large caliber terminal performance in the .224" calibers and shoot well under 1"; even in pencil-thin tubes.

24-25 grs. of IMR-4320 but 25.0 may be a bit much for some rifles in R-P .223 brass & Lee Factory Crimped in the first (from the point) crimping groove. Does just about 2750 in most .223's and shoots great.

Good Luck

quote:

Originally posted by Gerry:
cj,

You didn't mention what you require the loads for; although with a AR-15 probably target shooting.

For hunting though the premium-est .223 Remington bullet that I've managed to locate and also get to shoot well in several .223's is the 74 grain RWS Cone Point that is furnished in factory RWS ammo for the 5.6x57. They are available as components although spendy but since I've never managed to get a 60 grain Nosler Partition to shoot in any .222, .223, 5.6x50R or .22-250 worth a hoot the RWS bullets have.

Provide real large caliber terminal performance in the .224" calibers and shoot well under 1"; even in pencil-thin tubes.

24-25 grs. of IMR-4320 but 25.0 may be a bit much for some rifles in R-P .223 brass & Lee Factory Crimped in the first (from the point) crimping groove. Does just about 2750 in most .223's and shoots great.

Good Luck

I'm building this rig to go out west P-dog hunting for the first time although I will use it for coyote and of corse target. I have a ton of once fired Lake City brass I plan to use. I use LC brass in a few larger rifles and I get almost twice as many loads per case than Win. or R-P. Not all the loads have to be mag length, I will single feed if thats where the performance I'm looking for is at.

Here is a pretty decent link with 223 info.

http://www.6mmbr.citymaker.com/223Rem.html

Hope this helps.

BTW you can load 77 grain MK to magazine length but the 80's will need to be loaded longer.

Thanks Mike, theres alot of good info on that site.

OOPS...I have to apologize. I went back over my load data and found out that Mr. Berger sent me max load of 23.3 of Varget for their 80gr VLD bullets. Yes, I did end up loading 24 grains and they shot the best group of all of them, but I also noticed a heck of a group at 23.3 grains of Varget.

Not to hijack this thread either, but I have a box of 500 (minus a few) 80 grain SMK's that I have no need for. I don't have a 1:8 rifle to stabilize them.
Peter.

22.5 grains of Benchmark behind the Sierra 65 SPTBT. for hunting.