I have a factory Savage rifle with a 1:9" twist. I want to do some longer range shooting and was wondering if anyone had a "pet load" for the 69 grain Sierra Matchking. On another post, someone recommended RL15.

Varget has worked well for me with the Sierra 69's. Best I can remember, I worked up to around 25 grains or so.

loads for 223 On the link page, click the Green Sierra logo for more loads, many to choose from.

Varget and Winchester 748 around 24.5 grains as I recollect. Work up. I have a Savage 110Fp in 223.
Peter.

I like 26.0grs of Varget with Moly'd 69's in Rem cases. It's shot sub-MOA in several 223's. I've also shot a few thousand 69's with 24.3grs of 2230, accuracy was very good but the velocity is a little lower than with Varget.
748 and several other medium burning powders will also work great, it's an easy bullet to get to shoot well............DJ

All my 223 loading has been for an ar15. With Sierra 69gr I started loading with varget but it bridged too much. Went to 748 and got the same accuracy. Both are loaded with 24 to 25grs.
You might also try the 75gr A-Max. I have to single load them due to magazine length, but the shoot real well. I have been told that a 1:9 twist is to slow for them but they are sub moa in my gas guns.

Don't forget the load data on Accuratereloading See how different guns shot here at Accuratereloading.com

26.0 varget and the 69 sierra shoot great.

With the Savage and Stevsns good results were obtained with the heavier bullets using 25gr. Plus of Accurate 2520. roger

I have had good results with my 1 in 9" LTR using ADI 2208 (your varget), 23.5gr with the 69gr SMK and Federal cases.
Mild pressure and a chrony'ed 2840fps +/- 15fps.

Works well out to around 500m.

Best of luck.

benchmark or BM2 here in Australia does wonders with 69gn sierra matchkings from my Rem.
rob

I have the Steven 200 (Savage) in .223 with 1 in 9" twist. Useing 65 SPTBT 22.5 of BM2 (Benchmark) and 25 grains of AR2208 (Varget) give good accuracy.
Suggest you work up to these loads.

Same here with Benchmark. I went up to 24.6 in a roomy case, trying to get 900 yards, but 24 was just as accurate at shorter ranges.

I didn't have much luck with the 69gr SMK at 900. I had to go to the Berger 75 VLD to get decent groups out that far. Oddly enough the same powder load works nicely in each, I was suprised to find, after doing the usual work-up for the 75 VLD.

In my savage 10fp I get the best with H322(23grs) and R-15 (25grs) useing the sie 69 match.My rifle won't shoot the nosler 69 very well but the sierra's are sub MOA out to 300 yds.
The 75 gr hornady BTHP and the a-max like 24.5 grs of varget.
This rifle likes anything from 40 gr to 75 gr.The 80,s shot but not very well.

Thanks for the great advice. I think I'll try the 69 siearras with some varget and R-15. I have also had good results with the VLD in other guns, so I'll test loads with those also.

A load of 24.4 grains of RL-15 shoots very small groups with 69 gr SMK's in my match AR. I have used the 69's with success out to 300 yards, but I currently use the 69's for 100-yard "reduced-course" matches. The velocity in my 1-7 twist barrel is about 2825 fps.

I also tried 24.8 grains of RL-15 with the 69's. There was no change in accuracy (group size), so I have stayed with the the 24.4 charge.

The 77 gr SMK's have a little less wind drift at 200 and 300 yards. 80 grain SMK's are better for 600 yards, but I don't know if a 1 in 9 barrel will stabilize an 80 grain SMK.