ACTUAL velocity of .223 Win Varmint-X 40-gr.?

[Baron]

Hey all - I've used Winchester 223 40-gr. Varmint-X to great effect last hunting season, and decided to chrono all my guns today to make myself some trustworthy range cards. I shot the Varmint-X from my 18" suppressed 223 Wylde, and the first shot read at 3288. Advertised FPS is 3600 (we all know about that). I shot eight more rounds and none of them read, despite having the sun cover things on the chrono and pretty ideal conditions. So, since only one shot actually read, I'm a little reluctant to trust it; anybody else have any experience with this round? Maybe the high velocity is testing the limits of my chrono?

What's great is it's pretty much dead-hold all the way out to 225 (within 2 inches), and beyond that I don't necessarily trust the kill power on coyotes anyway.

Thanks all!

 

[illinoisburt]

That is probably about right. The velocity test barrel is supposed to be 24 inches, with 35-50 fps loss per inch shorter.

 

[Baron]

Great - thank you very much!

 

[cougar1717]

The fps number on the box is a lie. If Winchester's test barrel was 24", it would be a loss of 52fps/inch. That is not unreasonable. However, I would test again since one data point is what it is - It gives some idea, but cannot tell anything about consistency.

Maybe the high velocity is testing the limits of my chrono?

We don't know your chrono, but my guess would be that your other shots did not completely pass over the chrono's sweet spot. If it is a typical, two sensor chronograph, I can shoot in several areas "within the triangle" that will always throw error messages and give no reading. It's like Goldilocks - centered over the sensors, not too high, not too low, and the shot has to NOT be angled in such a way that the first sensor picks it up but the second misses it.

 

[Baron]

Makes good sense! Thank you - I will give it another shot!