.223 bolt gun

I had one that could pull that off. A Stevens 200. Best value ever on the market, then discontinued.

I just started shooting a 223 Savage MDL 11, 1-9 twist heavy barrel. It did pretty well with the Federal 55 grain FMJ when I was just zeroing in the scope. Had a couple holes touching but wasn't really going for groups at the time.

My 1997 vintage Ruger 77 Mk II light sporter in .223 has always been reliable for sub-MOA groups. 55-grain bullets are probably my most common handloads.

My CZ 527 would do that. I sold it to get something else but all the CZs I have or had would group very well, even with GI ball.

I have a Savage Model 10 Precision Carbine that had been cut down to a 16.5 inch barrel before it came to live with me. With the 1:9 twist it shoots most everything well. 55gr FMJs usually group about 1.5 inches at 100. 62s do very well right at an inch and the 75gr A-Max will be around 3/4 inch. Everything I load is over Varget with Winchester SR primer and Lake City brass.

Savage 11 regularly groups but not tightly. Even, rounded but about two MOA. Going to torque screws, lap barrel and try again.

I have a Winchester Mod. 70 Featherweight in 223. It will group 55gr FMJ, depending on brand, 1 to 2 inch with five shots. But when I drop to 52 and 40 gr bullets I get tight little clusters.

I only got my savage axis 2HB to do it one time and i really hate to say this but that 3 shot group shot better then 55gr V max. I wasn't sure that i actually hit the target with the 3 so i stopped and ran down to the 100yard mark and was surprised to see 3 in a hole about the size of a sharpie marker. I tried to duplicate it but wouldn't do it again. I think the low quality bullets are the issue.

Sure, no problem getting smallish (under 1") 5-shot groups at 100 yards provided you have an accurate rifle and good bullets. I think many shooters come to grief with their ARs because of buying the cheapest bullets they can find, a situation made all the worse by shooting them in fast twist barrels that play hell with the bullets. I ordered this Rem. 40-X with a 1/14" twist barrel specifically for 55grain and lighter bullets. The 55 gr. FMJs by Delel and IMI group beautifully in this rifle, group after group.

Mn Fats said:

I had one that could pull that off. A Stevens 200. Best value ever on the market, then discontinued.

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Yep I passed on one at the Pawnshop awhile back for $250- went home and beat my head against the wall.
Seemed to be a far better quality gun than my .223 Axis.

Much better than an axis. Basically just a model 10/110. Best little known secret. I kick myself for getting rid of it.

All three of my CZ 527s shoot GECO .223 Target VERY well. And that ammo is CHEAP considering how well it shoots. The Varmint will routinely shoot under half-MOA, the FS and American only a tenth or two worse. Other than that, I haven't had great luck with 52 - 55 grain factory loads that I've tried. About 1.0 - 1.3 MOA is as good as most of it will do -- even the Black Hills and Hornady target stuff. Cheap stuff such as Wolf Gold or the like is more likely to be in the 2" range, which is so bad that I'm not even interested in shooting it.

As a rule, factory 40 grain is more likely to shoot better than the better quality 55 grain in my guns.

I have built a Sav 110 223 and a Stevens 200.
I called the Savage factory and told the lady my theory was that the Stevens 200 was just to use up old Sav 110 parts after the accutrigger redesign. She said that was exactly right.

Dinosaur1 wrote:
Does anyone own a .223 bolt gun that will regularly group 55 gr fmj ammo.

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Yes, once I got sight on it and zeroed out, my Savage Axis will consistently group FMJ ammunition. How big a group is another question since I'm about a 3 moa shooter and I'm pretty sure my Axis is capable of better than I get wring out of it.

Another vote of "Savage". With the caveat that I don't fire full metal jacket through it. I use fifty five grain quite regularly, but I only shoot for groups, it make no sense for me to use less than optimal projectiles. Often the bullet is the culprit in recalcitrant groups, full metals being the most notorious.

I seem to remember my AR doing Ok with Fiocchi, but after handloading for it I just assumed there was no comparison between it and military ammunition.

It is said Hornady makes the best FMJ, but I like their Z-Maxs too much to find out.

OP said 55FMJ. Assuming you are referring to the MILSPEC ammo being sold it dispersion requirement is like 2.2" mean radius at 200 yards It is not the most accurate ammo available but if you find yourself in a party zone it may do. Just remember the Army Wound Ballistic Lab testing showed the terminal wound ballistics begin to drop off when bullet passes 95 yards! ! ! ! Same distance for 62 gr M855.

Hummer, in my last job I had a desk and a bench in the lab. On the bench next to mine was the low cost course correction research program. The missile and launcher was co sighted with a Burris sig scope mounted with a Weaver rail. This would get boxed up and sent to Ft Picatinny and then send back every couple weeks. I asked the engineer with the contract why he did not use a Picatinny rail. He did not know what I was talking about.

I have Remington 700 VSF .223 with 26" fluted barrel. While it prefers Sierra 50gr BKs, it groups 55gr quite well. I prefer the explosive terminal performance of the 50s when shooting prairie dogs. I've killed many 100s of dogs with it, including a bunch with 55s I had on hand when I ran out of my own reloaded 50s.

My CZ 527 Carbine (1:9 twist) is a consistent 1MOA firearm using 55 gr remanufactured soft point ammo.

Dinosaur1 said:

I have several and shot several others but I've never encountered one that would group the 55 stuff and yet it is the most common loading.

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FMJ is typically military stuff. They don't need to hold 1/2" groups. They throw a lot of lead in a hurry and only need to shoot minute-of-badguy.

I have multiple rifles that shoot sub 1" consistently. i shoot hand loads that use high quality bullets. If you want match quality results use match quality components. Any deviation from that diminishes your results.

Yeah, MOST are missing that the OP specified 55gr __FMJ___!

I've had one lot# of Federal/Lake City 55gr FMJ's (component bullets) that will consistently shoot under 1.25". These will typically shoot 3-4 at around .5", with 1-2 shots opening up the group. Excellent "plinkers" which is what I bought them for. I've got a quantity of Remington 55gr flat base FMJ, but they are more typical at 1.5-1.7" 5-shot groups.

Sierra makes a 55gr FMJ that will shoot under 1-MOA, but they are the same price as a 55gr GameKing BTSPT that will outshoot your rifle, so what's the point?
For what it's worth, for under 300yd shooting, a flat base bullet will be more accurate than a boat-tail, everything else, the same.
It's when wind drift starts to factor in that the boat-tail bullets gain the advantage with the higher b.c. reducing time of flight, and therefore wind drift.

If you want an accurate inexpensive 55gr bullet, get some Nosler Varmageddon 55gr JHP, or MidSouth 55gr JHP Varmint Nightmare, or MidwayUSA 55 JHP Dogtown bullets. 1/2" or better accuracy at $0.13 or less.
Hint, buy in bulk, and save 3-5cents each...

I had a Weatherby Vanguard Series 2 in .223 with a 1:12 barrel. Absolute tack driver with 55gr bullets. Sub-MOA groups were a breeze.

My 223 bolt gun is an old Remington 723 which began as a 222 Remington which I accurized using a 223 heavy barrel 1:12 twist. The rifle shoots the Sierra 55 grain FMJ stuff about .5" at 100 yards. Matter of fact a 55 grain bullet is as heavy as it gets for that gun, anything over 55 grains and the groups open up. The rifle has a blued action and stainless barrel. That was what I had at the time. I still have the original walnut stock for the original pencil barrel.



Ron