223 v max load?
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jwrowland77
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748, H335, 4895 (H or IMR different charges of course). Primer for those, CCI 400.
Those Savage Axis heavy barrel are pretty dang good shooters. I'm running Hornady 75gr BTHP Match bullets in mine, and it shoots dang good. The match loads I'm running CCI BR4's.
Those Savage Axis heavy barrel are pretty dang good shooters. I'm running Hornady 75gr BTHP Match bullets in mine, and it shoots dang good. The match loads I'm running CCI BR4's.
jwrowland77
Member
Best you can do is chronograph the factory loads and try and find a powder to duplicate that velocity
Reloadron
Contributing Member
Custom built 26" barrel 1:12 twist using CCI 400, CCI 450 and CCI BR-4 primers as well as some Winchester WSR. I trim my brass to a uniform 1.750".
The powders I like are VihtaVuori N133 and N135 with N133 being a favorite. N133, 22.0 grains gets me about 3,000 FPS. I also like Varget, IMR 3031 and BL-C(2). The nice thing is 223 Remington with just about any 55 grain bullet leaves you open to likely a dozen powder choices. H335 is another popular and good choice. Your mileage may vary.
Ron
The powders I like are VihtaVuori N133 and N135 with N133 being a favorite. N133, 22.0 grains gets me about 3,000 FPS. I also like Varget, IMR 3031 and BL-C(2). The nice thing is 223 Remington with just about any 55 grain bullet leaves you open to likely a dozen powder choices. H335 is another popular and good choice. Your mileage may vary.
Ron
Steve in PA
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I have a Savage 12FV in .223 and use H335 and CCI 400 primers with the 55gr Vmax bullets. I get about 1/2 moa or better at 100 yards.
Nature Boy
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I have a savage 12 BVSS and I tried the 55g VMAX with benchmark and could not find an accure load. I'm axnious to try some of these above.
I did find that 62g SMK with Varget shot 5 round groups sub 0.5 MOA
I did find that 62g SMK with Varget shot 5 round groups sub 0.5 MOA
entropy
Member
25.8 gr BL-C(2) and 24.0 gr. Power Pro Varmint. I loaded the first for my Savage Axis, the second for my son's DPMS Sportical. I got a coyote with one of mine, dropped on the spot. (granted it was only 25 yards or so.) He got 4 deer with his, all under 100 yards. Brass was mixed, mostly LE issue FC, and LC military. CCI 400 primers, 2.23" COL on my loads, 2.25" for my sons. I also loaded the BL-C(2) load with Nosler Ballistic Tip Varmint.
FWIW, the factory vmax and my 25.8 gr BL-C(2) load shot the same out to 100. My son used a Savage Axis two years ago with the factory load, he got 11 deer with them that year. Naturally, he wanted me to reproduce that load myself. I only tried it out to 100. The longest shot he took a deer with the factory loads with was @225 yards, and with my handloads, about 75, so I can't verify whether they will hold the same at 200.
FWIW, the factory vmax and my 25.8 gr BL-C(2) load shot the same out to 100. My son used a Savage Axis two years ago with the factory load, he got 11 deer with them that year. Naturally, he wanted me to reproduce that load myself. I only tried it out to 100. The longest shot he took a deer with the factory loads with was @225 yards, and with my handloads, about 75, so I can't verify whether they will hold the same at 200.
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spitballer
Member
There was an interesting article in the Hodgdon Annual Reloading Manual (2015?) that covered this issue. Side-by-side comparisons showed that, in general, magnum primers did well with ball powders and regular primers did better with stick powder. I don't recall what bullets were used for these tests, but the data did hold some surprises for me regarding the use of magnum primers with stick powder. Highly recommend reading this piece if you can find it.
Nature Boy
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Is that primer performance discussed in the Hodgon article across all calibers?
spitballer
Member
.223 rounds were tested, this is why I mentioned the article. There was one other caliber tested also but I can't recall what it was, may have been .308 or .243. The data for .223 really illustrated the compatibility issue with regard to using mag primers with stick powder. As I recall, the data showing incompatibility of mag primers with stick powders was rather pronounced. More so than the other way around (regular primers with ball powder).
Funny, I always thought mag primers would have more fire but the data seems to refute this notion. Maybe the stick needs bigger spark because it's less dense?
Reloadron
Contributing Member
On a side note and for what it is worth you mention H335 and also mention CCI 400 primers. H335 is a spherical powder like CFE 223 and BL-C(2) from Hodgdon. If you are going to use a CCI SR (Small Rifle) primer the CCI 400 is not a good choice as it is a standard small rifle primer. The H335 being a spherical rifle powder the better primer choice would be CCI 450 SR Magnum primers to make sure of a good clean and complete ignition of the propellant. The idea is a good uniform ignition. In the case of using Winchester primers it is one size fits all in small rifle as there is no standard and magnum primer, they are all WSR (Winchester Small Rifle).
This is what spitballer's post #9 was about. I am not saying a CCI 400 primer will not ignite H 335 powder because obviously it will. I am saying the CCI 400 primer is not the best choice with certain powders. W748 is another example of a ball or spherical powder and the better choice would be a small rifle magnum primer.
Ron
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balderclev
Member
+1 on N133. I use 22.5 grains. Consistently get 1/2 MOA. Same load for 50 and 53 grain as well.The powders I like are VihtaVuori N133 and N135 with N133 being a favorite. N133, 22.0 grains gets me about 3,000 FPS. I also like Varget, IMR 3031 and BL-C(2). The nice thing is 223 Remington with just about any 55 grain bullet leaves you open to likely a dozen powder choices. H335 is another popular and good choice. Your mileage may vary.
Ron
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