Best bullet weight .223 with 1/9 twist

[CoalTrain49]

I'm trying to find the most accurate load for my Bolt rifle. I mostly shoot at 2-300 yds. and I don't hunt. So far I've tried 55 grain and 62 grain. My best loads have been with 62 grain bullets. I use Hornady bullets and AR Comp powder. I know there may be better bullets out there and chasing the best powder is something I don't want to do. I've got 8 lbs of AR Comp so I'm going to limit myself to that powder and Hornady bullets.

I recently bought some 68 grain match bullets to try. The Hornady manual doesn't list those for .223 Rem. but they do for .223 Service Rifle. I would assume that's a .223 Rem chamber (they state 1/9 twist) and they say they're an excellent choice for 2-300 yards.

Anyone have any experience with 68 grain match bullets in .223 chambers? I can't shoot 5.56 x 45 in that rifle. Well, I could but I don't want to.

 

[Telekinesis]

I don't have any experience, but I'll be loading soon for a .223 with a 1/8 twist so I'm interested in what you find out. I would expect the 68gr to do well as a 1/9 should prefer the heavier (longer) bullets.

I can't say with authority, but I would suspect that a load listed under .223 Service Rifle would be fine for a standard .223 chamber. I know that with shotgun loads, International Trap loads are listed separately from other 12ga loads because they are designed specifically to conform to the competition's ammo standards (i.e. a specific weight of shot and specific speed). I would expect that rifle/pistol loading books would do the same for rifle competition loads that have to meet specific standards.

 

[CoalTrain49]

I don't have any experience, but I'll be loading soon for a .223 with a 1/8 twist so I'm interested in what you find out. I would expect the 68gr to do well as a 1/9 should prefer the heavier (longer) bullets.

I can't say with authority, but I would suspect that a load listed under .223 Service Rifle would be fine for a standard .223 chamber. I know that with shotgun loads, International Trap loads are listed separately from other 12ga loads because they are designed specifically to conform to the competition's ammo standards (i.e. a specific weight of shot and specific speed). I would expect that rifle/pistol loading books would do the same for rifle competition loads that have to meet specific standards.

I'll let you know how that works out. I've read from others that it's muy bueno.

 

[edwardware]

My 1/8 R700 likes 52gr FBHP and 68gr BTHP. I suspect that has much more to do with bullet construction (match HPs) than weight. Buy match bullets that aren't too long, and they'll probably work well.

 

[someguy2800]

Your 1:9 may or may not shoot well with 68 grain bullets. You’ll be on the edge of stability but if you have a longer barrel and you drive them hard you’ll have the best chance.

My favorite bullets for a 223 are the 73-77 grainers, but you need a 1:8 or 1:7 twist for that. For a 1:9 I would try a 50, 53, and 55 grain V-max. The 53 is my favorite. Good powders to try in that weight class would be Benchmark, 2015, H335, CFE223, and Varget.

 

[lightman]

My Remington 700 shoots everything from the 50-55 plastic tip varmint bullets up to the Sierra 69 grain Match King pretty well. I have not tried anything heavier. Of the plastic tip bullets, the Sierra shoots better than the Hornady and the Nosler, but not by very much.

 

[243winxb]

The question should be, "the best bullet length"

 

[pblanc]

I don't load but the conventional "wisdom" is that projectiles of 55-62 grain mass are going to give the best performance in a barrel with a 1:9 twist rate. But it really varies rifle to rifle. As someguy2800 pointed out, it is the twist rate that is more important than whether you have a .223 Rem or 5.56 chamber. A 69 grain projectile may or may not be stabilized out to 300 yards with a 1:9 twist barrel. You would definitely need a barrel with a faster twist rate (1:7 or 1:8) if you wanted to go heavier than 69 grains.

If you just want to do an experiment, buy a box of .223 Rem loaded with 69 grain Sierra Match King hollow point projectiles such as Federal Premium Gold Medal and see how they do in your rifle.

 

[Laphroaig]

The 68 Hornady's are the longest of the 68/69 match bullets (non-tipped). Even so, I'd be surprised if they didn't stabilize with a reasonably fast load. Read that as not a starting load but not necessarily max either.

I get my 1:9 20" barreled Savage to stabilize 77 SMK's out to 500 yds. with a pretty moderate load of Varget.

 

[243winxb]

The 68 gr Hornady did ok at 100 yards. Past 100, no idea.
The old non-plastic tip Sierra 69 did ok also. I do not like the plastic tip bullet. To long to make COL adjustments.
The best of the lot was a Nosler 55gr BT.
Rifle-Savage Axis 9 twist. Maximum COL is 2.300". Tested using 4 different IMR powders.

See my albums for bullets sitting side by side.

Photos are from Bergers twist calculator. Always better to test live fire on target.

 

[243winxb]

. Stability value should be in the range of 1.3 to 2.0 to ensure bullet stability. http://www.jbmballistics.com/ballistics/calculators/calculators.shtml

Sometimes the battle is won by doing a little homework.


Hornady 68gr match bullet.

 

[ilmonster]

I own a Rem. 700 SPS Tac with a 20" barrel with the 1:9 twist. I have had good luck with both 68 gr. and 75 gr. BTHP Hornady Match bullets loaded over 23.0 gr. of Ramshot TAC powder. I shoot mostly 100 - 300yds and can regularily get .5" groups at 100yds, 1" groups at 200 yds and have a best of a 7/8" group at 300 yds. I tried Hornady's 73 gr. ELD factory loaded rounds, and it patterned more like a shotgun, so no joy. If you look at Western's website (maker or distributor of TAC powder), they have loads for both Hornady bullets listed. Out to 300, no real difference between the two bullets, but I read the 75 gr. is better out to 600 yds. Need to get to a longer range next spring that goes out to 600 yds.

For your AR Comp powder, go to the makers website (is it Alliant?) and see if they have any recipe's for your bullet of choice.

Long story short, Hornady 75 gr. BTHP's over TAC powder work fabulously in my 1:9 twist Remington.
p.s. they're also very reasonably priced!

 

[ilmonster]

p.p.s. Went to Alliant's website and they do list recipe's for Hornady 68 gr BTHP's over AR Comp powder so you should be in business to try some loads.

 

[FL-NC]

According to the internet, a 1:9 won't cut it for heavier projectiles. According to reality, I get 1 MOA groups with my garage built AR using a 1:9 Brownells/DPMS 16" barrel as well as my Mossberg MVP, with Black Hills MK 262 (77 grain) and Hornady 75 grain BTHP, and do so with both guns suppressed. I have gotten similar performance with these rounds in 1:8 on my Larue stealth 16" carbine, another 1:8 stainless 16" Barnes Precision rifle, and in the neighborhood of 2 MOA with a 11.5" on a SBR, and every 14.5" 1:7 M4A1 and 1:7 10" MK18 I was ever issued. Short answer, you don't know until you try it and see what the gun in your hand will do.

 

[Skgreen]

No experience over 100 yds
26" bolt 'varmint' - 1-9, Varget and 68 gr Horn Match did the best (of those I tried)
26" bolt 'varmint' - 1-8, Varget and 75 gr Horn Match did the best (of those I tried)

 

[Riomouse911]

I shoot 62 fmjbt to 68 gr Sierra Matchkkng bullets in my 1-9” ARs almost exclusively. Those guns love them, so you should be able to find a good load for yours in the 69-70 gr range. It’s a lot of trial and error sometimes to find that perfect blend of gun and load... but it’s all worth it when you do.

Stay safe!

 

[someguy2800]

My 26" 1:9 barreled savage would tumble with 75 gr hornady bthp. It would stabalize a 68 hornady. Shot best with 50-55's. My 20" 1:8 AR15 shoots well with hornady 75's and sierra 77's. I just bought some 73 ELD-m's to try as well.

 

[stillquietvoice]

My 22 in 1-9 twist axis 2 shot 69 gr gmm into 1 joke at 200. I have used hornandy 50 v max, 55v Max, 55 spbt over worked up Max loads of 3 different powders. The powders are blc2, h and I 4895. Also ran 55 gr not die 55 gr semi point have gotten satisfactory results with all. I do use a longer coal it worked better in that rifle
Just picked up a savage m11 in 223 22 in 1-9 twist and sold axis to SIL with 300 loaded rounds made for it.
Now I have to start over with the new one and the fun begins again.

 

[larryh1108]

I've found this article very helpful:
http://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/pair-barrel-twist-rates-ammo/249744#

This graph is also helpful.... to a degree.
https://shieldsengineering.com/venn.jpg

Of course, nothing beats your own experience. Every barrel has it's own personality.

 

[Sappyg2.0]

The heaviest bullet I've tried in a 1-8 twist so far has been the 65 gr Sierra game king at 300 yards with imr 4198. Very accurate IMO from my 20" RAR at 100 yards and appears to be very stable at 300. The gun likes them but it's not a target rifle and charge is middle of the road stuff. For the most part the gun likes that bullet regardless of the powder used.

Edit: oops. The powder I'm using is 4895 and not 4198...

 

[Gtscotty]

I had a 9 twist 20", .223 bolt gun several years ago that did well with 69gr Nosler CCs and Varget, I would expect 68gr hpbts to shoot in most 9 twist rifles. My rifle also really liked Hornady 75gr hpbts, even though that bullet is on the heavier end of the scale, it has a reputation for shooting surprisingly well in a lot of 9 twist barrels, certainly worth a shot.