Fastest .223

[kestak]

Greetings,

Just a pure rethorical question:

I had some time to waste and I did some research. I noticed in my reloading books and few magazines that the most velocity you can get from .223/5.56 with 55 grains FMj is about 3300 ft/sec out of a 20 inch barrel.

Anybody heard of a powder/primer combo that reached 3500 or even the 4000 barrier ft/sec in .223/5.56?

BTW, at the range the other day, a guy had a bullet speed device and I tested my .223 reloads (25.1 grains TAC and Wolf 223 primers) from my RRA 24 inch varminter and RRA 16 inch Tactical Elite. To my surprise, the average was just 50 ft/sec more from the 24 inch!
16 inch: average 2975
24 inch: average 3025

Thank you

 

[rcmodel]

You can get a little over 3,600 FPS with a 40 grain bullet in a 24" barrel.

Impossible to do it with a heavier bullet.

According to Hodgdon, the best you can do with a 55 grain bullet is 3,384 using Varget.

If you want 4,000+ FPS, you need a 22-250 or .220 Swift and light bullets.

Your

 

[taliv]

or a 308 sabot with 55g 223s

 

[highorder]

The .30-06 factory Accelerator load (.55gr) lists at 4080 fps.

Does anyone have any real-world chrono data on these?

 

[matrem]

The fastest 55s (from a .223) I've actually seen on a chronograph screen are well under 3500, and it wasn't for lack of trying.
VV135 has the highest velocity with those (and 50s) that I've personally tried.
3500 with 55s.. Need bigger case.

 

[taliv]

highorder, i shot a bunch in my 308, but was never able to get anything but errors on my chrono, i think due to the bullet and sabot flying over the sensors interfering with each other

 

[highorder]

Ah, good point. I bet that makes it tough to get good readings.

I wonder what velocities are possible with, say, a turned copper .224 bullet in a sabot loaded into one of the big .30 magnums?

 

[taliv]

i bought mine from eabco. i'm pretty sure they list velocities. i'll see if i can find a link


edit: they just mention 4200 in 30-06 on this link http://eabco.com/reload02.html
i do have the free load data they mention, but i'd have to dig for it

 

[matrem]

I have seen 4000 plus a few times. The first of these was in the early nineties, when chronographs became a possibility for even "us" normal folk with a family to raise.
That was with a .172 dia. 25grain bullet with equal or more powder weight than bullet weight.
Had some of those "accelerators" for .30/06 & .30/30, never shot them through chrono, not sure why, but my guess is, I'd shot them all before being able to afford the chronograph.

 

[cdet69]

just a little note on pushing a 223 in an ar is that it is not good for the gun. they wear prematurly and don't hold up well to the excessive recoil.

 

[matrem]

I wonder what velocities are possible with, say, a turned copper .224 bullet in a sabot loaded into one of the big .30 magnums?
__________________

Rick Jamison claimed to get a bit over 5000 with .25acp bullets loaded in .25/06 & .257 Weatherby.

 

[dagger dog]

sorry, brainfart

 

[matrem]

Can't reply to that.

 

[nastynatesfish]

I load my single shot with a 20'' barrel to 3610 on average using reloader 10x and 50 grain v max moly bullets and have been for 2 and a half years and the gun still shoots .75 in at 150yrds. www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=111937&stc=1&d=1262091867

coyote shot at just over 200 yrds with listed load

 

[nastynatesfish]

www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=111935&stc=1&d=1262091610
bobcat shot at 381 yrds with the load listed above