Handloads good for multiple rifles. Ever try this?

[RugerOldArmy]

I've got four .223 Rem rifles, and had worked up individual loads that worked for them in the past. Wanting to simplify things I decided to try testing batches for all rifles, seeking a load that shot well in each. Over the years I had accumulated a lot of different bullets of different brands, but I didn't want to keep a stock of each.

Over the winter I had done a lot of reloading, and worked up twentysix boxes (50) of handloads, in charges similar to what had worked for a rifle in the past, using:

40 Gr V-Max
50 Nosler B-Tips
50 Hdy V-Max
50 Midway DogTown
55 Sierra Blitzkings
55 Hdy SP
55 Nosler B-Tips
68 Gr Hdy BTHP
69 SMK
75 Hdy BTHP

Rifles were:

RRA AR-15 A2 NM 20" 1-8"
RRA AR-15 A4 Varmint (24") 1-8"
Savage 12 LRPV 26" 1-9"
CZ-527 Varmint 24" 1-9"

I found out a lot of interesting stuff.

First some bullets I had dismissed as not being that good, ended up shooting well. For example, the 68 Gr Hornady BTHP match bullets that I had tried with higher-end Varget loads that worked with SMK(s), were less similar than imagined. These shot very well, but at the low end of the range instead of the mid to high end range that had worked with the SMK.

I found a lot of rifle-specific loads. 69 SMK(s) worked well in all rifles. Some rifles, however, liked 24.5 Gr loads, one liked 25.2 Gr loads, and one liked 26 Gr loads (and the 25.2 Gr loads.)

Suprisingly, I found some V-Max B-Tip loads that shot better in the AR(s) than the longer BTHP loads.

I was also suprised the 55 Gr B-Tips, Blitzkings, and V-Maxes didn't shoot nearly as well with these loads as the 50 grainers.

Another interesting thing was how well the 75Gr Hornady BTHP(s) shot in the 1-9" twist bolt rifles.

The softpoint loads, for which I had weighed bullets for a common weight, all shot kinda poorly. (1-1.5+ MOA) Some of these had shot noticably better with W748...No luck with Varget and Benchmark for charges tested.

Happily, three loads ended up shooting 3/4 MOA or better in ALL rifles.

- 75 Gr Hdy BTHP 24.0 Gr Varget CCI BR4s LC brass (winner of BTHPs)
- 50 V-Max 25.5 Gr Benchmark CCI BR4s LC Brass (winner by group size)
- 50 Nosler 25.5 Gr Benchmark CCI BR4s LC Brass (runner-up, smallest group)

(All loads OAL were the same 2.25" to accomodate magazine lengths.)

All in all, this wasn't a perfect test, being limited to Varget and Benchmark loads (was seeking a temp-insensitive common load), but I got a lot of good data.

Anybody ever try this? I think it's worthwhile to test batches across rifles when time permits.

 

[41 Mag]

WEll not intentionally as you have done. I did however work up a load for a friend years ago which has shot very well to excellent in multiple 30-06's.

In the calibers I have more than one rifle for, I generally have a mid velocity load which will shoot decent around 1 MOA at 200yds and that I can swap between them for target practice or hog hunting. These loads are not compiled with the top end components but still produce good results. Then I will also have one load for each using top end components, which will shoot considerably better and are strictly for hunting. The general shooting loads are plenty for the hogs we hunt as the ranges are generally less than 100yds and most times under 50. They can however stretch out a good ways and still be productive if needed.

Doesn't seem to matter to me if I have one or several rifles in a caliber I seem to still end up with a lot of extras for it somehow or another.