Ok..So I bought this tack driver !

[jaycee]

Jaycee...as mentioned great glass is a must. I would rather have an average rifle with a great scope than a great rifle with average glass.

A good point BrainOnSigs,

A glass upgrade is on my "to-do" list..
Just reading through some of the suggestions has given me some things to look at. Just for the heck of it I measured up the distance to the beginning of the lands... It's a LONG way away from where any factory ammo would be.

I estimate hand loaded rounds for this thing would look more like a 6BR cartridge than your average factory .223 , and that's probably a lot of the trouble right there.
I figure it's not so much the heavier bullets that are working , although that's probably a factor too, but mainly it's the longer rounds that are working better.

Just look at a 50gr Rem UMC round beside a Hornady 75gr match , you don't need a fancy measuring rig to see one is longer that the other.

Roll on reloading time ...

 

[jame]

I'm am most certainly NOT the voice of a huge amount of experience, but in my limited experince, there are three things that are most important in current production rifles:

1. Practice
2. A quality trigger
3. A solid mounted scope

I just recently aquired a CZ 527 American in .223, and after sight in, I could very consistently cover 3 shots with my thumbnail. (About 3/4") I'm a hunter, not a bechrester. In the field, if I can steady this rifle to 2-2 1/2", I'll be happy.

A didn't catch how much time you may have spent shooting this rifle, but I'd check your range time, the trigger, and the scope before I messed with anything else.

But again, I'm just a middle aged farmboy. I'm not very experienced by ANY means. If the experts say otherwise, make the changes as suggested.

 

[jaycee]

Hi Guys /Gals....

Sorry to drag this up again , but it's a subject close to my heart.

I eventually managed to get some home cooked ammo for the 75,
Wow ..what a difference !

Using once fired Hornady brass , necksized and seating out to just short of the rifleing , I loaded up with cci primers, 22.5 gr of RL-15 and Hornady Amax 75gr ballistic tip BT bullets.

Shooting at 200yds,in light but variable winds the best I could manage for 5 shots with the factory Hornady 75gr Match was 2.108 inches , which is a little worse than 1moa and typical of my experience with that bullet in this gun.

The home cooked ammo fared far far better , 5 shots for 1.164 inches with some 3 shot groups at .620 inchs and even when the wind got up to being time to quit , it shot a 4 shot group at 1.61 inches with a vertical spread of just .577 inches.

All shooting was at 200 yards
(Actually 219yards since all our club distances are metric so it's 200 meters )

Color me happy..!

 

[BrainOnSigs]

Excellent news! I knew that rifle would be a shooter.

Glad things are have opened up for you to start reloading. I knew you were concerned that the legislation governing reloading wouldn't be enacted until next year.

Good shooting!

 

[RecoilRob]

I just read through all 29 posts and I've got to say, I just LOVE a happy ending!

Good shooting Jaycee!

 

[jaycee]

Me too..

 

[Rovi]

I knew you were concerned that the legislation governing reloading wouldn't be enacted until next year.

Ahem!

 

[K.L.O.sako]

i agree with dnprk id take a good look at that scope. i dont have much confidence in cheaper scopes. try boxing the scope with your most accurate round (two shots dail up an inch two shots dial right an inch and so on till you make a box) if you cant make a repeatable square somthing may be up. also check your action screws for tightness if your only shooting off a bench laying on the rifle all the time can put odd stresses on the stock and action. is the gun subject to moist/wet conditions. high hummidity can affect wood rare but it happens. hope some of this helps, if not call sako there a good company