Economical .223

I'm a predator hunter and am always trying different bullets to to get the most accurate, pelt friendly, yet effective performance on coyotes. The 40gr NBT has provern to be the best so far out of my 1-9 twisted Savage barrel.

In fact it IS the most accurate bullet out of that barrel. I have punched the barrel from 223 to 222 Rem. Mag. Improved (22-204) and am pushing the little 40's at 3900 fps.

The Stevens 200 is a great little rig, The trigger is a little heavey for most shooters but most of my shooting is done in the winter with gloves on so I like my triggers crisp but up in the 4-5# range. The stock while very flexible can be made to shoot, I hog the barrel channnel out so it cannot touch the barrel while sitting on the shooting sticks and skim bed the action.

For $288 it is quite a nice rig.

Browndaug
 
Yes, I think a 65gr bullet is unsuited for a 1/14 22-250. I've shot several a great deal in factory matches and at Pdogs and IMO a 52gr SMK on up to a 55gr bullet is ideal. I use H380 as a powder because it meters so well and the volume of cartridges needed for Pdog shooting. For Pdog shooting, I use the cheapest bulk bullets I can buy. No FMJ's.

IMO, There are a lot of 1/9 .223's on the market as a carry over from the military's very poor decision to chamber America's battle rifle in .223. It didn't work so they tried a heavier bullet. It wouldn't stablize so they went to a faster twist. And so you have folks that think a fast twist .223 is lightning in a bottle because it can shoot alongside a 22-250. :D And too, milsup ammo is cheap.

In my .223's, I have two with 1/12 barrels and one with a 1/14 barrel. In one I shoot Remington 52gr BR bullets and in the other two I shoot 52gr SMK HPBT bullets. My powder is H335 with AA2230 a close second. I've some data powder I've been fooling with but it might work okay for ground hogs or Pdogs but I don't think its gonna be up to the task for any kinda of match shooting or such.

Hope this helps. It's what has worked for me. :)
 
ssheets said:
Let's back up to the bullet like suggested....or more practically, the rate of twist. What are the limitations of a 1:9 twist? I was told that you'll self destruct 36grain varmint grenades and that I'd need a 1:12 for the little puff balls. Conversely, is 65 grain too heavy for my 1:14 22-250?

There sure are a lot of 1:9 .223s on the market, what is the ideal load for .223 in 1:9?

What is the ideal load for .223 in 1:12?

This info will help drive my decisions. One thing is certain, I'm going to invest some time and money in my 700 22-250. It deserves it.
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The limitations of a 1:9 twist is that it will not shoot a .224 diameter bullet heavier than 90 grains. The self destruct theory is an urban legend.

If you look at the bullet manufacturers info, they will tell you for a specific bullet. Shoot them in barrels of xx twist "and faster"

Your wasting your time worrying about excess twist rates for a 40 gr bullet.

You should be concerned about your chamber alingment headspace and freebore, barrel quality,reamer dimensions, action bedding, brass, bullet seating depth, bullet bearing surface length, powder,trigger pull, stock ergonomics, optics, bench your shooting from, rest your using, your blood pressure and heart rate. Then, some time after that, twist rate will come into play at some extreme accuracy detail.
 
The savage predator hunter rifle in .223 (1/9 twist) looks very interesting. From what I've seen it is very accurate and with a reasonable price.
 
AZLarry said:
The savage predator hunter rifle in .223 (1/9 twist) looks very interesting. From what I've seen it is very accurate and with a reasonable price.
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The savages I've been playing with recently shoot damn good, especially for the price. Savage seems to know the fundamentals of accuracy. Barrels and bedding. I restocked a savage for a friend last week, and when I took the tupperware stock off his heavy model 12 .308, I noticed that it sat on pillars.

I warmed them up and removed them, before discarding the old stock, and put them in the new laminated stock with a devcon bed.

The accu-trigger still does not excite me, but you can get a Timney and drop it in for $100.

Ben
 
Thanks again, I've been gone for the weekend so I'll catch up and keep learning. I too really like the Savage offerings, but they're only offered in 1:9...so I just need to deice which way I want to go on the twist theory. One thing is for sure, at this point in time, the rifle will not be the limiting factor on accuracy. :D
 
ssheets said:
Thanks again, I've been gone for the weekend so I'll catch up and keep learning. I too really like the Savage offerings, but they're only offered in 1:9...so I just need to deice which way I want to go on the twist theory. One thing is for sure, at this point in time, the rifle will not be the limiting factor on accuracy. :D
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I have four of them (Savage 1:9 223's) and I shoot 40 grain VMax most of the time. I have tried heavier, but I see no improvement in the accuracy. The 40 VMax is cheap to buy, especially in the 250 box that Midway puts on sale about every three monthes. I drive the 40 grain at just over 3,800 fps and I have never had one "blow up".
 
It appears that everybody has jumped on the 1:9 twist so there must be a reason. I think Tikka is even touting 1:8 for their .223.
 
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