First test of Hornady 68 Grain BTHP Match Pictures included

[m&p45acp10+1]

Well Santa left some reloading stuff under my bench for Christmas so I decided to put it to use. This is my first attempt at .223 Rem with 68 grain bullets. The results were pretty good considering the weather, and the fact that I was coffeed up big time.

Rifle is a .223 Savage LRV 1 in 9 inch twist heavy unfluted. Before shooting the rifle was cleaned meticulously. I had 3 types of powder to work with. Due to the range closing early today I was only able to test 2 powder types. The third will be tested tomorrow. I will try to post pictures, and results as well.

The weather was 65 degrees, bright and sunny. Wind was heavy at 18-24 mph from the NxNE with gust of around 30 mph. Humidity around 68%. (Wind was blowing pretty much from behind me. With the occasional gust of cross wind.)

All dies used were Lee Deluxe (Carbide Collet Neck Sizer, and Dead Length Seating dies.) Press is a Lee Breech Lock Challenger single stage. Powder was manualy weighed on a Smart Reloader Digital scale.

Test method: Rifle was fired with a bipod on the front, and a sand bag under the rear stock, shooting off a concrete table. Three souling shots were fired, and then the barrel was allowed to cool for 3 minutes. The round robin method was used for both powders tested. Charges were stepped up in .5 grain increments.

Distance: 100 yards

Caliber: .223 Remington
Brass: Federal trimmed to uniform lenght. Prefireformed, and neck sized.
Primers: CCI 400 SRP
Bullets: Hornady 68 Grain Boat Tail Hollow Point Match
COL of 2.260 inches

Load 1: Hodgdon H-335
Start load used was 23.5 grains.
Final load was 25.5 grains (note this is near listed max for a bolt action load)

Load 2 Acurate Arms 2015
Start load was 21.5 grains
Final load was 22.5 grains
(Note I ran out of time to test more for this, and will continue the test tomorrow.)

The results were pretty good with all loads tested. I was unable to save the other target I was shooting. (20 mph wind is not nice to a piece of paper without anything weighing it down.)

 

[m&p45acp10+1]

23.5 grains H335 Group measured: 0.65 inces high x 0. 835 inches across.

24.0 grains H335 Group measured: 0.59 inches

24.5 Grains H335 Group measured: 0.84 inches with two shots in one caliber sized hole .

25 Grains H335 Group measured: 0.92 inches

 

[m&p45acp10+1]

25.5 Grains H335 Group measured 0.685 high x 0.35 wide.

Acurate 2015

21.5 Grains AA2015 Group measured: 0.54 inches

22.0 grains AA 2015 Group measured: 0.87 inches. (note the one that is off was due to me pulling the shot as to the fact that cold wind was blowing up my back, and I was starting to shivver.)

 

[Volucris]

Here's something to help you out:
http://www.ontargetshooting.com/

Also, turn some lights on when taking photos.

 

[Jim243]

Nice going (actually excelent for a first try).

Your groups are a lot tighter than you are listing them. Groups are measured from the center of the hole to the center of the farthest hole.

As an example

25.5 Grains H335 Group measured 0.685 high x 0.35 wide.

The bullet width is .224 and your group is actually about 0.32 inch, that would be your group width.

In the last picture

22.0 grains AA 2015 Group measured: 0.87 inches. (note the one that is off was due to me pulling the shot as to the fact that cold wind was blowing up my back, and I was starting to shivver.)

You discount the pulled shot, and your group would appear to be 0.18 from center hole to center hole.

If you use Ontarget software you will see what we are talking about.

Looks like the AA 2015 is the best for your rifle.

I use a Savage Mod 11 , 20 in Bull LE barrel, thumbhole stock with AccuTrigger.

My best results is with 75 grain Hornady A-Max in 223 with 23.3 grain of H4895 powder, OAL 2.390 = 0.16 Inch groups at 100 yards.

Good luck and keep up the good work.

 

[m&p45acp10+1]

Volcris I wish I had some better light when taking them. I am sure it had more to do with the fact that the camera used was a cheap web cam. I keep telling myself I am gonna get a better camera. Only to wind up buying a new firearm, or more loading supplies.

Jim thanks for the info. I have always measured my groups from the outside edges. Also I am quite sure all of those groups would have been smaller if the wind would have been steady. Not to metnion I was shooting pretty quickly between shots due to the fact that I was running out of time. The gust were moving the target back and forth quite a bit. Not to mention I left my jacket in the truck and it had a lot of bite in it.

I am quite sure that some one better than me shooting would have shrank those groups considerably. Today I am gonna cut down on the coffee, and slow down my shooting. Also I will do what I can to stabilize the target from the back and forth movement. I have some 9mm loads to test while waiting for the barrel to cool on the Savage.

Also I have some loads of Reloader 7 to try. My CZ 527 .221 Fireball likes AA 2015 for 55 grain bullets, and Rl 7 for 40 grainers. My go to for .223 with 55 grain bullets is 25.0 grains of H335. It works well enough I am not gonna fool with tweaking it.

 

[P-990]

Nice shooting! A quick and dirty method of measuring group size I use is simply to measure edge-to-edge and subtract bullet diameter.

Seriously, I suggest trying some Varget or RL-15 with your 68gr bullets. You can get a bit more speed out of them for longer range shooting without accuracy suffering. Not that I am in the habit of throwing around load data, but 24.5-25.0gr of Varget is a good place to look. Also, IMR 8208 XBR has gotten some good reviews, but the one person I know who tried it said the accuracy dropped off before he hit his speed goals with 75gr bullets.

Anyway, good luck and good shooting!

 

[Unclenick]

. . .I have always measured my groups from the outside edges. . .

So, by your method, if you shoot all your bullets into one hole with a .308" bullet, your group size will be .308". If you shoot all your bullets into one hole with a .224" bullet your group size will be 0.224".

You see the problem. Normally, you want to know how far apart the points of the bullets impacted the target. That's the measure of the precision of your shot placement. But the way you are doing it, your shot placement precision would be the same for both one-hole groups, but the numbers you report will be different.

No problem. P-990 had the answer. To fix that issue, just measure the groups the way you have been doing, then subtract one bullet diameter from the number you get that way. Voilá! You have the center-to-center number.

By the way, 0.5 grain steps in powder charge are a bit big for the .223. 0.2 or 0.3 grains is better to use there. You can sometimes actually see differences in steps that size in this chambering. I suggest you take a look at Dan Newberry's approach to load development to see if you can't squeeze a little more tightening out of what you've got. You may find your bragging rights improve still further.

 

[m&p45acp10+1]

Unclenick thanks for the link. I am going to do further development in .3 grain grain incriments. I am just doing a preliminary testing to see how the powder, and bullets perform.

Well my rifle has been cleaned, and my girlfriend is tugging at me to get moving to head to the range. If I am able to pull my targets I will post the results, and pictures when I get home.

 

[m&p45acp10+1]

Update With Pics

Ok well I tested some more loads using AA 2015. I went with starting them at 22 grains increasing in .3 grain increments up to the max load of 23.2 grains. (Listed max in Siera manual.) COL was .226 primers were CCI 400. All equipment used was the same as the first batch. This time groups were measured from outside edge to outside edge, and subtracting .224.

Weather was cold, windy, wet, and just plain crappy. Humidity was at 98% temperature was 42 degrees F. Wind was 14 MPH with gust of 25 MPH + out the north by north west. Wind chill was just plain awful. I was surprised the results were as good as they were as to my hands were so cold I could not feel the trigger.

Note that this is pictures of my target. My girlfriend did the same shooting I did with the same test loads. I wanted to see if there would be much a differance if some one else was shooting the same loads. Results were identical for both of us.

I have now found the sweet spot I am gonna stick with for this powder. It seems that my this load runs best with the pedal to the metal. here are the pics.

Measured 0.34 inches after subtracting caliber size. One called flyer due to wind shift of the target.

 

[m&p45acp10+1]

Next is 22.3 grains.

22.6 grains the groups opened up for both me and my girlfriend. So I know it was not just the weather, or the flyers.

22.9 grains and the groups shrank dramaitcly to the point that this is now my go to load.

23.2 grains did very well also. I just am gonna stick with 22.9 to err in favor of more room for margin of error due to differances in brass thickness. Not to mention that this is a LISTED MAX LOAD. I did get one primer that showed some mild pressure sighns as to have a slighly cratered primer.

I still have as of yet to try the RL7 loads. I will test those later, and post results. I am finding the best loads for each powder, and bullet so that if I end up out of one I already have an acurate load worked up with the other.

 

[A_Gamehog]

AA2115, H335, R-7 are mostly meant for 34-55 grain loads. For example, some load books leave these powders out when loading 68+ grain bullets.

The Ideal Powders for the 68's and 69's are Varget, R-15, Tac, 8208 XBR, N-140, BLC-2, in that order I.M.E. that would explain the single shots outside a great group. Also try more shots than 3 to proof a load. 5-10 is great. Then @ 200 yards is the final test for me.

Great shooting!

 

[Unclenick]

Depends partly on case fill. His 2015 loads are above 90%, which is pretty good. I often find that IMR4198, though normally for 55 grain bullets and under, is bulky enough that it still does well on case fill with heavier bullets and produces excellent accuracy. What you give up with a faster powder is the last hundred fps or so of maximum velocity with the heavier bullets, and that usually doesn't become an issue until you get to 600 yard slow fire phase of the match.

 

[m&p45acp10+1]

Thanks for the replies

I will probably at some point in the future when I have the few dollars to spare buy some RL15. I hear lots of good stuff about it. The 3 powders I have been testing with are being used simply because they are all I have, and I am so broke I have to give IOU's for payiing attention.

H-335 is my go to powder for 55 grain bullets. I get consitent resuts with it. That are capable of much greater acuracy than I can milk out them at this time. The 2015 I have becuase I use the heck out it for my .221 Fireball loads. It works awsomely well with 55 grain bullets. The RL7 is used with the 40 grain bullets in my .221 Fireball loads. MY girlfriend blessed me with a pound of each for Christmas so I am gonna use them.

As far as the shots outside of the groups I am sure it had more to do with the wind moving the target than anything else. Add a side of my not so great marksmanship and you get the results shown. (I realy am not that great of shot with a rifle, I have two good rifles that make me look good if I at least try to apply some basic principles of marksmanship.)