223 load 60gr Sierra...

Kelch

New member
My 223 load with 60gr Sierra Varminters and Varget powder just doesn’t seem to be consistent... I get a 3/4” group at 100 yards but other times I get 1 1/2” groups... frustrating I can’t get consistency out of my Savage 16 223 1/9 twist. Any other 60gr bullets people like to use?
 
For 60gn the nosler ballistic tip and the Hornady spire point are good ones.

There are countless 55gn bullets that give excellent results such as the gameking and nosler bt.

I get good results from the 53 varmageddon in 223,22nosler,22-250.

My 223's are most accurate on benchmark powder and H4895
 
My savage model 12fv rips one jagged hole with 25g varget and 60 grain vmax's. I have them backed .010 off the lands. Mine is 1 in 9 twist. At 200 yards the groups open up a bit to .5-.7 inches...but I am ok with that.
 
The thread was asking about 60gr sierra's. I tried them many years back, just can't push them fast enough in the 223 for good terminal performance. But, I had no accuracy issues with them.
 
All good information! I have around 100 of the Sierra left so maybe I’ll try another powder. If not I’ll try the Vmax. Any other info is welcome as well! What about a acog style scope? Does anyone have any experience with that on a bolt action? Thanks guys!
 
50g Sierra spt is a great bullet for coyotes, will break bones, shoulders, hip joints, heavy ribs.

I use a heavy load of N133 and a thick cup primer for this dedicated coyote load, speed is 3500+ in a 26" barrel.
 
I just loaded up some more of the 60gr sierras I have with H4895. From the local gun shop I was told H4895 might be a little better. So I have some loaded with the new powder and I also tried Winchester small pruners and CCI primers to see what the differences will be there too. Range report coming soon I hope.
 
I'm pretty sure that's what my brother has loaded under the bullets he shoots. He's been shooting the 60 grain Sierra hollowpoint for a long time and I'm to the point that I want to try them in my rifle. I've killed coyotes with the 50 grain v-max. Very fur friendly and accurate as any bullet I've shot through my rifle. I just wasn't overly impressed with the performance on coyotes.

Sierra Varminter 60gr. HP's are another story. I saw my brother hit a mangey coyote the other day in the guts and it took off and fell behind some sagebrush around 50 yards from where he shot it. His second shot clipped sagebrush,I heard a ricochet and a thud. You could see by the perfect bullet shaped wound that the bullet had tumbled and hit the coyote through the lungs. A piece of one of its lungs were laying beside it.
 
Originally Posted By: 6724The thread was asking about 60gr sierra's. I tried them many years back, just can't push them fast enough in the 223 for good terminal performance. But, I had no accuracy issues with them.

+100

they did not expand on coyotes at 3400 fps either!

Now, the 63g Sierra is another story! WOW, what a nice coyote bullet!
 
I can’t believe they didn’t expand at that speed... I mean they are suppose to be a thin copper hollow point... at that speed I would think they would blow up before hitting the target... I hope to see different results lol
 
I don't get how they wouldn't be expanding. I saw my brother shoot a coyote in the head with one and the bullet never exited the skull. It had to of done something to stop like that. I've never seen one exit at all with them with a hit anywhere on a coyote.

We're talking about Sierra Varminter's right?
 
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Originally Posted By: KelchI can’t believe they didn’t expand at that speed... I mean they are suppose to be a thin copper hollow point... at that speed I would think they would blow up before hitting the target... I hope to see different results lol

I hit a coyote three times on a broadside shot at 100,200, and approx 300 yards, kept thinking I was missing him. I saw him licking the blood on the broadside just as I put one through his shoulders at 300.

22/250, 14T, 3400-3500fps, and they shot a tiny bug hole groups with IMR 4350. I would rate them as a deer bullet. I now load them in a 22/243 AI at 4000 fps, going to shoot hogs with them.

63g Sierra is a fabulous coyote bullet, very accurate also.
 
If you’re asking me... mine were all last spring 55-60 degree days (haven’t shot much since then, I got married and purchased a house so I’ve been busy) but I think the powder just wasn’t the correct one to use with that bullet. Varget is suppose to be one of the most temperature stable powders anyway (from what I read). Maybe my gun just didn’t like that combination as well... could be a few different factors I’m sure. I’m usually a pretty good shot but it could have been me as well. I’m hoping to shoot next week sometime with a buddy of mine with a chronograph to also double check variation in FPS.
 
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