Reloading advice needed for Howa 1500 .223 Remington

ZeppelinFan

New member
Anyone have any experience running 53 grain v-max in .223 Remington bolt gun with an 18” barrel 1:12 twist? I have a Howa 1500 that I’ve been thinking of cutting the barrel down on and threading the muzzle to run a suppressor. I would like to run the 53 grain v-max but also curious to hear of other good loads. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
If those don't shoot for you give the 52gr ELD-M a try. They seem to always shoot extremely well and have always had a pretty wide sweet spot for me.
 
I ran 50gr NBTs in my Rem 600 untill the barrel was toast. It had an 18" barrel and worked great after I couldn't get Herters 50g SPs any longer.

Now all my .224s get 52gr Speer flatbase HPs except one pelt hunting rifle that I run 40gr NBTs.
 
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Regardless of length the twist rate and velocity determines bullet stability. I would use the Berger calculator(or something similar) ,see if you can maintain bullet stability through the entire distance you expect to shoot(use a ballistic calculator to predict velocities down range. Marginal stability equals flyers.
 
Yes. I do. I’m just getting into reloading…and predator hunting for that matter. I have some 40 gr v-max that I had planned to try in addition to the 53s. I have a Lee turret press and a full set of .223 Remington dies. As far as reloading components go all I have right now is an assortment of once-fired brass and H4198 plus some CCI small rifle magnum primers that my brother in law gave me. As far as I’ve gathered from reading stuff on others forums and using the google it probably doesn’t make for an ideal load but I figured I’d try to use what I have.
 
I’ve also heard that the bearing surface of the bullet plays a factor in bullet stability with a given twist rate that’s why I had hoped the 53 grain v-max would work in a 1:12 twist. Am I correct in my understanding and rationale or am I missing something?
 
There is the formula called the "Greenhill Formula" that was developed for canons but also works with most rifled barrels the length of the bullet in relation to the twist that defines stability. RN 100gr bullets will stabilize in a 1-14 25 cal barrel but Spitzers wont. That why you need lighter weight mono bullets because they are longer for their weight than lead cored bullets.

Added velocity can add a little more stability to a marginal bullet, but it isn't much.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=greenhill+...B01&PC=U531
 
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Bullet length, not weight, is the deciding factor in twist rates.

More speed will help, but generally not enough to overcome wrong twists.

Not all barrels are exactly the stated twist, so sometimes you need to shoot them to get the final answer.

Generally, matching the twist to the intended bullet, will give the best accuracy.

Over twisting will increase BC a hair, but really only relevant to long range, but accuracy is still needed regardless.
 
There are so many powders that work good in 223 REM.

I normally start with W748, Benchmark, AA2015, N133, N135 just to name a few.

You are looking for a powder range where point of impact does not move all over the target.

3 shot groups working your way up the ladder will suffice. When you find a good stable pattern, its a good idea to explore an area with 5 shot groups.

When i am digging for the center of an accuracy powder charge, i narrow it down to 1-2 tenths of a grain and shoot 10 shot groups.

Managing your barrel is somewhat of a pain. Don't let your barrel get hot, or too carbon fouled.



 
Originally Posted By: Terry LightleRun 53 grain V MAX in a 20 inch 8 twist Tikka 223.Varget works good for me

Yep, good combo
 
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