50gr vmax and CFE223 AR-15 pet loads

[joedirt199]

My hornady tap load is 55 vmax with 24.7 benchmark loaded 2.23 oal. Very accurate and supposed to be the same recipe used by hornady for their leo ammo.

[Ned Christiansen]

I'm down a VMax rabbit hole right now. Used them last year on PD's, a mix of the Fiocchi factory load which was very satisfactory and some old handloads from 1999. Decided to hand load at least a thousand for this summer to compliment some factory loads. I'm using up some old 748 powder.... might not be the wonder powder of the month but it still can hang (last I knew). Have used up some barrel life just chronographing.... using the same 55 VMax as the Fiocchi load, then I see there's a 53 grainer with boat tail and the BC goes from .255 to .290, no big whoop I guess but for the same powder charge I'm getting another 100-plus FPS. I just need to group test the final load. Tested like five different kinds of primers and virtually no dif in velocity but CCI 400 emerges as usually giving a significantly lower ES. Not even recording SD after talking to a PhD math whiz who says in a five round sample it means little to nothing, the minimum in academia would be a sample of 40. I dunno but I do know that an ES of 10 or 30 is gonna give a much better SD than 77 or 108.

I just wish they only made one or the other but no, Hornady makes the .224 VMax in 35&40 grain, 50 BT, 53 BT, 55 Flat Base, 55 FB w/ cannelure, and a 60 BT (G1 BC of .265). Analysis paralysis.

I have stopped processing my own brass. It is just too much of a bogger-downer, so I buy it processed from Everglades or Mountaineer Brass (mountaineerbrass@ymail.com). There's a nother I don't have the contact ammo handy Mountaineer has no site I think. but for the price, to me, it's worth the time saved. None of them get the case mouth perfect, they have both told me they're using the Gracie trimmer, dunno if it's just a dull cutter or what but I re-chamfer every one-- other than that they're fine.

[markm]

I have stopped processing my own brass. It is just too much of a bogger-downer

It is the lion's share of the total process. No doubt.

Not even recording SD after talking to a PhD math whiz who says in a five round sample it means little to nothing, the minimum in academia would be a sample of 40.

I thought it was 32. But it's been a few years since Stats class.

[Ned Christiansen]

Well even 32, most of us aren't going to fire even 20 of a particular load just to get a legit SD, I mean for my purposes quite honestly, 5 will do. You know a lot for with 20, no doubt.

The Magneto Speed has made rifle chrono-ing much more convenient. It does read 2%-ish slower than my Chrony.... Chrony also gives wider ES's leading me to think the MS may be the more precise of the two. Any thoughts / experiences / info on that?

[markm]

Hell. We fire 5 and call it good. You start to get into barrel heat, etc. Forget about it.

I stacked the Magneto and the regular chrono (I forget which on we're using... basic 2 screen unit), and they were surprisingly close.

I didn't get TOO deep into the comparison because they tracked good enough that I wasn't taking myself down that worm hole.

[Kansaswoodguy]

I've loaded around 2200 rounds for my upcoming PD hunt 800 50gr vmax using benchmark and another 1400 55gr vmax using CfE223. I used those 53gr vmax in the past and liked them very well I shot a 5 shot 2.5" group on a 4" steel target at 400yds out of a 16" WOA barrel using them. The only issue I have with the 53's is I can score the 50's or 55's on sale at around $65 a box of 500 and those 53's don't seem to come in bulk boxes like that.

[Ned Christiansen]

Yeah wierd huh, no bulk on the 53 BT's and they are a nickel more apiece. I note that the other VMax .224 BT's are also more expensive. I think that might be about die life, the punch that forms the BT is delicate.

[markm]

I shot a 5 shot 2.5" group on a 4" steel target at 400yds out of a 16" WOA barrel using them.

That's impressive. Our spot is almost always too windy to try groups at any distance like that.

[Kansaswoodguy]

That's impressive. Our spot is almost always too windy to try groups at any distance like that.

Shot in a low spot right over a 400yd long strip pit filled with water as long as the wind isn't rediculous its fairly well protected even then when that little steel target range on the fifth shot I couldn't get down there fast enough to snap a photo for the reloading box archive. We do occasionally set up eggs at that range and go crazy shooting them my budy has a 22-243 that is the king of egg shoots. At my 1000yd range that group would of been a miracle most days do to wind.

[Ned Christiansen]

In some initial testing I have been disappointed with my accuracy resluts and at this time I'm not sure where to put the blame. 55 VMax, 53 BT VMax, Nosler 55 Varmageddon, and Barnes 50 Varmint Grenades-- none would go below 1 1/2" at 100..... in a well-proven barrel. I was having great accuracy years ago with 748 and have had great groups in the past with the 55 VMax and Barnes VG. And not wanting to take the time to finesse five different things to get better groups, guess I'm spoiled by most of the time just stumbling into good accuracy without much special effort. If anything before rodent management time I guess I'll go back to RL 15 and give it a quick try.

Heh. Just found a typo but left it. Might be something subconscious going on there :-)