223/5.56 Ammo For Hitting Steel At 500 Yards

[markm]

Went out and checked my 69gn SMK/Varget load and it shoots well. POI is the same as 55gn Urban TAP at 50 and 200 yards. Chrono shows 2758fps avg from the 10 shot group.

Touch of swipe on the brass and the primer is starting to flow around the pin, looks similar to fired M193 casings.

Is that a compressed load?

[TomPenguin5145]

Is that a compressed load?

Yes it is.

[markm]

Yeah. I would have guessed so. I not suggesting someone try, but I don't think you can get enough Varget in a .223 case to cause damage.

[TomPenguin5145]

Yeah. I would agree with that. 26.0 is listed as a max charge for .223/69SMK. The first time I started getting near max loads and heard/felt the powder crunching I got all weird about it. I did find that compressed loads of Varget shoot way better then non-compressed loaded...at least in my rifles. Varget seems to work well for velocity and acceptable accuracy in my rifles but what a pain to load. Have to trickle charge each to get to the final weight. I have had good luck with H322 and its easy to load but I just don't get the velocity from it. I started getting away from ball powders due to temp swings. -30 in the winter to near 90 in the summer.

[markm]

I have had good luck with H322 and its easy to load but I just don't get the velocity from it.

You can push it over max if you work up. XBR 8208 is also good at getting velocity without the Varget headaches. Again, you have to work it up an push it over published max to get it to sing.

[Vegas]

You can push it over max if you work up. XBR 8208 is also good at getting velocity without the Varget headaches. Again, you have to work it up an push it over published max to get it to sing.

As much as I can make Varget work for 223 loads, I much prefer XBR for my 69 and 77gr loads. I’ve had a lot of joy with the Nosler CC bullet.

[markm]

As much as I can make Varget work for 223 loads, I much prefer XBR for my 69 and 77gr loads. I’ve had a lot of joy with the Nosler CC bullet.

I just crank em out on the Dillon 550b. I take the Varget suffering for .308 only.

[Vegas]

I just crank em out on the Dillon 550b. I take the Varget suffering for .308 only.

Yup, likewise. Occasionally I'll hand load 223 with Varget when I feel like aggravating myself!

[spence]

This thread seems an adequate place to ask this, and I may be overthinking somewhere.

I'm shooting two .223/5.56 rifles, my 16" AR, 1:8 barrel, and a CZ527, 1:9 barrel. The AR will do fine with what I ask it to do with generic 55 gr ball, M193, or M855. It actually seems to like M855 a bit more than other stuff. I've been limited to 300 yards, but I'm wanting to start stretching it out a bit further. The CZ was bought more for coyotes and vermin, and for factory ammo at 300-330 yards, it shoots Fiocchi 55 gr Poly tipped ammo really well. (It actually shoots Fiocchi 55 gr FMJ really well, too, but the FMJ chronographs 180 fps slower than the poly in the CZ, and about 150 fps under Federal .223 in the AR.)

I'm a notorious cheap ass. I don't want to dump a buck a round for just smashing steel at 500 yards, at least if I don't have to. Is the difference between 68-69 gr ammo going to be that much from the 55 gr my bolt gun is already shooting well at that range? It's just been since I bought this particular gun that I've been shooting .223, and wind does a lot more to it than killing deer with a .308, so I'm trying to sort it out.

[markm]

Consistent ammo and a good spotter are all you need. If you're able to get even sub 2 MOA and have a IPSC size target, you'll be able to ring it all day. It's just a matter of figuring out the come up.

If there's a good mound right behind your target, you can spot for yourself and get on target.