I just purchased a new 700 sps tactical. it shoots 60 gr vmax sub moa and 55 gr stuff at moa. Wanting to get into long range shooting I bought a box of Hornady 68 gr HPBT match bullets and cant keep them on the paper at 100 yds. All bullet holes are round with no signs of key holes. Has anyone else had any problems with these bullets. I can't find any SMK's anywhere. With the 1-9 twist it should stabilize the bullets with no problem. I have been loading with 748 and wondering if maybe a powder change would make a difference. I have been reloading for 25 years and have never seen anything group this bad.
- Thread starter j31968
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25.5gns of varget and the 69 SMK shoots bugholes for me. Thats in LC brass and with BR4's. Try the 68's with some varget and see what happens.
My load in the same sps tac rifle is 25.3 varget, 69 smk seated to 2.260ish in lc brass and it to shoots bugholes and runs around 2820fps, slower than expected but accurate.
Besides that particular ammo, how do you like the rifle overall? Would you recommend it for some budget plinking?
I choose the 68's to shoot at 600 for my first time out past 200. They worked quite well even though I didn't have time to find my accuracy node before shooting the match.
Try varget or h322, both should imrpove your groups. On a side note howd you get the sps in 223 with a 1:9? Both my adl, and later sps came with a 1:12..
it is a SPS tactical. It comes with a 20 BBL and 1in9 twist rate. I would recommend the gun even though I am not a big fan of the new trigger. About 30 seconds work with a dremel and you can clear the end of the stock for adequate free float. I am starting to suspect a bad batch of bullets. I have read to many post in different forums about how good these guns shoot the 68-69 and even some 75 gr match bullets. I found some SMK's on GB I think I'll pull the trigger on a box of them and see what happens. I have never had a gun shoot a 10" group at 100 yds. not even a 30-30
The sps varmint may not have a fast enough twist for the 68s.
I see - good to know.
I have the Rem 700 in the 16.5" barrel w/ the 1-9 TWT. With 25.8 of Varget, mine will shoot the 69 gr SMK in tiny groups. I'm at 2.300 COAL which is about .025 off the lands
Yup, as already stated; Varget (25.6 grn), 69 SMK, WW brass, Rem 7 1/2 primers seated 0.035" off lands. Shoots 1/2MOA in my SPS-T in a B&C stock and the adjusted original Remmy trigger.
Ten inch groups means that something is seriously wrong. Are they spread in any particular direction? Sounds like something is loose or the scope has gone out to lunch.
OFG
Ten inch groups means that something is seriously wrong. Are they spread in any particular direction? Sounds like something is loose or the scope has gone out to lunch.
OFG
I wish I could blame it on the scope. As a matter of fact I changed the scope out. 2 weeks ago my first range trip all I had loaded was the 68 gr hpbt and they were all over the 10x10 target. Blaming the scope i changed it out. Yesterday my range trip consisted of 50gr nosler bt, 55gr vmax,60 gr vmax and 68gr hpbt. 50 and 55 gr bullets were moa 60 gr 1/2" group and 68 grain all over the paper no pattern at all. went back to 300 yards and and busted 3 20 oz water bottles in a row with the 60 gr v max. Since there is no sign of key holes I am really suspecting a bad run of bullets. As it would be I have every gunsmith tool known to man and nothing to spin test bullets with.
First thing I'd do is check the twist rate with a cleaning rod and tight patch.
Verify the 1/9.
Verify the 1/9.
My SPS tact did not care for 68 grain pills but shoots the 69's very well.
It shoots 55 grain pills quite well too.
If you drive them hard enough, the 75's shoot quite well also.
Litz has reworked his algorithm and stated that 1-9 is sufficient for 75's.
My first answer to your question though is this.
Replace that stock. B&C M40, light tactical or choate tactical are all good choices.
It shoots 55 grain pills quite well too.
If you drive them hard enough, the 75's shoot quite well also.
Litz has reworked his algorithm and stated that 1-9 is sufficient for 75's.
My first answer to your question though is this.
Replace that stock. B&C M40, light tactical or choate tactical are all good choices.
hornady 68's liked 4895 with cci 400's for me. 1:9 twist as well
I have the same gun and mine loves 77gr SMK, 24.4 gr Varget, CCIBR4, Lapua Brass. Mine is in a bedded 5R HS Precision takeoff stock and I added a Jewell Trigger. It shoots awsome out to 600. I have not tried to go futher.
Sps tac is 1/9 , I just sold mine for a cz but it shot very well with 68 grainers.
Some of the SPS Tactical 223's were shipped with 1/12 barrels. The ones I heard about were early in production, but you never know.
I'd just verify the twist to be sure.
I'd just verify the twist to be sure.
maybe he already has the answer and doesnt know it. maybe it shoots better with the pad on the front?
Every gun is going to have it's own quirks. I have 2 SPS .223 20" guns in Hogue over-molded pillar stocks. One of them will shoot sub 1/2 moa with 69 gr Mk's. The other shoots them into about 2 1/2". Switch scopes, same results. (I'm not that good a shot. 1/2 moa is about as well as I can consistently shoot. ADHD or whatever.) They both shoot 52 gr Mk's well. I put the 2 1/2 moa action into a B&C aluminum stock (not bedded). Same results. Gun shoots 52-55 gr bullets great. 69 gr'ers suck. Both guns have 1:9 twists as accurately as I have measured (patched dowel, pen and a ruler).
So, I guess one I will shoot with 69 gr bullets, the other I won't.
Other observations: the over-molded stocks suck. They are on average better than non-bedded wood stocks but less consistent than a fiberglass composite stock or a chassis.
So, I guess one I will shoot with 69 gr bullets, the other I won't.
Other observations: the over-molded stocks suck. They are on average better than non-bedded wood stocks but less consistent than a fiberglass composite stock or a chassis.
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