223 Remington Bolt action 75gr to 88gr loads

[LRAddict13]

Part I

I decided to write this article to give other my findings on 223 Remington bolt action load data for bullets 75gr and higher. I was having trouble in the past finding starting loads to work with so I decided to do it myself.

PLEASE TAKE CAUTION WHEN REPLICATING THESE LOADS!!! THIS IS WHAT WORKED FOR ME, IT MAY NOT WORK FOR YOU. START LOW AND WORK YOUR WAY UP!!!

The bullets I decided to test were as follows:
75gr ELDM
77gr SMK Tipped
80gr ELDM
85.5gr Hybrid
88gr ELDM

The rifle specs are as follows:
Action: Bighorn TL3
Barrel: Rock Creek 26” chambered by Patriot Valley
Muzzle Brake: PVA Jet Blast
Stock: Manners PRS1 with Mini Chassis
Optic: Nightforce 7-35x ATACR
Bipod: Atlas
Chronograph: Magnetospeed V3 with custom adapter to keep off the barrel
Magazine: Accurate Magazine modified to get 2.55" OAL

The other parts of the reloading:
Powder: Varget (all the same lot)
Primers: CCI #400 (all the same lot)
Brass: Lapua (all the same lot/once fired/ sized 0.002” back for my chamber with 0.003” neck tension)

The Test:
The way I decided to test this was with a poor man’s version of a shot marker. I set up a white paper backdrop with Shoot’N’See targets as aiming points. Directly behind my shooting position was a friend on a Vortex Razor HD 27-60x Spotter with a Phoneskope attached to record the impacts in order to verify their position later. I set up the target at 300 yards. I was looking for vertical dispersion amongst the impacts.

*While I did test the RDF, it was with 8208XBR and was unsuccessful in the long run. Will retest with Varget in the future.
Here are photos of the targets with numbers showing which bullet went where.
75gr ELDM

77gr SMK Tipped

80gr ELDM

85.5gr Hybrid

88gr ELDM

Continued in PART II

 

[LRAddict13]

PART II
From these targets, I then took groups of the tests that landed closest together.
75gr ELDM

77gr SMK

80gr ELDM

85.5gr Hybrid

88gr ELDM

In the next part of this, I'll test the loads at 100 yards.

 

[LRAddict13]

PART III
The next phase of these tests is taking 3 shot groups of the loads that landed closest together. I performed 100 yard groups. I know 3 isn’t a lot to get solid data off of but I only had 100 bullets of each and was trying to be as frugal with what I had.
Seating depths were done from researching with the manufacturer, on the hide, and other friends who have shot these different bullets. I picked one seating depth and stuck with it the entire test to stay consistent and reduce variables. These groups could probably get a little tighter with seating depth tests. In the future I may get a chance to do so.
75gr ELD 0.050” jump
*This was the only one I tried 5 shot groups because it is my load for PRS Tactical Division*

77gr SMK Tipped 0.005” jump

80gr ELDM 0.005” jump

85.5gr Hybrid 0.015” jump

88gr ELD 0.030” jump

 

[Ryridesmotox]

Those hornadys did pretty good

 

[LRAddict13]

Now for a closer look
75gr ELDM

77 SMK Tipped

80gr ELDM

 

[LRAddict13]

85.5 Hybrid




88gr ELDM

 

[RS14]

Any chance you ever tried cfe223 with the 88eldm?

 

[Dstoenner]

My rifle is a Remington 700 with 26” Criterion 1:7 barrel

My node for 85.5 is 24.2 and for 80.5 is 24.4. 77 Berger OTMis 25.0.

We seem to be exactly in the same territory.

Good work

David

 

[LRAddict13]

My rifle is a Remington 700 with 26” Criterion 1:7 barrel

My node for 85.5 is 24.2 and for 80.5 is 24.4. 77 Berger OTMis 25.0.

We seem to be exactly in the same territory.

Good work

David

Thanks. I have a couple of friends that shoot the 75 ELD as well and their loads are fairly close as well. Biggest swing I saw was 0.6 gr less than me but they also live in a much drier part of the country which is probably what causes it....that and different lots of powder.