40g bullets in .223? Anyone had success?

[quikcolin]

I have found a great load for my T3x Varmint Stainless.

Hornady VMAX 55g bullets
Hodgdon CFE223

It’s truly a thing of beauty.

BUT in the spirit of more testing, I was thinking about trying some 40g Nosler or Hornady bullets in my Tikka T3x 223. The twist is 1/8.

My curiosity was spiked after “Johnny reloader” on YouTube testers Nosler 40g bullets with Reloader 7 powder. Best groups he’s ever shot.

Has anyone else tried 40g’s?? What powder? Benchmark? Reloder 7? Reloader 10?

I really love this reload testing. Lot a of fun!

 

[556ARs]

Over the years, I have found out that heavier bullets are much better. 40s work OK, 55s better, and 60+ even better. Personal experience differs. My current bullet of choice for everything from Crow to Deer is the 63gr Sierra SMP.

 

[supercorndogs]

AA2200 and 40g bullet, you can really get them screaming.

 

[flashhole]

I have developed three loads for my Kimber Longmaster Classic 223 bolt action rifle that are amazingly accurate.

1) 63 grain Sierra Semi Spitzer bullet using H-4895 powder.

2) 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet using Hodgdon Benchmark powder.

3) Sierra 69 grain Match hollow point bullet using Accurate 2460 powder.

For whatever reason my rifle does not like the classic mid-weight bullets ~55 grains. I spent a lot of time and money evaluating loads in the mid-weight bullet range before I tried a 40 grain bullet. I was about ready to give up on the rifle thinking I had a lemon. Boy was I wrong. Then I went heavier with the same good results. The only downside to the 40 grain bullets is they move around a bit easier in the wind but on a calm day they print one on top of the other. The 40 grain Ballistic Tip is a great critter bullet too.

 

[quikcolin]

I have developed three loads for my Kimber Longmaster Classic 223 bolt action rifle that are amazingly accurate.

1) 63 grain Sierra Semi Spitzer bullet using H-4895 powder.

2) 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet using Hodgdon Benchmark powder.

3) Sierra 69 grain Match hollow point bullet using Accurate 2460 powder.

For whatever reason my rifle does not like the classic mid-weight bullets ~55 grains. I spent a lot of time and money evaluating loads in the mid-weight bullet range before I tried a 40 grain bullet. I was about ready to give up on the rifle thinking I had a lemon. Boy was I wrong. Then I went heavier with the same good results. The only downside to the 40 grain bullets is they move around a bit easier in the wind but on a calm day they print one on top of the other. The 40 grain Ballistic Tip is a great critter bullet too.

This is what I was hoping for. I am planning on buying 1lb of Benchmark tomorrow. This makes me feel better about it

 

[flashhole]

Good luck and glad I was of some help.

 

[RegionRat]

The Hornady 40 gr VMax is an awesome prairie dog bullet in .223, however I run it in a WOA upper that has a 12 twist. So, if you want a rig that can cover about the first 400 yards, I highly recommend the 40 gr range with a 12 twist. The typical CFE223 and H335 loads develop easily and you don’t have to trickle or weigh.

When I tested some of the loads that worked really well in the AR uppers in a Savage heavy bolt gun with a 7 twist just for kicks, they can come apart in the air on occasion, say about once in ten. I don’t own an 8 twist so I won’t guess if that will tip them into working.

Also note, Fiocchi sells some factory varmint loads in the popular varmint bullets including Hornady 40 gr VMax and several others. That way, you can try some before you commit more time.

 

[supercorndogs]

I don't know about 40g but 26.4-26.6 of Varget with any 55g I have tried in any 223 I have tried it in.

 

[Eoddave27]

I have found a great load for my T3x Varmint Stainless.

Hornady VMAX 55g bullets
Hodgdon CFE223

It’s truly a thing of beauty.

BUT in the spirit of more testing, I was thinking about trying some 40g Nosler or Hornady bullets in my Tikka T3x 223. The twist is 1/8.

My curiosity was spiked after “Johnny reloader” on YouTube testers Nosler 40g bullets with Reloader 7 powder. Best groups he’s ever shot.

Has anyone else tried 40g’s?? What powder? Benchmark? Reloder 7? Reloader 10?

I really love this reload testing. Lot a of fun!

I loaded up some of the 40 grain Nosler with benchmark and they were insane. I tried about 6 different powder charges and even the bad loads, if you want to call them that, were sub MOA. The one I went with consistently shoots under 1/2 moa. It’s defiantly one of the easiest bullets to load in my 223 that I have tried.

 

[quikcolin]

I loaded up some of the 40 grain Nosler with benchmark and they were insane. I tried about 6 different powder charges and even the bad loads, if you want to call them that, were sub MOA. The one I went with consistently shoots under 1/2 moa. It’s defiantly one of the easiest bullets to load in my 223 that I have tried.

That’s awesome! Mind sharing what rifle you shot these groups in?

 

[Codiekfx400]

Personally I would stick with the 50 or 55 vmax. But if you want to play I would second the accurate 2200 powder choice. With Benchmark powder and a 40 gr bullet you will be compressing loads before you hit pressure signs.

 

[Eoddave27]

It was actually an ar15 I built myself. It has a 20” 1:8 Wilson Combat barrel. I also shot them in another rifle with a 20” barrel and had the same results as far as accuracy went.

 

[260284]

I had good luck with the 40 grain VMax out of a Stag 3G 1:8" upper after I blew a big hole in a bobcat with the 50 gr VMax. Shot to the same poa at 100 yards. They lose velocity fast, can barely here them hit a plate at 500.

 

[quikcolin]

I’m going to be shooting out of an AR15 at 300 yards max, usually 100 and 200yards

 

[Fret]

I have found a great load for my T3x Varmint Stainless.

Hornady VMAX 55g bullets
Hodgdon CFE223

It’s truly a thing of beauty.

BUT in the spirit of more testing, I was thinking about trying some 40g Nosler or Hornady bullets in my Tikka T3x 223. The twist is 1/8.

My curiosity was spiked after “Johnny reloader” on YouTube testers Nosler 40g bullets with Reloader 7 powder. Best groups he’s ever shot.

Has anyone else tried 40g’s?? What powder? Benchmark? Reloder 7? Reloader 10?

I really love this reload testing. Lot a of fun!

I saw that video so I gave it a try with 22.9 gn of Reloader 7. I have a CLE 1 in 7 twist barrel so I was a bit worried but it shot sub MOA at 100 yards. The only problem I had was it would not cycle and I had to load one at a time. It also shot well in my nephew's RRA Varmint with a 1 in 8 twist barrel and he didn't have any cycling issues with the fast powder. I finally got it to cycle OK by switching to a Spinco yellow low power buffer spring. Oh, and I use a JP low mass bolt carrier.

 

[quikcolin]

I saw that video so I gave it a try with 22.9 gn of Reloader 7. I have a CLE 1 in 7 twist barrel so I was a bit worried but it shot sub MOA at 100 yards. The only problem I had was it would not cycle and I had to load one at a time. It also shot well in my nephew's RRA Varmint with a 1 in 8 twist barrel and he didn't have any cycling issues with the fast powder. I finally got it to cycle OK by switching to a Spinco yellow low power buffer spring. Oh, and I use a JP low mass bolt carrier.

Great information! I'm going to be shooting it out of a 18.6", 1/8 twist barrel. I ordered a pound of RL7 and 100 Nosler 40g bullets to give it a shot! Fingers crossed

 

[Prebanpaul]

It simply comes down to the twist in your barrel. I have a 1/7 LWRC that prints about 3-4 inch group. My brother has a cheap single shot Harrington Richards, and he prints a .42-.55 3 shot groups all the time.

 

[MarinePMI]

H-322 is nirvana with a 40gr bullet.

That being said, in a Tikka T-3 Varmint in .223 (1-8") I have found 27gr of CFE223 and a 55gr VMax to be plenty accurate (scary accurate actually) and is just easier to load for varmints (ball powder that meters well out of a powder measure). Makes for an easy load to reload brass at the end of a long day shooting PD's.