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69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

tyler labelle

Private
Minuteman
Nov 22, 2008
3
0
Huntersville NC
It's for my Remington police tactical 223. 1/9 twist. I'm looking for a target load for use at a 100 yards. I can shoot a one inch group at a hundred yards with factory ammo but i think i can do better. thanks for the help.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

26.5 of Varget is a pretty hot load. Depending on your brass and bullet seating it could be a compressed load. Start off with 25 grains and work up. What brass you loading? .223 brass goes from thick to thin. Some loads that are max in one brass might be too hot in others. The 69 Sierra is a great bullet.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

I too shoot 26.5 grs of Varget in Win brass. I use a 6" drop tube when throwing charges to make a little room when seating.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

If you want to try a ball powder, 25.5 grs of W-748 with Win cases and WSR primers pushing a 69 gr SMK in your AR is a great load.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

I have had good luck with 24gr of R15 and either 68 or 69gr bullets, be sure to get them out toward the lands, on my LTR that was around 2.35".

Good Luck
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

How old is your rifle? Some of the older PSS 223 rifles had really long lead/freebore, I've also read where some of the newer PSS 223 rifles have more reasonable lead/freebore.

What is an OAL for a 69 SMK to touch lands in your rifle?

Have or will you modify internal box magazine so you can load out longer than what Rem shipped you? Pros & cons, 69 jumps well but you can pick up some performance (more case capacity, less bullet jump) by seating out to jump 0.020" or so.

Benchmark, H4895, Varget, N-140, RL-15 would all be valid choices for a PSS depending on lead/freebore dimensions for YOUR rifle.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

25.3 Varget is a listed Sierra Accuracy Load for the 69 Gr HPBT. I've never shot it in a bolt gun but it prints tight groups (.6's) in my ARs.

I have a Noveske 1/7 twist and a Stag 1/9 twist. The Stag shoots right along with the Noveske using this load.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SFC Carpentier jr</div><div class="ubbcode-body">24.5 grns of VARGET is what I use for my AR's. </div></div>

Almost exactly the same as my 24.6 gr Varget that I use in my AR15.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: xd45tyler</div><div class="ubbcode-body">69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!</div></div>

You NEEEEEED to do a load development for THAT rifle instead of asking for pet loads here. Every rifle is different.

You need to find out what the MAX load is in YOUR rifle (not from a book) and back it down some...work backwards from there to find the accuracy node.

Example:

load up some round in .5gr increments.... find out where you start to get pressure signs & back off from there....working backwards in .3gr increments to find the accuracy node...
This method will find the accuracy node & maximize velocity at the same time.

Ensure you load them to max mag length, or preferred distance to lands if you can touch them and still feed from mag. Why short yourself...pun there.

 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

24.5 RL15 is what I use in my Texas Rick brass covering machine!
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 427Cobra</div><div class="ubbcode-body">24.5 RL15 is what I use in my Texas Rick brass covering machine! </div></div>


It warmed me up during a cool January match
wink.gif
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

Rem LTR in .223
69 gr. SMK,
Win cases,
Fed 205M Primers,
25.3 of BL-C(2)

Shoots well in my rifle.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

The brass will make a difference. I cut the case heads in half on 4 different cases to compare the web thickness. Two cases were military brass, LC Nato and WCC, the other two cases were Remington and Federal bulk comercial ammo. The military cases had webs that were much thicker than the commercial cases. The Remington and Federal cases looked to be the same thickness in the web.
The point is, before you use somebody else's pet load you better know what brass they are using, and work up accordingly, buy reducing the charge by 10% and working up from there.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

tyler, my police .223 shoots the heck out of my service rifle load (23.8 grs. of W-748). Win. cases trimmed to 1.750", CCI BR4 primers, OAL 2.250", primer pockets cleaned out and loaded on a Dillon 550. I have been shooting this load for years and I can't remember the last time I had a flyer on a 5 shot group at 100 yds.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

the new 8208xbr is shooting great from my rifel.but will say that I am over the max from Hodgdons web site of 23.7 as their max load with this powder and a 69gn bullet.with my testing I ended up with 24.5gn's in a Lapua case with CCI 450 primers.all the pressure signs looked good for my rifel.so work up to this load as I did.and my c.o.a.l. is 2.290 that is just into the lands of my rifel.

but will say that the load is really working great in my rifel.it shoots a nice bug hole 5 shot group at 100 yards.even shoots a 1 3/4 to a 1 7/8 group at 300.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

I have a savage 1-9 and for the 69smk use 24.3g of accurate 2520 gets .5 inch groups or less. I purchased my gun used and thats the recipe that came with it. Ive tried to do better with tac and benchmark but couldnt. (25.9g is max) salt lake city brass cci primer
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

Sierras accuracy load is 25.3 of varget. I've turned in sub .2 groups with an ar
with that load. The bullet seems to like about .015 off the lands. With a Wylde
chamber it puts you just outside of magazine length but for your bolt it should
be fine. They are running 2835 fps. for me.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

I run 25.0 Varget/69SMK in my AR with a 18" JP barrel and get 1/2" groups/100yds. I use this setup in multigun and have no problems out to 350 yds. My OAL is 2.240" which works in my mags OK.
Dave
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

Just curious- have you tried the lighter bullets?
I immediately started with the heavier bullets for my son's 700 with the same twist- and found that the rifle actually likes the lighter bullets a little better (although it really shoots just about everything pretty well).

If you haven't, we found the Nosler 52gr bthp over 25 gr of Varget had the holes touching...
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

I have had good luck using AA2230 around 23 gr.But you need to load for your rifle.I use win brass.My rifle will shoot 77 gr about the same Using the same load.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

I think the 69 grain Sierra are great bullets. I weighed a number of them and they were same weight or very, very nearly so. I also measured some and they were the same length or within .001".

Since I got a new rifle I've been experimenting a little. Rifle has 16" barrel with 1:8 twist, polygonal rifling and a wydle chamber.

I loaded 20 rounds using new IMI brass, 24.3 grains of 748 with OAL of 2.250.
I shot four groups of 5 shots using 4 power Accupoint with the green triangle reticle.

I also shot my usually 55 grain FMJBT with cannalure.

Result were that the Sierra rounds had group size that was consistanly at least 1" tighter than the Remington 55 grain bullets. All at range of 100 yards. I little wind that day but not much.

I got a box of 77 grain Sierras that I want to try but I think I'll shot them to 200 yards and compare them to 55s and 69s.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BAT_Boy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you want to try a ball powder, 25.5 grs of W-748 with Win cases and WSR primers pushing a 69 gr SMK in your AR is a great load.</div></div>

If this load doesn't work its the gun.
 
Re: 69 gr. SMK HPBT need load!

Win brass
Fed 205m
25.0 RL-15
69 SMK
1-8 Bartlein @ 18"

My rifle wouldn't shoot 77smk but does VERY well with the above.

Hope this helps.
Trilogymac