Shooting a 223 to a Mile Accurately By Jerry Teo
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Mysticplayer
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takezoman, the RUM shot very well. However, I have sold it as the smaller cals are doing all I want with way less recoil, noise and costs.
There is little doubt that the ballistics will work way out there. With new bullets like the 210gr Berger and 208gr Amax, plinking beyond a mile is no problem.
If you are just plinking, consider that the 180gr Berger has a higher BC then most any 30cal and 338 bullets. Shooting a 7RM or WSM is SOOO much less cost and recoil vs the RUM.
Then you can also look at the 6.5 which is even more economical.
I try and put on an extreme shoot in the spring and we get all the big cals show up. Out to a mile, there really isn't that much difference from the 6.5 to the 338's for shooting small rocks. The BMG's don't always keep up as the ballistics are there but their mechanical accuracy is not.
For a 30cal plinker, the 300WM is fast becoming my new favorite.
g5m, a friend has a box stock HK SL8. He has enjoyed my stuff so started working up loads with the 75gr Amax and Benchmark. At 1000m/1100yds, this rifle is really accurate.
Our estimated is around 1.5 moa. Your average large pizza box is in serious trouble from consecutive hits. We didn't think it would work that well but after pounding small targets out to 800yds, we just cranked up the scope and went for it.
This is a not a tuned AR with match grade barrel and other tweaks to make it shoot. I fully expect any of the 1/2 min AR's to be very competent at 1000m and further.
All ammo was mag fed. Just looks a little goofy with the bullet seated deep but it works AWESOME. Don't try and overload the ammo. Work up in .1gr and go for best accuracy with smallest vertical dispersion. Test at 200yds.
The biggest hurdle is having enough UP. A Sightron SIII or Mk4 16X has the up you need. Mounted into Burris Sig rings and shimmed as much as possible, I bet you can coax enough up to get out to 1500yds.
Shooting that far with a small cal is WAAYYYY too much fun. I have had all the boomers from 338 down and shot all the way to a BMG. Yes, the power and noise is exciting but the ballistics are such that you pretty much know you are going to connect.
With the 223, you will get tossed around in the wind and doping that is super challenging.
When you get the conditions right and drop that itty bitty bullet on target, you know you have done something.
If you are shooting an AR, you can then just keep tapping that trigger and send fun, fun, fun downrange.
75gr Amax or Berger or 70gr Bergers will get the job done.
Jerry
There is little doubt that the ballistics will work way out there. With new bullets like the 210gr Berger and 208gr Amax, plinking beyond a mile is no problem.
If you are just plinking, consider that the 180gr Berger has a higher BC then most any 30cal and 338 bullets. Shooting a 7RM or WSM is SOOO much less cost and recoil vs the RUM.
Then you can also look at the 6.5 which is even more economical.
I try and put on an extreme shoot in the spring and we get all the big cals show up. Out to a mile, there really isn't that much difference from the 6.5 to the 338's for shooting small rocks. The BMG's don't always keep up as the ballistics are there but their mechanical accuracy is not.
For a 30cal plinker, the 300WM is fast becoming my new favorite.
g5m, a friend has a box stock HK SL8. He has enjoyed my stuff so started working up loads with the 75gr Amax and Benchmark. At 1000m/1100yds, this rifle is really accurate.
Our estimated is around 1.5 moa. Your average large pizza box is in serious trouble from consecutive hits. We didn't think it would work that well but after pounding small targets out to 800yds, we just cranked up the scope and went for it.
This is a not a tuned AR with match grade barrel and other tweaks to make it shoot. I fully expect any of the 1/2 min AR's to be very competent at 1000m and further.
All ammo was mag fed. Just looks a little goofy with the bullet seated deep but it works AWESOME. Don't try and overload the ammo. Work up in .1gr and go for best accuracy with smallest vertical dispersion. Test at 200yds.
The biggest hurdle is having enough UP. A Sightron SIII or Mk4 16X has the up you need. Mounted into Burris Sig rings and shimmed as much as possible, I bet you can coax enough up to get out to 1500yds.
Shooting that far with a small cal is WAAYYYY too much fun. I have had all the boomers from 338 down and shot all the way to a BMG. Yes, the power and noise is exciting but the ballistics are such that you pretty much know you are going to connect.
With the 223, you will get tossed around in the wind and doping that is super challenging.
When you get the conditions right and drop that itty bitty bullet on target, you know you have done something.
If you are shooting an AR, you can then just keep tapping that trigger and send fun, fun, fun downrange.
75gr Amax or Berger or 70gr Bergers will get the job done.
Jerry
FilippoMo
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Dear Teo,
I wonder if anybody tried longer barrels (like 32") in .223 Remington,
any velocity gain would be of help.
Do you know of anybody having success at these ranges using 1 in 9 " twist
which is far more common,even though it will limit to 75 grains bullets.
Thank you for writing the article,much appreciated
sincerely
Filippo
I wonder if anybody tried longer barrels (like 32") in .223 Remington,
any velocity gain would be of help.
Do you know of anybody having success at these ranges using 1 in 9 " twist
which is far more common,even though it will limit to 75 grains bullets.
Thank you for writing the article,much appreciated
sincerely
Filippo
Mysticplayer
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- Jul 27, 2001
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- 1,459
I used a 28" super match Pac Nor 5 R barrel to do this shoot. The velocities were no different then what you would expect from a 26" barrel and not much faster then my 22" sporter.
I think the amount of powder burnt is too low to really see much velocity benefits with long barrels.
My velocities were within SAAMI expectations. 80gr 2850fps, 75gr 2950fps.
I think 26" makes a nice easy to acquire min. Besides muzzle velocity really doesn't make much difference. Whether the bullet goes subsonic at 1200yds or 1300yds, doesn't matter.
It will go subsonic no matter how fast you go by the time you get to a mile.
wind drift will be reduced a bit but you are still adjusting FEET for any amount of wind. so you drift a few inches less....doesn't change a thing.
As I mentioned in my post, the easiest way to do this is to get a Savage 9 twist 223 and launch 75gr Amax over Benchmark or Varget.
With a bit of tuning and load work up, you should have a sub MOA rifle at 300yds. Quite a few are reporting around 1/2 min accuracy at very long distances.
All you need is a whole lot of up and you can reach a mile. Maybe it is only MOA or 2 MOA by the time you get there. So what. Hitting a large pizza box with a 22cal slug at 1 mile is worth a whole lot of smiles and giggles.
Enjoy...
Jerry
I think the amount of powder burnt is too low to really see much velocity benefits with long barrels.
My velocities were within SAAMI expectations. 80gr 2850fps, 75gr 2950fps.
I think 26" makes a nice easy to acquire min. Besides muzzle velocity really doesn't make much difference. Whether the bullet goes subsonic at 1200yds or 1300yds, doesn't matter.
It will go subsonic no matter how fast you go by the time you get to a mile.
wind drift will be reduced a bit but you are still adjusting FEET for any amount of wind. so you drift a few inches less....doesn't change a thing.
As I mentioned in my post, the easiest way to do this is to get a Savage 9 twist 223 and launch 75gr Amax over Benchmark or Varget.
With a bit of tuning and load work up, you should have a sub MOA rifle at 300yds. Quite a few are reporting around 1/2 min accuracy at very long distances.
All you need is a whole lot of up and you can reach a mile. Maybe it is only MOA or 2 MOA by the time you get there. So what. Hitting a large pizza box with a 22cal slug at 1 mile is worth a whole lot of smiles and giggles.
Enjoy...
Jerry
sniper2
Well-Known Member
Good read!Congratulations no envy here!!I know that for some we are our most ardent competitors. Things that haven't been done doesn't mean they can't, experimentation and documentation have acomplished much...
Mysticplayer
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Thanks,
Although it has been out for a few years now, I have finally gotten around to shooting the 90gr Berger VLD because of the data garnered from Litz's book.
A very impressive looking bullet. A very high BC.
I am now shooting a 22" barreled Shilen with an 8 twist (See Savage Tactical Rifle build article). From the Miller stability calcs, the bullet should not be stable but I guess bullets don't read.
Decided to send a few down range just to see what would happen. Shot really well at 100yds so I pushed out to 1000yds then 1200yds.
Leaving the muzzle at 2600fps, it had no issues making it accurately to 1200yds. I wanted to ensure it was transonic or subsonic just to see if it would tumble. so far, still shooting great.
Surprisingly easy to tune too.
The interest in this bullet has grown for F class and LR Tactical matches. It offers better ballistics then even a super sized 308 IF you can get the speed up.
Shooters are already getting some decent speed but in long barrels. I feel that new powders coming in the near future will make this a very viable option.
Now you have a bullet with the BC that beats ALL 6mm bullets to date and most of the 6.5's. If we can get it to go 2800fps+, the LR ballistics improves on anything a 308 can do without the punishing recoil.
Very interesting stuff...
Jerry
Although it has been out for a few years now, I have finally gotten around to shooting the 90gr Berger VLD because of the data garnered from Litz's book.
A very impressive looking bullet. A very high BC.
I am now shooting a 22" barreled Shilen with an 8 twist (See Savage Tactical Rifle build article). From the Miller stability calcs, the bullet should not be stable but I guess bullets don't read.
Decided to send a few down range just to see what would happen. Shot really well at 100yds so I pushed out to 1000yds then 1200yds.
Leaving the muzzle at 2600fps, it had no issues making it accurately to 1200yds. I wanted to ensure it was transonic or subsonic just to see if it would tumble. so far, still shooting great.
Surprisingly easy to tune too.
The interest in this bullet has grown for F class and LR Tactical matches. It offers better ballistics then even a super sized 308 IF you can get the speed up.
Shooters are already getting some decent speed but in long barrels. I feel that new powders coming in the near future will make this a very viable option.
Now you have a bullet with the BC that beats ALL 6mm bullets to date and most of the 6.5's. If we can get it to go 2800fps+, the LR ballistics improves on anything a 308 can do without the punishing recoil.
Very interesting stuff...
Jerry
Thanks for a very interesting article. Rereading it just makes it all the more interesting. Unfortunately I don't have such long range facilities available to try at this time. But, it does make me wonder what the slower twist rates would do.
Last edited:
Mysticplayer
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If I wasn't spotting for the shooter, I would have said this wasn't possible.
55gr Vmax out beyond 1000yds!!!
We actually shot to 1200yds without issue. Of course, it got moved around by the winds but was quite consistent
Out of a Wby varminter so a 12 twist (maybe 10). His loads were definitely sub MOA at closer distances and in the milk jug type sizing at 1000yds. By 1200yds, more like a large pizza box (but it was gusty too).
For such a small light bullet, the results were very surprising so ANY 223 rifle can have lots of LR fun. Just make sure you have LOTS of elevation in your scope.
Enjoy...
Jerry
cdn shooter
Active Member
Hello Jerry
I read in another forum that you Import Shilen barrels to B.C Canada. Is this accurate?
I read in another forum that you Import Shilen barrels to B.C Canada. Is this accurate?
Mysticplayer
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cdn shooter....
Jerry is an awesome dealer! I bought some Berger bullets from him, and plan on buying a bbl or two, in 2010.
He is also a fountain of knowledge on all things long range!!!
Later.......
