What was/is your best performing load?

[American_Fusilier]

I've got a Remington 700 in 308 that I started reloading for to get the best accuracy possible

First, my gun: it started life as a Remington 700 ADL varmint with a blind box magazine, a Cabelas special. It's got a 1:12 bull barrel that is 26" long... I got it for a great price. Since then I dropped it in a Magpul Hunter stock and topped it off with a SFWA super super 10x42 fixed moa quad scope.



After experimenting with loads and powders, I finally shot the best group of my life and the rifle's life, using my hand loads.

The load is perfecta brass with seller & bellot primers, 39.5gr of VARGET and a 173gr M1 FMJBT (pulled from old military ammo). I got a .467 inch group at 100 yards.



Since then, I've found several other .5 moa group loads, and since my M1 bullet supply is finite, I'll had to switch to a different one.

What are your guy's best gun/load combo?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I have a Kimber M82 in .22 Hornet. The trick to accuracy in the Hornet is:

1. Fire form your brass.
2. Resize with a Lee Collet Die
3. Use a washer or two on the shell holder to cause the collet to activate early -- only size the first 0.2" of the neck.
4. Scoop the case full of Li'l Gun. Tap the case to settle it and put it in the loading block.
5. Check the charged cases with a flashlight -- if any are lower or higher than the others, dump and recharge.
6. Use the 35-grain Hornady V-Max bullet. Seat it out as far as you can.

This gives me 0.5" groups.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Mine is a 53 vmax over imr4064. Best group was .29" average is 5/8s @100.
It's a Savage Axis 22-250.
I stop when I get to holding better than 1 1/2 inch at 300 in no wind.
My 308 load is 168 Amax over 4064. It a perfect deer load and is sub moa at 400.

 

[Nature Boy]

My most consistently accurate load is for my 6BRA It will keep 20 shots inside 1 MOA at 600 yards more often than not, and when it doesn’t it’s usually my fault.

Looking at my year to date match results, out of 420 shots for record, only 11 fell outside 1 MOA.

In order to keep that level of consistency it shoots 5 shot groups under 1/4 MOA

 

[brewer12345]

Mine is a 198 grain home cast gas checked bullet over a bunch of 4198 in 3006. One inch groups at 100 yards and with a huge meplat it puts a whomp on deer.

 

[horsemen61]

That’s 5 shots at 100

 

[cfullgraf]

I have a Kimber M82 in .22 Hornet. The trick to accuracy in the Hornet is:

1. Fire form your brass.
2. Resize with a Lee Collet Die
3. Use a washer or two on the shell holder to cause the collet to activate early -- only size the first 0.2" of the neck.
4. Scoop the case full of Li'l Gun. Tap the case to settle it and put it in the loading block.
5. Check the charged cases with a flashlight -- if any are lower or higher than the others, dump and recharge.
6. Use the 35-grain Hornady V-Max bullet. Seat it out as far as you can.

This gives me 0.5" groups.

Geeze, that alot of work.

With my 22 Hornet Contender rifle, I neck size the case to maximize case life.

Charge with W296/H110 and seat the bullet.

The 35 grain Hornady works well, but the 40 grain Speer spitzer gives smaller groups in my rifle.

Of course, every rifle has its own peculiarities.

 

[BWS]

Several bughole rigs here. But here's one that is just plain scary accurate.

ADL 223,factory 24" skinny barrel. Factory stock bedded/filled. Timney 1 1/2# trigger. Bushnell 4-12X40 3200 Elite. Ceracoated barrel and action. Lee 225-55RF in unprepped cases. CCI primers lighting 19g H4198. OAL to a lite jam. Single shot adapter. It will flat,tear the X out of a 100yd target.

 

[jleyring]

Remington 700 ADL in .223 Rem. 23.0gr H322 with Hornday Z-Max bullet.

 

[Random 8]

Lots of bughole groups here. My best performing load is the Speer 145gr Grand Slam over IMR 4350 in .280 Rem. If memory serves, the charge is reduced about 1.5 grains from Lyman max which puts it in the high end of 7x57 ballistics as loaded for a modern rifle. I have been loading it with the S&B primer, before that, I used Rem 9 1/2. Now I'll be using CCI or Fed LR match as that's what I have. I really couldn't tell you exactly what my best group has been, other than it will consistently put 5 into 1.5" or less at 100 yards, the best have fit within the 1" squares on a "scope target." What I can tell you, is that everything I've ever shot with it has died right there with a very convincing wound channel. Not the "poof" of lighter constructed bullets, or the limited damage of ones built too heavily. It's my Goldilocks bullet, and I wouldn't hesitate to take heavier game with it. I've only taken whitetail, but they have been with many less than optimal shot angles. I've worked with other bullet combinations that were more accurate in the rifle, but this one kills the way I like a bullet to kill, so as long as it groups "good enough," it will continue to be my best performing load in that rifle.

 

[Steve S.]

Kimber 84M Custom Classic and Winchester M70 EW both in .308. 43.5 grains Varget, 150 Hornady SST, WW brass and primers. I am fortunate that both rifles love the load - “bug hole” groups get boring over time though - but that is why we buy more firearms.

 

[Typetwelve]

Nothing original about my "best" loads. I set out to build a "budget" sub MOA AR a few years back and was able to do that with factory ammo. My next goal was to load sub MOA ammo for it and I was able to accomplish that as well.

I use CCI BR4 primers, Varget, and Sierra 69 or 77g Match King projectiles. 25.3g Varget with 69g projectiles, 23.5g with 77g projectiles. I sort the projectiles into OAL groups as I need to have the entire round be no more than 2.255" OAL to work in my magazines.I set the group, sorted into +/- .002" groups to the necessary OAL. It will slightly change my POA, but it's consistant across the load group that way.

Here's the rifle in all it's glory.

 

[gdcpony]

I have two:
DPMS based AR build: .223 Remington, 50gr Zmax over 26gr H335 and 3150 FPS from a 16" barrel. .38" or better every time. (40gr BlitzKing and 27gr Varget was just as good, but cost more)

Old 98 Mauser: .257Roberts 100gr GameKings over 48.5gr (.5gr over listed max that was based on the old 95actions) H100V and 3275fps from a 25" barrel. For an 80yr old barrel. It still prints .75" and even better 2.5" at 300yds regularly

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

 

[Typetwelve]

I have two:
DPMS based AR build: .223 Remington, 50gr Zmax over 26gr H335 and 3150 FPS from a 16" barrel. .38" or better every time. (40gr BlitzKing and 27gr Varget was just as good, but cost more)

What twist is that barrel? I have a 16" 1:9 that likes 52g projectiles, but the rifle I was talking about above is a 223 wylde chamber in a 1:8 twist and it doesn't much like 50-55g projectiles. With a 1:8 twist, I was actually surprised ah how much it likes those 77g SMK.

 

[gdcpony]

What twist is that barrel? I have a 16" 1:9 that likes 52g projectiles, but the rifle I was talking about above is a 223 wylde chamber in a 1:8 twist and it doesn't much like 50-55g projectiles. With a 1:8 twist, I was actually surprised ah how much it likes those 77g SMK.

1/9 if that helps. I did a write up on it long ago. I haven't changed a thing on the rifle since despite 12k rounds having gone down its barrel. Dreading the day I have to replace it...
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/my-223-experiment.507874/#post-6332346

Edit. It looks like the pics don't show anymore.

 

[JJFitch]

Following best practices for producing consistent, precise ammo produces consistent precise ammo. Your barrel and ability are just as important to consistent precise groups.

What one person experiences may not be best for your barrel! But it's always good to share experiences.

Smiles,

 

[WestKentucky]

Probably the most accurate centerfire in the house now is my contender pistol in 7-30 waters. It will eat holes in paper with any load I stick into it, but it REALLY likes 3031 and 120 gr pistol bullets. It’s so good I’m considering a 16” or longer barrel and a nice stock to go on that frame, or possibly just buying a complete 7-30 rifle

 

[jebova2301]

Anything in the bottom row. That 25.7 would have been great if I hadn't jerked the trigger. Shot from an ar-15 with a White Oak barrel. 55gr VMAX backed by the powder charge listed on the target of 8208xbr, fiocchi SRM primers, virgin lake city brass, seated to 2.250 inches.

 

[sfl_gunner]

.223 load I use for high power competitions.
Once fired brass
Sierra 80 grain match kings
24.5 gr of N140
Seated to match my Barrel.
The stuff shoots great but the brass is only good for plinking after loading it 1.5 grains higher than the published data.
I’ve shot sub 2.5 MOA at 600 yds with it.

 

[sfl_gunner]

.223 load I use for high power competitions.
Once fired brass
Sierra 80 grain match kings
24.5 gr of N140
Seated to match my Barrel.
The stuff shoots great but the brass is only good for plinking after loading it 1.5 grains higher than the published data.

 

[Blue68f100]

What twist is that barrel? I have a 16" 1:9 that likes 52g projectiles, but the rifle I was talking about above is a 223 wylde chamber in a 1:8 twist and it doesn't much like 50-55g projectiles. With a 1:8 twist, I was actually surprised ah how much it likes those 77g SMK.

My experience is the same as yours with the Wydle chamber. Would not shoot anything accurate under 60 gr. Shot the barrel out trying to get it to. 6 different bullets and 5 different powders before I gave up. And retired the barrel since it would no longer shoot the heavy bullets accurately.

 

[Walkalong]

A case full of N-133 under a custom 68 Gr JHP in 6 PPC cases made from .220 Russian cases.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Was it a dead right there shot or did you have to track him a little?

 

[Dudedog]

Was it a dead right there shot or did you have to track him a little?

Looks like a blood trail on the target for tracking if necessary

 

[ballman6711]

Looks like you hit him just left of center, LOL!

Back on topic, my most accurate load is a 185gr swc in 45acp. Hit beer cans at 25 yds all day long with a 3" barrel.

Don't load for rifle, but it is my most accurate load so far.

chris