The 223 Remington--Final Attempts...

I know this subject has been mostly beat to death, but I recently did some pretty extensive shooting with my T/C Super 14? in the 223 Remington cartridge?

This was my second effort to make this handgun shoot cast boolits. Some years back, a sharing member of this site sent me a good quantity of 22 caliber cast boolits?

They were: 225646, 225415, 22596, 225450 and 22-55-SP?

My 1st round of testing I used the following powders: AL-8, IMR-4227, UNIQUE, WC-844, and 2400?

The 2nd attempt, I used the following: H-4831, IMR-4198, IMR-4895, AA-5744, WC-680, SR-4759, WC-860 and Trail Boss?

I was shooting at 50 yards so as to be certain I was giving myself a fair evaluation of accuracy?

Long story short: Of the 54 groups I shot with many combinations of the powders and boolits, I got 7 (seven!) that stayed =1.0 inch at 50 yards?
(Several times the boolit never hit the 8.5? by 11? paper)

They were the 225646 boolit with AA-5744, WC-680, and WC-860?

The 225415 boolit with H-4831, IMR-4895, and IMR-4198?

And the RCBS 22-55-SP boolit with WC-860?

I then tried these combinations again in an effort to repeat the =1.0 inch groups at 50 yards?

Only the 225415 boolit with 20 grains of IMR-4895 accomplished this?

I had replaced the 7x Burris ?scope used during the 1st round of tests with a Burris 3x-12x, so optics was not the problem?

Mostly discouraged, I thought I would try the load that I have used in this handgun for a good many years, 24.5 grains of IMR-3030 and the 50 grain V-Max bullet. I shot it at 50 yards and it placed 3 of those plastic-tipped bullets into 0.215? center to center. So, the problem with the lousy cast boolit groups was not shooter or handgun issues?

And, to further increase my confidence in this little 223 Remington cartridge, I filled several 12-ounce beverage cans with water and set them at 150 and 200 yards at my range. Not a problem at all with the 50 grain V-Max and the Burris on 12x?

Final conclusion: ?That?s All Folks?. Only jacketed bullets for this 223 Remington?

And so it goes?BCB

Yep! Arm-chair analysis: Barrel time is excessive which makes recoil the controlling factor. Shift maximum boolit acceleration location back to the bag fulcrum point which should be closer to the hands. Use powder closer to Herco in speed and boost pressure up to 40K plus or minus. Pistol primers for ignition. ... felix

hard to get across a tc's throat.

it's all an educated guess,,,, till the trigger is pulled.

the more i find out about shootin boolits, the more it contradicts everything i ever learned about shooting jaxketed.

Boolit Master Join DateNov 2007Posts297

My 14: 223 T/C likes the faster pistol powders like Felix said. Its a cut down 16" and my Green Dot loads are about like a 22Hornet.

hard to get across a tc's throat.Yep, for sure...

The ones I did get to touch the lands were not even in the case!!!!!...

I don't think any thing less than a 70 grain whatever kind of boolit/bullet will touch the lands...

Unknown what the loads were with all those powders but the 20 gr 4895 is about the top end of accuracy for a 12" twist .223 with that combination. Of the bullets you listed I say only the 225646 and the 225415 were capable of any real accuracy at any velocity. The 22596, 225450 and 22-55-SP all have too much unsupported nose. I've had limitied success with the 225646 and considerable succes with the 225415 in several TC barrels including my current 21" carbine. However, I don't see that you tried the two bullets that are usually the most accurate; that is the 225428 and, especially, the 225462. Might not give up until you try the best.........

Larry Gibson

I agree with r5r. Contender throats have been the demise of many hopeful lead bullet shooters. Friendly they are not.

I feel your pain brother with my H&R.They have it now for "repairs".

Im assuming the OP is using 3031? I use that in my Contender Super 14 and at 18 grains. This proved to be promising at 50 yards since they stayed within an inch. Im going to go back and forth from 18 grains as soon as the weather clears a bit. I plan on doing further testing in a carbine barrel but im hopeful with this starting point.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading
Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt"

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