17-223 load data? Having troubles finding an accurate load

[winchester]

I originally got a 20" 1-10 standard weight barrel. After about 140 rounds, I sent it back. It came back a few weeks later recrowned. I ran some more loads through it and still could not get better than about 2". I managed one group at just over an inch but could not duplicate it.
 
A new 20" 1-9 barrel was received, it sat for quite a while, then assembled into the upper sat some more.

I finally shot it last week. xbr8208 from 23.5gr to 24.5gr in .3gr increments, 25gr sisk, trimmed, chamfered, deburred, matching headstamp brass, WSR primers. All groups about 2.5" to 3.5" at 100 yards on a nice calm day.

with the original 10 twist barrel I used hornady 25gr hp, 25 gr sisk, 27gr golds, and perhaps some others, with 8208 and 748.

I went with the 17-223 to reduce hide damage. It is now mid season for me with 22 coyotes down, and every one was shot with a 223.

Suggestions for powder, bullet and primer combination? What about seating depth? It seems that i can get nowhere near the lands and still have the bullet in the neck.

[GLSHOOTER]

I'll look at what little I've shot tomorrow. I was using Bergers but that's all I remember tonight specifically.

What kind of speeds are you getting?

Greg

[winchester]

I have run some bergers as well.
I did not chrono the last test batch. But with the first barrel I did chrono some. Starting loads were 3600, top loads were 3900 with 25gr bergers and 8208.

[GLSHOOTER]

I'll look this afternoon. I thought I was running way solid 4000+ in mine. I know I had some that were so high my eyes opened up really wide and I backed away from the powder jug very slowly.

Greg

I puled some numbers using 25 VMAX. These were up in the top area with a bit more available. All hovered at 4100 or so.

760 26.4
748 23.0
IMR 4895 24.1
8208 23.0
CFE 25.0

I can't find my BERGER data. I do know mine prefers the shorter non-tipped bullets.

Greg

[204ar]

My 22" 1-10 will jam bullets into the lands, maybe they have a longer throat now? Anyway 22.6 gr 8208 with a 20 gr vmax shoots ridiculous and vaporizes everything at 4100 fps iirc. 25 gr hdy hp with 22 gr 8208. I don't remember the speed but it seems like 3900?

One question, what brass are you using? LC brass I can get by without neck turning, but R-P brass needed turned in my chamber.

[winchester]

i have used a bunch of different brass. remington, lc, winchester, and some others. i found no need to turn necks. almost all formed brass ended up slightly short, but i was able to trim the remington to proper length and square up and clean up the case mouths.

my barrel is a 1-9, and I would like to run the bigger bullets for coyotes. I have an assortment of bullets from 20 to 30gr. But, I have used up about 200 of them trying to find a decent load.

[winchester]

The loading update:

 Based on the load data supplied by others, i tried imr4895
 hornaday 25gr hp seated to COAL of 2.172
 full length sized brass R-P
 23.4gr to 24.8gr
 24.2 produced 3800fps
 24.5 i did not chrono(different day with not enough time to set up)
 24.8 i did not chrono

24.8 showed signs of pressure, ejector marks and 2 extruded primers. but produced the best group, 24.5 was almost as good of a group. IF i throw out the one flyer in each group, the other 4 were about 1". I do not believe the flyer was shooter error.

i then loaded 5 with 24.7gr seated 2.172, and 5 seated 2.164 in full length sized FC brass. 2 out of each of the 5 would not chamber. the 3 shot groups were horrible, at least 2" perhaps as big as 2.5"  both loads showed pressure signs.
 
i am accomplishing nothing but using up components. f
has anyone got a definitive load with with all parameters?
in the past I have run across only a couple of guns/barrels that I could not get to shoot well. almost always if a gun/barrel was going to shoot well, i found a load very quickly.

[GLSHOOTER]

If the cases aren't chambering that's a sizing issue you'll have to correct. Sometimes a pass through a SB die initially is helpful.

Not every barrel shoots every powder/bullet combination. I suggest doing s bit more change up before calling calf rope. 8208 is one you might try as one fellow that has been shooting one is doing some good stuff with it.

Primer choice may also come into play. What were you using?

Greg

[204ar]

If you take a fired case, can you easily slip a bullet into the neck? With mine, using R-P brass, I could not and had to turn necks. They chambered tough they were so snug in the neck area. Groups were inconsistent also.

That's my advice, check that, and back off the throttle a little and see if that helps.

[winchester]

i did the vast majority of my initial load development with 8208 and got no were, that is why i then tried 748 and 4895.

all the brass i formed was done at the same time with the same dies. perhaps the FC has more springback. i sorted the brass after forming, by headstamp and load tests were all done with matching headstamps. all brass was trimmed, probaby 50% were not long enough to trim to proper length, and were trimmed to be consistent at .010" shorter.

primers have been winchester small rifle and cci small rifle. i do have cci small rifle magnum, and wolf, and maybe one other choice.

a bullet will slip into some fired necks, some not. it appears that is a place where i can try something. the only issues with chambering appear to be shoulder related not body diameter. unless on the few it was outside neck diameter.
 i will try neck turning, and see what happens. on the 4 loaded rounds i checked, neck wall thickness appears to be .014 which i would think is excessive, but it was extremely consistent.

[GLSHOOTER]

Switch to CCI 450's or Remington 7 1/2's and you may help yourself somewhat in the pressure area. I don';t shoot any AR's using standard SR primers because of that. Taking the 223 down to 17 is a lot of extra neck brass. A slight turn may be in order. I know mine were tight and I turned them a bit. Thank goodness for power tools.

Greg

[winchester]

finally shot a group that would qualify as good. 4 in one ragged hole, with one flyer that opened it up to about 3/4".

turned necks, matching headstamp, cci 450's, 23.7gr 8208.
23.5 about 1.25", 23.9 about 1.25"

now to duplicate it.

[GLSHOOTER]

Dec 18, 2016 15:32:25 GMT -8 winchester said:

finally shot a group that would qualify as good. 4 in one ragged hole, with one flyer that opened it up to about 3/4".

turned necks, matching headstamp, cci 450's, 23.7gr 8208.
23.5 about 1.25", 23.9 about 1.25"

now to duplicate it.

That's good news. I'll keep track if that one. What bullet?

Greg