223 steel dinger

[Btrain]

Hello
I am Getting ready to put a deposit down on a custom 223 paper puncher / steel dinger. I don’t plan to reload and likely shooting something heavier like the 77g smk.

thinking a 24 or 26” barrel and want input on twist rate... 7 sound right?

thank you

 

[Dobbs02si]

A 9 will more than suffice for the 75s. Even the eld out of a 22" 9 twist. You could go up to an 8 or 7 if you think you might hand load the 80+.

 

[King_beardsly]

I say 24” and 7twist should be good

 

[stello1001]

The factory 77 grain stuff that I've shot through my 9 twist stabilizes just fine. If I could pick though, I'd go 7 twist.

 

[Btrain]

Thanks gents

 

[92trk]

7 only.

 

[Moose]

On the twist 7 or 8 will work very good for you.And on barrel length I have seen some really good shooting in the 20 to 22 inch length.

 

[supercorndogs]

7 or 8, nine is marginal and might disappoint you. There is no need to risk that when you are choosing the twist rate.

 

[azbiker]

I have an 8 twist 24" barrel on mine and shoot 77gr Prime exclusively through this gun. It has been an accurate combo for me.

 

[Dolomite_Supafly]

I have shot thousands of 69-77 grain bullets out of 9 twist barrels without issue.

 

[Sogan]

I just ordered a 7 twist 26" barrel. Not sure the extra 2 inches from a 24" will make a huge difference but I cant have suppressors in IL so I figured I might as well get a little more barrel length.

 

[92trk]

I have shot thousands of 69-77 grain bullets out of 9 twist barrels without issue.

I have to ask, what kind of group does it shoot. I had a 9 once and 77 looked like a shot gun pattern. I'm shooting a 7 and a 7.7 right now and they both are pretty good.

 

[Dolomite_Supafly]

I have to ask, what kind of group does it shoot. I had a 9 once and 77 looked like a shot gun pattern. I'm shooting a 7 and a 7.7 right now and they both are pretty good.

The best was ~.5" out of an AR and .4's out of a Savage barrel. All were hand loads. The 69's did shoot slightly better in the 9 twist than the 75-77 grain bullets though. The 77's were probably .1"-.2" larger than the 69 grain loads. I would have to dig through notes from 10+ years ago to get exact group sizes. All were shot at 100 yards, had no clue what the 77's were doing at distances beyond 100.

Took buying and selling a few barrels before I found one that would shoot though. Some Savage barrels are junk from the get go and some shoot really well. I scope any Savage barrel before I ever fire the first shot now. I can get a pretty good idea what a good and bad Savage barrel is now.

Here are images of a typical Savage barrel that will not shoot:

 

[92trk]

The best was ~.5" out of an AR and .4's out of a Savage barrel. All were hand loads. The 69's did shoot slightly better in the 9 twist than the 75-77 grain bullets though. The 77's were probably .1"-.2" larger than the 69 grain loads. I would have to dig through notes from 10+ years ago to get exact group sizes. All were shot at 100 yards, had no clue what the 77's were doing at distances beyond 100.

Took buying and selling a few barrels before I found one that would shoot though. Some Savage barrels are junk from the get go and some shoot really well. I scope any Savage barrel before I ever fire the first shot now. I can get a pretty good idea what a good and bad Savage barrel is now.

Here are images of a typical Savage barrel that will not shoot:
View attachment 7323115View attachment 7323116

Thx.

 

[supercorndogs]

I have shot thousands of 69-77 grain bullets out of 9 twist barrels without issue.

Me too, its still marginal and a bad choice if you get to choose. My 1 in 9 goes sideways with the 75 a max, but does ok with the 77 SMK out to 600.

 

[bunsen27]

I have a 26" 1 in 8" twist Criterion on my Remage and it has shot everything from 53/55gr VMax, 69gr SMK/NosCC, 73/75gr ELDM's, and 77gr SMK/NosCC VERY well (and fast). I could not quite get the 80gr ELDM's to fully stabilize enough to shoot great though. I am only 250ft above sea level here in Coastal NC (low DA's) so that does play a part in the stability equation.

 

[Btrain]

Thank you all... Going to get with my smith and finalize - Likely 7

Appreciate the input

 

[Steel head]

I have to ask, what kind of group does it shoot. I had a 9 once and 77 looked like a shot gun pattern. I'm shooting a 7 and a 7.7 right now and they both are pretty good.

I have a 16” carbine with a 1-9 barrel and it shoots 77 really well.
I would say I just got lucky with it.
If you have the choice I’d play it safe with a 7 or 8 twist.

 

[Lightning8]

I have two 223s one 24 inch and one 26 inch that will shoot 77 Nosler CCs but not 75 ELDM or 80 ELDM. I have a Tikka Varmint 223 1-8 23.7 inch that will shoot 77 Nosler CCs but so far will not shoot the 75 ELDM or 80 ELDM. I ordered a new 223 barrel 26 inch and I specified 1-7 with intent to shoot 75 and 80 ELDMs.

 

[stello1001]

Don't mean to hijack but since we're on the subject already and the OP can benefit from this as well, I will ask.

What do you guys feel offers better ballistics between the following three. I know I can look at BC numbers and make a conclusion from that. However, for those who have shot these bullets, what were the real world results.

73 ELDM
75 BTHP by Hornady
77 SMK

I ask about those because my specific 9 twist 26" barrel shoots them so well that I can't decide what to buy in bulk. Furthest I've been able to shoot them is 375 yards so it's not really too long of a distance to know. I must also say this is factory ammo.

I recently purchased Tulammo in 75 or 77 grain (can't recall) and it shot so damn well for being cheap ammo lol.

 

[Sogan]

I have two 223s one 24 inch and one 26 inch that will shoot 77 Nosler CCs but not 75 ELDM or 80 ELDM. I have a Tikka Varmint 223 1-8 23.7 inch that will shoot 77 Nosler CCs but so far will not shoot the 75 ELDM or 80 ELDM. I ordered a new 223 barrel 26 inch and I specified 1-7 with intent to shoot 75 and 80 ELDMs.

Well that’s not what I want to hear. I have a barrel coming and was planning on running 75 ELDM

 

[stello1001]

Well that’s not what I want to hear. I have a barrel coming and was planning on running 75 ELDM

what twist?

 

[Sogan]

7 twist from Straight jacket armory

what twist?

 

[Lightning8]

7 twist should run the 75 ELDMs. My specific Tikka 1-8 23.7 inch would not shoot them less than 1 inch at 100 when it was new. It seems to be tightening up after 200+ rounds so I will try the 75 ELDMs again. I ordered a new 223 barrel for a Savage and I ordered 1-7.

 

[Lightning8]

Don't mean to hijack but since we're on the subject already and the OP can benefit from this as well, I will ask.

What do you guys feel offers better ballistics between the following three. I know I can look at BC numbers and make a conclusion from that. However, for those who have shot these bullets, what were the real world results.

73 ELDM
75 BTHP by Hornady
77 SMK

I ask about those because my specific 9 twist 26" barrel shoots them so well that I can't decide what to buy in bulk. Furthest I've been able to shoot them is 375 yards so it's not really too long of a distance to know. I must also say this is factory ammo.

I recently purchased Tulammo in 75 or 77 grain (can't recall) and it shot so damn well for being cheap ammo lol.

I cannot speak for 75 BTHP or 77SMK but I was very pleased with 73 ELDM through my Tikka T3X Varmint 1-8 loaded over 24.5 TAC in mixed brass. Sunday I was at K&M and I tried that load out 300 to 800 yards. It worked great 300 to 700 and not sure how it worked at 800 as I did not have spotter and I could not see the impacts.

 

[stello1001]

7 twist from Straight jacket armory

You should not worry...

 

[Dobbs02si]

My 7 twist axis will hold half moa out to 500yd(furthest I've shot it) with the 75 bthp and eld in 10 shot strings as fast as I can run it. The eld requires half a mill less elevation to get to 500 though(3m vs 2.5m).

 

[Steel head]

Don't mean to hijack but since we're on the subject already and the OP can benefit from this as well, I will ask.

What do you guys feel offers better ballistics between the following three. I know I can look at BC numbers and make a conclusion from that. However, for those who have shot these bullets, what were the real world results.

73 ELDM
75 BTHP by Hornady
77 SMK

I ask about those because my specific 9 twist 26" barrel shoots them so well that I can't decide what to buy in bulk. Furthest I've been able to shoot them is 375 yards so it's not really too long of a distance to know. I must also say this is factory ammo.

I recently purchased Tulammo in 75 or 77 grain (can't recall) and it shot so damn well for being cheap ammo lol.

They’re all so close that I’d just pick the one that shoots best.

 

[bunsen27]

Don't mean to hijack but since we're on the subject already and the OP can benefit from this as well, I will ask.

What do you guys feel offers better ballistics between the following three. I know I can look at BC numbers and make a conclusion from that. However, for those who have shot these bullets, what were the real world results.

73 ELDM
75 BTHP by Hornady
77 SMK

I ask about those because my specific 9 twist 26" barrel shoots them so well that I can't decide what to buy in bulk. Furthest I've been able to shoot them is 375 yards so it's not really too long of a distance to know. I must also say this is factory ammo.

I recently purchased Tulammo in 75 or 77 grain (can't recall) and it shot so damn well for being cheap ammo lol.

Dependent on how far you are shooting and how fast you are pushing them all three will yield similar numbers inside of 600yds. I know the 75gr & 77gr are offerened in bulk (500) packs while the 73gr only come in boxes of 100. I can say that the 73gr will have a very different terminal result on thin skinned game (it fragments and turns a critters inside to mush) versus the 75gr & 77gr will typically pass through leaving a traditional wound channel. I use the 73's for PDogs & Woodchucks because it typically is a DRT (dead right there) lights out instantaneously situation.