90gr .223

[skep_tic1]

I am having a rifle built to shoot 90gr berger vld's. I need to get a discussion going on the subject because there is just not that much information on the subject. I'm concerned that if the rifle is throated for the 90's that the 75 and 80 grainers are going to have to jump way to far to be accurate. The 90 vld's are at least 3/16" longer than the 80 SMK's.
I would also appreciate some load data for the 90's if anyone has any. What COAL is obtainable? I've been loading for years and of course I have loading manuals but when I look up 90gr in the .223 index all it says is "yeah right".

 

[95LTZ]

Re: 90gr .223

I am kinda in the same boat. I had a Savage LRPV .223 with a 7 twist barrel that I shot 90 VLD's in. I had very good results with N550 & Varget. The chrono took a dump before I could get some speeds. The loads with N550 impacted about 3/4 MOA higher than the Varget loads @ 400 yards. I have another barrel for a different rifle coming so as to be able to use the 90's. When the new barrel gets done I will be going back to Varget & N550. I am one of the few folks out there that cannot seem to get Berger's to shoot jammed. IIRC the 90's were over .030 off the lands.

 

[MALLARD]

Re: 90gr .223

i've been thinking of getting a barrel to shoot 90grs to , here are some links i found

http://www.shootingtimes.com/ammunition/st223_120606/index1.html

http://6mmbr.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=3677708&trail=24

 

[sinister]

Re: 90gr .223

90-grain Sierra, Berger, and JLK bullets have very good BCs for 1,000-yard reach.

1-6.5 twist is generally considered optimum.

Service rifle shooters found 1-6.5 works very well for 77s and 90s in the same gun.

 

[skep_tic1]

Re: 90gr .223

More more

 

[skep_tic1]

Re: 90gr .223

Really, no one knows anything about this? Just a couple responses?

 

[George63]

Re: 90gr .223

from what I understand most who have experimented with 90's for .223 have gone back to 80's citing inability to get good velocity, maybe a little more powder like .223 AI would make the difference

 

[DZelenka]

Re: 90gr .223

I shot 90s in my service rifle for a couple years. LC brass, moly 90 JLK, 25.9gr N540, Rem 7.5. It was good for 2700 fps from a 20" 1:6.5" pac-nor barrel with a Holliger chamber. The Holliger is a long throated Wylde. I think my starting OAL was around 2.500. It shot really well with molied 77 Sierras over 26.1 gr N540. I think it was about 2800 fps. Some of the Texas guys switched to N550 and reported even better velocity with the 90 JLK. We bought one of the last lots of JLK before Knox retired. They had accuracy issues - every now and then there would be a flier. Very distressing during a match. I went back to the standard Wylde chamber and the Sierra 80. Lo and behold I started getting EIC points and went Distinguished. I am now shooting 82 gr Bergers in Lapua brass with 24.1 gr of RL15. They shoot great.

By the way, the .22 BR with the 90s is a heck of a 1000yd set-up.

Dan

 

[DZelenka]

Re: 90gr .223

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: George63</div><div class="ubbcode-body">from what I understand most who have experimented with 90's for .223 have gone back to 80's citing inability to get good velocity, maybe a little more powder like .223 AI would make the difference</div></div>

George,

Velocity was never the problem with the JLKs. They had a fairly short bearing surface and could be pushed pretty fast in a properly chambered gun.

Dan

 

[Graham]

Re: 90gr .223

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sinister</div><div class="ubbcode-body">90-grain Sierra, Berger, and JLK bullets have very good BCs for 1,000-yard reach.

1-6.5 twist is generally considered optimum.

Service rifle shooters found 1-6.5 works very well for 77s and 90s in the same gun. </div></div>Didn't the USAMU try the 90's but go back to the 80's? If so, how come?

 

[sinister]

Re: 90gr .223

Jimmy Knox retired.

Sierra 90s don't have any appreciable advantage over Sierra 80s.

 

[Graham]

Re: 90gr .223

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sinister</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sierra 90s don't have any appreciable advantage over Sierra 80s. </div></div>Agreed. Thanks, Dave.

 

[palma]

Re: 90gr .223

I gave the berger 90s a go with a 32" barrel and a COAL of somewhere just over 2.5". They never could beat the 80s. I now shoot the 80s in the same gun at 2.55" at a very comfortable 3k.

N550 is the best powder for the heavies, but my advice would be not to bother with the 90s and stick with the 80s.

 

[GuyCoker]

Re: 90gr .223

I have a sps Tac in .223. When I shoot out this barrel I was going to rebarrel it in a faster twist. What barrels are you choosing for this, and what twist?

Why are the 80's better than the 90 grainers?

 

[Graham]

Re: 90gr .223

In my experience not much beats an 80JLK to the lands with 24.5 RE15 or 24.0 4895.

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: 90gr .223

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Guy Coker</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have a sps Tac in .223. When I shoot out this barrel I was going to rebarrel it in a faster twist. What barrels are you choosing for this, and what twist?

Why are the 80's better than the 90 grainers? </div></div>

7 to 8 twist, and if you want to shoot 80 grain all the time in all pressure and temp conditions the 7 twist would be best unless you breathe higher altitude air than me. the difference between the 80 and 90 grain is the 90's have a hard time running fast enough in a standard 223 chamber for there superior BC to shine, they are just incredibly long and take up to much room in the case. The 80's can be run fast enough that they make up for the lower BC. Graham's right the 80 JLK is the cat’s meow and when loaded right can equal and/or surpass factory 308 ballistics.