Rem 700 Varmint .223, is this what I should expect for accuracy?

[Nishgriff]

Hi, I recently got back into shooting after about 15 years (haven't really been shooting since I left the Marines). I have a 26" Rem Varmint that I put in a B&C A5 Stock with a Millet 4-16 Mildot scope. My question is, how accurate should I expect this rifle to be? I can (almost) consistently shoot .5 MOA 5 shot groups at 100 yards with it off bipod with a bag in the rear on a bench. I'm not handloading, but have found that Hornady Vmax 55gr and American Eagle Varmint tipped 50 gr seem to work well in it. I assume that some of my 'flyers' are shooter error, but sometimes I know I did my part and the group just opens up. Is .5 a realistic expectation for this rifle with factory ammo? Would it tighten up if I DID hand load? Tomorrow I'm going to take it out and try 200 and 300 yards with it. I also have a 20" 1:9 but that's another thread Thanks for any input you guys have about what to expect.

 

[fdkay]

Looks to be shooting pretty damn good.
You could probably expect between .5 to .75 MOA with that rifle and good ammo.
I believe that rifle comes with a 1-12 twist, which limits you to no heavier that 55 grain bullets or so.

Winchester has a 40 round white box of 45 grain varmint loads. I have found them to be very accurate and very reasonably priced.

Try loading some 53 grain matchkings over about 25 grains varget, re15 or ar comp

 

[Playerz1337]

If it has the 1:9 twist barrel, then handload or try some Black Hills with Hornady 68 gr BTHP. I used to get almost 1/2" groups at 200 yards in my Savage varmint but ended up settling with slightly less accurate but higher BC 75 gr Amax's.

 

[Nishgriff]

If it has the 1:9 twist barrel, then handload or try some Black Hills with Hornady 68 gr BTHP. I used to get almost 1/2" groups at 200 yards in my Savage varmint but ended up settling with slightly less accurate but higher BC 75 gr Amax's.

It has a 1:12 twist, so it doesn't shoot anything heavier than 55gr. I just got a shipment of Black hills 68gr MKHPs I'm gonna try them out tomorrow in my 20" 1:9. I'm stoked to see my rifle likes them.

 

[scotharr]

Nice shooting! Looks like you have a good rifle and know how to use it. A 1:9 twist should be good for up to 70 grain or so bullets.

 

[Nishgriff]

Here are some pics, just because

700 SPS Tactical 20" 1:9 in B&C Lightweight Tactical

700 SPS Varmint 26" 1:12 in B&C A5

 

[Nishgriff]

Nice shooting! Looks like you have a good rifle and know how to use it. A 1:9 twist should be good for up to 70 grain or so bullets.

Thanks! I guess if you learn the fundamentals in the marines they stick... Now I have to get it out to some longer distances... My goal is to be able to stay less than 1MOA at 500 yards. I have no idea if the 55 grain bullets will hold up that far though. Will the shorter barrel but heavier bullets be better at 500 or the longer barrel and lighter bullets? I'll have fun finding out I guess

 

[Sonic Crack]

You should be able to handle up to 60 grain pills with a 12 twist. As far as to 500 yards, the 55 grainers will make it. Heavier bullets will likely shoot better because of there higher BC

 

[SporterII]

Mine liked the BH 50 gr. ballistic tip. Blue box, white box blems, all. 200yd. death ray, ok to 300.

 

[Tjsr19]

Good looking dog!

 

[Nishgriff]

Good looking dog!

Ha! Thanks, she's a great one. She's 9 now, and slowing down quite a bit.

I took both rifles to the range today and shot at 200 and 300 yards. I couldn't get the 26" under .75-1MOA, and I know it can do better. I'm gonna go back through and retorque all the bolts. I did notice that it really makes a difference if you clean the bore after each string or group. And it really makes a difference to let the rifle cool down almost completely between groups.

Surprisingly, to me at least, the 20" 1:9 shot this group at 300 with Black hills 69 grain MKBT. Apparently my rifle likes this load. It was my best group, not my average. The top round was the first one after cleaning the barrel, and the first I shot of this load. I adjusted down 1 click from that round, and the following five rounds comprise that group. Almost 1/4 minute. First group with that load. The rest weren't that good, I got lazy and stopped cleaning the bore in between groups... Still, it's easily .75 anyway. I'm stoked!

 

[Nishgriff]

I hope it's OK to post more here... I have been able to get this rifle to average between .5 and 1 MOA with 55 grain Hornady VMAX factory ammo. It's frustrating because I know this rifle can shoot better, but I don't handload, and there aren't really better match 55 grain factory ammo that I can find... Suggestions welcomed...

But my real question is about Parallax and POI... Attached is an image of a five shot group that appears to be two different groups. The POI is different. Many of my groups look this way. Sometimes I can feel my cheek sliding on the cheekpiece, other times I readjust and rebuild my position and sight picture. Though they all fall under .83MOA in this image, it's obvious to me that either:

A: My parallax is off despite my best efforts to get it dialled in and shifts when I rebuild and an slightly off...
or
B: The ammo just does this because it's not match ammo...

I called all these shots dead center, bottom of natural respiratory cycle, smooth trigger squeeze....

Suggestions and instruction welcomed. If I could get these to group this way it would be sub-1/4MOA for five shot groups...

 

[fdkay]

Fiocchi makes 40 and 50 grain v max loads.
I'm telling you, try those 45 grain winchester white box loads, Wal-mart usually carries it, though it may be hard to find right now.
Winchester USA Ammo 223 Remington 45 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point

My SPS tact does not care for the 68 grain black hills load, but absolutely loves 69 grain loads, go figure.
It also shoots the 75 grain loads very well.

I have found the Hornady 55 grain soft point loads to be very accurate also, they are sold in a 40 round box and are also very reasonably priced.

 

[Ring]

if u dont shoot BR comp with it, whats the point of making it shoot better then .5?

could u make it better?.. sure... much?... probably not... not with out dumping a ton of cash into it.. and if its shooting .5, that would be kinda dumb...

 

[JGorski]

The best 5 shot group at 100yds that mu 700VS ever shot was .407", otherwise its' a solid .75moa rifle.

 

[Nishgriff]

if u dont shoot BR comp with it, whats the point of making it shoot better then .5?

could u make it better?.. sure... much?... probably not... not with out dumping a ton of cash into it.. and if its shooting .5, that would be kinda dumb...

This might be a dumb question, but what is BR comp? I actually DO want to get into some sort of match competition, but I am not up on it at all. I have another thread asking about which types of competition. I have read the rules for F-TR and it looks like I could do mid-range/600 with this rifle. I still would not dump a ton of cash into the rifle, if I was gonna put a lot of money into something I'd do it in .308 or something.

FDKAY, I will try some of those loads, I promise!

Finally, In anyone's opinion, is this a parallax issue above or is it just the ammo?

 

[SporterII]

Running what you have with that attitude is a very good place to be.
To answer your 'final' question, easiest to get a good driver behind your rifle. Compare notes. Many variables and lessons from bullets down range.

 

[Ring]

This might be a dumb question, but what is BR comp? I actually DO want to get into some sort of match competition, but I am not up on it at all. I have another thread asking about which types of competition. I have read the rules for F-TR and it looks like I could do mid-range/600 with this rifle. I still would not dump a ton of cash into the rifle, if I was gonna put a lot of money into something I'd do it in .308 or something.

FDKAY, I will try some of those loads, I promise!

Finally, In anyone's opinion, is this a parallax issue above or is it just the ammo?

bench rest

 

[6.5BR]

FYI, had a VLS years ago, hard to break 1/2 moa w/any loads, really disappointed in that rifle, had 222 and 221 sporters that shot half that, deuce a BDL, the 221 and SG&Y custom. 50 BTs was my best load then, over 2015 BR.

 

[Nishgriff]

Running what you have with that attitude is a very good place to be.
To answer your 'final' question, easiest to get a good driver behind your rifle. Compare notes. Many variables and lessons from bullets down range.

Thanks and good plan. I am not really interested in Bench Rest comp. I would like to find some people here and in SoCal to shoot with though...

 

[Kiba]

The best load I've found to date out of my R700 .223 VS-SF II (26" 1-12 twist) is LC cases, 53gr Vmax, 24.5gr of N133, Remington 7 1/2 primers. The 53gr Vmax has a .290 G1 BC which is about the best BC you can get in the light .224 bullets which work well from 1-12 twist barrel. This load sends them out of my rifle at 3320fps and has gone into 1" 10 shot groups at 300Y on several no-wind occasions. Had 5 shots in 3" at 550Y with it the other weekend with only about 1" of vertical spread. It's deadly on ground squirrels-- farthest kill this year was at 538Y.

I purchased the rifle complete with scope several years ago intending to sell off everything but the action and use it for a 223AI build. Before stripping the receiver I took it to the range and realized that the factory barrel was a shooter so I worked up loads for it and it will stay a .223 with the factory barrel until I shoot it out.

I'd strongly suggest trying some of the 53gr Vmax bullets in either handloads or the Hornady factory loads; unfortunately the Hornady .223 factory 53gr Vmax loads are Superformance (which I've had less than good experience with) but it's probably worth a try.