new with the .223

[Rustyinfla]

  I went out last weekend with my new .223 Synthetic after I got it scoped. It shot very poor with the PMC 55 gr. FMJ I used that to get it on paper and get it close. Remington 55gr. FMJ was much better. They resulted in 50 yard groups that were 1/2" X 1" with some stringing. Since it's a new barrel and a lightweight at that I'm not drawing any conclusions as of yet. After a couple of hundred rounds I'll feel better.
   One thing I noticed, since I have a habit of policing brass if other shooters don't want it and there's a lot of AR's around I got a lot of AR shot brass. Most all of it, I was able to pick right up off the ground, wipe off and run right into the Handi Rifle chamber. The question is this, do most Handi's tend to have large chambers? Not that it's a bad thing since I usually only neck size only anyway but I did notice this.

[quickdtoo]

Did ya try to close the action and check for a gap tween barrel and standing breech? They may fit, but not entirely, it very well may have been too long to fully lock up.

Tim

[Rustyinfla]

  They are  snug but everything seems to lock up just fine?

[quickdtoo]

Did ya check for the gap? One way to tell is to see it,  hold it up to a light source and look across where the barrel meets the standing breech, it may seem to lock up, but if there's any gap, it won't shoot well. You can place a straight edge across the chambered brass too, it needs to be flush with the chamber face, if the brass sticks out any more than the barrel to chamber gap, accuracy will suffer and you may even get pop-opens since latch engagement isn't complete.  

Tim

[stimpylu32]

Rusty

Any time I pick up range brass they go in the tumbler first thing , once they are good and clean , I look over real good and trim to length , then they go into the FL sizer . That way I start with a consistent case .

Once this is done and the rounds have been Fire Formed to my chamber only then do I neck size . A little bench work ( loading ) saves me a ton of headaches at the bench ( shooting ) . 

stimpy

[Rustyinfla]

  I agree with taking care of your brass. It's just that I was amazed that this stuff would actually chamber. Even more so since it was fired in a semi auto. My main question would be, does this mean that H&R's as a whole seem to have larger chambers???

[quickdtoo]

I can't address the 223 or the semi-auto, but I do have three H&R 243s and a CVA Optima Elite 243, all of the factory brass that's been fired in the H&Rs will chamber just fine in the CVA. As a rule,  new reamers will be on the fat side of SAAMI specs so when they're sharpened, they'll still cut a chamber within tolerance, albeit slightly smaller. So I guess it depends on when in the life of the reamer the chamber was cut, when the reamer gets to the point that it no longer cuts within SAAMI specs, it's replaced with a new reamer that will cut a slightly larger chamber again, but still within spec tolerances.

The bigger issue is the flex in the H&R action, warmer loads will stretch the brass more than the same load in a bolt rifle, dunno about semi-autos tho.

This is the way I understand it, and that's the story I'm stickin to!!

Tim

[Datil]

  I have never got good groups with Fmj bullets in any thing I have tried.
  My 2 cents!   Marv.