Got the Tikka

[Star1pup]

My Tikka T-3 Lite came yesterday and it sure looks and feels great.  Now I need to get over to the reloading forum and come up with a good .223 load.  My Tikka is a 1:8" twist so I guess I should look for a heavier bullet.  I hope I can get good groups with a 55 gr.

[usherj]

A nice long range load for my bolt gun was 25.0g varget with 80g Sierra MK and 80g Berger VLD and Lapua and Rem brass. I used CCI BR-4 primers, but Fed 205M would also work.

[Star1pup]

A nice long range load for my bolt gun was 25.0g varget with 80g Sierra MK and 80g Berger VLD and Lapua and Rem brass. I used CCI BR-4 primers, but Fed 205M would also work.

I've been surprized at how heavy of a bullet many guys are using in the .223.

[Old Syko]

Shouldn't be a surprise at all.  You see, it's all about the twist rate.  If you want to shoot 40 to 55 grain slugs in .223 you would do so in a barrel of 1-10 or 1-12 twist.  You'll find the 1-8 to be too tight for the lighter varmint slugs.  You may even find such light varmint slugs may come apart in flight after going through your 1-8.  Usherj has given some good advice and should be an excellent place to start.

[Star1pup]

Shouldn't be a surprise at all.  You see, it's all about the twist rate.  If you want to shoot 40 to 55 grain slugs in .223 you would do so in a barrel of 1-10 or 1-12 twist.  You'll find the 1-8 to be too tight for the lighter varmint slugs.  You may even find such light varmint slugs may come apart in flight after going through your 1-8.  Usherj has given some good advice and should be an excellent place to start.

Well. I'm stuck with what I've got.  I tried to find a 1:12, but couldn't locate one anywhere.  Even the Savage was 1:9.  I guess I'm too used to the .222, but I wanted a bolt action and my .222 is a Savage V-24 with a 20 gauge on the bottom.  I guess I'll have to go up to at least a 60 gr. bullet.  I knew others who were shooting good groups with 55 gr. and thought I'd be okay.

[chutesnreloads]

Don't sweat it over your twist rate.I'll be suprised if you can't get decent groups with 55 grain pills in your .223.The twist only dictates what it CAN shoot accurately.Let your rifle tell you what it likes or dislikes.If you are wanting to shoot 55 grain bullets then by all means start with them and then decide if you need to take a different route.

[usherj]

Run the 80s around 2900 fps if you can do so safely and you will do much better than using lighter bullets. They hold velocity and resist wind better than lighter bullets, plus your barrel (throat) will last longer. Can use for targets (up to and even beyond 600y) and varmits (the SMKs are a lightly contructed bullet, and the jackets on the bergers are even thinner). 

[Star1pup]

usherj:   600 yards? Obvously you are not a neighbor of mine.    I would guess that with all of the woods and hills where I hunt in Ohio a 200 yard shot would be the farthest.  It's a lot flatter in western Ohio and points west.

[usherj]

Yes, the target range is a more realistic place to shoot at those distances

[Star1pup]

Yes, the target range is a more realistic place to shoot at those distances

My club has a 200 yard range and it took a bulldozer to get that much space.     There is a big hill behind the traget and a ricochet would have to go straight up. 

[usherj]

I'm fortunate to live within 20 minutes of one of the few 1,000 yd ranges on the east coast (Forbes in Colonie, NY).