Where to start ?

[lucky guy]

My 223 UV is shooting Winchester 45hp's to under an inch, and handloaded 40 gr. Nos BT's to under 3/4".  The only thing that's been changed on it is that the factory did the trigger, now 3# and pretty crisp. 

So I'm wondering, other than different loads what would you try and in what order to wring out any more accuracy from this rifle? 

Thanks.   

[quickdtoo]

I can't say mine is too picky, or else I just lucked into a great load on the first try. I'm getting 7/16 - 5/8" at 100 yds with the nosler 40 bt over 27 gr of 748. First load I tried out of the Nosler reloading book.

I'm resting the foregrip on a bag behind the foregrip screw and the stock in a second bag. I hold the stock fairly tight to the shoulder with my left hand holding the bottom of the receiver.

I noticed some of the col's you guys are talking about are alot longer than mine at 2.0", sounds like I should try some a little longer. I guess you can measure the length to the lands by closing a long dummy round in the chamber like with a bolt action?

These aren't bench rest rifles, but with a little patience, they can be made to shoot very well.

The trigger can be made lighter if you desire, but you have a pretty good trigger now, all my factory triggers have been closer to 3½lbs on a Lyman digital scale, so there's room for improvement. I have one frame that has a 21oz trigger.

Play with COL and shoot it a lot, most barrels shoot best after 200 rounds or so, some a lot more. Most H&R throats are long, particularly the .223, don't even try to reach the lands, using SAAMI COL works best for most, but it doesn't hurt to experiment a little.

Tim

[Mac11700]

My 223 UV is shooting Winchester 45hp's to under an inch, and handloaded 40 gr. Nos BT's to under 3/4".  The only thing that's been changed on it is that the factory did the trigger, now 3# and pretty crisp. 

So I'm wondering, other than different loads what would you try and in what order to wring out any more accuracy from this rifle? 

Thanks.   

You have a excellent shooting 223...and as Quick said...they aren't BR rifles...but some of them shoot almost as good...Considering the overall cost...for what your getting is pretty awsome...

Where to start to make it shoot better than it is??....Well...other than making tiny adjustments to you OAL...and to your powder amount( always tiny amounts...1 thing at a time too )...I would say buy a better scope...For a rifle shooting as good as your is...getting a higher power scope so you can watch the riticle on the target easier would be a natural thing to do...I think Quick has a nice Meuller Eradicator he likes that would work nice on it...I just got a real nice Smith & Wesson 6x24mil-dot from him that is going on my new 270...It should make bench work with it 10 times easier than the Burris 3x9 BP Fullfield II I had on it...I feel good scopes do make a major difference for serious bench work...and in the field......

Mac

[lucky guy]

Thanks.  I think it is a good one! 

I think a scope would be a help.  I'm using an old Bushnell AO 6x18, but it doesn't really focus that well even at 100 yds.  I'm not looking for a br gun, but we get alot of shots at 200 - 300 yds or more where I shoot.  Sage rats start looking pretty small at those distances. 

I was asking about other tuning because I've seen some reference to o-rings, foregrip pillar bedding and torquing the foregrip bolt?.  I haven't done any of those, but use a half-height ground washer under the foregrip for a good surface there.  These seem like pretty simple things to try if they might help some.

Quick, you got a scope? 

[lucky guy]

BTW Quick, it didn't come with that good a trigger, it was over 4#..  I sent it back and for $30 or so the factory did it.

[bigjeepman]

My first goal with a new rifle is to get it sub-moa. You are already there, but like most of us, you want better groups for those longer shots. Several times I have heard guys in a gunshop say ... "I'm going to shoot such and such a bullet with my new rifle." I think that the rifle should tell us what bullet it likes. This sounds a little elementary but I think it should be said. Even guys I shoot with have a preference to what bullet they want a firearm to shoot before they even fire it. I have never done this because, as we all know, every rifle is different.

My point is I broke my .223 Handi's in on Winchester White Box 45's. Like quick said, 200 rounds or so, and it will more than likely settle down and even be a better shooter. Neither one of my .223's shoot great groups with bullets under 50 gr or over 60 gr. They both shot the WWB sub-moa but were not all that consistent. For my rifles, the best results came from Nosler BT 50 gr and Hornady 55 gr V-MAX bullets. I have a friend who has a better bullet selection (he reloads for 10 calibers or more) than some gunshops so he let me try a variety of bullet weights without me having to buy a box of fifty at a time. This really helps me a lot.

The scope idea is a very good idea too. Good shooting to you.