Author Topic: Ammo question (Read 894 times)

Ed in AL · « **on:** January 26, 2005, 04:49:18 PM »

My biggest question now is on ammo for my .223 barrel and prairie dogs.

I have not shot the barrel very much since receiving it from NEF. Never tried any of the white box stuff that seems to work well in so many guns. I have been planning to play around with Blue Dot reduced velocity loads using Hornady 40 grain V-Max bullets. I want to watch what happens at the target in the scope. That has not been possible with the 55 grain factory loads I have been shooting. Maybe I need to add some weight to my synthetic stock. Any comments on the Blue Dot loads for PD?

This would be a good bit cheaper to load as compared to the purchase of roughly 500 rounds of the white box stuff. Cost IS a factor since my two week trip could hit 3 grand.

lik2hunt · « **Reply #1 on:** January 26, 2005, 11:59:15 PM »

Check out the last post on this thread.

http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=53235

Also I think Wlscott has worked up a load pretty close to the Winny stuff too.

Wlscott · « **Reply #2 on:** January 27, 2005, 02:59:34 AM »

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Also I think Wlscott has worked up a load pretty close to the Winny stuff too.

It's not exact though. It uses a 40 grain V Max instead of a Hollow Point. And I think the Winny stuff is 45 grains.

Plus I haven't had a chance to shoot them yet to see how good they shoot.

Ed, if you're having trouble seeing the target through the scope when you shoot (Regardless of bullet weight), two things pop into my mind.......Scope set on hoo high of a power............ And/or......When I have trouble watching bullet impace, it usually means a poor trigger squeeze. Could either one of these have anything to do with it?

Ed in AL · « **Reply #3 on:** January 27, 2005, 03:37:30 AM »

Could possibly be a little of both. Like I said, it has not been shot that much.

The trigger is at roughly 8lbs. now, and it is boxed up and ready to get sent off. When I bought my extra barrels I had asked for the free trigger job. Since they kept my frame for six months waiting on the .44 barrel and me asking questions bi-weekly about delivery, they must have rushed and skipped that request. They even substituted the higher cost 24" .223 Ultra barrel to get it sent back sooner. Maybe this time it will be addressed. Maybe I also need to get a 45/70 barrel for the bigger dogs while the frame is there. :-) After the frame gets back I will give it a shot (pun intended) with a lower power setting on the scope and see what happens.

Do you think the lower velocity, lower report, lower cost Blue Dot rounds would be effective on the dogs at the ranges we will be shooting?

Wlscott · « **Reply #4 on:** January 27, 2005, 06:10:07 AM »

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Do you think the lower velocity, lower report, lower cost Blue Dot rounds would be effective on the dogs at the ranges we will be shooting?

You probably won't get the "red mist" effect with the lower velocity rounds like you do with the high velocity, highly frangible bullet loads, but you shouldn't have any problem killing them.

The only thing I'd suggest is to make sure you know where the slower loads are at ranges out to three hundred or so yards. Their trajectory isn't going to be as flat as the faster ones.

Myself, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to see bullet impact with any .223 load (At scope powers less than 20X). Unless, like I said, there is a problem with trigger control. At 8 Lbs, I'd say there's an issue with the trigger.

If you feel comfortable with it, and don't want to wait for the factory, download Raynor's instructions and do your own trigger job.