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Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: JJB11B on November 20, 2021, 06:07:01 PM


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Title: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: JJB11B on November 20, 2021, 06:07:01 PM
So I’ve been tinkering with my 18” 1:8 twist Wilson Combat match barrel in a home built setup. It shoots 55 Gr Nosler ballistic tips well but I want to try and buck the wind some. I bought a box of 77 Berger OTM’s and OMG are they accurate. My rifle is chambered in 5.56 and I’m trying to get a little more velocity I’m able to shoot sub 1/2 MOA with 22.1 Gr of H4895 in Lake city brass with CCI #41’s but I’m only getting 2500fps. I’d like to try and reach for 2700 FPS. Powders I have on hand are H4895, Varget, Sta-ball 6.5, and Benchmark looking for some advice. Loading these to 2.260 as it’s an AR…
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: JJB11B on November 20, 2021, 06:18:13 PM
I shot some great groups with H4895 at 22.1 grains, it’s just to slow. but at 22.6 grains I’m already compressed Berger doesn’t have Load Data for 5.56 in there book  I shot about a 1” group with 22.8 Grains of H4895 and was only at 2600FPS. 23.9 of varget was decent at 2604 FPS but I don’t think the extra BC is worth it losing that much velocity
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: JJB11B on November 20, 2021, 06:19:58 PM
I didn’t get pics of all the groups because I’m in a surgical shoe and it was friggen pouring down rain. The dot target was the 23.9 Gr of varget going 2600 FPS and the black target was 22.1 Gr H4895 going 2500 FPS. Wondering if I should try to push varget harder as it had no pressure signs and it seemed to be tightening up the harder I pushed it. I checked and 24.1 Gr of varget doesn’t quite reach the neck of the case so I should be able to seat a bullet on it
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: JJB11B on November 20, 2021, 06:55:46 PM
So does anyone else have some Pet 5.56 loads running 68-77 grain bullets that aren’t slow as hell?
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: callturner on November 20, 2021, 07:40:18 PM
If your making 1 hole what's the point?  :hello:
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: JJB11B on November 21, 2021, 08:54:15 PM
Because trying to figure out lead shooting a bullet going nearly 1000fps slower than I normally shoot at coyotes on the move is going to be expensive lol
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: hunter399 on November 21, 2021, 08:57:22 PM
I would just shoot whatever shoots the best with your rifle.
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: fowl smacker on November 21, 2021, 09:05:51 PM
If you're getting sub moa accuracy, the coyote won't know it's going 200fps slower than you'd like.  I'll take accuracy over more speed any day.
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: JJB11B on November 22, 2021, 06:07:08 PM
I guess it gives me an excuse to built a 22-250 AI with a 1:8 barrel
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: Dan-o on November 22, 2021, 08:04:15 PM
I guess it gives me an excuse to built a 22-250 AI with a 1:8 barrel

Precisely!!

You KNOW you need a 22-250AI.
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: JJB11B on November 23, 2021, 01:56:52 PM
Ok? So I have 2 16” 1:9 twist 5.56 barrels, what do you guys run in those, not interested in shooting ball ammo, I want to work up a load for one of my .224 cal rifles running Barnes TSX bullets, I have a bolt action .22-250 with a 1:10 barrel as well
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: jasnt on November 25, 2021, 03:01:16 PM
I got my best accuracy with 4895 also and 77gr.  Wasn’t the fastest but they where the best. 
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: hunter399 on November 25, 2021, 03:48:21 PM
You ever try h335,or blc2, h322,a2200.
You need a powder that's gonna get you there without filling the case so quickly.
Just a suggestion,always work your way up.
My first pick of those I mentioned would be h322.
I haven't even looked in a reloading book that's just from my brain sack.
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: JJB11B on November 26, 2021, 12:31:41 PM
Here’s bergers manual, temp stability to me is very important and with powder being so hard to get I have to go with what I’ve got, note….I know not all these powders are temp stable.
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: hunter399 on November 26, 2021, 02:11:11 PM
I went ahead and went to Hodgdon website.
I see you don't have h322 ,that sucks,it is temp stable.
With h322 there is ALOT of room in the case.
I'm not gonna try to convert,or convince you to try Blc2.
But I do use it for 308,223, myself and even though it's not temp stable ,with my rifles, when you find a load that shoots well ,it will work.
Here's a screen shot of Hodgdon reloading of those two powder for a 77gr bullet.
Wish ya luck with it
I've said all I can tell ya.

Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: JJB11B on November 26, 2021, 11:13:47 PM
I went ahead and went to Hodgdon website.
I see you don't have h322 ,that sucks,it is temp stable.
With h322 there is ALOT of room in the case.
I'm not gonna try to convert,or convince you to try Blc2.
But I do use it for 308,223, myself and even though it's not temp stable ,with my rifles, when you find a load that shoots well ,it will work.
Here's a screen shot of Hodgdon reloading of those two powder for a 77gr bullet.
Wish ya luck with it
I've said all I can tell ya.


I appreciate that man I really do. Thank you
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: hunter399 on November 27, 2021, 06:00:16 AM
I went ahead and went to Hodgdon website.
I see you don't have h322 ,that sucks,it is temp stable.
With h322 there is ALOT of room in the case.
I'm not gonna try to convert,or convince you to try Blc2.
But I do use it for 308,223, myself and even though it's not temp stable ,with my rifles, when you find a load that shoots well ,it will work.
Here's a screen shot of Hodgdon reloading of those two powder for a 77gr bullet.
Wish ya luck with it
I've said all I can tell ya.


I appreciate that man I really do. Thank you
I'm pretty sure the reloading data I posted is for 223.
So you could still work your way up a little.(556 will take a tiny bit more presure)
Blc2 is probably out anyway cause of your reloading data shows your out of case capacity pretty quick with those long bullets.
If you ever come across h322 ,I would definitely give it a try.
I've never reloaded 223/556.
But reload a lot with a 223 case and a 25 cal bullet shoved in that case.
Title: Re: 5.56 heavy bullet loads for coyotes
Post by: JJB11B on November 27, 2021, 05:19:17 PM
I went ahead and went to Hodgdon website.
I see you don't have h322 ,that sucks,it is temp stable.
With h322 there is ALOT of room in the case.
I'm not gonna try to convert,or convince you to try Blc2.
But I do use it for 308,223, myself and even though it's not temp stable ,with my rifles, when you find a load that shoots well ,it will work.
Here's a screen shot of Hodgdon reloading of those two powder for a 77gr bullet.
Wish ya luck with it
I've said all I can tell ya.


I appreciate that man I really do. Thank you
I'm pretty sure the reloading data I posted is for 223.
So you could still work your way up a little.(556 will take a tiny bit more presure)
Blc2 is probably out anyway cause of your reloading data shows your out of case capacity pretty quick with those long bullets.
If you ever come across h322 ,I would definitely give it a try.
I've never reloaded 223/556.
But reload a lot with a 223 case and a 25 cal bullet shoved in that case.

H322 looks like it could be a winner, for a lot of stuff I’ll keep my eyes peeled. Like I needed another powder on my list of powders I’m looking for. I just got back into owning some Magnums and hunting that powder too
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