remingtonman_25_06
Handloader
- Nov 17, 2005
- 2,794
- 370
Well I took my Rem 700 222 to the smith yesterday morning to do some work and just picker her up tonight. What started out as an early 700 ADL is now a long range trainer in 223 Wylde set up specifically for the 80g ELDMs. It served its purpose for many years as a calling rig for coyotes primarily with the 40g vmax at 3500fps with IMR4198 and shooting well like a triple deuce is known for, groups in the 2s and 3s were not all uncommon, and actually quite regular from a bench rest at 100 yards. However around 10 years ago I always had a hankering for a long range, fast twist 223 to use as a trainer out to 1K to save barrel life and components with the larger centerfires, inparticular my 7mm and 300 mags. So the build began last Christmas when the wife bought me a Greyboe Renegade M5 stock. This allows you to seat the bullets out to around 2.550" in the MDT mags. I threw it on the 222 and scrapped the factory style wood sporter stock. Next came the tough part which was locating a Bartlein 28" rem varmint with an 8 twist. I hadn't seen one in almost 2 years of searching a few places that always had bartleins in stock. About a month ago bugholes finally came through and I was able to get a 29" Heavy Varmint 8 twist. They had 1 in stock and you wouldn't believe how fast I whipped out that credit card haha. A little heavier contour then the Rem Varmint I have built around my 7-300 Win mag and 6 creed, but none the less it would have to do, I was tired of waiting for something that didn't exist with the 8 twist Rem Varmint contour...I then ordered a Timney trigger and had the Leupold MK4 20 MOA base and MK4 rings, along with the MK4 6.5-20x scope. It was now time to take it all to the smith. I brought it to him yesterday morning at 10 o clock, and he called me today for pick up at 4pm and said it was ready to go. He set the timney at 1.5# per my request since all my rifles are set there where I like them. He also threaded an oversized bolt knob to round it out. He chambered it in 223 Wylde with an .080" freebore custom reamer specifically for the 80g ELDMs to hit the bottom case neck/shoulder junction at the boat tail with an 80g ELDM. COAL to the lands with this configuration is 2.510" I should be able to reach 3000fps with the 80g ELDMs and that is quite impressive for the little 223. Ballistics are almost identical out to 1K as the 6 Creed with 108g ELDMs at 3000 I just had built for my coyote rifle. Rifle weight is 15# just like the 6 Creed and 7-300 I have. This 223 will mainly be used on steel out to 1200 at the range, and also local PRS and MOA matches, and of course the occasional dog out to around 600-700 yards easy. I have a few pounds of IMR and H4895 to get started. Wasn't able to locate any Lapua brass, so after some research the next best bet I could come up with was Starlines 5.56 brass since it has a thicker/heavier case head/web area and should withstand some good pressures. It was not easy to locate either. I scoured the internet and finally found a local mom and pop shop out of Montana and bought 200 fresh cases. Ran them all through the expander last night night to round out the necks and primed them with some older CCI 400s for now. Am saving the CCI 450s/BR4s/Rem 7.5 BRs for when these cases have been fireformed and barrel is broke in before doing serious load development. I will load up a ladder with IMR and H4895 to see what powder it prefers and just load the rest up with whatever shows promise from there. I can't wait to get this thing to the range. It's been a long time coming!
