The .223 Blues...

[Anonymous]

I've had my Ruger American for several years. It's never been a particularly great shooter, but good enough for winter predator duty. I've always been happy shooting generic 55gr FMJ stuff out of it at fox and coyote.

I recently picked up one of the SWFA 10x42 scopes with the MOA turrets and put it on the American with the thought that I'd mess around with some longer range shooting. The rifle has a 1:8 twist so I picked up some heavier bullet weights to try.

The rifle shoots the 55gr generic stuff about 2MOA, but it's cheap and available. I picked up some Hornady "Match" 55gr and it doesn't do much better- 1.8MOA or so average for 5 groups.

I tried the Hornady Superperformance "Match" 75gr BTHP...think it might do better in the 1:8 barrel... no dice. Despite the "Match" moniker, it only produced 1.5 MOA average for 5 separate 3 shot groups.

There's not that much variation between groups- best 3 shot group of the day was 1.1MOA and the worst was slightly over 2.5 MOA with all three types of ammunition. Groups are generally triangles- no tight clusters with flyers as a general rule. It's a good geometric group, just too large. The scope is tight and torqued properly as is the stock. I was shooting from a lead sled with the same setup that has produced 1/2MOA groups regularly with other rifles.

Kinda bummed- anyone have any suggestions other than running through a bunch of ammo looking for one that works better?

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

Hace you tried lowering the trigger pressure? This will reduce lock time and might tighten your groups.
Have you tightened the actions screws?

With a 1:8 twist, try 69 gr to 77gr bullets.
55 gr will give adequate accuracy, but nothing to write home about in that fast of a twist.

Maybe try bullets that have a longer bearing surface as well to see if that helps with accuracy as well.

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[Anonymous]

I pretty much checked all that over. I gave the bore a good scrubbing- it was pretty heavily fouled...hoping a clean barrel improves the accuracy.

Pretty interested in the 73gr ELD Match ammo for 600-800 yard steel ringing.

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

I pretty much checked all that over. I gave the bore a good scrubbing- it was pretty heavily fouled...hoping a clean barrel improves the accuracy.

Pretty interested in the 73gr ELD Match ammo for 600-800 yard steel ringing.

Good deal!
That's probably what the problem was.
Good shooting next time.

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[Guy Miner]

I have seen some very good accuracy from the various 68/69 grain match bullets.

 

[Polaris]

Your 1:8 should do very well with the 75 Hornady. My service rifle will do slightly better than 1MOA with this bullet handloaded, RRA 1:8, and I'm limited to a 4x optic so probably losing some group potential there. Do you reload? I suspect the wall you are hitting has to do with either A: the inherent accuracy potential of factory ammunition, B: a slight change of seating depth may help, or C: Changing brands with this style of bullet may find you some magic. Try Black Hills.

If you do handload, I would look into the 75 Hornady ELD-M. Your bolt rifle may be able to safely load this bullet at magazine length. I've been very impressed with this bullet in terms of groups and aerodynamic efficiency at 600 yards in service rifle matches. The 75 HPBT also deserves more effort, as they will shoot very well in most 1:7-1:8 twist barrels. Also a pretty decent bullet to 600 yards or so. Focus your efforts around Varget, R15, or 8208.

 

[Anonymous]

Back to the drawing board....

Range results are basically identical to yesterday, time to try some different ammo.

 

[thatguySHM]

I have a factory Savage 12 in 22-250 that I started cleaning on Friday, and patches are still coming out blue. I've used different solvents, and I'm almost there, the Lyman borescope still shows copper fouling.

It was shooting .5 consistently, then started opening up. Basically what I'm saying, is factory barrels can hold copper, you may not have gotten it all out.

I don't have an American, but I hear they shoot well. Have you messed with different torque settings? Made sure the scope is not an issue? Mounts? The usual suspects I suppose.

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[Anonymous]

Good point on the copper fouling. I went ahead and applied some foaming bore cleaner and will let it soak for a bit and see what I can do.

 

[thatguySHM]

After shooters choice late Friday multiple times, letting it sit at minimum ten minutes and usually an hour, then letting it soak again overnight it kept coming out bright blue. Saturday morning I used wipe out with accelerator, let it sit an hour and a half, pushed out more carbon and copper, tried SC again, after an hour soak still bright blue. Kept letting it soak for a few hours all day, then that night gave old Hoppe's No 9 a try. Patches came out brighter after No 9. So today I did it did more times, borescope says I'm almost there.

It's a factory Savage barrel, and it's much better then when started, but at this point it's a pride thing to get it back to factory new. I think I'm going to try some fire lapping to get some chatter out of the barrel and see if I can't slow the problem down. It's a real shooter, just fouls like crazy.

If fire lapping does anything to it, I'll just rebarrel sooner rather than later. I don't need an AI, but will have one.

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[mike06]

69 grain Custom Competition 23.5 grains of benchmark best load for my 223 1-8 twist.

 

[Anonymous]

Scrubbed out the barrel really well...should be clean as a whistle.

Tried Remington 69gr. Match ammo.... same results- 1.7-2.0 MOA.

At least it's consistent. That's a variety of bullet weights, variety of loadings and a variety of speeds all pretty much coming up with the same sort of results. Everything on the rifle seems in good shape- torqued, clean, nothing rubbing the barrel, etc.

Is this thing just a dud? Generally I can try three or four loads and one of them comes up a winner, it's been a long time since I had one that wouldn't shoot at least something in the first four or five quality factory loads more than acceptably. Historically, if a rifle is that much trouble at the beginning...it's going to remain trouble. I just detest finicky rifles.

I was hoping to turn this fast twist .223 into a LR plinker with some 75-77gr bullets...but at 2MOA, that's a waste of time. I bought it for a low$$$ predator blaster that I wouldn't mind rattle canning white. At this point, that's likely the way it's gonna go. A 2MOA gun is completely adequate for that kind of work.

Open to any more ideas before I hit it with Krylon.

 

[FOTIS]

SEND IT BACK to ruger !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SJB358]

I have the RAR Predator in 223 and it is a very accurate rifle. I have primarily shot H4895 with 75 grain Hornady HPBT's and 77 grain TMK's from Sierra. Mine is VERY accurate and I'd guess it'll be under MOA for 5 shots without too much fuss. I'd say you got a stinker myself. When I first got the rifle it shot Federal 40 grain BT's, The Federal Fusion 62's and one other brand really well. I'd almost bet if it isn't the scope, you have a rifle that just isn't right. I would check the TQ on the stock though, I think Ruger calls for 65-80 inch lb's on them. Makes a pretty big difference since the bedding system depends on the TQ to make it work.