Trying out the 75gr Speer Gold Dot in 223 Remington. The test powders are Alliant Power Pro 2000 MR and Alliant Reloder 15. Accuracy and expansion tests. / johnnysreloadingbench / reloading
I'm going to try and use these to replace my target bullet (Hornady 75gr BTHP) for .03 cents more a round. Its nice to know that my target bullet is also designed for more than shooting paper. I''ve never been disappointed with any speer bullets I've used in the past. Hard to beat better and cheaper. Great Video!
That's great Johnny I was going to trying these bullets in my stag. And now I am definitely going to be a great bullet for my son to hunt with. Thanks for everything you do Johnny can't wait to see more.
Home from church and what do I find? ANOTHER new Johnny's reloading vid! Wooohooo! It's been a great weekend! Keep em coming boss! Happy New Year sir! God bless!
Cool timing, I just picked up a box of these on a road trip to check out one of the larger shops in the area. Pleased to see the gold dot rifle bullets performing in line with the pistol versions. At least the older generation pistol bullets. I haven't tried the G2's after seeing them puke on test after test.
Great to see the videos more regularly after a little lull with having a job in all. Mentioned before I’d like to see video with your favorite bullets/powder combos, and applications ie hunting plinking etc. also maybe how you manage or organize you brass. I have a lot of range pickups. Do you separate by head stamp? Keep track of firings? I would think it may depend on application ie hunting vs plinking. Keep up the good work. Best reloading channel out there.
I really like these bullets. They still don't retain a great deal of energy down range in 22 caliber but they certainly will be effective on deer out to 250-300 yards. In 6mm and larger they should be ideal for hunting where I live in the West. Sold out atm pretty broadly, however...
Your expansion tests are impressive and comprehensive. That being said, last hog I shot was with my Wilson Combat 300BLK 16" bbl at 110gr VMax at 2000ish fps. Bastard came out at 96.4gr at 50yds and penetrating from right shoulder to left hind quarter while exploding three ribs and liquifying the right lung and all of the guts.
Awesome series JRB. Gold dots are such a good bullet. Fantastic in pistol and rifle calibers. For the next test with this bullet maybe try AA2520 for speed and then 8208 for a accuracy powder. Both should do well. 24.0 grains of RL15 is a standard accuracy load for 77 grain bullets, so I’m surprised that powder didn’t perform. I picked up a couple thousand of the 64 grain version RMR Reloading was selling before these switched to 62 grains and went retail. They perform excellent also. And yes I believe I have read online that it is the exact same bullet in the federal fusion load. I have always loved and used Nosler partition bullets for hunting, but the way these bonded bullets consistently expand even at high velocity and stay together with great accuracy I may just be switching some of my go to hunting loads over to try. Great vid.
They work, I shot a 200lbs doe with the 62gr, stuck in between the ribs on the back side, I shanked the shot, hit the widest part of the cage, 75gr should pass all the way through
24.0 grains of Varget/RL15 is a go to load for a TON of service rifle competitors when using 75/77grain bullets. They just load and shoot. No testing. Always shoots well. The load data for 223 was pretty weak. To test your RL15 - Load up 24 grains under some 77SMK's or 75 hornady.
I shoot 24.4 with sierra 77's and I get 1/2" groups if I am shooting well that day and those would be my best groups. I am not very consistent though. Alliants factory suggestion is 24.1 with Sierra 77's should yield 2783 (guessing a 24" barrel).
D Olson no pressure signs in LC brass. And according to my manual I’m still .4 grains from max. It’s a great load for shooting steel out to 200 yards (my range only goes to 200) and it’s an easy load for me to remember so I stick to it.
I know it's a large bullet to shoot supersonic in 300 BLK Out but I'm wondering what this bullet would do in a 100 yard hunting load with Win 296. Any chance to see that. Thanks a lot really enjoying your videos very informative. You've got me back to my reloading bench after a 2 year hiatus.
Great video as always. . Now that I have seen your "make 22 Nolser suck less video" I have to wonder what kind of hunting round a 22 NosGar loaded with a 75 grain gold dot would make. There is just something really soul moving about the prospect of a 75 grain gold dot knocking on the door of 3000 FPS with very little recoil.
I wish you would check the 125 go Speer TNT in ballistic gel. You shot it in 300 BO before and it would be interesting to see how it expands at the lower velocity.
In my 1in8 twist barrel the factory loaded 55 grain gd was more accurate than the 62/64 grain gd.I would to see the 75 grain gd loaded with cfe223 and power pro varmint in 5.56 load data.
We have 1:9 twist one in spikes tactical and one areo precision what would you suggest? Would you please make some loads using a 1:9 twist. We are looking to build us some great shooting pills. We have enjoyed watching your Bob's bullets and the black hills challenge mock up. We are on number 7 in the series. Keep up the great work.
Alliant lists 2000 MR as a ball powder. Looking at it, I see spherical grains and flat grains. Question: The standard deviation varies quite a bit from shell to shell. Do you think it could be that one shell has more or less spherical grains or flat grains. It would be impossible to load a case with half of each. Any thoughts?
Man I have tried RL15 on a few different trips with a few different Bullets and cases. It never puts together a good group for me. I e had 1 lb for two years and I occasionally try something new with it and just never get good results. I was told it was great for heavy 223 but I just never see it.
This round is amazing. That .411 G1 Ballistic coefficient is really high for magazine length rounds. 500 ft lbs of energy at 500 yards if it's going 2700+ fps. Impressive.
Love ur videos. Just picked up a ruger American in 223. I've been reloading a bit. Mostly because of your videos haha. I kno ypu xant shoot 5.56 in a 223 chamber but since I'll be reloading them, does it matter if I use the 5.56 brass and load it with the .223 data? Thanks
I've been loading these in 300 BLK. They are specifically made for the black out . 150 grain is all that is available , but they seem to work well on the couple of deer I have shot with them. Would like to see you give these a try and maybe a gel test 😁
I will! They have a 150 standard version and a 150 blackout version, I believe. I'm curious if they made the blackout version soft enough to expand at 300 BLK velocities. Your results seem to indicate that they have! Awesome stuff. Glad to see another good option for the 300 BLK.
@@JohnnysReloadingBench I will say they were only about 50 yard shots out of a 16 inch barrel, and I exceeded max charges a bit since my gun didn't show pressure signs. Can't wait to see!! Keep up the awesome vids
@@JohnnysReloadingBench Looking forward to this video for the 150 Gold Dot in 300 BLK also. I'm wondering what the difference is between the standard and BLK versions besides the price tag.
The 62gr gold dots looked to have more uniform expansion, but those expanded 75gr bullets just look downright vicious. I'd hate to get hit by one of those.
Great video as always! In my AR with a 18" 1:8 Bear Creek Arsenal barrel I run the Hornady 75gr BTHP Match bullets with 22.5gr of RL15. Not sure of the velocity, but accuracy is outstanding! Sub MOA. I know that bullet isn't meat for hunting either, but it shoots lights out with RL15. It also shoots well in my 1:7 16" .556 AR.
My personal opinion, but why not do these exact loads again, but pump them through a bolt action rifle. This will remove any possible problems with gas settings. Great stuff mate, cheers 🇦🇺 🍺🍺
I think the velocity was normal for RL-15. My guess is a few bad pieces of brass to cause the fliers? Can go much higher in powder weight with RL-15 with no pressure. Very easily. That does not mean that velocities will even come close to 2000MR though...
I couldn't get those to shoot at all in my psa premium chf 1n7 twist factory loads, I'm talking 6 inch groups....64gr shoot great. 64 gr stops in the skin on back side of a 200 lbs deer, I shot it in the widest part of rib cage, was shot on the run and dropped at 40yrds. Usually if shot closer to shoulder they exit. They expand at very low speed, great long range bullet.
RL15 seems to fall apart at low charge weights. Everyone I know that shoots it says the same thing: push it or it gets wild and dirty. Maybe something you want in a girlfriend, but not in a load.
Ok now I’m gonna go load some critter hitters for my AR. Ya got me on the 300 WM the other day and ended up prepping like 75 pieces. No RL 26 to be found so I’ll load those later.
For a hunting gun and low round counts the RL26 is awesome. If you want to make it a target rifle then use H1000 as you will get about 2X the barrel life.
I don't know what is going on with your RE-15 results. I'm surprised. I shoot the 75 gr Hornady BTHP Match bullet in a 1 in 8 twist 18 in Daniel Defense STW bbl. I referred to the Hornady load manual,the page for " AR-15 Match loads" I'm a Varget fan. I buy 8 lb jugs, Its my "go to" powder for 69 gr bullets and 308 168 gr. I also stock H-4895 for my Garand. I had some Ball C-2 on hand. Like you do, I loaded a bunch and took my chrono to the range. I admit I really wanted Varget to win. Not so! RE-15 gave equal accuracy and significantly better velocity than the other powders with that bullet in my rifle. The Gold Dot is interesting. Comparing the Hornady to the 77 gr SMK and NOS Custom Comp, the Hornady had a cost and advertised BC advantage. Its been my "Go to"
Would be interested to see the gel test at lower velocities to find an acceptable minimum velocity for expansion and then extrapolate a maximum effective hunting range.
Please Johnny do a review of the BT sniper custom swaging dies for turning 22 LR cases in 223/556 projectiles I would love to know your opinion about these Swaging dies
Would you be interested in some (250) .224 nosler custom competition 80 grain bullet? I've tried then in my AR and 22-250 AI with not the greatest results. I prefer Berger.
Johnny, Have you ever tried H4895 for 223/5.56? Might like the results. I have a 24 inch 223 wylde.... Able to get 3013 with 24.1 gns. Node is at 23.7 gns... 2900 and some change with single digit es...
These Speer GD look like the perfect hunting and self defense bullet. Since you are on the subject of temperature sensitivity, ever thought of loading some up and shooting half in winter and other half in the heat if summer?
Craig Myers might be a fun experiment, but it would probably be easier to just chill 1/2 of the ammo and shoot it all in the summer. I have heard of people taking a small cooler of ice and putting the ammo in a ziplock bag to chill it. Could be handy if it’s July and you are working up a load for your hunting trip in the fall
Let me also state... I appreciate all your videos, the time and the effort you pit into them. When I make suggestions, it’s not downplaying your efforts. You sir, provide a great service to the reloading community
I bought the 75's and 2000MR due to this video. In my rifle that shoots 75 and 77's awesome, the target with that combo looked like a shot gun hit it. I then tried the 75's with H4895, my go to powder... with the same results. Maybe another barrel of mine will shoot them?
Can you please try cfe223 I’ve also shot it at minimum and the expansion at 100yrds is nearly comical only the very tip folds out to 5 distinct petals so it will still expand to an extent out to a great distance. My 24.0 gr load has slightly less expansion that yours An very similar accuracy great bullet looking forward to more tests!
I have been using Leveroution for 70 RDF and 85 RDF and have been achieving great accuracy and insane velocities. I am able to get 2950 with the 85 without any pressure signs. I think it too would be a great match for this bullet.
Well, I got the bullet in the mail today and had some awesome group at 3173 fps with no pressure signs. Leveroution is the perfect powder for this application because it is so dense. This will be a great hunting bullet.
Very nice accuracy and velocity form an expanding bullet. Have you ever messed with IMR 4064 with .223? Just picked up a pound of it, and it seemed to shoot 62gr Hrdy HPBT with 22.5 Grs really well.
Paul Harveu you can work that up to 24.0-24.3gr depending on seating depth. I’ve been running 24.0gr with 69gr Sierra hpbt for years in my service rifle setup.
223, good bullet, and a neck shot will kill just about anything that's in that midsized game category without question. I've shot several deer with 22-250 I know the velocity is higher but it's still the same bullet and normally the 22-250 is shooting a lighter bullet than what you can shoot in the 223. If your not taking long shots I'd say 150 yards and in the velocity difference isn't going to make much of a difference assuming you can put the bullet where it needs to go.
Will the 75gr Speer Gold Dot stabilise in my 1:9 rifling twist? It does just about stabilise the 69gr HPBT but it needs some "tuning". The 75gr SP are slightly shorter and slower - how will that affect accuracy? I like the 75gr a lot. I am from Africa and will like to drop larger antelope (up to 500 pound) without having to carry around my heavy .270
My question is; how slow can these get before expansion becomes an issue? Also, what's the least "flashy" powder in short barrel AR's, that maintains good velocity (2400'ish FPS muzzle with a 62gr in say, an 11.7'ish or 12.5'ish barrel?)
My Barnes 62gr TTSX loads sucked butt with RL15...then I found the 5.56 data. RL15 loves a fill case + I see zero reason to load anything under 24 gr with RL15.
Hi Johnny, I am not a reloader, but love your vids...! Just one question that has been bugging my friends and I.... So.. Does the shape of the projectile, for example if the tip is wonky, misshapen, distorted or just not symmetrical have any effect on the accuracy of the round...? The reason we ask is that when you look at a box of ammo, usually the soft points, hollow points aren't perfectly pointy or round, some points slant and hollow points aren't perfectly round or hollow, others look deformed and inconsistent in shape to others in the same box...!! How much do these imperfections effect groupings or accuracy in the real world..?? Cheers... G..
Tip (meplat) imperfections usually have little affect on short range accuracy! If you're really shooting long range I'm sure it will have an impact, but for 300 yards and in it's nothing to be concerned about. Imperfections in the base of the bullet are actually much more important. Make sure your bullets seat smoothly (good chamfer, not way too much neck tension) to take care of that bullet base and you'll be in good shape!.
Idk what I like better as a hunting round in 223 its between 3 rounds fed fusion 62 Grain Speer gold dot 62gr or fed trophy bonded tip 62gr think trophy is still my go to but good luck getting ammo for it any more as they haven't ran a run of it since September 2017 and I'm in desperate need to replenish my hunting ammo so looks like fusion it is or Speer looks like they act the same.
It is a 15" handguard from Palmetto State Armory. It came on a basic upper I bought, then I swapped out the barrel for a White Oak Armament. I can't remember which gas block I've got on this gun. I would suggest the Superlative Arms if you're looking to buy. They seem to have had a price hike lately and are going for about $90. They used to be cheaper! They can be adjusted to either restrict the gas flow or bleed it off, and they are extremely easy to adjust. All of the others I've tried have been a paint in the butt to adjust, including the one on this upper.
Off topic for this video; but can you swap a 6.5 Grendel with a 7.62x39 barrel? I know the old Grendel's used a 7.62 bolt; then they changed to the new, deeper bolt face. Does anyone make a 7.62x39 barrel that is compatible with 6.5 Grendel bolt?
Grendel l bolts were the old 7.62x39 boot IIRC and the new Grendel II stuff has a different bolt. Johnny's first barrel was a Grendel l but marked Grendel II and thus headspace was jacked up. So if you had a Grendel l barrel that would work, otherwise just get a new matching bolt for new 7.62x39 barrel. You will need new magazines to so it is what it is.
