Got to take my just completed Savage 223 out for its first real test.  This is a budget gun for sure; I've got about $1100 in the entire thing start to finish.  It started as a Savage Hog Hunter 223.  I had a smith inlet a B&C M40 stock for PTG bottom metal and AICS mags.  The scope is a 12x SWFA SS.  Here it is:



I tested handloads in new Winchester brass iring 52gr SMKs and IMR 8208 XBR powder.  My start charge was 23gr and my highest charge was 24.8gr.  Max listed charge was 25.4gr, but as you'll see, I doubt I'll need to go there.  I loaded 10 groups of 10 rounds, starting at 23gr and going up in 0.2gr increments every group.  All shots were taken at 100 yards.  My best group is seen here, at 24.6gr:



0.749" edge to edge, making the group 0.525" center to center.  That comes out to 1/2 MOA (0.5013 MOA to be exact) if I did my math right.  This looks like a winner of a load.  I'm pretty happy with it.

Also try the 77gr Nosler CC - it might work in the 1:9 and is a pretty good/cheap bullet all things considered.

Nice rifle and nice shooting.  I want to build a new rifle in .223 for some cheaper shooting

Nice job on that Savage, OP.  You're gonna enjoy the heck out of that thing.  

Tight groups!

Nothing wrong with a budget rifle, spend money on ammo and range time.  

I wish I could do a budget build.  They always start out that way, and then....

I can't claim any credit.  I just picked out the base rifle and the upgrade parts.  Others with machine tools and actual talent put it all together.  All I did was mount the scope and start shooting it.

how well does the optic track?

Sleek and clean!  I like it!!!!

I'm a little bit ignorant about the ins and outs of high end optics; what do you mean by 'track'?

Truth. 68gr Hornady HPBT and 22.7grs of 8028 shoot amazing out of my hog hunter. I did not have luck with 75gr NCC though.

I have the SWFA SS 10x and the tracking as well as the clarity is excellent. Would buy another without pause.

Good advice.  Also try the Nosler 77 Custom Competition.  They shoot well in my 1:9 twist Remington.

They can be purchased in bulk for less than 15 cents each.

Nice rifle and a helluva lot of fun to shoot!  I owned a Savage 10fcp-k in .308 and .223.  If you haven't seen the other 500 posts I have typed about this .223 over the last several years, I will simply state that it was and is the most accurate factory rifle I have ever witnessed.  I threw together a simple load XBR8208 and a 69SMK in Winchester brass.  That thing shot 1/3 to 1/2MOA regularly, and even put together several groups at or just under .25moa.  Some lucky gentleman on here bought it many moons ago.  It is the only firearm I regret selling.

I am having a switch barrel rig completed any day now (tomorrow would be great!) as of now, it will have a 6.5 Creed barrel and a .223 barrel.  These are longer barrels as I'm hoping to get some speed out of the projectiles while hopefully not torching the throats on them.

.223 is a lot of fun to shoot.  It is cheap, allows for great wind practice, and can still be shot out to rather extended distances.