Firstly read the link on Dan Newberrys load developement. Its pretty spot on.

Dan Newberry's Optimal Charge Weight Load Development

The guts are you end up with a load that will shot the same point of impact (POI) in a variety of conditions. For the AR in .223 I ended up with a load of 25.4gn of BM2 with a Hornady 55gn Vmax pill. The load was developed with a 16x target scope. This is pretty standard stuff for load development.

I sighted in the final set-up with the Leupold CQ/T scope. It only has a max of 3x power so was not ideal for target work. I was surprised at how well this scope works at long range though.

Below is the sight picture you get with the CQ/T scope (the outside ring being the scope body). So you see a circle with a dot. The little dot in the middle basically takes up the inside of the black square on the paper target at 100yards. Which is 3 inches (about the area the behind a deers ear).

Below is the A4 target I sighted the rifle in on before I started using it in the feild.

That is an inch circle (the dashed one). The first group was a little low so I moved it up an inch which ended up spot on. Both groups are under MOA and the final one 1.5" high at 100 yards. Ends up zero at 200yards.

That is one accurate semi auto! I was well impressed.

I used the same method to get a load worked out for the BAR .270 with similarly great results. It even had the same POI using 3 different brands of brass. Pretty good stuff.

Since developing this load for the 223 I have changed it to 25gn of BM2. This load still shoots under MOA in 3 rifles I have tested with about 4 different types of 55gn projectiles. It’s just an easier number to remember and from what I have read it’s a pretty generic load. Also easy to 'throw' through the Dillon press.

I will add that the 55gn Vmax are a little bit light for goats at close range. Probably not designed for goats but they work extremely well from about 100yds onwards. Close up they just expand to quickly. The Hornady 55gn SP projectiles are cheap as chips and work well. Probably the best I have used are the Nosler 55gn Ballistic Tips but they cost a bit more also.