Jump to content
Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

Loading .223


XtReMe90

Recommended Posts

Just cutting my teeth in the rifle reloading game.. I'm looking to load some 55gr bullets for mainly punching paper at 3-Gun competitions but would also like to use them out to 200yrds on plates if needed. What's everyone's go to powder for loading short range rifle rounds? I am also looking to load up some 77gr for 2-600yd range... do  you use the same powder as you 55gr loads  or do you use something different  for more precision shooting?  I should also add that I will be loading on a Dillon 650 and I have read that some powders do meter well due to their shape. 

     Thank you for your help! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can use the same powder, but you'll typically be better served by using different powders, both performance-wise and cost-wise.  Ie for 77gr I use 8208XBR loading for precision on a Forster COAX... for 55gr I use TAC through a Dillon PM on a 1050.  TAC is a bit cheaper than XBR too.  TAC is a good powder to choose however if you want to run the same powder across both weights.  But there are many options - RE15, BL2, 335, AR-Comp, Varget, etc. - lots of folks use 335 for 55 gr and it's a bit cheaper still than the others above.  

 

IF you also load 308, Varget and XBR are popular powders for it as well..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depends on your rifle. Out to 200 yards won't really be affected by powder type as much as powder weight for that powder with that bullet with that rifle.

Powder choice depends on gas system, somewhat, and bullet weight. I lean towards the slower burning 223 powders, anything in the range of 4895 up to CFE223 or 748. I use CFE223. Reason I shoot slow powder is because I have an 18 inch barrel with a rifle length gas system. It only has pressure until the bullet exits the muzzle, which in that barrel is not long enough for fast burning powders.

I used faster powders with my old rifle, but that was carbine length gas so the pressure stayed in the barrel longer. Also had more recoil. Those H335 and Benchmark loads won't reliably cycle in my current rifle. They probably would with a lighter BCG, but it's cheaper and simpler, and just as accurate, to adjust the powder.

Powders listed above are good too. I wouldn't bother with heavier bullets (69 or 77 gr) unless you will be shooting at 250+ regularly. 55 gr will suffice at 200 for steel.

My load for 55 FMJ is 27gr CFE223, Rem 7 1/2 primer, COL 2.215.

Have fun working them up!


Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm running a 18" Rifle length gas Proof barrel with a JP low mass BCG.

 

I was leaning towards  H355 for my 55gr and IMR 8208 XBR for my 77gr. One of our local club matches has targets out to 600 yards consistently so I would like to work up a load for longer distances. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorite powder for .223 has been IMR4198 since back in the early 80's.  Pain in the butt to get consistent charge weights though.

 

Recently went to the range with my nephew to sight in his new AR15.  Long bull barrel thing from Stag Arms with a 4 X16 scope on it.  He bought Remington and Winchester ammo for it.  We sighted in at 25 yds. and then moved to 100 (longest distance at the range I belong to) to get the BDC set up on his scope.  I handed him a magazine with my reloads in it to shoot after he got it sighted in.  When we were done he was looking at his targets.  Which targets did he keep?  The ones with the tightest groups.  Which ones were those?  My IMR4198 powder reloads with 55 grain Hornady FMJ bullets.

 

Having said that, I recently ran across another load that seems to approach the accuracy of that load in my rifles, if not equal it.  That load used the same bullet but with BLC2 powder.  BLC2 is much more consistent dropping out of a powder measure.  I bought a big jug of it to speed up my .223 reloading. 

 

We've tried H322, H335 (my youngest son likes this powder and it's all he uses), Win 748, IMR4895, TAC and CFE223.  Best accuracy overall has been with the IMR4198 and BLC2 in my rifles.  I got decent accuracy from TAC, but the most accurate load would not cycle my 20" rifle.  Worked fine in the 16" carbine with a mid-length gas system, just not in the rifle length gas systems.  I'm going to retry the CFE223 as my accuracy issues might have been the bullets, not the powder.

 

Neither load (IMR4198 or BLC2) is a max pressure/powder load.  Best accuracy, in my experience, comes around 150 to 200 fps slower than the max loads.

 

I've bought some heavy match bullets to test in the faster twist rifles we have but haven't gotten around to working up loads with them yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorite powder for .223 has been IMR4198 since back in the early 80's.  Pain in the butt to get consistent charge weights though.

 

Recently went to the range with my nephew to sight in his new AR15.  Long bull barrel thing from Stag Arms with a 4 X16 scope on it.  He bought Remington and Winchester ammo for it.  We sighted in at 25 yds. and then moved to 100 (longest distance at the range I belong to) to get the BDC set up on his scope.  I handed him a magazine with my reloads in it to shoot after he got it sighted in.  When we were done he was looking at his targets.  Which targets did he keep?  The ones with the tightest groups.  Which ones were those?  My IMR4198 powder reloads with 55 grain Hornady FMJ bullets.

 

Having said that, I recently ran across another load that seems to approach the accuracy of that load in my rifles, if not equal it.  That load used the same bullet but with BLC2 powder.  BLC2 is much more consistent dropping out of a powder measure.  I bought a big jug of it to speed up my .223 reloading. 

 

We've tried H322, H335 (my youngest son likes this powder and it's all he uses), Win 748, IMR4895, TAC and CFE223.  Best accuracy overall has been with the IMR4198 and BLC2 in my rifles.  I got decent accuracy from TAC, but the most accurate load would not cycle my 20" rifle.  Worked fine in the 16" carbine with a mid-length gas system, just not in the rifle length gas systems.  I'm going to retry the CFE223 as my accuracy issues might have been the bullets, not the powder.

 

Neither load (IMR4198 or BLC2) is a max pressure/powder load.  Best accuracy, in my experience, comes around 150 to 200 fps slower than the max loads.

 

I've bought some heavy match bullets to test in the faster twist rifles we have but haven't gotten around to working up loads with them yet.



I had a falling out with CFE223 also. It was me, not the powder I later found out.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For now I am using H335 for 55's, 69's, and 77's.

 

Just to put this bug in your ear, I was able to get 75 grain HPBT by Hornady for about half of what the 69 or 77 gr SMK's cost.  But I haven't loaded up any of the 75's yet.

 

Varget is very crunchy in a Dillon powder measure, so I don't recommend it.

 

The 69 grain Noslers were cheaper than the 69gr SMK's too.

 

I have heard 8208 XBR is really good with the heavier bullets.

 

And to put this bug in your ear...granted I couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but Kurt Miller (KurtM) posted here that he uses 55's for everything.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here, I am using 22.5 grains under a 77gr SMK:

 

20170123_165548_zpsbhmy9zqp.jpg

 

The two outliers there to the left...one was the very first round or top round off the mag.  The other is the very bottom round off the mag.

 

Otherwise, it would have been a 1 MOA group.

 

It is a phenomenon I had not noticed before so I started shooting 7 round groups:

 

20170123_165638_zpsoxmfa6pq.jpg

 

So that ^^^ was 69gr SMK's  placed above just 22 grains of H335.  Again the top hole is the first round out of the mag.  The bottom hole is the last round out of the bag.

 

This is out of a 20 inch barreled FrankenAR.

 

No chrono data...maybe next time.

 

I had just bought a new scope, so I was sighting it in.  At first, I was using some old Montana Gold 55 grainers with H335.  But I can't remember the charge weight off the top of my head right now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

e66734797a94db7f6ec9bf5bb57ea925.jpg

10 rounds at 100. 23 grains 8208. 77 grain sierra TMK. 18" JP barrel.

Shot some steel at 500 with this load. Dinging 8" plates all day.

Flyers could be me. I was using a rear bag and the MBX magazine base pad wing stabilizer things.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...