tcoz

In the event that I run out of H335 I'm thinking about trying CFE223 if I can find it or BL-C2 which I've seen around quite a bit lately, or H322 which has been in stock in a few places over the past week. I'd be interested in anybody's experience with the BL or H322 since I've never used either and both are recommended for .223. I load 55gr FMJBT. Recommendations and anecdotes are welcomed. Thanks.

No offense taken. I should've expounded a bit and said that I do take other individuals loads into consideration when developing mine, but they have to fall within ranges of manufacturers loads. I may go overboard a bit, but when I'm developing a load, I generally have anywhere from 20-30 that I gather from various sources and I give them a 1-5 stars rating based on my perceived reliability of the source and how many times I've seen it somewhere. By the time I'm finished I usually have 3-4 that I actually load and test. Like I said, I go overboard, but to me the process of doing that is part of the enjoyment I derive from reloading. My wife says that I live my whole life like that and I tell her that's why I'm so seldom wrong. Ha.

As mentioned above, never use loads posted on forums. They can make for some interesting reading, but stick with bullet and powder manufacturers for loads. In addition to Sierra, Nosler and Barnes also have data for various powders. The Lee Modern Reloading Manual is a good compilation of loads from reliable manufacturer sources. It probably has more loads for more kinds of bullets and powders than any other manual.

Up until a month ago I also had only loaded for pistol, then started .223. Loading for rifle is a whole different ballgame and case prep is the key. It's where you'll spend the majority of your time and effort. I've listed the steps that I use, but I stress that this is only what I've determined works best for ME and I use a Lee Classic Turret although I batch load my .223 and don't use the auto-index function of my press. It may not be best for you but you can use it as a rough guide to steps that are involved. Good luck. BTW, I enjoy it even more than I enjoy loading for pistol.... My .223 Reloading Steps: 1. Tumble 2. Run neck brush through, place cases head side up in loading tray, inspect primer area for signs of gas leakage and/or loose or misshaped primers. 3. Lube inside neck w/ Imperial dry neck lube and case w/ Imperial sizing wax. 4. Full length size and deprime case. 5. Inspect cases and especially necks for splits, cracks and signs of incipient case head separation. Do paper clip test then run each sized case through gauge. 6. Tumble again for about an hour to remove lube. 7. If case is longer than 1.760, trim to 1.750. Set caliper to 1.758-1.759 and trim those that exceed. If trimmed, chamfer and deburr. 8. Ream each primer pocket to remove crimp then clean pocket. Check case length on random cases, run neck brush through. (If crimp has been removed in the past, Step 8 isn't necessary, however primer pocket should still be cleaned) 9. Prime, charge, visually inspect charge, seat bullet, light crimp if desired. OAL=use 2.20-2.25 (2.250=best) Seat to middle of cannelure if there is one. Don't exceed 2.260 (max) ***Trim to case length=1.750, ie. trim any case over 1.760 back to 1.750 (1.740 is min & 1.760 is max lengths)

For me, the best solution to the crimp issue is to ream (or swage) every case the first time I reload it rather than use a magnifying glass (bad 63 year old eyes) to determine whether or not it has a crimp. Then I make absolutely sure that I pick up every damn case that I shoot and keep them separate from range pick-up since I know they don't have to be reamed again. I have a brass catcher to make sure that I don't miss any. I use an RCBS reamer attached to my FA Case Prep System so the process is much easier than doing it by hand but I still get sore fingers after a hundred or so cases.

Rem 7 1/2 primers are recommended for AR loading in addition to CCI 41 and CCI 450

Either one would work just fine.

Sorry. You're absolutely right.

As mentioned, it's all about case prep when reloading for rifle. The required extra equipment needed didn't cost much, but since I'm an old guy with bad arthritis in my fingers, manual case prep was out of the question for me. I bought the Frankford Arsenal Case Prep Trim Center for about $160 and it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. For another $7 I picked up a Lyman Reamer and replaced the included primer pocket cleaner on the FA with it so now trimming, deburring, chamfering, crimp removal and primer pocket cleaning are all done on the same piece of equipment at about 15 seconds per case.

X-Treme 55gr. They're well priced (about $40/M) and beginning today until the end of August, they're offering free shipping on orders over $150. I've also used their plated pistol bullets forever and would never change.

Almost everything that I've read in the literature recommends the use of CCI 450's or 41's for AR to prevent the possibility of slam fires due to the floating firing pin. 41's are the NATO military primers. They're loaded like the 450's but have a thicker cup to prevent the slam fire issue which although it isn't a common occurrence, does occur. 450's cup thickness is greater than the 400's but less than the 41's. Also, I load with H335 and when I asked Hodgdon, they recommended 450's or 41's for that powder, but it's due to the type of powder, not the slam fire issue which they wouldn't address anyway.