Ball Powder For 223

[ryan45kim]

What ball powder would you suggest for 55gr full metal jacket 223? I live in PA and most matches are 200yds and under so this is my main AR ammo. This must be a ball powder, I’ll suffer with a stick powder for the other rounds but I load this in bulk on my Dillon and have no faith in the Dillon powder measure and stick powder.

[Patrick Sweeney]

BL-C2, H332, VV-135, WW-748 come to mind

[M118LR]

BL-C2, H332, VV-135, WW-748 come to mind

You might also look at RamShot TAC. I use it in my 223 and 308 loads. Meters real well.

[stubbicatt]

In the lighter (55 grain or less) loads I like the Ramshot Xterminator powder.

[Dan Sierpina]

Hodgdon H335

[Patrick Sweeney]

Varget also has devotees.

[Dan Sierpina]

Varget also has devotees.

Varget isn't a ball powder.

[Patrick Sweeney]

No? I'll have to go down and open a bottle and look. I know the long range shooters like it, and I made the (perhaps rash) assumption that they'd load ball.

Learn sumthin new every day.

[Dan Sierpina]

No? I'll have to go down and open a bottle and look. I know the long range shooters like it, and I made the (perhaps rash) assumption that they'd load ball.

Learn sumthin new every day.

Patrick,

I figured that you made the suggestions based on experience. Oh Well!

No, Varget is an extruded powder, as is the Vihtovouri 135. I do use Varget and used 133 in a .25 BR.

I stand by H335 for .223 for up to 55 grain bullets. I've used it for years in that case. Works well in 6mm-.223 too. With Sierra 70 grain Match Kings.

[ryan45kim]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, for the last few years I’ve used WCC844 and WCC846 for 55gr FMJ 223 but its getting harder to find and the price is getting so high that new commercial powder is becoming a viable option.

I know that WCC846 and BL-C2 are about the same but I was not using it because it was the best powder but because I was getting it at $6 per pound.

I’m going to try Varget for my heavy 223 (68, 69, 75) and 308 loads (I was using IMR 4064 or 4895) but I’m not using a stick powder to load 55gr FMJ.

So the question is what is the best ball powder for 55gr FMJ 223 loads (for the heavy bullets I’ll use varget).

Also when I asked about RamShot TAC the response I got was that it was a good powder with heavy 223 bullets but not great with 55gr and lighter.

Anyone have an opinion about accurate powders?

[DougCarden]

All the accuracy nuts in my area that shoot IMSHA or other long range games told me to a "T" one powder, WW 748.

They told me that at around 25gr of WW 748 you will know if your gun or components will shoot, period. Knowing their experience and how goddamn picky(read anal) they are....well, finicky would be a better term I guess...

I have WW 748 on the shelf for the 55/62s I could find in stock, and Varget for the 69/75s I will load as well.

Good luck,

DougC

[harm152]

I have shot a lot of TAC and 55 FMJ and I get decent results. However, they are not stellar, about 2in (100yds) is the average overall, and I have tried just about every 55 FMJ as well as a experimenting with a LEE FCD to see if that helped bring it down to about 1 in, but no luck. The rifle does shoot 55 V-max with TAC very well though, less than 1 in, I had one group at about .33 in. I started playing with TAC because it is really cheap and seems like a decent powder, but I think it may be a tad slow for the 55 FMJ. I am going to test some loads with AA2230 and WW 748 this weekend, both with the same 55 FMJ. I typically use the winchester variety of bulk bullets. I am also trying to find that one ball powder that will work with both the 223 55 FMJ and the 308 147 FMJ for my bulk reloading on a Dillon 550, same as you. A-lot of the research I have done is pointing toward the WW 748, but it's also more expensive than the TAC.

[LPatterson]

H335 & 25.2 listed on the can work for me but we have never had a 3 gun stage past 100 yards & it has a 5' dot so the load is more accurate than I am.

[layusn1]

"All the accuracy nuts in my area that shoot IMSHA or other long range games told me to a "T" one powder, WW 748.

They told me that at around 25gr of WW 748 you will know if your gun or components will shoot, period. Knowing their experience and how goddamn picky(read anal) they are....well, finicky would be a better term I guess... laugh.gif

I have WW 748 on the shelf for the 55/62s I could find in stock, and Varget for the 69/75s I will load as well.

Good luck,

DougC"

I agree and thank you....

Well, I got to take out all of my 223 loads for a test today. I went figuring the HSM 52gr BTHP Match loads would be the best but I was surprised that they weren't. I loaded the 55gr Win FMJ bulk bullets with 4895 and W748 with 4 different primers for each powder and they all shot like #@&*. I loaded up some Speer 52gr BTHP Match bullets with the W748 and found my load. Its not the greatest, or maybe it is because I'm not the best shot in the world, but I was very happy. I used 27.4 gr of the 748, CCI 425 small rifle magnum primers, the Speer bullets, Federal cases, and an OAL of 2.200. With that powder weight I got a .600 edge to edge group with all of the holes touching or overlapping. I'm not sure if I can tweak that down any or if I just need to load up some more and practice my shooting. I think that will definitely be my load from now on though and as an added bonus, that 748 looks like it will run through a powder dispenser on a progressive like water.

Edited February 26, 2007 by layusn1

[rishii]

+2 on W748

my favorate load is 27 gn of 748 under a berger 55 gn fbhp. that load has shot sub moa in every gun I tried it in

[George]

WW748, AA2520 and AA2320 are all ball powders suitable for .223. They are almost identical in load data too. 25-28 grains under a 55gr and you are good to go.

[sargenv]

You can also use non canister grade surplus WC844 if you can find it. It is a ball powder similar in burn rate to Win 748 and H335.

Vince

[D.Hayden]

AA2230! It's my new wonder powder... works great on 55's and 68/69s.

[hapi]

h332 or some surplus powder

[aedavis]

I have used W748 and BLC-2 extensively in my .223 AR. I like both but found that W748 is very temperature sensitive - loads that I worked up in winter would show pressure signs in the summer.

If you've settled on 25 grains of W748 you will probably be fine regardless of temperature as that load is a fair amount below maximum. I personally have settled on BLC-2 as my .223 load but only because I can buy it in bulk slightly cheaper than W748. Both powders seem to group Hornady 55gr SPs about the same.

Allan

[George]

25.0 of WW748 under a 55 ain't movin' it very fast IME.

I run 27.5 WW748 under 55's at 2.235" OAL and I get 3100-3150 fps.

I have some old data on workups that show 26.5 WW748 under a 55 getting me 2900 in a 20incher. Not enough powder IMHO. 25.0 WW748 under a SMK 69 however will get ya' decent V downrange, but not under a 55.

And yes, 748 does follow the sun. But my 27.5 loadings never show pressure sign in any temp.

[R Lewis]

I use WW748 for my 223 rounds. Very accurate.

[walangkatapat]

AA2230! It's my new wonder powder... works great on 55's and 68/69s.

How's 2230 compared to 748?

[George]

AA2520 and WW748 are very, very similar and can pretty much be treated as one powder until you get over 70 grains in projectile weight.

AA2320 is a tad faster and may want a 1-2 grain charge reduction from what you would use with WW748, or AAA2520. I would also limit bullet weight to 70 grains with AA2230.

Accurate lists 26.0 as max for 2230 under a 55 grain, but 2520 and 748 are specified at 27.5 grains max under a 55 grain.

I use WW748 and AA2520 in exactly the same charge weights under anything from 55 to 69 grains in .223.

I do not use WW748, or AA2230 under anything heavier than a 69 grainer though. I will however use AA2520 under anything from 50 grains up to 80 grains in .223.