TAC and 55gr Ballistic Tips in .223

[Chris]

Anybody using this combo?

What kind of velocities are you getting?

Accuracy?

Charge weight?

Currently using N135, but metering sucks so I was looking to try a ball powder for my accuracy loads.

Thanks

[GentlemanJim]

The best groups I have shot were with TAC and Nosler 55gr ballistic tips.

I load to about 3000fps...working up from 24 or so gr of tac

Jim

[smokshwn]

Chris,

I got decent results with tac but right around 3100fps started to see some pressure signs. However, with Ramshot Exterminator no pressure signs a very consistent 3150fps and itty bitty groups with the ballistic tips. Great results with hornady and MG fmj's as well.

As you probably know TAC is awesome with the heavier bullets (69's & 77's).

[D.Hayden]

Craig.. is that bunring pretty clean for you?

[smokshwn]

Dave,

Not what I would call incredibly clean but not too dirty either. I run a JP aluminum carrier (kindy finicky if dirty) and can easily go 350-400 rounds before I need to wipe it down and relube for perfect function.

[laportecharlie]

We are loading TAC in just about all of our 223 Rem loads now. Burns clean, meters great and is cheap. I talked to one of the Techs at Western Powder and he recomended TAC over Exterminator even for our 55 gr loads. We are now on our fifth or sixth 8 pounder. I even use it in my 223AI.

Charlie

[Big Bore]

TAC has pretty much sucked for me with any 55 grain bullet. Low velocity, high sd's, and inaccurate. Try the Exterminator, same price as the TAC, single digit SD's, good accuracy even with fmj's, and a 3250fps average.

TAC is a great powder for 69s. Lows single digit SD's, great accuracy, 2950fps. Its amazing what a difference 14 grains can make.

Your results may be different, but for me I've had the same results with 3 different barrels.

[Religious Shooter]

TAC is a great powder for 69s. Lows single digit SD's, great accuracy, 2950fps. Its amazing what a difference 14 grains can make.

What's the charge weight and how long are your barrels?

[smokshwn]

24.5 grs of TAC gave me 2920 avg in a 20" JP barrel

[Religious Shooter]

That's interesting...

Right now the max for 55 Sierra BK is 26 grains of TAC. Either I wrote it wrong or they changed it. I had 25.3 written down as the max for 55's.

I have to check out what velocity TAC does at 26 grains with 55's.

[Big Bore]

TAC is a great powder for 69s. Lows single digit SD's, great accuracy, 2950fps. Its amazing what a difference 14 grains can make.

What's the charge weight and how long are your barrels?

2950fps with 25.2 grains of TAC with a 69 grain Nosler. RockRiver 20 inch stainless barrel.

The other barrels I've tried TAC with 55's are a 20" and a 16" bushmaster. Both barrels would shoot fmj's at 1.5" at a hundred with BLC2, TAC shot at 3"

[3GunF1Guy]

TAC has pretty much sucked for me with any 55 grain bullet. Low velocity, high sd's, and inaccurate. Try the Exterminator, same price as the TAC, single digit SD's, good accuracy even with fmj's, and a 3250fps average.

TAC is a great powder for 69s. Lows single digit SD's, great accuracy, 2950fps. Its amazing what a difference 14 grains can make.

Your results may be different, but for me I've had the same results with 3 different barrels.

I have the exact same results with Tac. Sucks with the 55grn bullets workes great with the 68-69 and on up.

Scott

[Religious Shooter]

Hmm... I had 25.2 as book max for TAC with 69's.

The new pamphlet from Ramshot has the max for TAC as 24.1 with 68 HDY BTHP and 24 with 69 SMK.

They increased the charge for 55's but decreased them for 68/69's. Weird.

[gose]

Isn't TAC pretty temp sensitive?

[el pres]

Hmm... I had 25.2 as book max for TAC with 69's.

The new pamphlet from Ramshot has the max for TAC as 24.1 with 68 HDY BTHP and 24 with 69 SMK.

They increased the charge for 55's but decreased them for 68/69's. Weird.

Yes, I'm confused about the same load data I recieved straight from Ramshot ? I'm trying TAC out and need to get a 69 to 2900 in a 20" ..

Also has anybody checked the temp sensitivity of TAC say from 25F to 90F, it is a ball powder ?

Edited January 22, 2010 by P.Pres

[Big Bore]

Hmm... I had 25.2 as book max for TAC with 69's.

The new pamphlet from Ramshot has the max for TAC as 24.1 with 68 HDY BTHP and 24 with 69 SMK.

They increased the charge for 55's but decreased them for 68/69's. Weird.

Yes, I'm confused about the same load data I recieved straight from Ramshot ? I'm trying TAC out and need to get a 69 to 2900 in a 20" ..

Also has anybody checked the temp sensitivity of TAC say from 25F to 90F, it is a ball powder ?

It is a ball powder.

I usually don't have the time to check for temp sensitivity. I usually check the primers when it gets really hot then shoot them.

[el pres]

Scott,

Are you always a smart ass ? What about the load data, Ramshot shows max for a 69gr @ 24.0grs ??

[Big Bore]

Scott,

Are you always a smart ass ? What about the load data, Ramshot shows max for a 69gr @ 24.0grs ??

Yes, I am a smart ass most of the time.

There data must have changed because I run 25 grains of TAC with a 69 grain Nosler, remington brass, and CCI primers and get 2925fps I think it used to be the Max load.

I will have to look at the Exterminator load I use for all of my 55's. I get around 3150.

Edited January 23, 2010 by Big Bore

[rino451]

Scott,

Are you always a smart ass ? What about the load data, Ramshot shows max for a 69gr @ 24.0grs ??

Yes, I am a smart ass most of the time.

There data must have changed because I run 25 grains of TAC with a 69 grain Nosler, remington brass, and CCI primers and get 2925fps I think it used to be the Max load.

I will have to look at the Exterminator load I use for all of my 55's. I get around 3150.

I run 25.5 gr TAC behind Hor. 55 fmj's with cci 41 and 400 primers. I also run 25 gr TAC behind m855 62 gr pulled bullets. Both appear to be fairly mild, but the 62 gr stuff can loosen primer pockets on crappy brass (adcom iirc).

Neither is particularly accurate in my 1/9 barrels. I've had plans to bump the charges up a little, but for blasting ammo, it seems ok. Varget otoh, rocks but is very temp sensitive ime.

[sierra77mk]

Just posting some info from my experience.

I tried TAC about 2 years ago and did not have good results.

My goal with TAC was to find a ball powder that gave me as accurate results as I was getting with Varget loading 68-69 & 77's.

I tried with 55-62's also and found it was OK but not better than anything I was already using.

With TAC, I could not better my 68hdy's or 77MK's loads using Varget, so the pound of TAC went back on the shelf.

The two bbls I had were a 16" 1/9 and a 18" 1/7.

I then got a new upper with a 16" 1/8 and wanted to again develop a 55gr load. I went back to the TAC I had around and so far have found TAC to work very well with Hornady 55 FMJ's. 25.0gr has given me .650" @ 100 with testing so far.

I did call Western Powder and ask about the Temperature sensitivity and was told that TAC was a very temperature tolerant powder.

We have always heard that ball powders are more temperature sensitive than extruded powders but TAC seems to be less sensitive than say W748 or H335

I know several High Power Shooters who have gone to TAC from Varget because of this and because it was available and even a bit cheaper when the reloading component crunch hit 2008-2009.

Many precision rifle shooters whom I know are also three gunners and they use TAC in their black rifles. I know that it gives good results and I think my situation was just not having a bbl that liked 55gr bullets. Time will tell and so will my testing.

[Henny]

So far TAC has been ok for me regarding accuracy. In my 16" Colts with 55 gr bullets about the best load I found was 24.5 gr. I haven't had a chance to chronograph these loads yet. I found that H335 has it over TAC regarding accuracy. Oddly enough, it's a 24.5 grain load too!