Favorite Powder for AR's

[John Allen]

Hi All, my son wants to start shooting M4's. I have one but I frankly never shoot it I am more of a M1 guy. I got a pile of 55gr FMJ BT's that I bought before all the madness.


What are you guys that are shooting it favorite powder that cycles fine and is not too dirty?


Thanks John

[djgoings]

Hodgden CFE is very popular.

[Cmm_3940]

Accurate 2230 and H335 are both popular with ~25 grains behind a 55gr fmj.

What twist/bbl length?

[garym1a2]

Imr3031 or Rel10 for 55gr.
Rel15 for 68gr hpbt.

[John Allen]

Accurate 2230 and H335 are both popular with ~25 grains behind a 55gr fmj.

What twist/bbl length?

1:7 twist 16" barrel

[slide]

Varget works well for me.

[Tazman1602]

Varget works well for me.


What Slide said. Varget or CFE works well for me --- Varget has proven a bit more accurate for me though. I don't reload a lot of .223 at the prices I can buy in bulk for though.

Art

[30calflash]

Win 748 for 55 gr.FMJ, IMR 4895 for 52 and 69 gr HPBT and VV N540 for 77 gr HPBT Hornady for distance.

[CastingFool]

I have been using Win 748 for 55 fmjs, like 30calflash. Haven't shot very many, but love the way 748 meters through my scale.

[Larry Gibson]

Hi All, my son wants to start shooting M4's. I have one but I frankly never shoot it I am more of a M1 guy. I got a pile of 55gr FMJ BT's that I bought before all the madness.


What are you guys that are shooting it favorite powder that cycles fine and is not too dirty?


Thanks John

With those 55 gr FMJs 26 gr of AA2230 or 26.5 gr of H335 will duplicate M193. Both are ball powders and measure easily and flow into the small case mouth w/o problems. I've used those loads for thousands of rounds (works great with 52 HPs and 55 gr BT's also) over many years. I have also pressure tested them (Oehler M43) and they are well within 5.56 NATO pressure specs. When you buy other bullets, especially non-FMJs, steer clear of the thinner jacketed "varmint" bullets such as Hornady SXs, Speer 52 gr HPs, Sierra Blitz and similar bullets. They will disintegrate in flight 25 - 40 yards in front of the muzzle from the 7" twist with the loads above.

CFE is gaining favor for .223/5.56 loads but I have not used it yet. I use AA2460 to duplicate M855 ballistics with 62 - 64 gr bullets. 748, H4895 and Varget are the preferred powders for the heavier 68 - 90 gr match bullets.

For cast bullets I suggest a 60 - 75 gr cast designed for the 5.56 cartridge and H4895 with a 1/3 - 1/2 gr Dacron filler. Start at 14 gr and work up in 1 gr increments until reliable functioning is achieved. Probable best accuracy will be found there. With really hard cast bullets very useable accuracy can be had at a bit higher velocity but that takes a bit advanced casting and loading techniques. If you are up for that then a search of the forums here can provide quite a bit of information or you can open a new thread on the subject.

Larry Gibson

[338RemUltraMag]

I much prefer Ramshot Tac for all of my 5.56 jacketed loads.

[petroid]

My best plinking/varmint is a Hornady 50gr SP over 24 gr H322. With a 1:7 16" shoots sub MOA at 100 yards all day long at 2950 fps. Most accurate load and best hunting load is a Sierra 65gr GameKing over 26gr Varget. 0.5 MOA at 2810 FPS

[300savage]

wut larry sed

[Faret]

With fmj I am going to use 4198. Uses less powder.;-)

[seagiant]

Hi,
I have ALWAYS loved 4895! As Larry said a good powder to use with lead! I have the Mihec 4C Brass NATO Mold and have full function using 4895. My DD "middy" 1/7 barrel likes the 62 gr. bullets/boolits!

[GT27]

Hodgden CFE is very popular. Concur...

[Garyshome]

I'm using H-380 for some plinking stuff

[Lonegun1894]

Depending on which gun and bullet I plan on firing them from, I use either 3031 or 4064. Mine vary in barrel lengths and twist rates, and different actions, mostly bolt guns, but a couple ARs too.

[Jailer]

I know it's very hard to find right now but I've had good luck with WC 844.

[bnelson06]

CFE here for jaxed but going to give 4895 a go with the new 75g mold I just got

[DCM]

55FLGCs W748

[osteodoc08]

Varget, CFE 223 or 8208 XBR in no particular order.

[guywitha3006]

I have tried at least 5 or 6 powders for 223 but always come back to Varget. I just can't find a load I really like with anything else. For me the accuracy I get and the temperature stability is worth the little extra time loading it. I shoot in everything from -20 to 90+ in the summer, and my loads have little to no change in accuracy.

[dilly]

While we are on the subject, does anyone have any strong opinions on AR comp?

[LUCKYDAWG13]

CFE works well in my RRA 1/9 twist with 55 gr pills

[Maximumbob54]

Swore by Win 748 until I tried CFE. Had a friend say you can't get the same velocity with the CFE no matter if you run it hot. No matter to me as I'm just plinking. Either one gives me at a minimum of minute of paper plate with a beater M4gery with no upgrades. I will add that the copper fouling property of CFE is amazing.

[blpenn66502]

I really like the AR-Comp and performs better than the usual recommendations of H335 and TAC for me with the Hornady 55gr SPs I tend to use in a 1:9. It is supposed to be for heavier bullets but again, I'm real happy with it and the bulk 55gr I use. CFE also looks like it is going to give me similar results as AR-Comp. YMMV

[Jupiter7]

I've got a few favorites, in order

Varget-max loads have proven most accurate for me with 75gr HPBT
A2230
H4895-55grn FMJBT favorite
Ramshot Tac- great for heavies
A2200

[Buckshot Bill]

I use benchmark because that's what my .308 likes and i have it on hand, it works fine for my plinker loads, never really shot them for groups.

[jonp]

Ar Comp is working well although 2230 is hard to beat for me in my toys

[lefty o]

only thing i use in my .223's anymore is AA2230, works very well in both my AR's and bolt guns.

[MtGun44]

TAC or 748 for light, 4064 for heavier match loads.

Bill

[Moonie]

We use H4895 for 5.56 as we keep lots of it around for other calibers. Great cast powder as it can be downloaded 60% safely according to Hodgdon.

[wistlepig1]

My plinker load, powder 2230, 55 jax bulk, 1-9,
Yote load 2460, 68 gr Hor, 1-7
Cast load, still looking, no joy in mudville over 100yds., Bator or Lyman 438, 1-12
all AR's

[Avery Arms]

AA2230 meters well on progressive machines and burns clean, it is hard to find right now but most everything is.

[trails4u]

I love 748 for 55g...hate that I used all mine up, because it basically doesn't exist here anymore. Varget and BLC2 are however plentiful (if you know where to look! :) locally...so that's what I've been loading lately. I like the performance of Varget, even with the lighter bullets, but it doesn't meter all that great. I've just recently started tinkering with BLC2...but I think there may be promise there, and it meters much better than the Varget. Anyone got 748 they want to trade, however, I'm going back there in a heartbeat!

[Treeman]

AA2460. Obviously there are many suitable powders. I stopped looking at 2460.

[upnorthwis]

Can't believe I haven't seen AA2520 listed yet. Accurate, and flows like ball bearings thru my Dillon.

[Ole]

H322 is my go to powder for 55 grain .223 loads. It's not the fastest, but you use less of it vs other powders and it's consistent and accurate.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I know it's very hard to find right now but I've had good luck with WC 844.

+1 and WC 846 as well. Still have at least one more 8 pound jug I think. Around 26 grains seems to be a good general load to duplicate USGI 55 gr loads.

Both of these look and meter very much like BLC2.

[EMC45]

Varget or IMR-4895. Both are proven.

[Garyshome]

What ever I can get right now, that doesn't cost too much!