W.R.Buchanan
06-25-2016, 03:59 PM
I have answered this question several times here and in other forums using my main considerations for loading the cartridge.
People always seem to ask ,,,"What is the best or most accurate load for their AR or Mini14 or other Carbine."
"Most Accurate Load" is pretty easy,,, It is the Bullet, Powder, Primer combination that produces the best accuracy in your gun, which is probably similar,,, but ultimately different than everybody else's gun. You may find it right out of the gate or chase it endlessly for years,,, Whatever blows your skirt up.
"Best Load" has a whole different meaning when applied to a Semi Auto Weapon. Things like "Reliability," "Cost,", "Ease of Manufacturing," and "Acceptable Accuracy," all come into play. "Best Load" here means that which encompasses most of the basic considerations and gets the job done.
Obviously you can burn up a lot of ammo with a Semi Auto Gun. Does every shot fired need to be the most accurate load available for that particular gun or would "Acceptable Accuracy," be good enough?
Will the steel targets or paper, or bottles and cans know the difference if they are hit by a .25 cent bullet or one that cost you <.10 cents?
Will YOU be able to shoot well enough to know the difference between a 1" group and a 1.5-2" group, and whether it was the load, the gun, or you that blew your Sub MOA Group? Not trying to be insensitive here, but 99% of the shooting public can't and that includes myself. A more practical approach might be prudent here?
It all depends on what your goals in shooting these weapons is. I can fully understand the quest for the "Magic Load" that delivers sub MOA accuracy from your gun, if your hobby is bench rest type shooting at a range on paper. That unto itself is a reasonable pursuit. But those needs are completely different than the needs of the vast majority of AR, Mini and other Carbine shooters. You bought a semi auto gun so you can shoot faster, otherwise a bolt gun would be more suited to your pursuits.
For most of us the cost, ease of manufacture, and reliability far outweigh the need for guilt edged accuracy.
My Standard Load for .223/5.56 is 25.0 gr of BL-C2 or Win 748 (Close to the Same Powder) with the Bulk Hornady 55 gr FMJBT.(.07ea!) using Range Brass which is abundant nearly everywhere people shoot.
I only use this one load across my AR, my Ruger Mini 14, and my Kel-Tec SU16CA and it functions perfectly in all of them. That said 25-26 gr of that powder would work fine. I think max for this powder/bullet is about 26.5 gr or thereabouts. This powder is used for Military Ammo for a few reasons. And those reasons are consistency in drops in automated machinery and clean burning which affects reliability.
Accuracy is very "acceptable" with all guns under 2" at 100 yards and the Kel-Tec and AR closer to 1.5". All my guns have Red Dot Sights on them so it is impossible to shoot better than this for that reason alone. I use all these guns for "Offhand Shooting" of Steel and Cardboard targets, and general plinking,,, so reliability and ease of manufacture are more important than absolute accuracy for me. Also the Red Dot sights are used to enhance Target Acquisition Speed which is more important than perfect shot placement on targets of this type.
One thing about my process for loading this cartridge is that I load these in volume on my Dillon 550B so I want the least amount of problems. That is the main reason for the BL-C2 which is about the consistency of table salt, and meters perfectly.
The Boat Tail 55gr FMJBT Bullets also start easily in the case mouth and have a cannelure to crimp in. I bought 6000 of these bullets last year when Mid South was selling them in bulk for $471.87+ free shipping!(the box weighed 55lbs!) that's .07 each which is .02 cheaper than the same recycled bullets I had bought previously.
When I load these I start with sized, cleaned and primed cases so I don't have to mess with the priming function on my press. It's an extra step in case prep but it smooth's out the process for me. The Second Station Charges the case, third Seats Bullet, and fourth Crimps. I can do 100 every 15 minutes without breaking a sweat with no stoppages or problems of any kind..
I also recommend using a Lee Collet Crimping Die which will save you alot of time, headaches, and give you more consistent crimps, and it is not reliant on exact case length to produce consistent crimp like a roll crimp die is.
Since I do not require perfection as far as accuracy because of my intended uses, the process I have laid out above works best for me for these guns. None of them are Varmint Rifles requiring sub MOA accuracy, but all of them will work well for all intended uses of a Semi Auto Rifle. Those uses for me are Steel and Cardboard (3 gun)Targets engaged under time pressure, Casual Plinking and possible Defensive Needs. All of which are well served by this simple and effective load that is at about 95% of Max.
My basic message here is not that you should absolutely use "my load" because it is "The Best Load. It is that you should find a load using the considerations listed above and stick with it, instead of endlessly chasing Nirvana.
The whole object of shooting and reloading ammo is to actually "shoot at something!" Not just to make empty cases to reload.
Hope this helps, and I would submit that if your quest for the "best load" uses the criteria listed above,,, you will be more likely to find it.
Lots of times we are not told the basic reasons why we do stuff a certain way. This is a flaw in our Education System that I will cure when elected President. :mrgreen:
Randy
People always seem to ask ,,,"What is the best or most accurate load for their AR or Mini14 or other Carbine."
"Most Accurate Load" is pretty easy,,, It is the Bullet, Powder, Primer combination that produces the best accuracy in your gun, which is probably similar,,, but ultimately different than everybody else's gun. You may find it right out of the gate or chase it endlessly for years,,, Whatever blows your skirt up.
"Best Load" has a whole different meaning when applied to a Semi Auto Weapon. Things like "Reliability," "Cost,", "Ease of Manufacturing," and "Acceptable Accuracy," all come into play. "Best Load" here means that which encompasses most of the basic considerations and gets the job done.
Obviously you can burn up a lot of ammo with a Semi Auto Gun. Does every shot fired need to be the most accurate load available for that particular gun or would "Acceptable Accuracy," be good enough?
Will the steel targets or paper, or bottles and cans know the difference if they are hit by a .25 cent bullet or one that cost you <.10 cents?
Will YOU be able to shoot well enough to know the difference between a 1" group and a 1.5-2" group, and whether it was the load, the gun, or you that blew your Sub MOA Group? Not trying to be insensitive here, but 99% of the shooting public can't and that includes myself. A more practical approach might be prudent here?
It all depends on what your goals in shooting these weapons is. I can fully understand the quest for the "Magic Load" that delivers sub MOA accuracy from your gun, if your hobby is bench rest type shooting at a range on paper. That unto itself is a reasonable pursuit. But those needs are completely different than the needs of the vast majority of AR, Mini and other Carbine shooters. You bought a semi auto gun so you can shoot faster, otherwise a bolt gun would be more suited to your pursuits.
For most of us the cost, ease of manufacture, and reliability far outweigh the need for guilt edged accuracy.
My Standard Load for .223/5.56 is 25.0 gr of BL-C2 or Win 748 (Close to the Same Powder) with the Bulk Hornady 55 gr FMJBT.(.07ea!) using Range Brass which is abundant nearly everywhere people shoot.
I only use this one load across my AR, my Ruger Mini 14, and my Kel-Tec SU16CA and it functions perfectly in all of them. That said 25-26 gr of that powder would work fine. I think max for this powder/bullet is about 26.5 gr or thereabouts. This powder is used for Military Ammo for a few reasons. And those reasons are consistency in drops in automated machinery and clean burning which affects reliability.
Accuracy is very "acceptable" with all guns under 2" at 100 yards and the Kel-Tec and AR closer to 1.5". All my guns have Red Dot Sights on them so it is impossible to shoot better than this for that reason alone. I use all these guns for "Offhand Shooting" of Steel and Cardboard targets, and general plinking,,, so reliability and ease of manufacture are more important than absolute accuracy for me. Also the Red Dot sights are used to enhance Target Acquisition Speed which is more important than perfect shot placement on targets of this type.
One thing about my process for loading this cartridge is that I load these in volume on my Dillon 550B so I want the least amount of problems. That is the main reason for the BL-C2 which is about the consistency of table salt, and meters perfectly.
The Boat Tail 55gr FMJBT Bullets also start easily in the case mouth and have a cannelure to crimp in. I bought 6000 of these bullets last year when Mid South was selling them in bulk for $471.87+ free shipping!(the box weighed 55lbs!) that's .07 each which is .02 cheaper than the same recycled bullets I had bought previously.
When I load these I start with sized, cleaned and primed cases so I don't have to mess with the priming function on my press. It's an extra step in case prep but it smooth's out the process for me. The Second Station Charges the case, third Seats Bullet, and fourth Crimps. I can do 100 every 15 minutes without breaking a sweat with no stoppages or problems of any kind..
I also recommend using a Lee Collet Crimping Die which will save you alot of time, headaches, and give you more consistent crimps, and it is not reliant on exact case length to produce consistent crimp like a roll crimp die is.
Since I do not require perfection as far as accuracy because of my intended uses, the process I have laid out above works best for me for these guns. None of them are Varmint Rifles requiring sub MOA accuracy, but all of them will work well for all intended uses of a Semi Auto Rifle. Those uses for me are Steel and Cardboard (3 gun)Targets engaged under time pressure, Casual Plinking and possible Defensive Needs. All of which are well served by this simple and effective load that is at about 95% of Max.
My basic message here is not that you should absolutely use "my load" because it is "The Best Load. It is that you should find a load using the considerations listed above and stick with it, instead of endlessly chasing Nirvana.
The whole object of shooting and reloading ammo is to actually "shoot at something!" Not just to make empty cases to reload.
Hope this helps, and I would submit that if your quest for the "best load" uses the criteria listed above,,, you will be more likely to find it.
Lots of times we are not told the basic reasons why we do stuff a certain way. This is a flaw in our Education System that I will cure when elected President. :mrgreen:
Randy