Best Powder for reloading 223 LR bullets?

[OneShotNeeded]

One other thing... I vaguely remember a thread that I believe you started explaining how to us a Harbourfreight cut off saw to trim cases... I've been trying to find that thread and can't. If you ave that link that would be great... if it wasn't you then disregard.

[thehouseproduct]

I'm at 26.1gr Varget with a 69gr SMK. Easily sub MOA even with "less than premium" AR15 builds. it's warm, but not extreme by any means in my gun.

[gunhaus]

For all of our commercial loading with cases that have roughly the case/bore ratio of the 223 we have largley switched to Ramshot TAC for bullets on the heavier end of the spectrum. The Ramshot x-terminato for those on the lighter side. These powders meter very well, but far more importantly they were engineered to be temp insensitive - Something that is largely not true with other ball type powders.

Over a thirty year span of shooting the RF jacketed slugs, I'd say there is no stand pat answer as to what they will take for rotational torque and velocity. I've had rifles with rough or worn bores that wouldn't give 3000 with out breaking bullets. AND I've pushed them to 3500+ with a 22 BR, and 3600+ When drawn down to 204 in a 20 BR. Core integrity is a big factor especially with a bit faster twist like the 1-9" Using something with 1/2 - 3/4% antimony to add a small measure of ridgidity will help as opposed to pure lead. In some ways they are a law unto themselves compared to say the commercial J4. How well they take an anneal, plays in. Brand to brand the temper of the case varies somewhat. But they are a bunch of fun, and can be pretty accurate when everything is clicking.
-John

[Maximumbob54]

The only way I can get Varget to measure out is by hand or with my Hornady Autocharge. None of my rotating drum type meters will drop with consistency. IMR 3031 was the same so I can assume this is true of any of the extruded or stick type powders. I like the spherical or ball powders since they flow so well. The only real claim to fame with Varget is that near lack of temperature to pressure sensitivity. IMHO, this is only needed when you are trying to max out your loads.

[Reload3006]

I like Tac but I am looking for a slower load for my .223 it doesnt like 55 gr bullets so that makes using my .224 Rimfire jacketed bullets a pain ... but my riflling is 1:9 so i think i may be able to get good results with a slow load... open for suggestions.

[Grandpas50AE]

I like Tac but I am looking for a slower load for my .223 it doesnt like 55 gr bullets so that makes using my .224 Rimfire jacketed bullets a pain ... but my riflling is 1:9 so i think i may be able to get good results with a slow load... open for suggestions.

Mine will marginally group 55 gr. bullets at 1:9 twist, anything lighter will give good shotgun patterns. Going up to 60+ gr. (69.5 is my heaviest so far) produces really excellent results. I have made and shot thousands of 22lr brass jacketed 223's and usually load in the moderate to upper-moderate load map, not pushing them too fast but getting plenty of velocity to do the job. Certainly, annealing the drawn jackets reduces the brittleness and allows a bit higher velocity without becoming frangible, but in .223 in the 60 - 70 gr. range it probably doesn't buy much other than penetration in hunting something larger than prairie-dogs. I have made bonded-core 65 gr. with them, and loaded them the same as the J-4 jacketed ones to hunt deer, and with the bonded cores even the deer didn't mess-up the bullet much. I'm currently running 26.0 gr. of BLC-2 and a CCI or Federal bench rest primer, but not getting anything better than 25.5 gr., so I've pretty much settled on that. Haven't had a chance to chrono them yet, but they really shoot good on paper.

[Reload3006]

using the green hill formula I think with my boolit form If i can find a load that runs around 2400 to 2500fps they may or at least in theory stabilize a little better.

[Grandpas50AE]

using the green hill formula I think with my boolit form If i can find a load that runs around 2400 to 2500fps they may or at least in theory stabilize a little better.

The Hodgdon website shows H4895 loads and has a special page for "reduced" loads of H4895 for the 55 gr. bullets in .223 Rem. The reduced page basicall says to take the regular load listing and multiply by 60% - but read the page before you do this. The regular listing indicates 2800 FPS, and the page for reduced loads indicates in the examples that a 500 fps drop in velocity can be achieved. This may help you. To be honest, the 55 gr. BLC-2 and H322 loadings in my RRA with 1:9 twist shoot pretty well, just not that last level of tight grouping the 60+ gr. do.

[MIBULLETS]

Normally, over-stabilizing a bullet is not a problem, only if it is under-stabilized. A 55gr bullet is not that much over stabilized in a 1:9 twist barrel. There must be something else going on. They shoot very accurately in my and others that I know.

[Grandpas50AE]

Normally, over-stabilizing a bullet is not a problem, only if it is under-stabilized. A 55gr bullet is not that much over stabilized in a 1:9 twist barrel. There must be something else going on. They shoot very accurately in my and others that I know.

I think that is why he was looking to reduce velocity a bit, but it could just as likely be the seating depth. I have not played with the 55 gr. too much since I get such good results from the 60+, but I would be willing to believe a little adjusting of the load/seating depth would produce very nice groups with 55 gr. with the normal load map recipes.

[MIBULLETS]

I think that is why he was looking to reduce velocity a bit, but it could just as likely be the seating depth. I have not played with the 55 gr. too much since I get such good results from the 60+, but I would be willing to believe a little adjusting of the load/seating depth would produce very nice groups with 55 gr. with the normal load map recipes.

I agree, the 22 rimfire bullets are a different animal and normally take a little tinkering to get the best results with them. Even then a consistant 1" @ 100 yds is doing very well with them, so don't expect them to shoot as well as other bullets in your gun.

[Reload3006]

y'all are exactly reading my thoughts if not my illiterate writing LOL. I have a savage M12 varminter in .223 it has a 1:9 twist barrel if you look at my thread Squished boolit porn or something like that you can see that It shoots 63 grainers great. I would be happy with 2" at 100 but cant even get that I may as well shoot my target with a shotgun. and its not just Rimfire jackeded boolits even hornady 55gr Amax shoot like that. now that I have invested a small fortune in swaging equipment not to mention stuff that I have made myself I would like to be able to shoot with reasonable accuracy. I have ran the greenhill formula (Corbins Version of it) and pretty much it tells me that i need to be driving that little guy at around 2500 fps. which sounds reasonable. I expect the rimfire boolits to be a little inaccurate I wouldnt expect them to shoot like the boolits I make with Sierra and Berger jackets. but I would be a happy camper if i could get 2" groups with them ... and I know the ground hogs tearing up my barn wont mind.

[OneShotNeeded]

y'all are exactly reading my thoughts if not my illiterate writing LOL. I have a savage M12 varminter in .223 it has a 1:9 twist barrel if you look at my thread Squished boolit porn or something like that you can see that It shoots 63 grainers great. I would be happy with 2" at 100 but cant even get that I may as well shoot my target with a shotgun. and its not just Rimfire jackeded boolits even hornady 55gr Amax shoot like that. now that I have invested a small fortune in swaging equipment not to mention stuff that I have made myself I would like to be able to shoot with reasonable accuracy. I have ran the greenhill formula (Corbins Version of it) and pretty much it tells me that i need to be driving that little guy at around 2500 fps. which sounds reasonable. I expect the rimfire boolits to be a little inaccurate I wouldnt expect them to shoot like the boolits I make with Sierra and Berger jackets. but I would be a happy camper if i could get 2" groups with them ... and I know the ground hogs tearing up my barn wont mind.

You're only getting 2" groups at 100? What powders and primers are you using? You ought to be able to get better groupings than that.

[Reload3006]

i have tried 3031 TAC Varget WW748 The rifle is over stabalizing the light bullets I was hoping someone had a slower load in the 2500fps range I would like to try it. I get sub moa with 60+ grain bullets.

[Grandpas50AE]

Did you look at the Hodgdon load data I referred to? It may give you the velocities you are looking for.
Also, are you swaging the cores to a uniform weight and dimension? Are your bullets uniformly formed in the point forming die? Have you adjusted your powder charges a few tenths up or down and adjusted the seating depth? The seating depth can play a large part in tightening up that group size. The 55 gr. bullets I have shot have all produced groups of just over an inch at 100 yards (peep sights).
According to some articles I've read, and what I've seen in the load maps, Varget works better with the heavier bullets in a given caliber, and I didn't have much luck with WW748 as far as accuracy went. BLC-2 and H322 have produced well, as I've also seen several reloading posts with other powders that do well also.

[Reload3006]

Yes I did and looks like imr 4320 will get me the closest in the starting load I am wondering if i back off the start by a couple grains if that will get me down there where I need to be?
55 GR. SFIRE IMR IMR 4320 .224" 2.220" 23.0 2796

[Smoke-um if you got-um]

RL-15, IMR 4895, Ramshot TAC. 25 grains +- of these will shoot 1 hole from a Shilen Barrel on a Remington 40X action in a McMillan stock with any one of several custom bullets. Nosler BT 60 gr or 55 gr shoot almost as well. Hornandy 60 gr V-Max bullets also shoot very well. Any of these will probably shoot your 22 LR home brewed guys really well.