With all the fast twist AR barrels out there now what kind of powder are folks using for heavier bullets? I really wish 1/9 twist barrels were still common but all mine are 1/8.
With all the fast twist AR barrels out there now what kind of powder are folks using for heavier bullets? I really wish 1/9 twist barrels were still common but all mine are 1/8.
For cast I use a lot of HP-38, W231 and Tightgroup. They let me get 1" at 100 yards. My heaviest bullet is 62 grains. Typically these loads are in the 5 grain range-- which is not much in the case, but they meter and burn well so it works out.
Hick: Iron sights!
Jacketed or cast? my favorite powder for 69 gr jacketed in my AR is Varget. For 65 grain jacketed in my bolt rifle I use N133. These combinations have yielded the best accuracy in those rifles.
Varget or RL15.
Thanks guys. I ran out of 2520 and 3031. Got 8 lbs. of 2230 coming but that is better suited to 55 grain bullets. The 3031 worked well with 62 gr. fmj.
H4895 for jacketed bullets and TAC is a fairly close second.
Ive been using 748. Lots of loads in the Lyman manual and its a ball powder. Nothing meters better.
AA2230 is a bit fast burning for the 62-68 gr jacketed bullets in the 223/5.56.
To duplicate M855 ballistics (2950 -3000 fps from 20" barrel) with 62 - 64 gr bullet AA2460 an Winchester 748 are excellent powders to use. For the best in target accuracy with 68 gr bullets Varget is the powder of choice.
Larry Gibson
“Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
― Nikola Tesla
I feel fortunate to have found a jug of 2230. It will have to do until supplies loosen up. I imagine it will be a while before we see the likes of Varget.
748 or 4895
Was able to get some AA 2460 and some Ramshot Tac. We shall see how these do with 16" & 18" barrels.
Varget and CFE223
If you compare the printed load data of the 2 powders, you'll see it is identical.
I would think starting low and working up loads slowly is the way to go, as always, and any difference between the 2 might be as great as the lot-to-lot difference of the individual powders.
Tac is wonderful through a Uniflow. I check every 10th round and it's spot on as long as I use the same up + tap, down + tap consistently (I turned my handles upside down because it feels more natural to me). I haven't used it in a progressive, but it should be really good there.
Edit: To answer the original question, I use VV N135 for 68/69 grain match ammunition.
IMR 8208 has worked well for me. I ran a test in a 18inch AR15 in which I hand weighed the powder of 25 rounds loaded with Varget and used the Dillon Powder Measure to load 25 with IMR 8208. Varget does not meter well in the Dillon, and I do not like to weigh each charge by hand, but I like the performance of Varget. The velocity of each load was very closely matched, as they had the same basic point of impact at 600yards. The bullets were 75Grain BTHP from Hornady. The results showed the 8208 to be the most accurate. The Varget hand weighed accuracy did not match the 8208 loaded from the Dillon.
I shoot HiPower so matches rifles are 1/8 or 1/7 usually for 77gr hpbt over RL-15 for about 2750 fps pretty much the standard load for hipower.
Varget is a great powder but meters like rice. For 55-69 I like 748 and TAC, 69-80, TAC and H322, 55 and under Benchmark. For 55-62 I like AA2230 and TAC.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |