Best powders for .223/5.56?
I just got my Dillon 650 in yesterday and I am starting to set it up to load .223 for my AR. I have owned a Dillon 550 in the past and have loading experience but I have never loaded for .223. I am wondering what loads that you guys are getting the best performance out of? In today's market I can't really afford to buy ten different powders and to figure it out, so this is why I am asking for help.
As I stated before I am loading on a Dillon 650, using Lyman 49th edition and Hornady 9th edition manuals. I already have my brass (Lake city), Hornady 55 grain FMJ BT W/C bullets and Winchester WSR primers. I am preferring to stick with the loads in the Hornady manual as they seem to have a better variety of work ups for the .223 and I already have all the components they used in their work ups except for the powder.
So, I would greatly appreciate any help you can give me as to what the best performing powders that you all use. Thanks for the help in advance.
As I stated before I am loading on a Dillon 650, using Lyman 49th edition and Hornady 9th edition manuals. I already have my brass (Lake city), Hornady 55 grain FMJ BT W/C bullets and Winchester WSR primers. I am preferring to stick with the loads in the Hornady manual as they seem to have a better variety of work ups for the .223 and I already have all the components they used in their work ups except for the powder.
So, I would greatly appreciate any help you can give me as to what the best performing powders that you all use. Thanks for the help in advance.
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Your rifle will be the one to tell you what it likes best. Ball type powders meter better than stick type. 0 -
So, is there no way to narrow it down a little?
There's like 50 different kinds of powder and you can't just buy a sample pack to test them out...
I guess what I am looking for is if anyone knows what powders were specifically made for .223/5.56 ammo.
I am shooting a Ruger SR 556.0 -
AA2230, H335, Benchmark, W748..... H335 used to be the standard powder for the .223 (maybe still is). I find I use AA2230 more often than anything else. I have used all of the above as well as several others and they work very well. As has been said, the ball powders meter better than extruded. If you're going to use a progressive system, I would think that would be a consideration. Also, some powders are in short supply on dealers shelves (think none!) so you may have to go with what's available. I haven't used CFE223 powder yet but it was designed around the .223 cartridge to minimize copper build-up in the bore but, as I said, I haven't tried it yet. 0 -
Buy a # of H335 and try it . You probably won't ever want much else for a 223 or 5.56x45. 0 -
Most of my 5.56 is reloaded with H335 and I love it. It meters well and is very consistent. I have also used WC846 surplus powder with good results. 0 -
My favorites....W748 and IMR8208XBR. 0 -
medium loads of win 748 give me my best groups across the board with most bullets I've tried. Meters very consistently. A little on the smoky side from my ar when using slide fire stock. Smoke not noticeable during normal fire or in my 700. Definitely my favorite powder for 223. I've got 16 lbs of it at the bench right now. 0 -
Ramshot Tac, Exterminator, W-748....have had pretty fair luck with several powders through a number of guns....your gun(s) will tell you what they like 0 -
For that load, Ramshot X-Terminator all the way. Meters well, good velocity with that size bullet. TAC works well to, use if going 60gr or heavier bullets. I would try and stay with a ball powder with progressive, unless it is smaller "kernels". I have used a lot of Accurate 2015 as well.
I may suggest going to different primer when supplies straiten out. Those Winchester are rather soft, good primer, just an AR thing. You should never get a slam fire loading from mag. But are much more likely if single loading and nothing slows the bolt down(like stripping a round from mag).
Tula/Wolf small magnum, CCI 450 or Rem 7 1/2. All work good. I have also used lots of regular CCI. Win just seem the softest.0 -
What bullet??
W748 works great for 50-69g bullets as does 2015.
75-80s RL15, Varget, AR-comp.
Some other good powders were mentioned also.0 -
quote:Originally posted by skyfish
For that load, Ramshot X-Terminator all the way. Meters well, good velocity with that size bullet. TAC works well to, use if going 60gr or heavier bullets. I would try and stay with a ball powder with progressive, unless it is smaller "kernels". I have used a lot of Accurate 2015 as well.
I may suggest going to different primer when supplies straiten out. Those Winchester are rather soft, good primer, just an AR thing. You should never get a slam fire loading from mag. But are much more likely if single loading and nothing slows the bolt down(like stripping a round from mag).
What primers are you suggesting? Are they interchangeable?
You read some books and they say don't deviate from the work up and then you talk to other folks that say they use whatever primer comes out of the drawer when they stick their hand in it. Can you get away with substituting certain primers?0 -
I suggest H4895 Extreme for those bullets in .223. It meters almost as well as all the ball powders mentioned. But, it burns cleaner and is less temp sensitive. 'Course, that don't matter if you just blast. It'll only matter in long range shooting really. If your rifle is set up for "reach out" varminting it would matter more. 0 -
i have tested H335, TAC, W748, XTerminator, BLC-2, and the latest CFE223 for my AR's............., they ALL give satisfactory results for 1-7 to 1-12 twist barrels, if you are looking for dime sized groups from a standard off the shelf AR-15........, forget it !!!
any of the above powders will give you good decent groups on human sized targets out to 500+ yds.0 -
quote:Originally posted by dennisnielsen
23.8 grains of IMR8208XBR
with Sierra 69 grain SMK's
for my Colt 1 in 7 twist
tight groups
Tried the CFE223 with OK results.
I use 23.6gr with the same results. [:D]0 -
Ok, got my Dillon all set up and started reloading, I had to use Hodgdon H4198 powder due to that being the only available powder that I could find to use.
The next problem is I am having problems with my reloads in my Ruger SR-556. I reloaded to specs in the Lyman 49th edition as far as length of the finished shell and the gun jams up when I try to fire them or just cycle them through by hand, and when I say jams up I mean I'm having to take a block of wood and a hammer and beat the charging handle back to get the round out of the chamber. I sent the gun back to Ruger to see what they could do with it and after some work to the feed ramp they test fired it, sent it back and said that it was working fine. I am still having problems with my reloaded ammo, it is still doing the same thing when I try to cycle it through by hand. I have figured out that my factory Hornady loaded ammo (.55 grain V-Max) is cycling fine, absolutely no problems with it. The only difference between my reloads and the Hornady ammo is the length of the rounds. The Hornady are rounds 2.230 in length and my reloads are 2.260 which are to exact specs of the Lyman 49th edition manual. I did reseat 1 of my reloads to the same specs as the Hornady ammo and it fed through just fine, so I know the jamming problem was a problem with the overall length of the round.
My question is am I going to run into any problems if I seat my bullets a little deeper and get they to same specs as the Hornady ammo? Will I have any problems with increased pressures or anything else that you guys can think of?
Thanks for the help in advance!
Thad0 -
Are you using small base dies? Sometimes with LC or other NATO brass that was fired in machine guns a small base dies will be needed. I use the RCBS AR dies. You COL sounds fine to me, I only worry about if they will feed from a magazine. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by GETaklu
Ok, got my Dillon all set up and started reloading, I had to use Hodgdon H4198 powder due to that being the only available powder that I could find to use.
The next problem is I am having problems with my reloads in my Ruger SR-556. I reloaded to specs in the Lyman 49th edition as far as length of the finished shell and the gun jams up when I try to fire them or just cycle them through by hand, and when I say jams up I mean I'm having to take a block of wood and a hammer and beat the charging handle back to get the round out of the chamber. I sent the gun back to Ruger to see what they could do with it and after some work to the feed ramp they test fired it, sent it back and said that it was working fine. I am still having problems with my reloaded ammo, it is still doing the same thing when I try to cycle it through by hand. I have figured out that my factory Hornady loaded ammo (.55 grain V-Max) is cycling fine, absolutely no problems with it. The only difference between my reloads and the Hornady ammo is the length of the rounds. The Hornady are rounds 2.230 in length and my reloads are 2.260 which are to exact specs of the Lyman 49th edition manual. I did reseat 1 of my reloads to the same specs as the Hornady ammo and it fed through just fine, so I know the jamming problem was a problem with the overall length of the round.
My question is am I going to run into any problems if I seat my bullets a little deeper and get they to same specs as the Hornady ammo? Will I have any problems with increased pressures or anything else that you guys can think of?
Thanks for the help in advance!
Thad
If you don't have them, get a small base sizing die [;)] Ruger puts a tight chamber in their 223,s. Every Mini 14 I've had needed to use them when sizing 223 brass, specially using military fired brass [^]0 -
I have found 23.5 grains of H335, a CCI small rifle magnum match primer, and a Hornady 60 grain V-Max bullet work very well in my 20" with 1-9" twist and 5.56 chamber. If the small base sizer doesn't clear up the chambering problem check the neck diameter - they may need outside turning to give correct outside diameter when loaded. 0 -
If you have to turn necks to get a Ruger or any factory AR to function properly something is amiss. 0 -
Ok, my reloads are the same specs in every way to the Hornady ammo except in length, they are the same specs in the neck as the Hornady ammo. What I need to know is if I will run into any problems if I seat the bullets a little deeper then the specs in my manual, the Hornady factory ammo is about 1/8 inch shorter then my reloads and after I reseated 1 of my reloads to the same length as the Hornady ammo it fed through my gun just fine.... 0 -
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It will be fine. The book COL is just a reference point. 0 -
Thanks RobOz 0 -
quote:Originally posted by dcs shootersIf you don't have them, get a small base sizing die [;)] Ruger puts a tight chamber in their 223,s. Every Mini 14 I've had needed to use them when sizing 223 brass, specially using military fired brass [^]
I had a Colt AR. Not only did it not need SB dies, it would function well with neck sized brass. I did keep it pretty clean and a Colt would have a chrome lined chamber which some brands of AR may not.
I did not use military surplus brass however. My brass was bought new and only ever used in my rifle.0 -
GETaklu,
So factory loads are working and your reloads are not? That tells me your reloads are not meeting the criteria of an Auto rifle's needs.
Remember, not only do you have to have enough power to make the rifle function, you can't over-power the round because it's not like a bolt where you can 'beat' the fired case out of the chamber. It has a narrow performance band that you have to stay in between for the rifle to function by itself.
Of the problems you describe and what appears to be a solution, you have found that seating the bullets deeper makes your ammo work fine through your rifle. The reason is this: The deeper seating allows for a little bit of pressure to be let off before the bullet hits the lands and you have a natural spike. With the bullet seated longer you were hitting the lands right away, and therefore getting a pressure spike right away. The pressure spike made the case stick in the chamber. Even a slightly higher firing pressure is okay, like when seating bullets deeper, when there is a "run at the lands". The higher pressure is okay when it doesn't spike over a certain amount to make the case stick in the chamber.
FWIW, that is the whole difference between a 5.56 and a .223 round. All the dimensions are the same except the 5.56 has a hotter load of powder. The pressure of that hotter load is alleviated when the bullet continues to run down the barrel instead of stopping momentarily (micro-second) as it hits the lands.
Therefore, by what you describe, I think you had too hot of a load seated out too far in a .223 chamber that caused the stuck cases. As the pressure was allowed to be alleviated by the deeper seating your problem ceased.0 -
Sandwarrior,
I havn't had a chance to shoot the rifle since it came back from Ruger, I am still getting the jamming problem while I am cycling my reloads threw by hand. I don't not have this problem with the Hornady factory ammo however...0 -
4895s, Varget, RL15, 4064, CFE 223, 0 -
Two things that messed with me when I first started loading for my AR.
Mine required small base dies. I tried several sets of dies from different companies before borrowing a set of RCBS small base dies and fixing that problem
The other problem was the crimp. I failed to read the directions and was way over crimping. Luckily. I checked after the first round and had it fixed in about five minutes.
Either problem can cause what you are describing.0 -
I use IMR-4198 in my 10 1/2" AR. 50gr. bullet, 21gr. of powder, lite crimp, mag primer. Goes bang. 1.5" MOA at 100yd with matching brass. Sub 2.0 MOA with mixed brass. Stock trigger, Mil chamber, 4 MOA dot sight. NO MUZZLE FLASH IN LOW LIGHT! 0 -
AR15 I use H335, BlC2 and 748, or any ball powder that I can find in the 556 realm . I would like to find and try CFE223. For the bolt gun it's IMR4198, cause I got lots of it. 0
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