223 and 556 with IMR 4198

[ElKellym]

I got a 8 pound key of 4198 for my wifes bolt action 223. It was in the Hornady manual and the power was available so I picked it up.

I got a RockRiver AR the other day looking in the book the 4198 powder is not listed for the 556 nato. Should I treat it the same as the 223 when building up the loads? I know the 556 just has a little thicker brass and im using the 55g bullets

 

[mtodd]

I have used 4198 for my 223 reloads as that was all that was available at the time. I haven't had any problems what so ever with it. I would consult your Hornady manual and the IMR reloading database on their website and compare the load data, and use the loads listed for 55gr .223 for all of your brass.

 

[ksthomas]

ElKellym,

No problem at all, especially with the 55 grain bullets. Probably not so good a choice for heaver (69 grains and above), but works very well with lighter bullets in these cartridges. Biggest pain with 4198 is it's kernel geometry; it won't go through a powder measure very smoothly. Beyond that, so long as you don't mind spending some extra time making sure the charge weights being dropped are within the tolerance you set, you should be good to go.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I use IMR-4198 for my .30BR and 7.62x39 accuracy loads, and will be trying it out using pulled bullets from x39 ammo in x54R reduced recoil loads for my 110lb Granddaughter's scoped M-N 91/30.

It meters a lot better through a .30cal neck, and I have found that for non-critical applications, it can be very effectively used by simply dropping loads with the Dillon RL550B's automatic measure.

If the data in the latest Sierra load manual can be trusted (I do), the IMR-4198 appears to support higher charge weights and velocities than H-4198 with the same bullets.

Greg