.223 questions.

[CK_32]

Ok so I have .308 reloading down pretty well. Now Im starting an AR build. Have a few questions on loading for a 5.56 Ar.


1: Good loads for A: 1:7 Plinking bullet/powder
B: 1:7 Put down Home defence load

2: I plan on loading 100's or 1000's of rounds at a time for plinking under 100 to 200 yards. Im use to loading rounds where each grain count has to be exact and be perfectly the same.

With 5.56 practice rounds can I just pop them in and throw a load and measure every five rounds to make sure they are all ball park loads since im not going for amazing groupings? Or do you trickle until the grain count is exactly uniform per every round like you would for precision loads?

3: Good brass.. Still winchester/Lapua brass like for 308? Or is it different for different calibers?

 

[Clark]

Re: .223 questions.

The best group I have ever got in 223 was 5 shots at 100 yards 0.46".
That was with mixed brass.

I have some Lapua .223 brass, and it looks nicer than other brass, but the brass is not what is holding me back. The wind is what is holding ME back.

 

[bengates]

Re: .223 questions.

1. I've had great success with the Hornady 68gr BTHP's in my 1:7 Noveske. I use Varget powder - about 24gr and CCI primers. No matter the brass, I've been able to get as small as .33 MOA These bullets even work better than the 69gr MK's for me. No sure why?!

B. I wouldn't do a home load. You should probably keep a shotgun since a .223 can go through a wall and hit your kid/wife/dog. Also, I would use a tried and true store bought for reliability.

2. I use a Dillon 550 and can make 100rds straight that are all sub-MOA - no problems.

3. Use brass that isn't a crimped primer!! That will save you a ton of time no matter the manufacturer!

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: .223 questions.

55gr Hornady FMJ/BT.

AA 2230 in bulk, or BLC-2 in bulk.

CCI 400 primers.

RP brass, prepped as you please.

All the plinking heaven you will need.

Chris

 

[tacshooter223]

Re: .223 questions.

my twist is a 1-9" but the 68 hornady match have been great. 24gr of h335 under .5 moa for me.

seeing as you have a 1-7" id go for the heavier bullets

 

[CK_32]

Re: .223 questions.

Ok what about throwing the powder? Would it be ok to just throw the loads and leave them if they are +/- 1 grain and check every 5 rounds to make sure they dont get off anymore than that??

This is just for CQB drills inside of 100 yards.. Will the accuracy be crazy inconsistent and impact points be way off target or will that be good to go?

 

[EWP]

Re: .223 questions.

My worst groups are maybe 1 1/2" when working up a load and that's with charges .5gr apart so i doubt .1gr will make much impact difference at 1-200 yards if the load is decent to start with.

My favorite plinking load is 25 gr's of Benchmark in LC or WCC brass, Rem 7.5 primer, 55gr V-Max, 2.255" COL, shoots sub MOA and BM meters good enough that charge weight wont vary more than +/-.1gr on a progressive press and isn't enough to worry about.

 

[bmt]

Re: .223 questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CK_32</div><div class="ubbcode-body">With 5.56 practice rounds can I just pop them in and throw a load and measure every five rounds to make sure they are all ball park loads since im not going for amazing groupings? Or do you trickle until the grain count is exactly uniform per every round like you would for precision loads?
</div></div>

Assuming:

1-You are loading a "medium" load (not a max load);

2-Are "throwing" charges from a reliable powder meter, and

3-Are using an easily metered powder . . .

Then there should not be difference to worry about.

I use TAC for this purpose. It meters evenly and smoothly.

Case capacity on the 223 is about half of the 308 case, so one grain means a lot.

But a good meter, checked regularly, is pretty safe.

Operator error is dangerous though. A hodgdon engieer told me that about half of their "spontaneous dis-assembly" matter result from a guy loading pistol ammo, then switching to rifle ammo WITHOUT REMOVING THE POWDER FROM THE METER!



BMT

 

[CK_32]

Re: .223 questions.


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: EWP</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My worst groups are maybe 1 1/2" when working up a load and that's with charges .5gr apart so i doubt .1gr will make much impact difference at 1-200 yards if the load is decent to start with.

My favorite plinking load is 25 gr's of Benchmark in LC or WCC brass, Rem 7.5 primer, 55gr V-Max, 2.255" COL, shoots sub MOA and BM meters good enough that charge weight wont vary more than +/-.1gr on a progressive press and isn't enough to worry about. </div></div>

I didnt say .1g's I said 1g of powder difference. I dont plan on taking it past 100 anyways. If I do Ill make sure i trickle the exact ammount in each. And Ill also be getting a 20" upper to hit some 200+ shots. This is stricktly for CQB drills.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bmt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Assuming:

1-You are loading a "medium" load (not a max load);

2-Are "throwing" charges from a reliable powder meter, and

3-Are using an easily metered powder . . .

Then there should not be difference to worry about.

I use TAC for this purpose. It meters evenly and smoothly.

Case capacity on the 223 is about half of the 308 case, so one grain means a lot.

But a good meter, checked regularly, is pretty safe.

Operator error is dangerous though. A hodgdon engieer told me that about half of their "spontaneous dis-assembly" matter result from a guy loading pistol ammo, then switching to rifle ammo WITHOUT REMOVING THE POWDER FROM THE METER!



BMT

</div></div>

Yes Ill be using about 24g's of varget max said it was 25.0.

Im using a RCBS Uniflow. Seems to be about +/-.5.. every now and then just under 1g lower or higher. Its still fairly new and its a lot better than it was before. I was told I have to do a few batches for it to be just about spot on I think its getting there.

And I will be using Varget.

 

[ReaperDriver]

Re: .223 questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CK_32</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I dont plan on taking it past 100 anyways. If I do Ill make sure i trickle the exact ammount in each. And Ill also be getting a 20" upper to hit some 200+ shots. This is stricktly for CQB drills.

</div></div>

Ist of all, I hope you have a high speed progressive press like a Dillion if you're going to load 1000 rounds at a time. Unless you lock yourself in the garage for a week straight.

And why would you need a 20" upper to make hits at 200+??? My 16" Chrome-lined nothing special carbine can make hits at 500-600m on steel relatively easily. With an unmagnified Aimpoint....

 

[CK_32]

Re: .223 questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ReaperDriver</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CK_32</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I dont plan on taking it past 100 anyways. If I do Ill make sure i trickle the exact ammount in each. And Ill also be getting a 20" upper to hit some 200+ shots. This is stricktly for CQB drills.

</div></div>

Ist of all, I hope you have a high speed progressive press like a Dillion if you're going to load 1000 rounds at a time. Unless you lock yourself in the garage for a week straight.

And why would you need a 20" upper to make hits at 200+??? My 16" Chrome-lined nothing special carbine can make hits at 500-600m on steel relatively easily. With an unmagnified Aimpoint.... </div></div>

I usually can get through my proccesses pretty fast now that ive gotten better at it. And I usually just do one step a day take a break and get back at it the next day.

Day 1: Clean brass
Day 2: Size the case or case neck only/pop out primers
Day 3: Throw powder and seat bullets
Day 4: Go out and see how they shoot.

A progressive press would be nice but I only have a single stage.

But thats my exact question tho.. When you guys have progressive presses the powder thrower isnt exact to the grain.. So it would be ok if the grain count varies every so often as long as I check every 5 rounds.. Right?? I put 1.0 grain off just because thats the most ive seen it be off when I've thrown a load and checked each for every 10 to see how much the grain count varied.

I plan on getting one M4 plat form and then one "spotter" type ar to have a semi longer range platform. But then again if I can get some nasty groups at 600 yard or farther I might just throw a scope on it and go with it. didnt really think 16" carbines were much good past 300 yards. Reasonably...

 

[bohem]

Re: .223 questions.

I don't bother to trickle powder for LR 223 rounds most of the time anymore. I use BLC-2 which meters extremely consistently and the node for my rifles in 75 Amax is about 0.2-0.3gr wide, plenty of room for a thrown charge out of the progressive thrower.

350 rounds an hour.

H335 is great for lighter bullets in them and it meters just like BLC-2 does.

 

[CK_32]

Re: .223 questions.

Yea I know half of the reason why its off at all is because Im using varget which is a stick powder.


Thanks alot guys. You really helped me out a lot.

 

[Clark]

Re: .223 questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ReaperDriver</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Ist of all, I hope you have a high speed progressive press like a Dillion if you're going to load 1000 rounds at a time. Unless you lock yourself in the garage for a week straight.

</div></div>

I have a Dillion set up for .223 that someone gave me, I never use it.

I can load thousands of rounds of 223 with a single stage press, but do it while watching TV.

If you are mobile enough to load at the range, you are mobile enough to load in front of the TV or in front of the computer.

 

[Tangodown911]

Re: .223 questions.

.223 burner ammo= ball powder+55 grain

I shoot 26.5 grains of wc846 in FC or LC brass with any primer and a 55 grain Hornady pills. It's a hammer. I have relentlessly tortured steel at 100-550 with this load. A little less bang but same great accuracy can be had with 25.5 grains. Smoke free and clean burning. The 26.5 grain load is a perfect match with the matech buis adjustments on my 16" bushmaster.

For burner ammo I wouldn't be worried about anything tighter than +-.15 grains... Which any working powder throw should be able to pull off with ball powder. I would pick a light easy shooting load for plinking. I recommend using the wc846 as I mentioned but blc2 and win748 will do the task nicely also. H335 is liked by many except for me. I found it ran too hot in my guns and could not produce the speeds that the aforementioned could do. For me, the tolerances for plinking loads are not nearly as tight as my bolt guns.