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Powder suggestion for 223 and 6.5

L

LostInTranslation

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 16, 2020
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8
New to precision shooting and learning as I go... One decision I made was to start making my own ammo - partly due to inability to source consistent match grade ammo now partly because it appeared a fun activity to learn.

I got most of the reloading setup but now need to choose which powder to use. To my surprise (because I read otherwise) most of popular powders are not readily available.

Do you have a suggestion for a powder that can be used for both 223 and 6.5CM AND be obtainable? 223 is 16in LaRue AR15 setup primarily to be enjoyed at the range (though good accuracy is desired) while 6.5 is Tikka A1 setup which is for use with PRS - would really like to join long distance shooting at range - right now limited by skills AND ammo...

Thank you
 
Varget and H4350.

But good luck finding them.

Look at your reloading manual as it will have all sorts of powders listed for each caliber.
 
One powder for both will be a compromise to one or the other caliber. Varget, AR Comp, 4895 or 8208 are good with 65-77gr 223, but only really applicable to lighter bullets in 6.5CM. And same with 4350, RL16 and others in CM-they have no application in 223, regardless of bullet weight. You’re best to pick two, as suggested above, in order to optimize and expedite your learning curve, not compromise it. And also as noted, components are getting scarcer by the day, primers especially small rifle and pistol. Seeing local limits of 100/day, where weeks ago you could buy thousands at a time. Try to buy name brands ie Federal, CCI and not some more obscure brand you may never see again. Your process will be much more stable and repeatable in doing so.
 
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What weight bullets are you planning to shoot?
IMR, Vihtavuori and Shooters World powders are not hard to find.
 
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With the availability these days I made a plan.

Get a 8x11 spiral or equivalent.
Write down your favorite like varget, 8208, H4350 then go to the manufacturer sites and look through listings for powder by calibur and bullet weight see what they say will get you the speed you want. List those with side notes.

I like hodgdon's site.

Go shopping and press the buy button quickly on 8ld ers.

The case volume difference and bullet weight difference is going to conflict between 6.5cm and 223 a lot as stated above making it hard to go between those two but cases with similar volumes do cross over.

Cfe223 was available recently and I can use it on 6.5 grendel .

We will just have to make due with what we can get and adjust our expectations.

Do your research and make your list because it will not still be there while you read up.
 
If you already have bullets picked out, write down powders that you have load data for. You will likely be able to find some one pounders locally, although they wont be varget or 4350. You may have to use some less popular powders and get a little creative.

Alternatively, you can play the waiting game and sign up for every email list.

The only crossover between those two I have tested is 8208XBR, and that was only with 107's in the 6,5CM. Super light recoiling, but kinda defeats the purpose...
 
Varget will work for heavier .223 and lighter 6.5CM.

I prefer something faster burning for the 52gr SMKs and something slower than Varget for the 142gr SMKs I use. Really pushing the limit by just using one powder for everything.
 
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Varget with the 223 stuff 60+ grain projectiles

Varget pushing 120-ish weight projectiles fast or pushing up to 140gr projectiles slow in 6.5 Creed
 
AR-Comp is killer in .223. I could be used in a 6.5 with 120-130 class projectiles.
 
I’ve tried AR Comp in the 6.5. I couldn’t get very good velocity with it. 8208 worked decent using lighter bullets (123s), and was very accurate, and it works great in 223. Varget is a good option too. Alliant 2000 MR will give great speeds with both 223 & 6.5 creedmoor.
 
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Looks like most advice points to NOT trying to use same powder in both... I will follow that advice and get different powder types for 223 vs 6.5cm.
 
craig colo walmart of all places 'had' two 1# varget on the shelf.
 
If I was starting right now I would look at CFE223 for the .223 and Staball 6.5 for your 6.5CM. I think you will be able to find both of those even in the current market and they will give you good results.
 
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For 223 I’ve found that A2230, A2460, IMR-8208 XBR, BL-C (2), W748, H322, H335 all have served my needs very well. I cant say if any of these powders will help you in 6.5 Creed, i do know most of these powders can Be and are used in the 308 Win.
 
If anyone lives near Asheboro, NC, a local shop has Varget and H1000, and some Reloder powders and a nice selection of ammo, brass and often rifle primers. They won’t ship, but if you can drive in, they may be able to outfit you. I drive 40 minutes to scope out recent deliveries and today I got six pounds Varget and 2 pounds H1000. These folks on purpose won’t answer their phones, so I drive over once a week and have yet to leave empty-handed. Last week I picked up 4,000 LRM primers and a couple hundred virgin brass for my .300 WM. They ration to 2# of scarce powders, per buyer, unless they have more than 20# in stock. One week I could get only 2# of Varget, then today after they received a truck load, I picked up 6#. PM me if you have a specific need, and I’ll text you if they have what you are looking for next time I visit their shop. The shop is only open Tues-Friday. They only sell reloading supplies and factory ammo, no guns, and they get stuff everyone on this forum seems to have problems getting.
 
H4350 is my go to pow for 6.5cm. Set up an Ammoseek alert. It pops up every few days in both 1 and 8 pound options.
 
I think you will be doing yourself a disservice trying to use one powder for both 6.5 and .223.

Many swear by H4350 for reloading 6.5CM. I do, too.

I don’t yet reload .223, but there are many here who do. Look at the reloading data published on this site for common powder loads. They will be a good starting point. Your results will vary depending upon your barrel, bullet weight, brass, etc. Although trial and error to find your rifles best load, you can get in the ballpark from what others routinely use.
 
There are a lot of newer powders for 223 that are very popular like CFE and AR Comp. They are often sold out because of that popularity, but if you looks at some old school powder like 335, you may be able to find some. My rifles LOVE 335 with bullets in the 55 gr range. H4350 will be the go to powder for the 6.5, but if 4451 is available I would try it. It is the same composition as 4350 with a slightly different grain structure, but the burn rate is right there. I picked up a pound to try during the last shortage, and my rifle (Stiller and Kreiger) shoots it great. It worked so well that I ended up buying a big jug of it, and don’t plan to change my load until the barrel is toast.
 
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