Reloading the 5.56

[ardoctor]

I run about 5-600 rouns through my precision Ar 15 each month. I use Varget as my premium go to powder. Using near max loads with 55 through 77 grain bullets. I rarely have to trim brass. The stretch is only about .002 each firing. i am switching to surplus #846 from Weidners for some of my loads to save money. I was informed that it has a burn rate similar to H335, is this true? Will I be able to achieve the same accurcy with this powder? Will it be harder on brass life and will I have to trim more? I would like to run varget all the time, but finances dictate I must find some savings. I can get 16 pounds for just 20 dollars more than 8 pounds of Varget.

I am running a 20" 1:8 twist barrel. With vargrt and a 77 nosler it is .75MOA. The 1:9 16" lt contour I use for 3 gun with 55 fmjbt should not notice a differance in accurcy.
I will load a few hundred this week to test on friday or saturday.
More to come

 

[tcmajor]

Re: Reloading the 5.56

WC-846 is closer to BLC2 from Hogdon. WC-844 is compared to H335. Or at least this is what my research into this matter lead me to discover. I currently run WC-844 (from Wideners) in an 1/8 twist 24 " barrel with 75gr OTM over 22.8gr of WC-844. I worked this load up from H335 data starting .3gr below listed minimum in .3gr steps to 24gr. 24gr showed was very tight on bolt lift and primer flattened. Found a "happy place" at 21.6 and again at 22.8. Have not chronographed any as my chrony was loaned out never to return. 5 shot groups @ 100 were .628 (21.6gr) and .578 (22.8)

 

[Sterling Shooter]

Re: Reloading the 5.56

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gungneer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I run about 5-600 rouns through my precision Ar 15 each month. I use Varget as my premium go to powder. Using near max loads with 55 through 77 grain bullets. I rarely have to trim brass. The stretch is only about .002 each firing. i am switching to surplus #846 from Weidners for some of my loads to save money. I was informed that it has a burn rate similar to H335, is this true? Will I be able to achieve the same accurcy with this powder? Will it be harder on brass life and will I have to trim more? I would like to run varget all the time, but finances dictate I must find some savings. I can get 16 pounds for just 20 dollars more than 8 pounds of Varget.

I am running a 20" 1:8 twist barrel. With vargrt and a 77 nosler it is .75MOA. The 1:9 16" lt contour I use for 3 gun with 55 fmjbt should not notice a differance in accurcy.
I will load a few hundred this week to test on friday or saturday.
More to come
</div></div>

What is it about changing from one ball powder to another with about the same burning rate that would suggest accuracy being better or worse? I usually buy what has been suggested as being appropriate for my application unless I can't find it on my dealer's shelf. For what it's worth, my best results for reduced course matches has come from 25 grains of H335 under a 53 grain open tip flat base Sierra bullet. I've done well at SR with the Sierra 77 grain open tip boat-tail over 24 grains of Re-15. For MR and LR, 24.8 grains of Re-15 under an 80 grain Berger has proven most effective. I have a 1 in 7 twist .223 chambered SS barrel. Winchester brass is sorted by lot and number of firings, Cases are trimmed, with primer pockets uniformed and deburred. Cases, bullets, and powder are weighed.

 

[SJshooter]

Re: Reloading the 5.56

What were you using to measure the varget for 5-600 rounds? Were u metering it? Using a progressive press?

 

[ardoctor]

Re: Reloading the 5.56

RCBS competition powder measure. Single stage press. I have it down to a fairly effective production system. I load 45acp and 357 sig on a progressive press. It is not in my best opinion better to load precision rifle on a prog press. I can load 100 per hour on single stage if I dont have to trim. I have a few thouand cases in operation and several thousand in reserve stock. I sort by length .005 +/- for long precision +/-.001.

 

[srt-4_uk]

Re: Reloading the 5.56

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SJshooter</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> What were you using to measure the varget for 5-600 rounds? Were u metering it? Using a progressive press? </div></div>
How do you get Varget to drop correctly in a progressive? I tried Varget with .223 in my LnL and it will cave the shoulder before it drops the powder. The only way around it is to manually activate the powder drop as I push down the press handle.

 

[SJshooter]

Re: Reloading the 5.56

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JonM</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
How do you get Varget to drop correctly in a progressive? I tried Varget with .223 in my LnL and it will cave the shoulder before it drops the powder. The only way around it is to manually activate the powder drop as I push down the press handle. </div></div>

This is exactly what happened to me! And I've tried every shin way to adjust it.

 

[Will Lee]

Re: Reloading the 5.56

When I got my Hornady LNL AP 2 months ago I knew that I would have to switch to spherical (ball) powder. Extruded (stick) powder just will not meter well enough to run in a progressive press. This required me to scrape all my favorite loads for both my 223 (Benchmark) & 270 (H-4350).

The following spherical powders meter very well and I was able to develop loads that were just as accurate & with the same velocities as I had with the extruded powders:

Ramshot X-Terminator & TAC
H-335
H-414
Ramshot Hunter