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Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

Shadowofjudgment

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
May 1, 2011
104
1
Colorado
Whats the best powder you guys have found for reloading your 5.56 rounds using a 75gr bullet? I have a dillon 650 so I'm thinking H335 because its a ball powder. Opinions?
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

Varget
RL-15
VV N-140
AA-2520 (meters very well!)

These all all good for 75gr. There are a ton of "good" powders for 75-77gr. Bullets but these will be the more accurate shooting powders.
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

Ramshot TAC - on par in accuracy potential with most other powders used in his weight projo, added velocity increase of 4-6%, ball powder for easy set up and consistent throws.
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

i like varget for everything from 55 grain up to 80. it meters like shit. buddy uses h335 and they shoot good in his rifle.
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

I shoot 69gn SMK thru 18" 1:8 with 26gr Varget. Last weekend I shot a 5-shot group at 200 yards that I can cover with a nickel. Would post pic, but don't know how.
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: GreatGonzo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I really like H4895 for heavy 223/556. </div></div>

^
I like that it is not as temperature sensitive as most suitable powders and is clean burning. Perfect for shorter barrels from 14" to 18".
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

Varget is an awesome powder , to bad it meters so poorly in a progressive . XBR with the shorter kernels is a better option , and BLC-2 would be even better .
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

+2 on Varget. good all around powder that works well in a variety of small to midsize calibers. I've had good results in 1:7 twist barrel from 55 to 77gr.

recently I"ve been moving some of my loads over to Ramshot TAC. Part of the reason I like it is the manual that they (Ramshot) gives out or on the website has a listing for milspec 5.56 loads (a bit hotter than the standard .223 loads) as well as a separate section for heavier bullets (68gr+). I appreciate the fact that they are giving me additional information when it comes to selecting loads and they are doing some of my homework for me.

loads are about the same gr as Varget so about the same loads per pound (can't remember exactly but around 25-26gr loads in both??).

have heard good things about XBR but have too many other powders on the bench that I didn't need to try something else new. bought the TAC to try out some 6.8spc loads so I had it there and saw the loads on their manual for the milspec loads. shot pretty well.
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

I prefer varget but through a dillon it does'nt meter very consistantly. longrange 30 suggested AA 2520. I've never used it but if it meters like AA-9 in my 550 b then your charge would be within +-<2 tenths of a gr. at worst and is as good or better than factory powder consistency. as for how accurate the powder can potentially be, I do not have a clue.

Varget to me is worth pouring but your seating and crimp die will suffer when you start pulling brass out of a dillon reloader. it's made to be accurate with all stations full.
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

Second the recommendation for AA2520 in the .223. I load the 75 grain A-Max in the wife's Tikka, and It has performed very well. She was hitting past 800 with it at Gunsite.

Believe my charge was 24.0 in Winchester brass, but I had to drop it a bit when I bought her a pile of Lapua brass before our Gunsite class. Don't take that for gospel, as I'm away from my books.

I won't use the progressive for loading long-range ammo, but AA2520 meters well enough through my ancient Lyman 55 that I don't need to do more than check every tenth charge.

Good luck... Jim
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: phreakmode</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ramshot TAC - on par in accuracy potential with most other powders used in his weight projo, added velocity increase of 4-6%, ball powder for easy set up and consistent throws. </div></div>

Do you know if TAC is temperature sensitive? I would like to try it out on 75gr hornady bthp.

Thanks

Dino
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dinosdeuce</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Do you know if TAC is temperature sensitive?

</div></div>

It was for me and I don't shoot in extremes either. I still use it for blaster/coyote rounds though.
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

Alliant ar-comp has given me great results. I am getting 2550 out of a 14.5" barrel and i am not showing pressure signs. It is an extruded powder similar to varget but it is shorter and it meters better. Also it cleans very easy.
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Hi Speed</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I prefer varget but through a dillon it does'nt meter very consistantly. longrange 30 suggested AA 2520. I've never used it but if it meters like AA-9 in my 550 b then your charge would be within +-<2 tenths of a gr. at worst and is as good or better than factory powder consistency. as for how accurate the powder can potentially be, I do not have a clue.

Varget to me is worth pouring but your seating and crimp die will suffer when you start pulling brass out of a dillon reloader. it's made to be accurate with all stations full. </div></div>

AA2520 meters well and gives good velocity in medium length barrels but is horrible temperature sensitive. I worked up a load in the summer = 70-80F, come the next winter = 30-40F, my dope was way off at long range. Turns out the load was going 120fps slower. All I use it for now is for blasting ammo and fireforming.
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

out of dillon powder measure either H335 or ramshot TAC but prefer varget out of RCBS chargemaster.
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

This is the problem, asking for a specific answer. As we see, there are over a dozen "best powders" for what he wants to know, proving that there is no substitute for doing your own load work up. An experienced handloader wouldn't ask the question because he knows each rifle is different and what is "best" in one, is not best, in another. BB
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

One thing that really makes a difference for 5.56/223 is weather it is for an AR or a bolt gun. If a bolt gun, you likely would get better results from slower powders for 75gr bullets. My rifle length gas system allows me to run pretty slow powders, but I would be wary of running hot loads of slow powders in a carbine system. Ultimately, as BuzzBoss says, you need to experiment in your gun.
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dinosdeuce</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: phreakmode</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ramshot TAC - on par in accuracy potential with most other powders used in his weight projo, added velocity increase of 4-6%, ball powder for easy set up and consistent throws. </div></div>

Do you know if TAC is temperature sensitive? I would like to try it out on 75gr hornady bthp.

Thanks

Dino </div></div>


Well I started with TAC last year for my heavy loads. I used it behind both 75 horns and 77smks work good was able to avg 2700fps out of 16" loki melonited barrel 1in8. However when i shot these loads with low humidity and low temps and the fps variation was -100 FPS and erratic. Same happened on hot days but +50-60 fps and erratic. I tried Mr-2000, RL15, Varget, and H4895. I settled on H4895 for the fact that I was able to reach my 2725 avg fps goal. And it hardly changes across vast temp changes ( 15-20 fps at most). Just my personal experience hope it helps.
 
Re: Whats the best powder for 75gr 5.56

75gr. Hornady BTHP
24.5grs. Varget
LC Brass
CCI BR-4 Primer
2.255 OAL

I like these (75gr. Hornady BTHP) better than the 77gr. SMK's.

This load shoots very accurate out of all my AR's and others that have tried it and shot it. 24.0gr. of RL-15 is just about equal.

1-MOA and under consistantly (depends on shooter).