What other powders can I try .223 bolt, 1-7 twist

[AccelR8]

StaBall 6.5 seems like it'd be a bit slow for a .223 Rem. Isn't it supposed to be more H4350-ish in burn rate?

Yes. I was kind of surprised to see it.

 

[padom]

24gr of Varget is stupid accurate in my 223rem bolt guns... especially with 80smk... how far off the lands did you load these???

Here my testing with a new 26" Green Mountain 1-8 223rem barrel I tested last week on my TL3...

24gr Varget
80smk
0.01 off lands
Lapua brass
205M
Not fireformed to this chamber



100yd - 3 Consecutive 5 shot groups

https://imgur.com/dYEG82U

300yd 5 shot group 10mph wind

https://imgur.com/JyUVf5V

300yd 10 shot group 10mph wind

https://imgur.com/U9hAfvv

 

[cheek9075]

Another vote for cfe223. I shoot it with 75gr eld.

 

[mac86951]

If you want to get away from hodgdon:
Alliant AR-Comp, power pro 2000; Reloder 15.
Shooters world has a few powders available too. Match, or Tactical rifle would be a good start.

N140 is a good pick as well.

-Mac

 

[DLT]

@padom, do you care to post chrono data if you have it ? I just started my load work with an 8 twist barrel running the 80smk 26” First charge was 23gr of varget It shot .3, five shot group. I retried it again days later with another 5 shot group and 5 for chrono with magnetospeed. My es was 8fps and sd was 3.1. Average was 2685. I know I can go on up in charge just wonder if it will stay together.

 

[Fuj]

Dark horse.....Ramshot X-Terminator

 

[padom]

@padom, do you care to post chrono data if you have it ? I just started my load work with an 8 twist barrel running the 80smk 26” First charge was 23gr of varget It shot .3, five shot group. I retried it again days later with another 5 shot group and 5 for chrono with magnetospeed. My es was 8fps and sd was 3.1. Average was 2685. I know I can go on up in charge just wonder if it will stay together.

Here you go

https://imgur.com/xupofee

 

[jpjulian]

H335, TAC, IMR8208, W748, RL15, N540..... See chart above. But with 50-55 VMAX and Varmageddons I keep going back to H335. Quite a few powders work, but I always seem to keep going back to H335.

 

[Skeetman59]

Doing load development on a new Howa 1500 .223 20" 1-7 twist bedded in a laminate stock. 77gr SMK's. Only powders I had on hand. Fairly windy day.
Varget best group
.639 at 24gr
Precision
.52 at 23.2

I know I have some inconstant brass as it's new Starline 5.56 brass and boy did they make it small (Slight pressure signs at 24.3 Varget). The stuff hardly touched the FL sizing die. the 24gr load was compressed so once I get it all fire formed the results may change (In my fire formed Lapaua 24gr was not compressed)

Yea I Know, long winded way of asking what other powders should I bee looking at. I would LOVE to get away from Hodgdon so I was looking at N140

I’m using Alliant 2000 MR to shoot Berger 80.5 grain Fullbore pills

 

[Bat Rastard]

2520 with 90gr Sierras looks promising.
8 shots, 100yds, 1" squares.
Should I be looking for more from a Savage?

 

[LiveFire]

Accurate 2520 is an excellent powder for the 77gr match kings. Another I have used is Staball Match. Not staball 6.5 although that may work ive never used it.

Accurate 2520 with 77smk from a 223wylde chamber ar15. 10rds under 1". I really like the powder. For me Staball Match yields similar results but not as tight of groups.

 

[Rsadams]

There's an awful lot of stick powder suggested and they should have better results than TAC but TAC flows like water through a powder dispenser and stays at relatively good consistent weights.... I love it for automatics like ARs etc.... I know you're loading heavy bullets for a bolt but you should at least try a pound of TAC... You may hate it but if it works for you I doubt you will go back to stick powders for small case stuff and it should cut your reloading time... I would be super interested to see what groups looked like with TAC vs something like varget in a bolt action if everything was equal such as wind etc...

 

[JackWagon]

There's an awful lot of stick powder suggested and they should have better results than TAC but TAC flows like water through a powder dispenser and stays at relatively good consistent weights.... I love it for automatics like ARs etc.... I know you're loading heavy bullets for a bolt but you should at least try a pound of TAC... You may hate it but if it works for you I doubt you will go back to stick powders for small case stuff and it should cut your reloading time... I would be super interested to see what groups looked like with TAC vs something like varget in a bolt action if everything was equal such as wind etc...

I don't mind my current method, FX120i I do everything by hand including tweezers for a single grain drop.

I ordered some 69gr SMK's just to see is they shoot better for me as it might be the 20" barrel not getting full stable on the 77s. N133 is in the list for 69's but I think that might be a bit fast but I guess we will see.

 

[Rsadams]

I don't mind my current method, FX120i I do everything by hand including tweezers for a single grain drop.

I ordered some 69gr SMK's just to see is they shoot better for me as it might be the 20" barrel not getting full stable on the 77s. N133 is in the list for 69's but I think that might be a bit fast but I guess we will see.

Definitely worth a try and yes with your setup you can get some really nice exact powder weights... I actually shoot the 69gr SMK myself out of a 16inch 1/7 twist wylde chamber automatic with good results... It may not be one hole but nothing is going to get away if I can see it... I would really love to buy a bolt action .223 almost did a few years back but ended it with two more automatics , just what I needed..lol

 

[Mark611]

Also, you might look at A2460 H322, Accurate powders are a lot less expensive than HODGON,

 

[Kracken McGraw]

There's an awful lot of stick powder suggested and they should have better results than TAC but TAC flows like water through a powder dispenser and stays at relatively good consistent weights.... I love it for automatics like ARs etc.... I know you're loading heavy bullets for a bolt but you should at least try a pound of TAC... You may hate it but if it works for you I doubt you will go back to stick powders for small case stuff and it should cut your reloading time... I would be super interested to see what groups looked like with TAC vs something like varget in a bolt action if everything was equal such as wind etc...

Rsadams, have you ever loaded those Speers 55’s that I posted in the components page this morning? I was wondering how they would work in the ar.

 

[JackWagon]

I'm thinking N135 is going to be right there for the 69gr I ordered. For the 77s I have a 1/2lb of RL15 I was looking at.

So many choices, so little money.

 

[Mark611]

What kind of velocities are you looking to get?

 

[MasterYoda]

AA2520 and it meters so good out of a thrower Love it.

 

[JackWagon]

What kind of velocities are you looking to get?

I will only be shooting it at 100 yards so I'm not concerned with velocity at all. Just load to what shoots best and adjust depth and neck tension from there. The range is a 40 minute drive so I always take a rifle or two I can shoot at 100 since the 500-1000 is limited and always busy. I check in and on Saturdays it's always an hour wait so I head over to 100 where they have a ton of lanes.

You never know though, if I can get it shooting right I may stretch it's legs some since it's way over scoped for a 223. I had a Viper PST laying around 6-24X50mm that I put on it.