Best powder for .223/5.56

[laangler]

I'm not too young to remember seeing rifles in the gun rack of pick-ups in the high-school parking lot during deer season.
No one thought a thing about it and there was never a problem. Trucks were probably unlocked, too.

Can you imagine what would happen now?

Things have certainly changed, and not for the better.

Yes, to all of this in my high school days along with a 8 track player.

 

[DShortt]

Yes, to all of this in my high school days along with a 8 track player.

Still think about 8-track tapes every time I hear AC/DC's Dirty Deeds.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Up north, here xterm, tac, h322 are the lowest per pound powder. Next BM, some of the accurate powders. Than Varget, Reloader powders.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Yes, to all of this in my high school days along with a 8 track player.

I still remember getting my Wranglers warmed up leaning over the principal’s desk when my buddy thought it was a better day to go fishing or hunting instead of going to class. The good places were always towards the state line where the beer joints were for some reason.

 

[ELR LVR]

Wow
7 pages of powder recommendations for a .223

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I use TAC for my bolt guns and AA2230 for gas guns.

Does TAC overgas your gas guns? Leading to violent cycling action? Leading to the extractor ripping the rim off or perhaps bending it or at the very least marking it during cycling? Or is it more that TAC, being dirty, rapidly fouls the gas system?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

There are a bunch. Its hard to ignore the price of xterminator and TAC. Both have worked just fine for me.

I really like how n133 fills the case. I still have a couple years worth of powders, but when I run out I think ill try n135 and n540. VV is where its at for stick powders. The other brands prices have gone crazy and VV has had better availability.

How well does N133 work through volume drop powder measures? Are the sticks huge? And do they thereby cause frequent hang-ups that throw off the dropped weight? Will an even 24 grains fit a .223 case straight off a powder measure drop, or does this require a long drop tube, and/or vibration?

 

[jelenko]

Does TAC overgas your gas guns? Leading to violent cycling action? Leading to the extractor ripping the rim off or perhaps bending it or at the very least marking it during cycling? Or is it more that TAC, being dirty, rapidly fouls the gas system?

TAC does not over gas my AR's. Never had a rim ripped off using TAC.

When do clean yours?

 

[jelenko]

Are the sticks huge?

And do they thereby cause frequent hang-ups that throw off the dropped weight?

Will an even 24 grains fit a .223 case straight off a powder measure drop, or does this require a long drop tube, and/or vibration?

No. No and it's close. Depends on the bullet length and whether the rounds have to feed from a mag.

 

[RabbitSlayer]

How well does N133 work through volume drop powder measures? Are the sticks huge? And do they thereby cause frequent hang-ups that throw off the dropped weight? Will an even 24 grains fit a .223 case straight off a powder measure drop, or does this require a long drop tube, and/or vibration?

I trickle each charge so i dunno about the powder drop. The sticks are pretty small. It never bridges in the funnel like other stick powders I have used. 24.5 fills the case roughly to the base of the neck without doing anything to settle the powder.

 

[603Country]

Lots of helpful responses. But for clarity I'll repeat at this time I'm looking for powders for 55gr. and 62gr. in an AR. I might venture to other weights or platforms eventually but for now only those two.

I use H335 in the bolt gun and the AR. Per the Lyman manual A2230 is best for accuracy for the 65 gr Sierra GK, and they may be right, because that’s the best my bolt gun ever shot. But, I had a bunch of H335 on hand.

H335 is behind my 40 gr Ballistic Tips, 55 gr BTs, 65 gr Sierra GKs, 63 gr Sierra SMPs and were behind my 60 gr Nosler Partitions and 64 gr Nosler BSBs. I never could get those last two to shoot as well as I wanted, so I gave most of them away.

And, happily, my bolt gun and my AR both like my 65 gr Sierra load.