.223 AI ff loads

[Longtrain]

I shoot mainly F Class Open at 300 & 600 with my 223AI. A local club has weekly 100 meter prone matches, not a real challenge for the AI and a 42x Nightforce, but trigger time, is trigger time, it reinforces the basics of setup, position, etc.
That being said I just dump load with some left over TAC or AA2460 and SMK, 52, 69 or 77’s from XTC days. They all work and the powder is dumped using a Redding 3BR powder measure which is very accurate. I don’t load crazy, pretty much 223 velocities work just fine. Checking weights occasionally shows them right on with a good technique on the charging handle.

 

[AckleymanII]

CFE would be a super powder for you with the 69's.

 

[IowaGeologist]

I got a great deal a few years ago and picked up a bunch of 40 gr Vmax for about $7.00/100. Decided to use them for my 223AI fireforming load using Benchmark. Was pretty happy with the results.

26" CBI 223AI 1-8
Bighorn Origin
40 gr Vmax
27-28 gr Benchmark
~4,000 fps

 

[STOMP442]

24.0gr of H4895 with just about any 55gr bullet I have tried has shot half inch or better for me in mine while fire forming.

 

[scope eye]

Another good load for fireforming 223 is 25gr of 4198 with 40 gr Vmax's the shoulder comes out nice and defined.

Dean

 

[Oso]

Fire-forming load: 55gr FMJ/VMax and 25.0gr of TAC

 

[searcher]

Accurate LT32 is a fast powder, finely granulated (much finer than Varget) and tends to shoot 40-50 grain bullets exceptionally well. Fast enough to blow the cases out a bit better than 8208 or Varget. Other powders that meter very well would include your AR Comp (though it never delivered exceptional accuracy in any of many rifles I have tried it in), Varmint, Winchester W748, Reloader 10X, Exterminator, TAC. Purely from a metering perspective, I'd use Varmint, 10X or TAC. Expecting best accuracy from any of these, my first try would be the LT32, then W748, RL7, Varmint, TAC then 10X. If you are loading a ton of these - I'd not mess with COW method - but try to find a fireform load that shoots well. My #1 option would be a 50 V-Max with LT32. Good Luck

 

[762willdo]

Try 2520 if that doesn’t work try 2520, if that fails there is always 2520, meters awesome
For a while I believe it took a lot of trophy’s at Perry.

 

[Gary in MD]

I'm using TAC in mine, a nice little Cooper.
A stout load behind the older 55 grain Hornady SX and a cci magnum primer yielded an average of 3418 fps the one time that I ran them over the chronograph. Not record breaking velocity but plenty to make those 55s explode nicely on ground hogs and foxes. I was getting a little over 3600 with the 52 grain Bergers.
AR Comp gave me better accuracy with the 52 grain bullets but at a much lower velocity.
Gary