Ball versus extruded powder in 223

[Viperdoc]

Trying to work up a good varmint load for a 223 ar using around a 60 gr Berger or v max bullet. Built some loads using Tac and H335 ( yet to test). Also have Varget at home. Varget seems very popular across a broad range of calibers and bullets, but the ball powders meter much more consistently. My Harrel's meter will generally throw Varget within a tenth, but occasionally will give the crunching. Generally easier of course with the ball powders.

Is the ease of throwing the ball powders a real advantage over say Varget and its perceived broader range of stability? In all of other testing my ar seemed to shoot more accurately with H335 and 2520 compared to Varget using Sierra 69 MK's, but this is starting from scratch with a faster twist (7.7) Krieger barrel.

 

[Beau]

I think Varget shoots just as good with thrown charges as ball powder, but listen to what your gun likes. There's a reason we have several choices of powder.

 

[kentuckytroutbum]

As Beau said, use the powder that your rifle likes. That being said, I use A 2520 for my 75-80 gr. loads in my AR for NRA High power matches at 600 yds. Also, 2520 has given my best accuracy in a 6.5 Grendel all the way out to 1000 yds in F-class matches. H335 has given good accuracy, but not great in my AR.

For 68-69 pills, I use Win 748 which in my rifle is a slightly "faster" powder, and the need to seat to magazine length at 200 & 300 yds. I chrono all my loads so that I know what they are doing.

You also want to experiment with seating depths, COAL to see what you rifle likes. I seat my bullets 15 thous off the rifling.

 

[fdshuster]

I do prefer H335 in the 223 with lighter weight bullets, in the 50 to 60 gr. range, but for heavier Varget is the first choice. H335 meters very consistant in my RCBS Uniflow, Varget does not. Of all the ball powders out there, H335 seems to be the cleanest burning.

 

[AckleymanII]

I shot at least a couple of hundred thousand rounds at P. dogs, go with a ball powder and you will have extra barrel life...been down that road.

 

[AdamJ]

27.5 grn Bl-c2 under a 50 vmax is great in most 223 bolt and gas guns I have owned. Having said that I have a spr type AR (1-8twist) that loves 69 smk and varget and my bench gun likes 53 hornady and benchmark. When ever I get a new 223 rifle I try my old tried and true bl-c2 load and tweak OAL before I try any other combo. The only downside is having a summertime zero and a winter time zero.