Loading .223Rem for an AR - Starting Point?

[Chris Rhines]

Hi all,

I'm getting back into handloading rifle ammo, after several years of shooting mostly factory ammo in USPSA Multigun competition. I'm looking for some advice on bullets and powder.

I need a load that will consistently hold sub-MOA groups out to 400 yards. Both of my Multigun ARs have match barrels installed (Kreiger and Lilja, I think,) so they should be able to hold up.

I'm going to be loading this ammo on a progressive press, so a ball or short-grain extruded powder seems to make sense. Also, I'd prefer a heavier bullet, but it needs to be mag length.

Alliant Reloader-15 has been recommended to me as a good powder to look at, I'm a little concerned about running it through a Dillon powder measure. For bullets, the 77grn. SMK and 73grn. Berger seem popular.

Anything else I should be looking at? Any advice would help a great deal.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[navyrad8r]

Chris,
Welcome to the forum...check out the link below
http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/223rem/
77SMK or Noslers, 75 hornady HPBT with or without cannelure would be a great bullets for your purposes. Consider TAC, 322, RL15 recipes. IMHO i think that ~24gr of TAC or RL15, russian primers, would be fine with SMKs. I am guessing that you will be staying at mag length. Please remember to work up the loads in YOUR rifle i am sure that its different than mine. Make sure you never have any "proud" primers to avoid slam fires. good luck to you on your quest. OBTW Midwayusa put nosler bullets onsale (and they are in stock) today.
cheers,
doc

 

[sbrabec]

Here is where I started...
http://www.whiteoakprecision.com/info-reloading.htm

Best of luck
Scott

 

[BoilerUP]

8208XBR is another very good powder for 75-77gr bullets in ARs...I've been getting better accuracy and velocity than my previous Varget loads.

Hodgdon book max is 23.2gr; there's another node in the 23.7-24.0gr area but that's somewhere between warm and getting too hot.

 

[debubba]

My favorite load for precision work with my stock Bushmaster is a 69 gn S M K sitting on top of 23.5 gn of varget . The 69 grainer is more mag friendly than the 77s .

 

[Huckleberry75]

8208XBR is another very good powder for 75-77gr bullets in ARs...I've been getting better accuracy and velocity than my previous Varget loads.

Hodgdon book max is 23.2gr; there's another node in the 23.7-24.0gr area but that's somewhere between warm and getting too hot.

That 23.7-24.0 node is a little warm in a bolt gun but not hot-hot. I would not try it in an AR. The 22.6-23.4 area is a sweet spot for gassers according to some people that know more than I do.

 

[Beau]

Try around 22.8 AR Comp with a 77. Dumped charges of it hammer at 3.

 

[Zero333]

My Dillon xl650 powder measure works good with extruded powders. Don't have to worry too much about the powder's shape.

69 gr SMK
23 or 24 gr of H-4895
23.5 or 24.6 of Win748 if you prefer a ball powder.

I prefer the lower nodes of 23 and 23.5 gr.

dedubba's post #5 is also a good one.

 

[Fast14riot]

If you have the right twist barrel (8 twist or faster) the 75/77 grain bullets are just fine at mag length.

Some standard service rifle loads are
23.2gr 8208XBR, LC brass, Rem 7-1/2, any 75/77gr bullet. (This is the load I use)
24gr Varget or RL15, LC brass, Rem 7-1/2, any 75/77gr bullet.

The only 75gr bullet that does not work for these or magazine length at all in the 75gr Amax.

 

[Baddog0302]

Some how the terms; progressive reloader, sub MOA @ 400 yds, and an AR set up for anything but bench rest shooting don't seam to mesh to me. Maybe 3 MOA @ 400 yds.
BUT to your request; the loads listed should be good starting points, my suggestion , invest in a set of check weights for your present scale, so you will have something to check and verify the constancy of your powder's dispensing system

 

[XTR]

To the OP, first you need to figure out how far and for what reason you really plan to shoot. If you are just doing informal target practice to 400 yards or so the 69SMKs or any of the 77s (Nos, SMK) will work fine.

Lots of people shoot ammo loaded on a progressive and can clean a 300 yd service rifle target with a 2MOA 10-ring with high x-counts. Extreme spread in MV doesn't make a whole lot of difference at those ranges. A good barrel helps.

Rx-15, H4895, CFE223, AA2520, IMR8208XBR, N140 and Varget will all work well. AA2520 is a ball powder and meters really well. I'm told 8208 does as well, but have not tried it.