N150 way faster than expected in 223.

[cp255]

Shooting 223 from a 26" Criterion Match chamber. Using the 80.5 Berger Fullbore with Starline 223 brass. I'm seated 20 thousandth from the lands. With just 22.2gr of N150 I'm getting around 2870 fps muzzel velocity. This is listed as a starting load. Ive tried cleaning my barrel throughly and polishing it with an abrasive cleaner. Still very fast. Anyone else use N150 in 223?

 

[gaintwist]

I have and do used N150 in my match F/TR 223 guns since 2009. Have a chamber for the Berg 90vld and it is killerbee out to 900y with 1-7.7 Kreig bbls. MV out of 30" bbl is mid 2800.

 

[cp255]

I have and do used N150 in my match F/TR 223 guns since 2009. Have a chamber for the Berg 90vld and it is killerbee out to 900y with 1-7.7 Kreig bbls. MV out of 30" bbl is mid 2800.

How much powder?

 

[SecondsCount]

Shooting 223 from a 26" Criterion Match chamber. Using the 80.5 Berger Fullbore with Starline 223 brass. I'm seated 20 thousandth from the lands. With just 22.2gr of N150 I'm getting around 2870 fps muzzel velocity. This is listed as a starting load. Ive tried cleaning my barrel throughly and polishing it with an abrasive cleaner. Still very fast. Anyone else use N150 in 223?

Starline has a lower case capacity compared to most other 223 brass.

 

[Tommie]

The bullet jam may be causing an increase in pressure which would likely translate to higher velocity.

 

[Dgd6mm]

Shooting 223 from a 26" Criterion Match chamber. Using the 80.5 Berger Fullbore with Starline 223 brass. I'm seated 20 thousandth from the lands. With just 22.2gr of N150 I'm getting around 2870 fps muzzel velocity. This is listed as a starting load. Ive tried cleaning my barrel throughly and polishing it with an abrasive cleaner. Still very fast. Anyone else use N150 in 223?

Chronographed?

 

[cp255]

Chronographed?

Yes that is where I got the 2870 from.

 

[Walt Krafft]

Not sure what the problem is. Do you have pressure signs?

 

[cp255]

Not sure what the problem is. Do you have pressure signs?

Nope. Just a lot faster than I expected.

 

[Acyr]

Recent lots in my experience are much faster than the older ones.

 

[ronemus]

Did you use an optical chronograph? If so, was the first screen at least 10' away from the muzzle? The blast front can trigger a false reading if the screens are too close.

 

[cp255]

Did you use an optical chronograph? If so, was the first screen at least 10' away from the muzzle? The blast front can trigger a false reading if the screens are too close.

Garmin radar chrono. I'm pretty sure the chrono is accurate.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I may give your load a go in my .223. The only thing that's not identical would probably be lot# and my barrel is a Benchmark.

 

[JEFFPPC]

I have researched powder choices for the 6bra. A coment I have read multiple times that 1y50 to their surprise worked very well with surprising velocity leading to the conclusion, its faster than one would think.

 

[kevinbritvec]

2870 fps from a 26" barrel equates to around 2670 fps from a 20" barrel, hot, but not ridiculous.

N150 would be my first pick for long barrels and heavy bullets in .223.

How much freebore do you have? .020" jump, what OAL".

 

[cp255]

2870 fps from a 26" barrel equates to around 2670 fps from a 20" barrel, hot, but not ridiculous.

N150 would be my first pick for long barrels and heavy bullets in .223.

How much freebore do you have? .020" jump, what OAL".

I never measure OAL. My base to ogive is 1.991. Bullet just barley fits in the new MDT polymer magazine.

 

[Mittry]

Shooting 223 from a 26" Criterion Match chamber. Using the 80.5 Berger Fullbore with Starline 223 brass. I'm seated 20 thousandth from the lands. With just 22.2gr of N150 I'm getting around 2870 fps muzzel velocity. This is listed as a starting load. Ive tried cleaning my barrel throughly and polishing it with an abrasive cleaner. Still very fast. Anyone else use N150 in 223?

In my experience recent lots of N150 are a lot faster than shown on the burn rate charts. I don’t use it in 223 but when working up 6 Dasher loads N150 was actually faster than N140 by about 1 grain for equal velocities. Also in 6.5/47 loads I thought it would be close to H4350 but not even close way faster, more equivalent to Varget loads for that cartridge.

 

[William Vogel]

I don’t think the burn rate chart holds any water for certain powders. I stopped using it just after beginning reloading because it didn’t follow suit for what I was doing. N150 is just a touch and I mean a touch slower than Varget. Well mine is anyway. I use it exclusively in 223AI for 80 and heavier and it’s awesome.

 

[natdscott]

Not sure what the problem is. Do you have pressure signs?

Same, brother.

I fail to see the issue, here.

If it shoots well, safely, and HAPPENS to do so faster than usual, then thank whatever deity or stars you choose, and shuck on.

 

[cp255]

In my experience recent lots of N150 are a lot faster than shown on the burn rate charts. I don’t use it in 223 but when working up 6 Dasher loads N150 was actually faster than N140 by about 1 grain for equal velocities. Also in 6.5/47 loads I thought it would be close to H4350 but not even close way faster, more equivalent to Varget loads for that cartridge.

I originally bought the N150 for my dasher and saw the same thing. 30gr N150 was giving similar results to 31 of varget. You should try the H4350 in your dasher. Works really well for me. Cleaned a 600 yard fclass target last weekend with a really flat waterline.