Powder for an AR reload

[TomSawyerNW]

Hi All,
I'm not in a position to do alot of experimenting, but if I were to test 2-4 powders, which powders would you recommend for AR 15 reloads, based on your experience? I'm basically interested in having ammo for target shooting, and hotting tin cans.

I know there's alot more to this for those of you with years of experience compared to my amateur status.

So, was curious to know which powders you might recommend to start with.

Many thanks.

 

[johnfred1965]

I've shot thousands of rounds through my AR's with W748 under a 55 gr bullet. H335 gives similar results and Ramshot Tac gives a little more velocity. These are all ball powders and are very consistent through a powder measure. I've used these same powders for the lighter 50 gr and heavier up to 69 gr matchkings, no complaints

 

[Wingnut00]

H-322, Blc-2, tac, varget, benchmark, h-4895 are all good performers. Also try magnum primers. Helped me with ar's several times for accuracy. Good luck.

 

[js2013]

RL15 for 69-80 grain bullets. If you're using lighter bullets use a faster powder

 

[venatic]

Alliant R1200 is made for loading high volumes of ammo and has worked well for me making 3-gun ammo

 

[r bose]

Tac is my first choice with CCI 450 mag primers. Have loaded anything from 50g-82g projectiles with it. Tac drops perfectly, and gives the most consistent, best accurucy, and highest velocity.

 

[mmcu]

Tac would be my recommendation.

 

[hogpatrol]

WC842 pulldown powder if you can find it, i.e. for plinking, the cheapest you can find.

 

[joshb]

H335 is my top choice. Tac is 2nd. Bl-c2 worked well. The ball powders meter very well. With a consistent throw technique, you can get accurate loads for hundreds of throws. I've done a thousand on a lazy Sunday afternoon, all under a tenth difference.

 

[Shynloco]

Try CFE223 for plinking along with some inexpensive 55 gr canalured bullets. Works great in my son's AR out in the desert. For target shooting H335, VVN140 or BLC2 pushing Berger 55 gr FB's are the ticket, at least in my custom built AR15 JP Precision rifle. Shockingly accurate with these load at 100 yds.

Alex

 

[Rsadams]

+1 on ramshot tac...Any of the above will work great, you just need to find the one YOU like the best and is on the shelves in your area.. I would hurry up and get what you need before the elections get any closer..

 

[TomSawyerNW]

Thank you all for your responses. I greatly appreciate your taking the time to suggest powders, as well as primers, etc. Reloading for my AR, as well as well as my Grendel 6.5, is high on my to-learn list of things for the coming month or two.

 

[B Nettesheim]

H322 always works well for me with 50 to 69grain bullets.

 

[jimbo88mm]

Varget, IMR XBR 8208 and AR-Comp have all shot well out of my 556 AR. AR-Comp is my go to powder for the Grendel.

 

[Cakes]

I don't shoot the 223 AR but my 6mm Hagar and 6 AR T40 love XBR 8208 and it meters/throws very nicely. They both also like 87 V-max's. My buddies who do shoot the 223 like CFE223 and Tac. Eric in DL

 

[Dan Boone]

H335 works well, and Benchmark is my favorite. Less temperature sensitive than H335. Benchmark under a 60 grain bullet is hard to beat in my rifles.

 

[5spd]

W748, H335, blc2, ramshot tac if I only could have 4 different powders.

 

[Fast14riot]

Varget, RL15, 8208 are nearly interchangeable for charge weight and performance under 75-77 grain bullets (except AMAX). For lighter stuff get some WC844 (H335) or WC842 (BL-C2) and pick a charge in the middle for 55gr bullets.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

TAC worked well in my first AR. These days 748 is the one I use.. 335 is supposed to be great but you never know til ya try. 335 is what we use in my son's bolt gun.. Not so great in my AR..

 

[JAlfred]

One thing that makes the 223 great is an awesome selection of powders available.
What kind of ranges and bullet weights we talking?
For me:
1) XBR 8208: Awesome with 77gr bullets and good with lighter bullets as well.
2) Benchmark: 52-60 +/- bullets
3) Either Lt-32, Reloder-7, or H322 to fill one slots for 40-55 gr target loads.
4) And either Varget or Reloder 15 for the last opening. 69-90gr.

TAC is a great powder and very versatile, but never best in class at anything. That said, it has yielded respectable results with bullets from 55 to 80 gr.