Powder recommendations for AR 223

[BigJim]

Still trying to work out the right load for my AR. Please post any recommendations you have on what powder you have had good results with.

Spec's: Bushmaster Varminter, 24 in barrel, 1 in 9.25 twist
bullets 53 grain HP, sierra & honady
cases mixed some .223 and 5.56
All cases full length sized in RCBS small base X-die

I have tried H335 and H4895 with no real preference.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks
Jim

 

[agreen60]

I have a Colt National Match, I use BLC-2 with good results. Alan

 

[fdshuster]

BigJim: If you need to load large amounts, and use an RCBS "Uniflo" type measure, I prefer H335: meters very consistant. One of my favorite loads is 25 grs. with any bullet wt. up to & incl. 60 gr. For the heavier 69 gr. Sierra #1380, I prefer 25 grs. of Varget, but it must be weighed on a beam-scale: approx. 15 min. for 20 rds. other option would be the RCBS "Chargemaster", but for me, very $$$$. Some of the ball powders are very dirty, with carbon fouling, but H335 is relativly clean burning. Win.748 leaves a heavy, almost impossible to remove carbon layer on the fired case neck. That same carbon is also being deposited in the bore. Have tried RL15 with the 69 gr., but keep coming back to Varget. For me, 25 grs seems to be a "do-all" load combo.

 

[acloco]

Might want to try Accurate 2230 or 2460. Both meter like a dream.

Some still like Win 748 or 760, but I find that is a dirty burning powder.

 

[flatlander]

I've had good results with H335, A2460, A2520, A2230, W748 with lighter,50-60gr) bullets, but as far as ball powders go, prefer Ramshot TAC, especially with bullets from 69gr. on up in weight. Have used H4895, Varget, RL15, N540, and N550 in across the course highpower match ammo - with bullets from 68 to 90grs.

Never found it advantageous - let alone necessary - to use a smallbase die in a good AR bbl. I feel a SB die overworks cases, and is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

 

[BigJim]

Flatlander, I agree with you on the SB die thing only reason I purchased it was when talking to Bushmaster they insisted on it for my chambering problem. I think I am not bringing the die down enough to get the shoulder down to where it should be. Had the same problem on my 270s last week would not let the bolt close completely. Knocked apart the loads and resized the cases, reloaded the brass and now they work like a charm.

FDS most of my 223 loads are with H335 at 25 grains just seems that I need a little more snap.

Don't know.

Jim

 

[brfun]

BigJim
being fairly new to the AR game i have only shot the 52 berger's. i haven't choreographed it yet but has grouped well in my rock river with benchmark 25 to 26 grains. this has been the only rifle that it doest seem to a lot of difference witch powder charge i use. working up in .3 gr increments it shot several sub 1/2" five shot groups in a row. most were in the mind 4s. my rick river is an A4 with 20" barrel 223 wylde cambering.
Brian.

 

[BigJim]

brfun - looks like benchmark and H335 are very close but with less CUPs for benchmark - it is worth a try, thanks.

Jim

 

[fdshuster]

BigJim: Yes, I agree, the 25 gr. load,with H335 & Varget) is not a maximum charge. I usually refer to the 2006 Hodgdon manual for starting points, go to the max. charge listed for a particular bullet weight, then back-off 1 or 2 grs. For the 53 gr. Sierra,#1400), they list 26 grs. as max. Same bullet w/ Varget is shown as 27C max., I never load "C" compressed charges), so there is the 2 gr. difference again. I've found that 1 to 2 grs. below max is usually where I'll get the smallest group sizes, and I never have high pressure problems. Brass has minimal stretch, LC cases can be reloaded 12 to 14 times before I get the small split in the case neck. Have never had the bright ring near the base indicating impending case head seperation. Our 12 to 15# SW PA g'hogs go down with solid hits: have never lost one yet. When I do my part, my ARs' will hold the X, and tight 10 rings in CMP & NRA Hi-Power matches at 200 yds. Note: Bolt actions are used on PA G'Hogs: semi-autos' not permitted in PA. for hunting.

 

[pdog2225]

I have a RRA A4 varmint w/24" barrel,wylde chamber) and another AR with an Olympic Arms 24" SUM barrel,5.56 chamber). Both of these really like this load.

55 grain Vmax
24.8 grains of AA2230
BR-4 primer.
Almost any case will work with this combo.
I seat them to just shy of magazine length,2.255").

This past june I killed a prairie dog at 540yds with this load. Last year I got one at 657yds,11 shots) with it.

Happy Shooting, pdog2225

 

[BigJim]

Thanks Pdog and Flatlander the AA2230 looks promising. The best I can do is 2.230 on Hornady heads for the OAL,I have got to get a gauge). I will be at the range today and test out what I have so far. Will post the results.

Thanks
Jim

 

[oldpup223]

One of the best loads that I have uses Western Powders
,X-Terminator) if you can find it, In my Armalite it is more accurate than anything that I tried including Varget.

 

[BigJim]

Thanks oldpup

Well it was a beautiful day today not too hot and not too cold, you don't get many of those here,Chicago), it seems that it only rains on the weekends here, during the week fine but the weekends are not that good. It rained last night and the 100 yard range was under 10 inches of water again, it happens, so we had to use the 50 yard range, not the test I wanted but you do with what you have.

Here are some of the pictures I took, was trying to set up the scope on my mini-30,did not work have to go back to the Ruger rings) but the .223 tests worked out after I adjusted for the shorter range,the rifle is set for 100 yards)

Yes Santa is the Range Master really nice guy too.

Jim

 

[flatlander]

BigJim, I couldn't get my old RCBS die to bump the shoulders back far enough for easy chambering after I'd gotten my first custom AR barrel from Compass Lake Engineering. What I did was grind a few thousandths off the top of the shellholder so it could push fired cases into the die a little farther. It's easy to monitor where you're at with the case headspace dimension by using a Stoney Point,now Hornady) Chamber-all headspace gauge on a dial or digital caliper, and I would never advise anyone to modify a die or shellholder to push shoulders back without having the tools to measure that dimension so they know where they are. I believe most die sets & shellholders are made so that it's not possible to bump shoulders very much in order to prevent new and/or careless handloaders from bumping shoulders back too far and creating excess headspace. That's generally not a problem with most factory chambered barrels, but when you get a custom barrel that was chambered with minimum headspace, you can run into problems.

 

[Williamb]

Remington case trimmed 1.75
Remington 7 1/2 primers
Sierra 69gr Match Kings
Varget 25.0 grains,dropped with Lyman 1200),this is 1 whole grain below Sierra and Hodgdon load map max load)
C.O.A.L 2.26 just fits the mag
Shooting a 20" 1:9 twist Les Baer Super Varminter AR15 off the bench

low 2's at 100 yards with 5 shot groups consistently.

Suggestion is to pick and use one head stamp. I have found when mixing brass has negative effect on group size particularly military brass mixed with commercial.

LOL -

William

 

[SooStan]

Flatlander has a lot of experence with AR's. I would follow his suggestions. For a magazine length rd. at 200 yds. a 52 HP with 26.5 gr. 748 shoots real well out of all of my rifles. ARs and bolt guns. 748 also meters pretty well using a dillon.

 

[BigJim]

Nice Shooting william will try it.

Stan isn't 748 ball powder and how is it effected by heat and cold??


Jim

 

[SooStan]

Yes it is a ball powder. This is a pretty mild load so I don't know about how it reacts to the heat and cold. Stays pretty hot here in florida most of the time. Magnum primers are sometimes used with it.

 

[BigJim]

Mag primers would work even in cold.

Thanks
Jim

 

[Clark]

Blue Dot with light bullets will not cycle an AR15 with stock recoil spring and stock gas hole.

It is great combination for shooting 1000 rounds a day at rodents with a manual feed, but it will not work in an AR no matter how hot it is loaded. This is a 4200 fps round.