Reduced loads for 223 - using readily available pistol powders?

[wkndwarrior]

Fellow reloaders,

I'm looking for a good load for 223 for fox hunting. I have some 42 grain calhoun double hp bullets that I would like to try but I can't seem to find any of the referenced powders or any that I find in other articles - blue dot, unique, red dot, etc. Does anyone have experience with a reduced 223 load in a readily available pistol powder? Here's the article that I am referring to: http://www.jamescalhoon.com/tobee2.php

TIA

 

[SecondsCount]

I've shot Clays and Tightgroup with 55 FMJ bullets ~ 3 grains of powder and 2.250 OAL. Be careful not to undercharge or you will stick a bullet in your barrel.

Hodgdon.com has reloading data for Tightgroup, Trailboss, and Clays.

 

[chromatica]

Hodgdon H4895 can be used for reduced loads. It is the only powder that Hodgdon approves for this practice. Take 60% of the max H4895 load recommended in the manual, and you should see velocities around 1800 fps. You can really feel the reduction in recoil. I sometimes use these powder-puff loads to introduce new shooters to center-fire rifle.

Hodgdon – Hodgdon Powder Company

hodgdon.com

 

[C.E.Smith043]

Bluedot is the route to go if you can find some.
I use 13gr of blue dot with a 50gr. Sierra blitzking

 

[wkndwarrior]

I've shot Clays and Tightgroup with 55 FMJ bullets ~ 3 grains of powder and 2.250 OAL. Be careful not to undercharge or you will stick a bullet in your barrel.

Hodgdon.com has reloading data for Tightgroup, Trailboss, and Clays.

This is helpful, Thank you. I think I remember seeing trailboss on the shelf. I wish hodgtons website was more reliable - I was just able to open tightgroup data but then it glitched and now I can't get data for the others :-(

 

[wkndwarrior]

Bluedot is the route to go if you can find some.
I use 13gr of blue dot with a 50gr. Sierra blitzking

I agree, plenty of data on the web - just no powder to be found...

 

[wkndwarrior]

Hodgdon H4895 can be used for reduced loads. It is the only powder that Hodgdon approves for this practice. Take 60% of the max H4895 load recommended in the manual, and you should see velocities around 1800 fps. You can really feel the reduction in recoil. I sometimes use these powder-puff loads to introduce new shooters to center-fire rifle.

Hodgdon – Hodgdon Powder Company

hodgdon.com

Thanks for this information, unfortunately I've been keeping my eyes open for h4895 for a year and haven't found any yet.

 

[Webster]

Fellow reloaders,

I'm looking for a good load for 223 for fox hunting. I have some 42 grain calhoun double hp bullets that I would like to try but I can't seem to find any of the referenced powders or any that I find in other articles - blue dot, unique, red dot, etc. Does anyone have experience with a reduced 223 load in a readily available pistol powder? Here's the article that I am referring to: http://www.jamescalhoon.com/tobee2.php

TIA

Go to the Hogden's website and look up reduced loads.

 

[wkndwarrior]

Titegroup seems to be the only powder available referenced from the hogdon website or in any of the recommendations above, and it seems that the velocity is subsonic and pretty well below what I was looking for.

Does anyone have recommendations for non-hogden powders? Or a reduced load that will get me around 2000fps with a 42 or 50 grain bullet and using a typical powder?

 

[Richard Jones]

https://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/trailboss-reduced-loads-223-information.3997758/

 

[Paul's Black Rifles]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned James Calhoun and his article.

To Bee or 223, That is the Question

I've used his blue dot loads. Don't remember the accuracy, it was good enough for me.

Paul

 

[wkndwarrior]

https://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/trailboss-reduced-loads-223-information.3997758/

Thank you for that link, I hadn't read that thread before but unfortunately it is for the same unobtainable powders that were referenced in the other ones.

 

[wkndwarrior]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned James Calhoun and his article.

To Bee or 223, That is the Question

I've used his blue dot loads. Don't remember the accuracy, it was good enough for me.

Paul

Thank you, I agree that he has some good articles, unfortunately I'm not having luck finding dot powders locally.

 

[AWS]

He has 800X in the articles too. I use a lot of that for my shotgun predator loads and have light loads for my 222 Rem, 223, 22-204 and 5.6x50R Mag using 800x. All are quite accurate, with a 200 yard zero for my hunting loads they are close to being on at 100.

 

[Iowa Fox]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned James Calhoun and his article.

To Bee or 223, That is the Question

I've used his blue dot loads. Don't remember the accuracy, it was good enough for me.

Paul

I can't remember what year that article came out in the Varmint Hunter. I do remember it impressed me enough to give it a try as I already had Blue Dot on hand. I picked 11.5 grains and a 50 grain bullet as a starter. First range trip I grabbed a 26" heavy barrel rifle to try them. Wow! Accurate and pretty quiet. In my 15" Encore barrel Blue Dot works very well and burns clean in the short barrel..

 

[biggun2869]

I remember Wiley Clapp who was a writer (I think) from Shooting Times Wrote an article titled MAGGB Make any gun go boom. His load was IMR 2400 10 grains.
I PERSONALLY HAVE NEVER TRIED IT But it might work for you. This was in the '70s or '80s kind of before the Lawyers took control.
I know he wrote it and I remember it correctly. It obviously wouldn't work for small cases like 380 & 25. I think maybe he was writing the article mainly for rifles. Gary

 

[Frankm]

Blue Dot is good, 800X ok but it’s hard to measure. Big flakes. Also 800X is no longer made.

I know guys that use 231, Unique, etc. As with all fast pistol powders REMEMBER, pressure can go from ok to OVER the top with an extra half grain or so. Don’t try to shoot “near” standard loads with pistol powder; it ll bite you quickly. Also watch out for double charges as the stuff uses minimal case volume.

A couple guys I know ceased up their bolts by going a half grain/
grain over their load by being careless….

 

[762plinker]

just be safe. load one at a time, and weigh when done...a double charge should show up in the weight check.
i have shot lots of cast bullets, no need for a slow jacketed 223

 

[Paul's Black Rifles]

wkndwarrior,​

I'll give this another try, what powders do you have?
It looks like you are trying to drop about a third of the velocity, why?
Bolt action or semiautomatic?
At 2000 fps I'm not sure a pistol powder is what you want. Yes the velocity will be there but the pressure could peak fast and higher than you think.
I've seen a .223 loaded to low .221 Fireball velocity. With AA1680 the sound signature with a 7 inch barrel and a Varminter II can was missing the sharp crack and muzzle blast. I wouldn't use 296, H110 or Lillgun. IMR 4198 or IMR 4227 could be dirty at lighter weight. But may give you what you want. AA 5744 maybe a bit high in pressure (fast burning) but could work if you have some. Triple duce load data might be worth a look too.
Use this at your own risk, what works for me may not be safe in your firearm.

Paul

 

[rockhound78]

Here is some data for cast bullets. Maybe you can find one of the powders to use to achieve what you want. Jacketed bullets will have higher pressures vs. cast of the same weight, so keep that in mind