Looking for some recomendations for powder to use in medium to longer range .223 loads. Savage 10 flpk with 24" stock barrel (for now) 1:9 twist. Hornady 53gr vmax. Using varget and cci 450 mag primer w/ 26.5 grains. Getting 3230 fps with about 20 es/sd. scharch military processed brass. Can go to 27 grains varget but compressed loads in mixed brass increased es/sd. I would like a new powder to try and get to 3400 fps without compression. I love the load I described above but searching for the next accuracy node. Any ideas?
.223 rem loads
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backwoods83
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3 different kinds you should try H4895, Imr8208xbr, and Alliant Varminter, one of those should get you there. Sort you brass by headstamp.
kc0pph
Well-Known Member
I had good accuracy (For what i could get) out of a DPMS AR15 with a 13" barrel and 3" Novske Pinned and Welded on. Using 24.0 gn AA 2015, Win brass and CCI primers.
AA2015 was designed around the .223 round as i have heard. Might give it a try. Since then the gun has gone to my father and he uses the 69gn SMK (i think they are SMK) and 27.0 gns Varget. (once again i think it was 27 gns.)
Reason for switching to Varget. Its cheap and avalable at your friendly neighborhood Walmart.
AA2015 was designed around the .223 round as i have heard. Might give it a try. Since then the gun has gone to my father and he uses the 69gn SMK (i think they are SMK) and 27.0 gns Varget. (once again i think it was 27 gns.)
Reason for switching to Varget. Its cheap and avalable at your friendly neighborhood Walmart.
strombeckj
Well-Known Member
I like the Hodgdon Extreme powders and IMR 8208 XBR has become a favorite. I load 28.2grs in a .223AI over 50gr BK's for 3700FPS. Typically a fuller case means more accuracy and Varget, Benchmark and 8208 would be my choices. Try moving over to Rem 7 1/2s. the CC450 is to hot for a .223 IMO. H335 and BLC 2 would be others, however a little more temp sensitive.
3400FPS in a stock chamber .223 pushing a 53gr is moving... Brass prep will help get you there. Weight and head stamp sort your brass you'll need cases around 91.00-93.00 max to get there. 91.00 -92.00 being ideal!
Jon
Trickymissfit
Well-Known Member
I use a lot of 2015BR (the older lots), and in my bolt guns I still like BLC2 and H322. Might also want to try 3031, as it's very similar to 2015BR
gary
gary
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll let you know how it goes. So much data is based on the ar15's it is hard to sort out. Neck sizing only on 1x fired/sorted brass is the plan. The bc of the little 53 grain VMAX is impressive and was good for minute of prairie dog out to 650 or so. Pretty good expansion even at long ranges. Loved the varget but the grass is always greener... Varget even with the hotter cci 450 primer is a great combination.
For the rebarrel I plan on 3 more inches of barrel, AI improved, and a long throat.
For the rebarrel I plan on 3 more inches of barrel, AI improved, and a long throat.
Trickymissfit
Well-Known Member
been thru several bolt guns thru the years, but now own just one bolt gun in .223. I've been playing around with a lot of different powders, but always seem to come right back to BLC2 and H322 with 2015BR right behind them. I did try H335, but it just didn't work out in the three or four rifles I tried it out in. I do have some rounds put together with H335 that are a little different (primers and different bullets of a similar weight).
One thing I've learned about the .222 case family over the years is that they are very reponsive to different neck tensions. Right now I'm running about .0035" of grip on the bullet. Have been down as low as .002" and as high as .0045". Seat the bullet within .003" of the lands; if not slightly into the lands. Federal primers seem to be the ticket with all the guns shooting that case family. Also the hot loads in the manual are usually not the accuracey loads your looking for. In my Remington I shoot 55 grain Vmax bullets at 3270 fps, and the load is good for another full grain of powder. I'd love to be able to shoot the 53 grain bullet, but I hunt with a 14 twist rifle. Next barrel will be a 1:10 twist.
gary
Got to 3433fps MAX with 26.5 gr xbr 8208 before pressure signs. The most accurate load was 26.0 grains at 3380fps with a ragged one hole group. Plenty of case capacity left (27.5+ gr if one dares) even on full length resized cases. Should work nicely and be VERY temperature stable according to my research. 8208 outshot the varget (in my hands) and is very easy metering. Thanks for the suggestions!
strombeckj
Well-Known Member
Glade to hear it's working for you. It has become one of my favorite powders. Whatever your shooting won't feel the difference in 60FPS! 
What primer? May get less pressure with a cooler primer.
Jon
What primer? May get less pressure with a cooler primer.
Jon
Trickymissfit
Well-Known Member
bad thing about primer tests is that they do vary quite a bit from lot to lot. What I did was to buy a hundred primers from several lots (in this case Federal). Then when I found one that really seemed to stand out from the others, I bought the rest of them. I have not had the same luck with Winchester and Remington primers, as they do seem to be similar by the lots. CCI's will vary a bit. In the end I use almost nothing but Federal and CCI's in my rifles, and depending on the case with handguns, Winchester or Remington. I have not tried Wolf or a couple others yet, but do plan to.
gary
Yeah, cci's are pretty hard to beat because of the hard cups, and seems like everything I do runs higher pressures. So many possibilities, so little time... My idea for this gun was to keep it cheap, minimal brass prep, and focus on load development. So far I have es/sd of 20/8 respectively, and this is without sorting by headstamp. The .223 is pretty forgiving. I do expand the necks to .223 and inside chamfer. Other than that it is load and shoot. This gives me more time for brass prep on the big guns!!!
Trickymissfit
Well-Known Member
Precision Shooting did more than one primer comairison test over the years, and everytime the Federals were the best.
gary
