Good load for .223

What's a good load for .223 using WC844 military surplus powder? I was thinking about 25gr. but would like to hear from some folks with experience with it...thanks. Any other recipes for .223 you want to share would be appreciated. Oh yea, forgot to mention I am using 62gr FMJ...oops

24.5 with a mag tula primer makes a good plinking load for me. Always work the load up for your rifle, espically when using surplus powder.

Considering WC844 is the none canister version of H335 that's a good place to start for data. Start low and work up slowly because none commercial powders can be very different from those sold to the public and to the same powder of different lot numbers. Even a safe load using WC844 can be unsafe if you use the same powder of a different lot.

I am using 24 grs 844 with a 55gr bullet. It works well for me in terms of flat trajectory and accuracy up to 250 yards (the max range at my range).

This load is at the bottom of published data for H335.

Gentlemen,
Thanks for the replies and info. You folks out there never disappoint.

24.5 for anything 55-62 grains works well I'm my rifle.

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I have loaded thousands of 5.56 (usually in 10,000 rd lots)with WC844...use 26 gr's for 55 gr and 25 gr's for 62 gr's.....runs well in everything I have ever shot it in, produces good accuracy.

I am having great luck using 24g of 844t, Wolf SRM primers, 40g Z-Max.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg74/Ledge68/IMG_4304_zpsb8f4114f.jpg

23.5 gn with 55 gn FMJ would fail to cycle consistently in Bushmaster .223. Accuracy only fair. OK for plinking.
24.9 gn with 55 gn FMJ so far without failures. Accuracy better. Considering 25.2 gn. Range variable depending on data source. 23.5-27 gn vs 24.5-28.5 gn

I just loaded up a few rounds to check out a couple different 55g bullets. Both were loaded with 26g 844 w/wolf sr primers(hotter 5.56) and Federal 55g fmjbt at 2.245 oal and Everglades 55g (more rounded nose) at 2.225 oal.

Will be going to the range on Wednesday. But, have already loaded a few with 26g and got about 2850fps in a S&W MP15 Sport. Good accuracy.

I bought some from Wideners last year. With Hornady 55gr FMJ-BT bullets and CCI 400 primers I started out with a load of 23 gr but my groups didn't tighten up until I got to 26.5-27 gr loads. With those load I'm getting 3000-3100 fps out of a 16" M&P 15 Sport.

With Milsurp powder a chronograph is definitely your friend. And definitely work your way up.

The OP has to understand, all the charge weights listed in this thread means nothing unless he has the same exact lot # powder the poster is using for the data to be valid.

Every lot of surplus powder is different and most times Very Different so every time you buy more you need to work up load data for that lot of powder. Please be careful and do not depend upon the data others use. The only safe way with surplus powders is to work up every lot when you buy it. That is the price we pay for saving money with surplus powder and the main difference between it and the commercial powder we buy in the retail stores.