Bulk loading .223 is a waste of time.

[Lennyjoe]

I think I'll buy bulk ammo for my AR. I have about 1000 rounds of LC brass but in an attempt to load bulk ammo I started loosing my mind. By the time I deprime, trim, chamfer, prime, powder, seat and crimp 100 rounds I'm ready to quit.

I think I'll just load .223 match rounds for accuracy and buy the bulk stuff for major plinking.

Anyone else feel this way or am I just whining?

 

[Rockstar]

Buy an X die and quit whining!

 

[trickyasafox]

maybe im lucky but my cases havent needed trimming every loading. im using a mild load. winchester 55 gr fmj bullets with 26.3 grains of win 748 and federal primers. not barn burners by any means, but i've gotten great accuracy from em. OAL is 2.22

i dont crimp them anymore either, i did on my first bunch but found if anything crimping offered no real advantage. on the other hand mine arent being fired out of an autoloader.

 

[trickyasafox]

just as an addendum to my previous post: speer 13 lists the minimum load of 748 at 26 grains even for 55 gr bullets. as always YMMV this is what works for me in my particular firearm, but this is a loadbook approved load so it should not offer any real danger to anyone who tries it

 

[taliv]

deprime, trim, chamfer, prime, powder, seat and crimp

for bulk, blasting ammo,

deprime, prime, powder, seat, crimp... is all handled with one pull of a handle (along with sizing, and expanding the case mouth, and swaging the primer pocket)

i've found the need to trim depends on how hot your loads are, and how you sized them. generally, i haven't needed to trim.

i've never needed to chamfer bulk blasting ammo.


you might consider purchasing fired, pre-primed brass, which would cut your loading steps to "powder and seat" (and crimp if necessary), and still be cheaper than wolf.

 

[444]

I agree with you completely.
I own something like 12-13 AR15s, and two bolt guns in .223.
I handload for the bolt guns and ONE AR15.
The rest get large doses of Wolf. Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of rounds of Wolf. At just under $100 for a case of 1000, I am not going to handload ANY rifle cartridge.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I figured I'd trim the brass before the 1st reload and not again after that. I am using 26gr of Varget. Cant seem to get 27gr in the LC brass. Also using a Lee 4 hole turret press with an Auto Disc micro powder dispenser. I just dont think its worth the time and effort to bulk reload for the AR.

 

[EchoSixMike]

I have a Gracie trimmer and a Dillon 650 with the autoloader. I disagree. I also have about 10K pieces once fired 5.56 brass. 55gn Win FMJ's and 26.0 of WCC 846 and life is good. S/F....Ken M

 

[Matthew748]

Case trimming is the only reloading chore I hate. When it comes time to trim .223 brass I just pitch it in the garbage. I can usually get tons of once fired .223 brass (usually Winchester brand) at the shooting range I go to, so I am not worried about running out.

 

[Lennyjoe]

so I am not worried about running out

Nor am I. All of our brass that is shot out here goes to DRMO for sale so I usually get access to thousands of rounds of empty brass.

 

[Rockstar]

Lennyjoe: It's always possible that you just don't enjoy pulling your handle as much as some of us habitual handle-pullers!

 

[taliv]

444, where are you buying your wolf for <$100/1000??

ammoman's price is $129-139
midway's is $112 + shipping


assuming you keep your brass (and I do, with a brass-catcher) you can reload comperable quality ammo to wolf, using actual M193 pull-downs, for $65.60/1000. If you don't keep your brass (for instance, you're stockpiling the ammo), that number jumps closer to $90. Still, half-price is worth a couple hours of reloading.


oh, and it doesn't matter how many ARs you have, unless you can shoot more than one at a time.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Lennyjoe: It's always possible that you just don't enjoy pulling your handle as much as some of us habitual handle-pullers

Oh I pull my handle plenty.

Most all of my bulk reloading is .45 ACP and 10MM. I have 9MM dies but dont see the need to reload with WWB being soo cheap. I just have the same feeling on the .223 as the 9MM.

 

[rbernie]

It wouldn't be so bad if all the 223 stuff wasn't so bloody teeny-weeny. It's just not made for normal-sized hands, I tell ya.

Now 303R, that's an adult-sized cartridge....

 

[P95Carry]

I have loaded a lot of .223 and have boatloads of good cases but yeay - it is a PITA really for bulk. I tend now to handload for Ruger 77 and Contender tho having said that - the WWB shoots remarkably well out of both - just means my case collection keeps getting bigger.

BTW - I load 24.8 of N-133 under a std 55 FMJ.

 

[Clark]

The only time I handload .223 in bulk is for varminting.

The best way for me to keep from going crazy is to listen to the radio while I load bulk.

I prefer to load .223 at the range, loading round or 5 rounds at a time.

 

[trickyasafox]

maybe because 223 is the first and only caliber i load for so far, but i think its a hoot. i processed about 250 raw cases today, did every primer pocket by hand and sorted headstams and i really didnt mind.

 

[Rockstar]

After the initial trimming cycle, I load my .223 bulk (for AR blasting) just about like I'd reload .45ACP or anything else, except that I shoot a little Hornady One-Shot on the cases before I dump them into the 650's casefeeder. I can crank out a bunch of .223s @ around $.10 per round, and I'm getting much better quality than any of the cheap commercial stuff.

 

[Kamicosmos]

Only thing that bugs me about reloading 223 is the lubing. Debating on getting an RCBS lube die to take care of that.

I just picked up an X-die to take care of the trimming, which I also didn't enjoy much.

Only thing I run wolf through is my AK, and that's because it's the 'shoot fast' plinking gun. Everything else I like accuracy in, so in mandates that I reload.