Loading 62gr M855 help?

[Tim the student]

It can measure down to 1/100 of a gram or .015 grains. It came from a science lab & I trust it.

Those scales are vulnerable to error as much as any other scale. Please ensure it is both as precise and as accurate as you seem to think it is.

I try to come up with a solution within my means and others will tell me why I am wrong.

Because they don't want you to blow your rifle up, especially when they may be on the bench next to you. Please read the sticky for new reloaders.

If they do start getting stuck then I guess I have to buy a a set of dies

And a press for those dies.

Just please don't talk like you are "holier than thou"

I don't think anyone has. People have been trying to help you here.

I suggest you read all the stickies, and then peruse this forum when you are not busy reading your (still to be had) manual. Once you get your manual, read it. Then read it again.

 

[kingmt]

I believe most reloaders are very blunt & caring of others even more so of other reloaders. You aren't being talked down to just the way we are.

I know my info was a little patchy but parts of your question was outside of my experience so I tried filling in the parts I know hopeing someone would come behind me to fill in the rest. I actually could get by with that scale but agree maybe it would be best to take the calculation out since you are trying to learn. Just so you know converting at 3 places is already giving you +/- .2gr then whatever the scale variance is.

 

[helotaxi]

And because no one explained the difference between 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington:

The brass and cartridge dimensions are the same and they use the same brass, regardless of what's stamped on the head. The difference in the rifles chambered for each is the transition from the chamber to the rifled part of the barrel. The 5.56 chamber has a longer section without any rifling and the angle on the front edge of the lands of the rifling is shallower. These two features reduce the pressure spike caused be the bullet being deformed into the rifling (called the engraving force). This force is what drives the peak pressure in a typical rifle firing cycle.

The specified max pressures for the 5.56 and .223 are essentially the same (though measured differently and in different units) but the chamber specifications for the 5.56 allow a hotter load to remain within those pressure limits. Firing a 5.56 spec load in a spec .223 chamber has been shown to produce pressures well outside established safe limits for any cartridge and well into the range of "proof loads" that are used as a one-time test to ensure that a rifle is adequately strong.

There is really no reason to try to duplicate NATO spec loads. Develop your loads for accuracy. The fastest loads aren't usually the most accurate and all the velocity in the world doesn't matter a whit if you can't hit what you're shooting at. There is plenty of load data out there for the bullets you have within normal .223 parameters. SAAMI doesn't recognize 5.56 as a specification that is safe for the reloader.

 

[Jeff H]

You could use Varget since a full case of it would not be able to blow up your gun.

Fixed it for ya, and it is a decent suggestion if the OP is insisting on doing this cheap without the scale. At least Varget will keep from blowing up the AR.

 

[MtnCreek]

The Varget statement is not really something that I would tell a new reloader that is already shown that he makes assumptions that are not safe. I've loaded some .223 on the ragged edge of voodoo with Varget. If you load Varget without compression, then the statement may hold true.

 

[Superdave70_02]

My suggestion would be to get the ABC's of reloading and read it first. It will answer most to all of your "why" questions.

Most people who reload keep a min of two reloading manuals to compare data. Sometimes there is a variance in data from just one source.

Online data should be taken lightly and only used if verified by published data. You do not want to use somebody's "bubba data" that may not be safe in your firearm.

Powders vary greatly in burn rate. Study more about powders. Just because 24-25 grains of one powder works doesnt mean that is the case for every other powder brand. A load manual will list a min/start and max.

Be safe and have fun.

 

[denton]

A good lab scale with the precision he stated should be just fine. There is no reason to prefer a dedicated reloading scale, other than the inconvenience of doing the units conversion.

Stuck cases are hard to get out. Sometimes you can drop a cleaning rod down the muzzle and just give it a little whack. Often it's a lot harder than that, and really not something you want to risk.

A serviceable reloading setup isn't that expensive. You can pick up a used Lee press for around $40, or their hand press (will help you develop upper body strength, maybe not the best solution) for around $50, including a tube of lube. I think the price of pair of Lee RGB dies is around $22 [one to full length form the case and one to seat the bullet], and a shell holder is about $4. Of course, you need case lube. I use RCBS Case Lube 2, put a few drops on a folded paper towel, and use a Q tip to lube the inside of the neck. A Lee Perfect Powder measure is under $25 and will speed up the process quite a bit. Digital calipers that are more than adequate are available from Harbor Freight for around $16 if you watch the sales. Before you use the brass a third or fourth time, you'll want the Lee case trimmer that works in your drill. All together, that might be $12 for all the pieces. The most important thing to get is a good reloading manual. I don't know if Hornady still puts out their economy paperback manual, but it used to be around $12. It has reload info for just a few popular cartridges, but I'm pretty sure that 223 is among them, and that's all you need.

I started out with a Lee Loader for my bolt action 30-06. The only equipment I had was that plus a little balance scale, and I made decent ammo. You can make good ammo with very basic equipment, and it will work for you, but I worry that you're going to have less success using a Lee Loader for a semi-auto.

 

[FROGO207]

FYI I have 3Mini 14's and a Lee loader. I used it for a single shot 223 that I own. Made great ammo with it BUT the stuff I made with it from reused brass from the same Mini 14 would not chamber 4 times out of five on average. Go ahead and try it as you have the thing already----unless you can take it back to the LGS and trade it back in on what you will ultimately need. One thing that you could do is to buy some bullets and size a few brass. Then load the bullets without any primers or propellant making inert dummy rounds. Load them into a magazine and see if you can cycle them through by hand without pushing on the charging handle. Beware the 5.56/ military/NATO brass has a crimped in primer and the crimped part of the primer pocket will have to be removed before you can insert a primer (needed to be done with any reloading system) or you will pop a primer while trying to insert it with the Lee loader.

See the sticky above for the new reloader---valuable info available there as stated above.

On another note you can go to the local library and probably find one or more reloading books to read for free.

You have learned your most important lesson already-----The LGS guy may not know ANYTHING about what he is selling you despite working in a gun store.

Yes we all tend to be like a concerned uncle/aunt about this to a new reloader with this reloading stuff but we want you to be successful and safe above all you know. Welcome to the madness we call reloading.