Yet another newbee needing help...!

[reebtog2002]

I am just getting started with reloading and need some advise/help.

My info: .223 Remington 55gr. bullet, 25.5gr. Varget, CCI primers, LEE turret press with LEE dies. FL resizing, pro auto disc powder measure, seating die and factory crimp die.

1. I have cleaned, resized, and deprimed all my brass. (800 cases) When measuring length I got a range in sizes/lengths. from 1.735 to 1.777 I can trim the long ones but as for the short ones do I just go with it or is it too short?

2. when setting my seating die I set it to an OAL of 2.260 with a case that is 1.740. Per Lyan's 49 edition. However at that length the bullet seats so that the "serrations" are completely above the top of the case. I read here as well as other forums people are seating at an OAL of 2.200-2.230. How short is too short?

I only have the one book as of now to referance but will be buying another soon. Thank you for all you help and sorry for the "new guy questions"

~Mark~

 

[J_McLeod]

1. I would say you'd be fine with any of those shorter than 1.760. I'm fairly new to .223 reloading and someone else will come along shortly with more information about that.

2. Check out Hodgdon's load data here. http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp You can use the data for the 55gr Speer SP, and this says you'll be safe going to 2.200. Be warned, somewhere around 26.0-26.5 Varget will become a compressed load. This is normal.

 

[cfullgraf]

I am just getting started with reloading and need some advise/help.

My info: .223 Remington 55gr. bullet, 25.5gr. Varget, CCI primers, LEE turret press with LEE dies. FL resizing, pro auto disc powder measure, seating die and factory crimp die.

1. I have cleaned, resized, and deprimed all my brass. (800 cases) When measuring length I got a range in sizes/lengths. from 1.735 to 1.777 I can trim the long ones but as for the short ones do I just go with it or is it too short?

2. when setting my seating die I set it to an OAL of 2.260 with a case that is 1.740. Per Lyan's 49 edition. However at that length the bullet seats so that the "serrations" are completely above the top of the case. I read here as well as other forums people are seating at an OAL of 2.200-2.230. How short is too short?

I only have the one book as of now to referance but will be buying another soon. Thank you for all you help and sorry for the "new guy questions"

~Mark~

1. Did you measure the cases before or after resizing? Cases will grow a bit on resizing. If you did measure after sizing, 1.735 is a bit short, about .005", but if the neck tension is adequate it will be fine and will grow on successive firing and resizing. What is enough neck tension? Most push on the bullet and if does not move, it is ok. Normal trim length for 223 Remington is 1.750". I believe SAAMI specs go down to 1.740" for case length.

2. Normally, you do not need to crimp 223 Remington. If the neck tension won't hold the bullet in place, a crimp will not help. So, if a short case mouth does not line up with the cannelure, the serrations you called it, no problems.

3. As far as seating depth, you do not want to seat do deep that the ogive of the bullet (the curved part of the nose of the bullet) to be inside the mouth of the case. This will be different for different bullets. If you have established a safe load and decide to seat the bullet deeper, you need to work the load up again. Pressures rise when the bullet is seated deeper.

Hope this helps.

 

[avan47]

What bullet are you shooting, and what gun are you shooting it in? In a bolt action, there is no need to crimp the bullets, and if you do not crimp them, the short brass will work ok. Seating bullets too short will do two things. First, it may affect accuracy if the bullet is seated too far from the lands. Second, if you already have a max load, changing the seating depth to a shorter COL will increase pressure and may be dangerous. Actually, any change on a max load could do that. I usually start with 25 gr of Varget, so 25.5 is not close to a max load. Having the crimping grove on the bullet sitting above the case neck is not a problem. If you are loading for an autoloading rifle, you may need to crimp the bullets. In that case, you need uniform brass length for accurate loads. Max case length for 223 is 1.760 inches, so any brass over 1.750 should be trimmed to that length. Brass that is too long can give dangerous pressures in a load that should otherwise be ok.

 

[reebtog2002]

Thank you all for the quick responses....!
I need to get a tool to measure the space from the bullet ogive to lands. I think Ill start at 2.21 and go from there.

@avan47 im shooting a S&W &P15 AR, and Remington 55gr. bullets.

 

[cfullgraf]

Thank you all for the quick responses....!
I need to get a tool to measure the space from the bullet ogive to lands. I think Ill start at 2.21 and go from there.

@avan47 im shooting a S&W &P15 AR, and Remington 55gr. bullets.

If you plan to use your magazine in your AR, the bullet will not be near the lands. If you want to single load your AR, you can optimize the distance from the lands to the bullet.

If memory serves me correctly, the match shooters using 80-90 grain bullets are seating them to 2.4" or so and single loading them. FYI, slow fire stages at matches require single loading so seating to magazine length is not an issue for them.

 

[reebtog2002]

Thank you cfullgraf your info will truely help me out.

 

[RustyFN]

Thank you all for the quick responses....!
I need to get a tool to measure the space from the bullet ogive to lands. I think Ill start at 2.21 and go from there.

@avan47 im shooting a S&W &P15 AR, and Remington 55gr. bullets.

If you are shooting them in a AR them you don't need to load them to the lands, you need to load them to fit the magazine. I'm pretty sure 2.26 will be too long for the magazine, it will be pretty close.