.223 reloading assistance wanted

Check out this thread. it will probably cover many of your questions although it may not seem to by the OP's original post.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=687230

just keep an eye out for a good deal on bullets. midway has hornady 55gr fmj for $90/k but they ran out recently. any cheap bulk will fit the bill for you. i honestly think you can reload upside down bullets in the dark and still get better results than some factory ammo . Im fairly new to loading 223, but i really like 24.5gr h335 with a 55gr fmj hornady bullet. nice accurate round that doesn't put a lot of stress on the brass nor does it throw it into the stratosphere. 223 is a bit of a PIA to load compared to pistol. you take your fresh once fired's, tumble them, then you lube them, size and decap, tumble them again, trim each one down to size, and chamfer and deburr the case mouth. Then if its crimped mil brass(headstamps of lc and fc are always crimped) you need to swage out the crimp so that you can seat a new primer. then you go on with your normal loading process. make sure you only crimp bullets that have a cannalure , otherwise you'll get weird bulges in the case. I found that out on my first try. All that work you put into the brass doesn't last forever like pistol does! keep track of the number of firings each batch of brass has had and pitch em(well, recycle them) after 5 reloads. Don't leave them behind for a new reloader to assume they are once fired. i only pick up and reuse crimped FC and LC brass as once fired... unless I'm picking up after someone shooting new factory ammo. I'm three reloads into my first batch of brass and fortunately they haven't needed any trimming.

I was just checking Berry's bullets today and though its not what I was after came across this:

http://www.berrysmfg.com/product-i14687-c50-g8-b0-p0-Armscor_.22_Cal_.224_55gr_FMJBT.aspx

55gr FMJBT box of 500 for $60. I have no idea if they're any good but figured I'd pass on the link.

You'll need to lube and full length size your brass, clean the lube off, cleaning primer pockets is personal choice, trim, chamfer, deburr, choose if/how you will clean brass (tumbler, ultrasonic, wipe clean), from there it's similar to pistol: charge seat and crimp if desired. For lube I have heard the following recipe gives great results, won't contaminate / affect powder or primers, and is far cheaper than any advertise brand of lube.

1 part 100% pure liquid lanolin (available at health food stores or online)
4-5 parts 99% rubbing alcohol (note must be AT LEAST 95% preferably 99%)

Some say they mix better if warmed but be sure not to bring either near open flame. I would set both bottles in a bath of hot water for an hour if so desired. Mix and pour into a spray bottle. Place your batch of cases in a tray or plastic container, spray, roll / shake around, spray again if needed to coat evenly, let dry (usually about 5 min max).

This and many other DIY / home made solutions available here:
http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm

Best of luck and stay safe.

Is it not possible to anneal 223/5.56 or are there other reasons to only load 5 times?

Also for load development check this method out:

http://optimalchargeweight.embarqspace.com/

dont quote me on this as im a novice on loading 223, but i think annealing is just to soften the brass to prevent neck splits. People pitch em after5 or 6 reloads to avoid case head separation which is when the case splits about midway down into two pieces.

Centurian22 said:

Is it not possible to anneal 223/5.56 or are there other reasons to only load 5 times?

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Cases fired in my ARs are tossed primarily due to primer pockets getting loose. This is somewhere around 5 to 7 firings.

My 223 Remington bolt rifle is a different story. I am not sure how long a case last in it. It does not get shot as much as the ARs. Frequently, I'll move cases from the ARs to the bolt rifle after three firings.

The time benefit ratio of annealing cases does not do it for me, so i do not bother trying to extend case life by annealing.

walkalong- what signs are there of case head seperation? i know about the paper clip trick, but i dont see myself checking every casing that way. do you start seeing a visual ring? once fired 223 is so common at my range that I can grab a thousand in just under a half hour so ive been planning on setting aside reloads #6 for my twice yearly middle of nowhere camping and gun blasting trip that way I dont have to worry about someone using old brass nor do i have to search through tall grass and mud for casings.

Tried & True load data

Brass trimmed to 1.750
Armscor 55 gr BTFMJ (has a cannelure, so just seat to said cannelure & OAL comes out to about 2.230).
26.0 gr of Varget

Very accurate (with a cheap bullet) in my AR15A1 20" 1 in 9.

The best deal I have seen on decent 55 grain bullets is at Montana Gold. They are $80 per 1K delivered but you have to buy 3,750 to get that price. If you are like me 3,750 don't last too long.

but i dont see myself checking every casing that way

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You really should see yourself that way, if you want to reload safe ammo!

rc

Midways 50 or 55g Dogtown bullets are accurate and reasonable. Also Midsouth has a comparable on as well. I get better accuracy out of these than I do the Berrys 55g FMJ which is OK for plinking and drills.

Spend the $20 to $25 at Midway to get a Swager. Fits your press, has small and laged Swager pin, it removes the Priber Box Bands, and it works great. You only have to do it to a piece of brass 1 time, then it is done, works on Pistol and Rifle brass.

I have been reloading off and on for 30 years, just found on a month or two ago, and it is a prized piece of my reloading stuff now.

I highly recommend it.

Dan

I recently bought a case of 6000 Hornady 55gr fmj bullets @ about $.08 each. They're higher quality than most other bulk bullets that I've bought. I use 844 powder and Wolf small rifle primers.

4198 or Varget on the powder.

I use Midway's Dog Town 55 HPs for most of my AR-15 loads and have been well satisfied with the accuracy/consistency. I use mixed brass and am not at all picky about whose headstamp. I trim to 1.750 and load to 2.20" OAL, using 22.0 grains of H322, no crimp. I started loading 223 using H335 and was well-pleased with the results, but had trouble finding it locally. Once I found an 8-pound keg of H322 and was pleased with the results, I have continued ordering H322 on the 'net. I also load a lot of 223 using Hornady v-Max bullets for use in a Savage model 12 and get tiny groups, also using H322.