I have a Bolt gun (Savage) that I use for Squirrels, coyotes, bobcats, and Jackrabbits. I am loading it with Varget and some 55, 50, 69, and 70 grain bullets. I like the loads and the gun shoots them all just fine. It is a 1:10 twist, but the problem I have is that I just purchased an AR with a 1:8 barrel that I would like to load a lot of bullets for and am not to sure about the metering of Varget in a progressive. I would like to change over to a ball powder and see how it meters. Plus I don't want to use up my Varget just slinging lead. I would like a powder that will shoot some surplus 55 gr FMJ's and Sierra 69 gr BTHP's. I will load up some of my handloads with Varget to see how accurate the AR is and if it shoots well I would like to work up a consistent load with a ball powder. If it is just a lead slinger, then I will load it as such with the cheapest stuff I can get my hands on. Do you guys have a powder that you are having success with consistent metering on the Dillon 650 with those two bullet weights?
223 and a Dillon 650
- Thread starter gab909
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frankmako
Member
i don't reload any of my rifles cals on my dillons. i do rifle on two old single stage press.
I use 335 and WC844 both. Both are ball powders. I load on a 650. No problems. Ball powders meter and flow well. On the mil-powder, you must start low and work your load up. Every lot code is different. I use starting load 335 spec and worked my way up to my desired load. If you want published load specs, i would suggest just use 335. Both work well with my 650.
Blackrock
Member
I have worked up a load of 23.5g H335 and 55g Midway Dogtown bullets that shoot well in both my AR w/DPMS 20" bull barrel and my Savage Edge bolt gun.
Chrono'd the loads at a 5 round average of 2979 from the bolt gun and 2906 out of rhe AR.
Chrono'd the loads at a 5 round average of 2979 from the bolt gun and 2906 out of rhe AR.
MtnCreek
Member
Some of the smaller extruded powders give excellent drops in a dillon measure. IMR8208 and H Benchmark are two that I've used.
thump_rrr
Member
IMR 8208 (XBR) is my go to powder for my Hornady LnL AP Progressive in .223
KansasSasquatch
Member
Another vote for 8208 or Benchmark. Benchmark meters great and every Benchmark load I've loaded hits roughly same POI as my Varget loads, with bullets in the 50-60gr range. I absolutely loved Varget until I tried Benchmark. Dont quote me on this but I think I used 24.6gr of Benchmark under a 50gr V-Max, while a comparable Varget load Was 26.0gr. my load book is in the basement so i might be a little off. I'll be ordering a few kegs Benchmark ASAP. I haven't shot any 8208 loads yet but the grains are smaller than Varget but not as small as Benchmark. It meters pretty good.
Kingcreek
Member
H335 or Accurate A2230
Like it matters, where the heck can you find any of it? lol, found some old pulldown from some 223. The notes were slower than 2400 (4227) faster than HiVel #2 (4198). Looks good, smells good, and is a ball powder. Gonna give it a shot with about 17.5 grains underneath a 55 gr FMJ out of my Savage Heavy barrel.
Kp321
Member
I load everything on my Dillon 550 but use my RCBS Uniflow powder measure for rifle loads. It is very consistent even with stick powders.
CLP
member
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Any ball powder will meter consistently with Dillon's powder measure. It will crunch up most extruded powders, though I've read there's a 'short' extruded powder that it works fairly well with. I use AA2230 for plinking ammo. I bought http://www.quick-measure.com/ and have it set up on a Whidden toolhead for heavy grain bullets and use extruded powders (I 4895 and R15) in it exclusively. It works flawlessly and is a very innovative and simple design. Charges vary no more than +/- 0.1grain.
Hondo 60
Member
Varget measures perfectly in a Dillon powder measure.
I have about 800 rounds sittin on my shelf right now.
All were loaded on my 550 using a dillon pm.
I have about 800 rounds sittin on my shelf right now.
All were loaded on my 550 using a dillon pm.
hueyville
Member
CFE 223 is my powder of choice now for AR's. Meters very well on my Dillon.
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