5.56 Reloading

First, I enjoy reloading so my time is considered hobby, recreational time and has no value.

You can reload ammunition that will be very accurate for your rifle. It may be easy to find or it may take some effort. You will have to find which components work best in your rifle.

A good AR-15 is very accurate. The AR-15 platform is the rifle of choice for Service Rifle competition these days.

The ammunition you load will be less expensive than premium ammunition but probably more expensive than bargain priced blasting ammunition. Your relaods will be vastly more accurate than bargain priced blasting ammunition.

If you have reloading capabilities, you can weather ammunition shortages quite well with appropriate planning.

Of course, if reloading is not your thing, just be happy with what ammunition you can buy.

If you buy all your components before the panic, you save big during the panic. I seriously don’t mean to be a jerk but you’re late this cycle. The prices are higher if you can even find powder, primers and bullets. The frustration level is higher trying to hunt down whatever powder you researched to be the best.

I reload and I encourage everyone who shoots much to reload but it might be tough to get going right now. Maybe if you don’t get in a big hurry it will work out.

I don’t reload 556 but I’m in the middle of loading 2000 rounds of 9mm at a component cost of $5.50 per 50. Then I have 1000 rounds to load at $6.50 per 50. I thought I was prepared before the panic but now I wish I would’ve bought an extra 2000 bullets from RMR.

Good luck if you decide to jump in the reloading game.

As to one of your specific questions, Nosler lists a most accurate powder in their data

I started a little backwards when I began reloading. 223/5.56 was the first cartridge I tried. Seems most people start with pistol.

Accuracy... A little searching will show you the stuff most people are using. I am a Hodgdon fan as far as powder and like Varget, H322 and H335 in this cartridge. Just about any powder in the right burn range can produce an accurate load, some combinations are just a lot easier to find than others!

I have ability to reload every centerfire caliber I own. That said, I don't find this round beneficial to reload unless its simething like a match round. I don't bother with anything like a 55 grain boat tail or similar. Sounds like the heavy 75 grain load you mention would likely be worth it. The 55-62 is not, my opinion. Factory FMJ is cheap. 9mm you mention is also one I have almost stopped loading for. I can buy it very cheap as well. Not trying to discourage you from those, I just personally use my time on other calibers. Magnums and oddball/old cartridges really pay off when looking at your cost vs factory.

If you looked at my hand loaded 223 and 5.56 ammo you would see the majority of it is Lapua Scenar 77 grain OTMs and Bergers VLDs in the 70 to 80 grain range. My favorites for over 500 yards. Other assorted softpoints for hunting like Nosler Partitions 60s and maybe some odd ballistic tips and tracers. My point of mentioning these is if you try to find loaded ammo with some of these premium bullets, it's going to cost you $20 a box or more buying factory. When handloading with these mentioned you won't hit the 40-45 cent range you are looking at. Loading with a Sierra Matchking or similar in the 70 grain range will be about a quarter per projectile. Depending on what you pay for powder and primers (and considering your saved brass) you can keep that load around or maybe under your 40 cent mark and have a chance of developing very good accuracy.

Handloading greatly reduces the price per round on most things, although the initial cost gathering components can be a little harsh on the wallet. That, as said already is especially true with the component situation right now. If you can wait it out until things get back to normal you'll be better off from a cost perspective.

I load the 62gr sp and feel it is more accurate than a 62gr fmj, I've been looking at heavier bullets but always seem to find something else to take up my time, 55gr blasting ammo when it was around $.26 was better to use for the brass but now it is over $.35-.40 it might make sense to load. When loading specialty rounds you can save more and by varying powder loads and length you can tweak your ammo to your gun.

Loading 5.56mm at my level is a pain and really not worth it... because I do factor in my time and effort. The way I look at it is I could be spending my time saving a few cents/rd loading 5.56mm, or, in some cases $1/rd or more loading for cartridges that are not readily available (.348WCF) or are expensive to buy off the shelf (.41MAG, .45-70, et al.) I gave up loading blasting ammos for my AR's many years ago, same with 9mm. Now, the question is... if I didn't load for anything but 5.56mm or 9mm would I reload for them? Now, don't get me wrong... I have both a fair stash of factory 5.56mm and the components to load for it, I have a duty to stay ahead of the nonsensical runs on ammo and components that seem to happen every so often.

If you are loading for accuracy, then the answer might very well be 'yes.' Understanding the process to load ammos for your particular firearm is often worth the cost of admission, even if it's just your time, costs being equal.

For my match barrel AR I mainly shoot, 52gr Sierra Matchkings (SMK) and 69gr SMK. I shoot the heavier 75gr and 80 gr ELD in my 224V. The bullet will be the most deciding factory in cost. For my blasting ammo I use a Hornady 55gr FMJ-BT which I buy in bulk (6000) for around $0.08/bullet. Powders used are Varget for match, and TAC for match or blasting. CFE-223 also works very well with the light 55gr bullet.

Getting into handloading now will cost you more since there has been a shortage since the first part of this year. The main suppliers still get their regular shipments, you just need to be able to react when they have something in stock you need. Primers are normally the 1st things to disappear, followed with powder. Bullets are normally pretty easy to get a hold of. The primers I use are CCI #41, Rem 7.5 for most every thing. For my most accurate loads use Lapua brass and Fed GM205MAR primers.

With mixed brass you should keep them separated to get the best accuracy, A saparate load work up will be required for all.

peeplwtchr said:

1. I have seen that different powder manufacturers have different load recipes, does anyone know of a known "Most accurate" list of components? I am trying to get a scope on cost vs. factory ammo.

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This doesn’t and won’t exist - especially for 223/5.56. So very, very many people load for 223/5.56, which means so very, very many people have tried so very, very many things, and developed so very, very many combinations which work. You’ll see convergence of recommendations for many newer cartridges - for example, in 6.5 creed, you’ll hear almost unanimously the 140 ELD or Hybrid over H4350 or RL16. It’s new enough that fewer folks have tried fewer things, so the list of “what works” hasn’t grown nearly as broad as that of the 223/5.56.

The only thing I can point towards as a “magic load” - if 27.3grn of Varget under a 50 Vmax at mag length doesn’t shoot well, your rifle is broken. I’ve personally shot this load in literally hundreds of 223/5.56 barrels, and it has consistently delivered sub-moa groups. I was given this load ~20yrs ago as a cheap Service Rifle practice alternative, and have used it in almost every barrel I have ever test fired, and I’ve given it to many colleagues as well with the same result. As someone who enjoys load development, I can’t say I know WHY it shoots so well in so many barrels, but I can say I know that it does.

peeplwtchr said:

2. I constantly read that hand loaded bullets are far superior in accuracy, is this also true for the AR platform, keeping loading cost down to under 40 CPR for 75gr?

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Handloaded ammunition is only better than factory ammunition if the handloads are better fit to the rifle and more consistently loaded than the factory ammo. USUALLY even a new reloader can manage more consistent, better fitted ammunition than the typical low cost ammo on the market, but there are also plenty of folks who don’t follow best practices, often in the pursuit of low costs, and resultingly don’t deliver better quality ammo. You can’t logically assemble mixed brass with pull down bullets and dip powder and expect sub-moa accuracy - you might get lucky, you might not. Careful load development with consistent components, well fit for the rifle ALMOST unilaterally will result in lower cost, higher precision ammunition than can be bought from a shelf.

rdnktrkr said:

I load the 62gr sp and feel it is more accurate than a 62gr fmj...

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Generally, open tip bullets (soft points, hollow points, open tip match, etc) are more accurate than FMJ bullets. The exposed lead base of FMJ gets upset as it is fired and affects the repeatability of flight a smidge.

cfullgraf said:

Generally, open tip bullets (soft points, hollow points, open tip match, etc) are more accurate than FMJ bullets. The exposed lead base of FMJ gets upset as it is fired and affects the repeatability of flight a smidge.

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There is also the issue of bullet quality. I would not expect the best accuracy from a generic mass-produced 55grn FMJ bullet vs something like a SMK or even a regular SP or HP bullet designed for hunting. You get what you pay for with bullets...

I reload 5.56 or 223 and treat them same way on my AR's. After buying several hundred rounds of different brands and bullet weights I found that my AR that I use for long distance shooting shot the 75gr BTHP made by Hornady best. So I am slowly using up the 55 grainers on the other ARs and converting to only 75gr. Though there are other good powders for loading this caliber, in my rifle RL15 powder gave me the best results with sub moa 5 shot groups at 200 yards as this is where I zero all my rifles. My rifle is a Rock River Arms Predator pursuit with a 20" barrel and a 1/8 rifle twist and comes guaranteed with a 3/4 in moa mind does better.

For you I would recommend what I did and it was fun doing it. That is to load different loads of 5 rounds of bullet weight and powder charges of different brands and see what combination offers you the most accuracy. This is how I found out what my rifle liked best.

SlowFuse said:

I have ability to reload every centerfire caliber I own. That said, I don't find this round beneficial to reload unless its simething like a match round. I don't bother with anything like a 55 grain boat tail or similar. Sounds like the heavy 75 grain load you mention would likely be worth it. The 55-62 is not, my opinion. Factory FMJ is cheap. 9mm you mention is also one I have almost stopped loading for. I can buy it very cheap as well. Not trying to discourage you from those, I just personally use my time on other calibers. Magnums and oddball/old cartridges really pay off when looking at your cost vs factory.

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I disagree. I don't think you can find decent Factory 9mm cheap. The stuff you can buy for about $8 per 50 (and right now you can't find that) is inconsistent cheap crap usually aluminum or steel cases. Even Blazer brass is inconsistent crap. I can reload 300 rounds faster than I can get to the store to pick up 300 rounds and it only costs me $5.90 per 50.

I've gotten away from long range precision type of shooting and don't shoot for groups or anything like that. If you want ammunition that will shoot accurately, I'll throw out Varget or Reloader 15 for powder and a good bullet from Hornady or Sierra.

For the kind of shooting that I do these days, it just isn't worth my time to reload 9mm or 5.56/.223. Both are cheap and the savings aren't worth my time. Browning 124gr 9mm goes for about $26 for 150 rounds and I shoot a lot of steel cased ammo in my ARs. If you're talking about loading a 100 or 200 rounds at a time for slow fire, it may be worth it to you.

If you're gonna be loading by the thousands for the AR to do drills and run courses with, I don't think it's worth it.

You may be able to justify loading 9mm. I could see that A few bucks of savings to shoot coated bullets rather than factory may be worth it to you, but the time investment to load 5.56/.223 just isn't worth it for blasting ammo. Just trimming cases and reaming primer pockets was enough to turn me off of it.

Of course, if you are one of those guys for whom reloading is an end in itself and it brings you pleasure, have at it. If you're one of those guys that reloads to shoot more, you may be able to find an alternative that you can live with.

Get a stuck shell remover.

The only real reason I even own a 5.56 AR is ammo availability. There is so much out there that it will be plentiful for a while. So I always stock some factory or surplus rounds.

I like to hand load and find it a relaxing and enjoyable hobby. I am not the biggest fan of case prepping hundreds of .223 cases and it can get tedious. That said I make a fair amount and here are some observations.

The crimped primers are a pain. I sort all the brass as crimped and uncrowded at first.

Stick powders are my go to and all of these have cycled my AR just fine. I have seen the best accuracy with Benchmark but IMR 3031and IMR 4895 have performed very well. I have loaded a lot of 55s over W748 and CFE223 with good results but more boom. And more temp instability.

My 1/9 loves 55s so it gets hornady bulk 55s and 55 Vmax's as well. 63 gr Winchester pp have killed a few deer for me over 748.

You will save some money making your rounds but .223 is a PITA to load.

peeplwtchr said:

It shoots 75gr best.

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Thats a good thing. I've noticed, for some reason, 75 Hornady and 77 Nosler match HP's seem to be priced very reasonably. If you watch its not unusual to find them for under 20 cents a bullet, including tax and shipping. If you recycle your brass and figure 15 cents for powder and primer you can load match quality ammo for 35 CPR, maybe even a few cents less. Do it!

TonyAngel said:

For the kind of shooting that I do these days, it just isn't worth my time to reload 9mm or 5.56/.223. Both are cheap and the savings aren't worth my time. Browning 124gr 9mm goes for about $26 for 150 rounds and I shoot a lot of steel cased ammo in my ARs. If you're talking about loading a 100 or 200 rounds at a time for slow fire, it may be worth it to you.
You may be able to justify loading 9mm. I could see that A few bucks of savings to shoot coated bullets rather than factory may be worth it to you, but the time investment to load 5.56/.223 just isn't worth it for blasting ammo. Just trimming cases and reaming primer pockets was enough to turn me off of it.

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Clearly, you aren't the only one that feels this way, but can you please provide your numbers (ammo type and prices, time) that led you to your conclusion?

I've been shooting about 300 rounds of 9mm per week. It costs me around $6 per 50 or $36 per 300 a week (exact cost will vary if I go with precision delta jacketed, or some hi-tek coated - accuracy has been consistent between both - lower with berry's plated which I don't use anymore). It takes me 30 minutes to load up these rounds. I don't even bother preloading as it's so quick and easy to run off 300 when I know I need them. In contrast, it would take me 12 minutes to drive to my nearest store, 5-10 minutes to get and pay for my ammo and then another 12 minutes to drive home. I'm actually saving time, money and ending up with high quality consistently loaded ammo.

I won't buy the aluminum or steel case ammo. When I first started shooting, I used to buy the cheapest stuff I could find and often it left all sorts of unburnt powder and hard to remove residue in my guns. That to me is simply not worth it to buy. Now Federal Black packs I would use, as it's at least reasonable quality, though not nearly as consistent as what I produce. Still good enough for most situations. That seems to run $9.58 before shipping/tax etc if you buy in quantities of 1000 but it's sold out everywhere right now. That is the other benefit to loading 9mm. I really don't have to worry about availability. I've even been able to pick up as many small pistol primers as I reasonably need and have around 8000 now.

Additionally, stores by me are still closed, so it's not an option. I can't buy mail order as they will only ship to an FFL and it will cost me an extra $10 and I still need to go pick it up.

If you are buying lapua, black hills, or federal gold medal match ammunition, because accuracy is a high priority for you then reloading 223/5.56 makes sense. If you buy ammo at Walmart to shoot with friends just keep doing that. High volume will be required to get value out of reloading 223.

Accuracy and precision can and are usually better than factory loads provided you’ve got things down. For auto loading firearms, there are definitely plenty of “stock” load recipes that work great. The constraints of what you can do are always necked down to resizing your brass back to factory specs. There’s Reams of information published and on the web to get you started with initial components.

If you want to save money, reloading may take quite some time and loads down range before you start recouping your expenses for the equipment. I would venture to say reloading has cost me way more than just buying factory ammo for all my calibers. However, I’m able to squeeze out accuracy and precision out of my firearms. The trade off is worth it to me. I’ll never go back to factory ammo for general purpose shooting and certainly not for hunting ammo.

I’ve noticed a trend in my area...when panic buying starts, the loading components fly off the shelves just as fast as loaded ammo. Unfortunately, the loading components don’t seem to restock as fast. So, if you lived in my area, reloading doesn’t buy you anything during the panic(s). Try finding dies for 9mm right now...pretty tricky...lots of searching.

With all that being said, I love reloading and find it to be a rewarding activity.

My DD rifle shoots several things pretty darn well, a few combos of powder with a 55grain hornady fmj that you can get in bulk for less than 10 cents each

brass can be had pretty cheap or free if you are willing to pick it up, clean it, sort it and then process and load

the mixed brass loads for me are about 1.5” but my Lake city or Winchester brass loads are under 1” at 100 yds with fmj’s

it is not difficult to find a decent load as long as you follow a normal load development process and work up with a known decent combo

peeplwtchr said:

I have seen that different powder manufacturers have different load recipes, does anyone know of a known "Most accurate" list of components?

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If this actually existed, I'm not sure a reloading forum would be necessary. Every load workup requires effort. If accuracy is the goal, the reloader is attempting to tune the load to an individual barrel. It is possible that it may take several workup attempts to duplicate the factory load and maybe several more to optimize it. Or you may get it on the first try. However, be prepared that your best load with 75gr bullets probably uses a different powder than your best load with 55-62gr bullets.

peeplwtchr said:

I constantly read that hand loaded bullets are far superior in accuracy, is this also true for the AR platform, keeping loading cost down to under 40 CPR for 75gr?

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If the first criteria is cost... then reloading is probably not for you. Reloading nets a quality that is better than factory ammo at the expense of time, an eye for detail, and good components. A bunch of reloading equipment and components sitting in the corner do not equal usable ammo. A monstrous pile of cheap 55gr FMJBT bullets and ball powder typically doesn't make accurate ammo. It takes range time to test ammo. Etc.

Skim through this video to see the kind of methodology for picking components to duplicate a load.