tac powder in .223

Minute of pie plate at what distance? I use Varget behind 55 grain bullets in my 1.9 twist. For light loads Green dot. It will not cycle a AR though.

I like 23.5 for a 50 and 55grn bullet. I could go higher but it functions my AR rifle.
I moved to a slower powder for heavier bullets. I know everyone says it’s great for heavier bullets, but it does not compute the same for me.
My heavy is 75 and up.

In a mini 14 at 100 yards that's about normal. The entire system is part of the calculation and that includes you... do you believe that the powder is the limiting factor? We need way more information.

conan32120 said:

ok, more info. running a 1-9 twist ar, range 100 yds. great results with CFE223 and IMR 4895 tho my most accurate load is with BLC2 behind a 62gr smk. picked up a 1 lb jug of tac to see what all the hubbub was about with 69gr pills and so far I've been diappointed. as demi-human said it doesnt seem to perform as well as I've read it should with heavies so.... hence my question.

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My experience is with 75 grain Hornadays. I get 1ish moa loads in the 23.x range. I get slightly better performance and less heat with n135. Several people have discussed better results with srp over srpm. I would recommend you try a bullet in testing that has given you success in the past. It is my conviction that the bullet is a critical factor and powder a dynamic factor... my testing has been done with cci 400s.

26.1gr - 26.2 gr TAC behind 52gr SMK, 2.250" OAL, LC brass and Rem 7 1/2 primer will shoot dime size (5 shot) at 100 yrds with my 24" 1-10 twist barrel. My 20" 1:9 that likes this load too but < 1moa. It opens up a little with the CCI #41 primers. All of my AR-15's have a min spec chamber. Which gives me a ~ 0.030" jump to lands if I recall with this bullet. NO CRIMP

TAC is most accurate for me with bullets that are 60 grains or less. I find good results in a couple 1:8 AR's at 25.5 ish grains. This is mostly using better quality flat base bullets though. None of the 55 grain FMJ bullets I have tried shoot worth a darn in anything I own. Boat tails are not so good and crimping any of them make things that much worse. These are my findings so far.

I use it for my 55 grain FMJ loads in a 20” PSA M16 A4gery. I’m using iron sights so that’s a factor. The load usually shoots about 2 MOA or a little worse. In 10 shot group testing it beat H335 by just a bit for accuracy. H335 shoots better out of my 16” rifle though.

I have a 55 grain soft point load with TAC that shot right at 1 MOA from my 16” barrel during testing. It’s the minimum charge listed in Ramshots data for TAC, Hornady 55 grain SPX, and 223 data. It’s accurate but a little slow as far as 223 goes, maybe 2700 fps or so. Probably a good ground hog or coyote load out to 200 yards.

conan32120 said:

I've read lots of posts about how good tac is in .223 but my results are less then ideal. I've tried several different weight bullets but accuracy was minute of pie plate in all of them with my gas gun. My range time is limited so my search for that "magic" load is not as extensive as it could be. So my question is what tac loads have you found to be your best tac load with bullet weights 53gr to 69gr?

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Unfortunately, it does take some time and patience.

If you can demonstrate that you can get it workable in a bolt gun, then you should be able to do so on a gas gun...

...otherwise, try a new barrel / bolt / gas block, these parts are a dime a dozen nowadays. For instance, MidwayUSA's AR Stoner Barrels can have such surprising gems (if you've bought enough of them ).

AJC1 said:

I get slightly better performance and less heat...

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It'd be interesting to have a thread listing powders that have qualitatively been noted to be "hotter" than their peers.

I used to think (EDIT: feel) IMR 8208 XBR® behaved this way, compared to IMR 4064 (.308 Winchester fanboi here).

conan32120 said:

gonna build a 4 step ladder with hornady 55gr sp bullets starting at 24.2 to 25.2gr and see how that works out

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I’d be interested to see how it shoots. Accuracy is good for mine, but I’d sure take some more velocity if I could get it. Then again, it runs great, is accurate and uses the least amount of powder recommended so I guess I should quit complaining and go with it.

The Glockodile said:

It'd be interesting to have a thread listing powders that have qualitatively been noted to be "hotter" than their peers.

I used to think IMR 8208 XBR® behaved this way, compared to IMR 4064 (.308 Winchester fanboi here).

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I've seen people who posted "researched" flame front tempratures but I have no idea the quality of that data... the only solid position I'm willing to take is that single base powders of a simular burnrate have a lower temperature than a double base... will minor variations between single base extruded powders be enough to make a difference, I don't believe so. Pistol powders with high nitro content are disliked by many, including tightgroup and little gun. I've never seen major degradation in a pistol due to powder choice, but fire cracking in rifle is widely observed. Rate of fire is the biggest factor imo...

AJC1 said:

I've seen people who posted "researched" flame front tempratures but I have no idea the quality of that data...

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Betcha a brazillion dollerz that not a single one of them involved a bomb calorimeter at the very least, or high speed spectrophotometry

We're all "Kinetic Energy" and "Momentum" and "I are Engineer!"

The Glockodile said:

Betcha a brazillion dollerz that not a single one of them involved a bomb calorimeter at the very least, or high speed spectrophotometry

We're all "Kinetic Energy" and "Momentum" and "I are Engineer!"

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I believe that the software used in grt and others spits out a number but the quality of that data is again unknown. They were provided some industry data but if that number is dynamic I don't know if any verification was done on the range of outputs.

My gas-gun (223 wylde, 5.56 NATO chambers) plinking load uses Hornady 10th edition's max TAC charge for 223 Rem and a 55gr FMJ-BT. I'm very satisfied with it.

I use lots of TAC -- big fan.

Rifle is a Savage model 10, 22" barrel with 1:9 twist.

Powders I have been using are TAC, 2460, Benchmark, BL-C2 AND Varget.

With the TAC, 2460 and Benchmark I have done extensive testing with 62gr and 69gr bullets.
TAC with 62gr Hornady have found in this gun 23.6/23.7/23.8 have been the most consistent 23.9 was still good but 24.0 started to open up again. 24.4 and 24.5 the most accurate but would throw fliers that I cannot explain.

TAC with 69gr RMR found slow node at 22.3/22.4/22.5 then again at 23.3/23.4/23.5.. At the top 24.1/24.2/24.3

Now honestly I found the Benchmark to provide the best loads for 62 and 69gr bullets. Then after using a whole lb. of Varget I never did find a load that worked as well as the TAC, 2460 or Benchmark. Also all rounds were loaded to 2.250" to 2.265 with most at 2.260"

Walkalong said:

That is definitely a factor, but it's also the volume of powder being burned, along with the heat is produces, and double based powders release more heat.

Pistol loads like 9MM, .40, & .45 use so much less powder than even the .223 that it's harder to heat up the gun or damage the rifling.

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I considered discussing overcome situations just amplifying the issue but decided that those running barrel burners probably already know... 22-250 and 243 beware.... 22 creedmore just as bad.

23.8gr TAC under a 77gr Sierra Match King. Shoots great at 600y out of my AR.

I really like TAC in .223, runs good with the Hornady 62gr fmjs my rifles seem to like, and shoots GREAT with the Hornady 75gr bthps for me. I have found my best accuracy usually around or a little under Western's listed .223 max load for that bullet. As always, start low and work up!

As a side-line. I plan to load for .223 and I have LC brass, Fed match primers, TAC powder and will use either Barnes or Sierra 62gr bullets. The rifle is a S&W MP15 with a 1:9 twist. Should I purchase and use a small base or standard .223 set of dies? I plan to buy RCBS dies. Thanks

I load 24.0 grains of TAC with a 62 grain FMJ. It’s not hot, nor is it tuned to a specific rifle. But in functions well in all 4 and the accuracy is about as good as you’d expect from a 62 grain FMJ.