.223 AR load

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HOLY DIVER

HOLY DIVER

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spartanburg,SC
just got through loading some 223
powder:IMR-4198
charge:21.6 grains
primer:winchester
case:winchester
crimp:factory
bullet:55 grain boattail fmj

when out and shot a group with them
at 100yds the bullets where allmost on top of each outher
rifle:COLT 20INCH H-BAR
i'm going down to a friend of mines range in the morning to see how it does at 350yds i'll post results asap:)
 
powder:IMR-4198
charge:21.6 grains
primer:winchester
case:winchester
crimp:factory
bullet:55 grain boattail fmj
Click to expand...
IMO your brass will only last 3 loadings. The load in HOT. Hope you rifle is chambered for 5.56mm.
 
And you can get a couple hundred FPS more velocity & less pressure with slower powder then 4198.

It's too fast for the .223, except with very light bullets.


BTW: Hodgdon lists 20.4 grains @ 53,600 PSI as a max load with a 55 grain bullet.

rcmodel
 
this is why i posted the load
i'm just now starting to load 223
reason:in the past i could buy it so cheap why load it?
yes all my AR'S are 5.56
i got my load out of a SIERRA loading manual and going by there standards it was not a max load
i realy realy like IMR powder
so recomend me some loads with imr brand powder's i realy like my sierra bullets 2 so factor that in also
(i just got in 2,000 sierra 55gr fmj boattail's)
glad i posted my new load
i have only loaded 50
i'm still gonna shoot them tomorrow
thanks guys,give me input!lol
 
IMR-4895 will get you close to 200 FPS more velocity.

But don't limit yourself by insisting on IMR stick type powder.

Many of the ball powders were originally invented just for the 5.56mm M-16 in military service.

WW748, H335, and others were made for it, and go through a powder measure slicker then owl do-do, while throwing very consistant charges.

rcmodel
 
Nothing but WW748 since 1970.

I just like the way it flows through a .22 hole much easier then IMR stick-type powders. No bridging in the powder measure, or crunching grains, ever.

rcmodel
 
55 grain pills are good for 100 yds but at 300 yds you might want to try a more heavy bullet. For 200 and 300 yds I use a sierra 77 grain matchking with 24 grains of reloader 15 or varget, winchester cases, and Rem 7.5 primers. This is a standard load for AR's and shoots very well in my RRA NM A2
 
An AR that won't shoot little knots with a 52gr match bullet, 26.5gr 748 and a CCI primer, won't shoot anything well.
 
report on my hot loads....not trying to be rude but i was impressed with them i tested them wednesday,the wind was blowing 15-20mph so i thought this little 55gr bullett will get thrown all over the place but after i shot at 100yds i thought what the heck letts give her a go at 200 shot a 5 shot group and decieded to move the scope one click down and one click left after we did that i shot anouther five shot group i just measured it at a 3 5/8 group now i don't think thats to bad the rifle is a olympic 20inch with a clearI fixed 4X mil dot scope
 
Many folks report good results with AA2230. I like AA #5 as well. I mostly used H335 for anything besides "blasting" loads for .223. Always meant to try W748, but just haven't yet.
 
Last year I was experimenting with 223 loads for my Encore and Bushmaster. I Used WW748, IMR"s 4198,4895 & 4064 because they were what I had on hand.
748 shot well in both @ 100yds and did ok @200
4198 shot good in the Encore but had cycle problems with min loads in the Bushmaster.
4064 and 4895 had pretty much the same results with 4895 having the edge @ 200yds.

I was looking for an accurate load for my Encore that would function accurately in my Bushmaster and IMR 4895 did the trick for me
 
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AA2230 was originally developed specifically for the .223 (hence the number)

It seems that about any of the powders within the proper burn range can give very good to excellent results

I use Varget because that's what I had to start with and my accuracy is almost beyond belief. Not gonna mess with it.

FWIW...I'd go to premium bullets before worrying too much about powder.

I suspect stick type powders tend to be more temperature stable than ball. Just a casual, non-verified observation. That said, I use H-380 in my 22-250.
 
redneck2 the bullets i was using were sierra 55gr boat tail
i've allways had real good results
with sierra bullets so i figure i'll stick with them
 
What is your purpose, Max Speed or Max accuracy?

For speed go with AA2230, XMR-2015, TAC, or Vihtavouri N135. These are all Max Loads from Sierra for the bullet you are using.

If Accuracy is your goal, Sierra lists 21.5 gr. of RE-7 as an "Accuracy Load". It scoots along at 2900 fps according to the data Sierra prints. The max load for your powder only yields 3100 fps for a 200 fos gain.

I prefer AA2230 for my AR's. Burns cleaner and I don't have as much carbon to scrape out of the bolt assy. IMHO it is far cleaner than the stick powders which I reserve for my Bolt actions.

FWIW, I load 25.5 gr of AA2230 under a Montana Gold 55gr FMJ-BT. It goes over my Chronograph @ 2950 fps (avg from 16" bbl) and makes nice little "cloverleaf" holes in my targets.
 
aa2230 i don't have any of that but i'll try to pick a can up at the next show
are the montana gold bullets reasonably priced never used them either
 
I get Montana Gold Bullets delivered to my house by USPS. Price is $239 for a case of 3500 and they add $5 for residential delivery (probably to buy the mail carrier an athletic supporter for when they carry the box to the house). Even with the residential delivery charge this makes the cost $0.07 per bullet. This is a 55gr FMJ-BT bullet and it compares to $0.08-$0.10 for other brands, delivered.

I have loaded and shot over 10,000 of these bullets and they are great. Good uniform weights and when checked with a comparator very uniform in measurements.
 
I get Montana Gold Bullets delivered to my house by USPS. Price is $239 for a case of 3500 and they add $5 for residential delivery (probably to buy the mail carrier an athletic supporter for when they carry the box to the house). Even with the residential delivery charge this makes the cost $0.07 per bullet. This is a 55gr FMJ-BT bullet and it compares to $0.08-$0.10 for other brands, delivered.
Click to expand...

That's a good price for those! Would ya mind sharin where your gettin them from? :eek:
 
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