223 powder

[donroz]

I want to start reloading 223 Remington rounds. I have dis-assembled all major brands of 223 ammo - American Eagle, S&B, UMC, Federal Premium, PMC, and Ultamax with 55 gr bullets. All of these powders are similar to Winchester 748 ball powder. I bought some reloaded 223 ammo at a gun show and the powder in those rounds were again similar to WIN 748. The Hornady V-Max had a powder similar to IMR 4198 (an extruded powder). I have read that the ball powder does not burn as clean as the extruded powders. Reloading manuals suggest IMR 3031, IMR 4895, and IMR 4198. I am mainly reloading for target practice and enjoy doing reloading.

Does anyone have a suggestion(s) on what powder to use???

 

[NuJudge]

What kind of target shooting, and at what range?

If minute of pop can is good enough and your range is 100 yards or less, just about any bullet will do it in the .223, and I would suggest cheap bulk 55 grain FMJ or SP bullets and a powder such as 748 or 2230 (ball powders). I like Winchester primers, probably because they've always worked for me in .223, and never given me pierces.

If you are really interested in small groups and your range is 100 yards or less (and maybe out to 200 yards with no cross wind), I would suggest 748 powder (26.5 grains is best for me) and a 52 or 53 grain match bullet, Winchester or LC case, and a CCI primer. I don't like CCI primers (they run a bit large in my estimation), but they work with this load.

I like 69 grain bullets for 200-300 yards (if there is cross wind), but others like 75 grain Hornady or 77 grain Sierra bullets. I've always used IMR 4895 (a stick powder), probably mostly because I've had good luck with it.

At 600 yards I use 80 grain bullets and Reloader 15 (another stick powder).

Ball powders measure a lot easier, and frequently trickling is not necessary. The fouling problems that existed with ball powders was long ago, and I've never seen it. The reported advantage with stick powders is less temperature sensitivity (spikes in hot weather), something else I have not seen, but then I only shoot ball powders during the winter. The .223 is reported by some to have carbon fouling problems, causing pressure spikes, but I have not seen it, and it can be dealt with using Kroil and (cringe) abrasives.

CDD

 

[redneck2]

"Search" is your friend. We have one of these threads about every 2 weeks.

 

[YodaVader]

Winchester 748 has given me very good results using 52 grain match bullets in 3 separate .223 bolt guns. The very best accuracy I have obtained with match 55 grain bullets was with H335 and Benchmark. Not sure if your rifle is a 1 in 9" twist , those will handle the 69 grain bullets and again Benchmark and H322 have given me excellent results with the 69s.

 

[Zeke Menuar]

I'm partial to Varget



ZM

 

[243winxb]

IMR 4198 uses the lowest charge weight per round (55gr bullet). This mean you will get more rounds loaded per pound of powder.

 

[Linear Thinker]

I use Vihta N140 for 68gr loads in 223, Accurate 2230 for 55 grains, and H322 for 50 grains. All of the above produce excellent accuracy.
LT
P.S. Visual inspection of pulled powders means nothing. All ball powders look just about alike.

 

[redneck2]

The "search" thing is messed up, so I guess it won't work.

You'll get a dozen recommendations and all seem to be good. In my Bushmaster Varminter with 1-9. I use 26.0 Varget, Nosler 50BT's, WW cases, Fed Match Primers seated to mag length. Shoots way under moa with a 6.5x20 Leupold scope.

Varget, H-322 BL(c)-2, WW-748, and the IMR powders all seem to work well. There was an article in Handloader about calibers that were easy to load for, and the .223 was one of the easiest listed.

FWIW...IMO, good bullets make more difference than the powder

 

[koja48]

335 works in all of mine & it burns fairly clean, but I use only CCI 41 (Mil-Spec, magnum) primers.

 

[Lennyjoe]

H-335 shoots well out of my 16" Oly.

 

[RustyFN]

I have used W748 and BLC(2) and liked W748 better. I have read where most people's go to powder is H335 so I bought some. I loaded a few up but haven't had a chance to go to the range yet. I am hoping to go tomorrow.
Rusty

 

[lamazza]

H335 is my favorite for .223

 

[GunTech]

I use mainly AA 2230. It meters rather nicely and is great for bulk loading. For cheap, it's hard to beat WC844 and WC846 pull down.

 

[Hoosier Reloader]

My 16" carbine & 24" varmint (1:9 twist) like H335, BLC-2 & 748 powders.

 

[JMusic]

Yep, I use H335 or 3031.

Jim

 

[Shooter973]

223owder.

I'm still using a bunch of AA2230c and 2230s that I purchased a few years back. Great stuff and very low muzzle flash. I have a supply of 335 on hand to but it makes a fireball in the dark or near dark that is just dazzling!!
The AA2230's have a flash retardant on them for Military use and the 335 doesn't have any flash retardant on it. Huge muzzle flash if that what your looking for...

 

[rino451]

Ok, I'll be the odd man out. I use 25 gr. TAC behind Hornady 55 gr. or pulled and resized ss109 with CCI41's when available. Meters great (ball powder) and burns as clean as anything else. I think if you start really filling the case it'll get dirty - my ADVOM's powder looks a lot like TAC and it does run kinda dirty. It also runs hot compared to my reloads. I'm lazy and wanted a powder that's be in the middle of the recommended rage for the two bullets. The 55 gr. works fairly well out of a 14.5", 1/9 5.56 barrel. not sure about the pulled ss109 yet, but I'd imagine that the powder will have less impact on performance than the bullets will.

 

[YardVarmint]

WW 748 has worked fine for me in both the various .223 and .308 loadings I've used it in.

 

[Hunter0924]

I am partial to IMR 4895 for .223 Remington.

 

[Handgunr]

Nujudge,

I don't like CCI primers (they run a bit large in my estimation), but they work with this load.

You were correct on that. A call to CCI's Tech. Dept. several years back, when I had troubles with them, confirmed this. He stated that they manufacture their primer cups diameter on the upper end of the allowable acceptable tolerances in the industry.

It took many failures to fire and other issues before I frustratingly called them to find out. I switched to Federal's and Winchesters, and have never had a problem since. I've heard they recently changed them, and after the last 10-15 yrs. of producing them that way, I wonder why all of a sudden they changed ????

When I posed my problem to the technician, he knew right away what the problem was. Also, the old rumor of them being too hard wasn't the issue at all. It was always that they were too large diameter wise.

Regarding the .223 powder topic.....

Of the ball powders, W748, BLC2, and H335 are probably the most widely used there. Of the stick, or extruded powders, IMR3031, 4198, and maybe 4895 seem to cover the IMR offerings, whereas Varget, being a relatively new powder, seems to show some pretty promising results.

I've heard a lot of guys that like Benchmark, H322, and AA2230, but I haven't used them.

My Lyman manual shows real promising results with AA's 2015. Good velocities, moderate pressure and good (burn) performance in a wide range of bullet weights.

I just bought a Savage 16FS in .223, and after an oversight of not paying attention to the twist rate of 1 in 9, I took it back to the dealer's and switched it for a Remington SPS in the same caliber which had a 1 in 12 twist.
Not that it would make a difference in accuracy necessarily, it's just that lighter varmint bullets (40-55 grs.) don't operate as intended with twist rates as high as those. Many shooting the AR's (1 in 7 & 1 in 8 twist rates), while trying to use lighter varmint bullets, have had "splash wounds" on coyotes when pushing the .223 to standard velocities. They are spinning so fast that they are barely holding together. If a blade of grass is hit, or the hide surface of a coyote, they actually detonate right there, failing to penetrate to the vitals.
The centrifugal forces applied to the bullets at those speeds is phenominal, and the varmint bullets, being of a more fragile design, just can't take it.

Take care,
Bob

 

[alsaqr]

i use IMR 3031 in .223. It routinely makes .5 inch, three shot groups groups at 100 yards when used in my 45 and 55 grain hand-loads.

 

[asknight]

Varget and H4198 were my "go to" powders for .223 until I discovered Ramshot TAC. That's what I use exclusively for 40-75gr .223 loads now. I've not had to repeatedly clean the bore of my rifles since switching powders, and the accuracy is just as good as my best Varget loads.