best metering powder for .223

[NuJudge]

748 for 50-55gr bullets.

 

[Scott_R]

How well does imr 8208 meter?

I get excellent metering with 8208. I use a polished Uniflow with a baffle and micrometer adjustment screw.

The micrometer doesn't help with metering, but it helps me get closer, faster since I wrote down where it was last time.

 

[45ACPUSER]

For mid to heavy weight bullets with great accuracy potential and reasonable cost.. TAC!

 

[MAG-63]

Another W748 fan here.

 

[wanderinwalker]

... with that said, you probably won't notice +/-.2 or .3 grains from most ARs, especially with FMJ. it wouldn't worry me enough to change my whole setup unless i was loading near max loads. might be worth your time to try a ball powder like Walkalong suggested.

+1 to this. Most bulk full metal jacket bullets, in most 16" AR carbines, you're looking at 2-MOA or so. This is within the range of +/- .2grains.

Anyway, if you'd like something better metering, try out Winchester 748. It meters like water and gives great accuracy for me with <60gr .223 loads at 100 yards. My favorite is a max charge of 748, a CCI Magnum primer and a 52gr match hollowpoint. Great short range target round in my AR.

The other powders I've used a lot in .223 are RL-15 and Varget. I really like Varget (at least, I think I do, I've burned out 2 match barrels using it so far... ). Using the inexpensive little LEE Perfect Powder measure, neither has ever given me any consistency issues with metering. And the results down range have always been satisfactory.

 

[4895]

Varget meters pretty good in my LEE PERFECT POWDER MEASURE. I can't get it to run better than +- .4 grains with my OHAUS powder measure (works great for 296 unlike my Lee). I recently bought some BLC-2 to try out. I wouldn't be afraid to purchase a lb. of H335 and try it out. If my loads with BLC-2 work out well, I prolly won't switch. If not, I will be trying H335. Varget is great and I love it, but it cost a little bit more and works even better in some other calibers I load.

 

[J_McLeod]

Varget has metered well out of my Perfect Powder measure as well. Haven't tried it in my LNL yet. If it works there, it might be my powder after I dispose of the 7 lbs of Hodgdon Ball powders I have. Next one to try is H335 and shoot some more CFE.

 

[oldreloader]

I like AA 2230

 

[jack44]

When I had the 223 I use to use varget.

 

[beatledog7]

but in my LNL the long grain causes the powder drop to hang and I wind up crushing the case mouth inward.

This refers to a LNL AP, of course. A single stage press of any make would not have this issue.

 

[kennedy]

I use varget with my lee double disk, and as long as I wack it with a handle of a screw driver the loads are consistent.

 

[CHALK22]

+1 for TAC. My plinking loads with it are consistantly under MOA.

 

[kreidel]

I would say TAC is the best metering powder I have used.