best metering powder for .223

[hvychev77]

Hey guys, i been loading some .223's for my AR. I have been using H4895 with pretty good luck. I been charging 24 grains using a 55 grain fmj, with c.o.l. @ 2.26-2.25. So far, it's ran well but i've noticed using the auto double disc on my Lee turret press that sometimes the powder charge will vary just a tad bit somewhere around + or - .2 to .3 grains. I'm below what the data says is max (26 grains) and am wondering what everyone else uses or suggestions......hvychev77

 

[Walkalong]

Any ball powder will meter the best, followed by small kernel stick powders like H-322.

 

[hvychev77]

thanks for the quick response. do you have a recommendation on a powder? i'm fairly new to reloading and want to use the safest powder for a newbie.........i'm guessing a slower powder? cheers......hvychev77

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

H335 is very popular for .223/5.56. it meters very well through my RCBS Uniflow. i use a baffle.

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.

 

[mtrmn]

TAC, H335, Accurate 2230, WCC844 are all ball powders and meter like water. 24.5 gr TAC w/55 gr fmj is my basic bulk/practice/plinking load. All those mentioned are pretty much the same performance-wise.

WCC844 is the cheapest--it's military powder and you have to buy a minimum of 8 lbs. About $95.00/8lb. With shipping/hazmat you really need to buy more than 8 lb to save money.

 

[RVenick]

I use AA2230 meters great. I get about 2970 fps using 24.5g behind a Mil-spec 55g bullet.

 

[wingman]

Best loads for my AR is using Reloader 7 and Sierra 52gr Match: Under 1.0
at 100 yards.

 

[tlen]

+1 Accurate 2230

 

[icanthitabarn]

+1 2230

 

[One78Shovel]

H335 is very popular for .223/5.56. it meters very well through my RCBS Uniflow. i use a baffle.

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 on H335

-178S

 

[straitnate14]

25 gr of tac and a 55gr bullet is my cheap plinking round of choice.

 

[J_McLeod]

I haven't shot enough to really pick one over the other, but BL(C)-2, CFE-223 and H335 all meter very well.

 

[squarles67]

I've had good luck with Win 748 in my Pro Auto disc in .223

 

[ArchAngelCD]

H-322, H-335 and W748 are all good metering powders and work well in the .223. H-335 is the "classic" .223 powder as is it's surplus counterpart, WC-844...

 

[Vartarg]

W748

W748

 

[codefour]

It may not be the best metering, but Varget is hard to beat. In my UNiflow, I usually am right on with an occasional +/- 0.1 grain with a very rare +/- 0.2 grains variance.

I just like the results I have had with Varget. For me, if it aint broke, don't fix it..

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

i like varget, but it meters terrible in my uniflow. however, i haven't tried it in the uniflow since i added a baffle, so maybe i should give it another chance. it was always really crunchy when i ran the handle up and down.

 

[TwoEyedJack]

H335, Win748, TAC, BL-C(2), AA2230, and AA2460 all work well with my Hornady and Dillon measures.

 

[animator]

H335 is my go-to for .223. Meters great with my lyman setup..

 

[codefour]

I forgot to mention, the baffle in my Uniflow helped a lot re: accurate Varget drops. My error..

 

[hvychev77]

thanks for all the responses!! i guess i'm going to give a couple new powders a try and see what i come up with. Once again, the high road just floods the info. to ya! thanks again guys.............hvychev77

 

[beatledog7]

Varget is my favorite .223 powder, but it can be a PITA to meter:

i like varget, but it meters terrible in my uniflow. however, i haven't tried it in the uniflow since i added a baffle, so maybe i should give it another chance. it was always really crunchy when i ran the handle up and down. (emphasis added)

Great way of saying it, NeuseRvrRat! Acts the same in my LNL measure, yet the resulting charge is always +/- a tenth. H335 meters more smoothly in the LNL, but I still like Varget.

 

[wild willy]

How well does imr 8208 meter?

 

[gregj]

Another vote for H335 and TAC. But the best metering powder may not yield the best results in your rifle. I like Varget, and will be testing Reloader 15, but in my LNL the long grain causes the powder drop to hang and I wind up crushing the case mouth inward. So for powder like these, I dip and trickle the loads.

 

[moxie]

W748 meters like water but requires 25-26 gr. RE7 and RE10X are a bit crunchy, but only require about 21.3-21.5 for a perfect load, yielding 50-60 more rounds per pound than 748. The crunchiness, while annoying, doesn't make much difference in the real world.