Couple of questions please

[robdaniels]

Hi folks,
I am reloading .223.

Question 1: I have shot factory Remington UMC ammo and some hand loaded Winchester cases.
Can I reload all cases into one lot or are your suppose to keep case brands separate? If so why?

Question 2: I dialed in the factory ammo to shoot 1 inch high at a 100yds. Shot in the MOA after that. Then I loaded my hand loads and they shot low by about 1.5 inches. After dialing them in I shot sub MOA.
Why would hand loads shoot lower than the factory loads?

Thanks all.
Rob

 

[dc.fireman]

Answer 1. For plinking ammo, it doesn't matter, as long as you've inspected each case for signs of wear and tear. For greater accuracy, separate them by headstamp, year and/or manufacture lot number. The key to accurate loads - what folks here refer to as "handloading" (vs. "reloading"), is consistency - separating them by make/model, will give you that.

Answer 2: There could be many variables here: Different grain weights of bullets, different powder types, different powder charges, different atmospheric pressures etc. Tying to elimanate every inconsistency, will help make everything more... consistent. Good luck! And Welcome to The High Road!

-tc

 

[Remo-99]

1. If your just wanting plinking ammo with mild loads, mixed headstamps are fine.
If your shooting for tight groups, sorting in batches helps with consistancy.
If your loading to maxmium pressures, differing case volumes between brands can cause issues.

2. Are the handloads the same bullet weights as the factory ammo, if so the handloads may be loaded to a lower velocity. Have you run them through a chronograph? or know what the specific loading is?

 

[W.E.G.]

Assuming same bullet-weights, your handloads were obviously lower velocity than the factory ammo.

You don't need to sort cases unless you are shooting in the highest classes of competition, or unless you are loading MAXIMUM loads.

My limited experience weighing .223 cases, and weighing weight water-volume of cases, shows very little variation between commercial and military (Lake City) cases. Stay a full grain off from MAXIMUM loads, and you'll never need to think about it.

Do be careful about overall case length. If a case is way too long, it might get pinched in a tight chamber, and drive up pressures unexpectedly.

 

[robdaniels]

Thanks guys.
Answer one is great, thanks.
Answer two. I checked and the factory loads have a rated velocity of 3240 fps and my handloads where in the middle rage of the chart at 3100 fps. That answers that question.

I may up my load a little bit and see where I am.

Thanks

 

[Walkalong]

When loading mixed brass if you get one where the powder goes way up in the neck vs down at the bottom of the neck or slightly lower, scrap it as it is much heavier than the rest. There will not be many of these usually. If you happen to get a lot of them, load them separately with less powder.

I worked up some plinking loads with the heavier of my mixed cases (Mostly with SRB-118 that I bought cheap in bulk as surplus for just this application). That way I know it will be safe with the somewhat lighter cases. I know where the powder should be in the case in these loads (Anywhere from just under the neck/shoulder junction to just up into the neck), so if the powder comes way up in the neck, I know I have a case much heavier than the ones I tested and I scrap it.