favorite 223 powder: progressive press and 62g fmj and some heavier stuff

[GooseGestapo]

BLC2 and H4895. My RRA NM AR thrives on 23.0gr H4895 and 80gr MatchKing or 75gr Hornady BTHP. Go slow and allow full charge to flow from cavity to case.

My carbines love the 60gr Hornady or 63gr Sierra over 26.0gr BLC2. BLC2 meters like water.

 

[Dudedog]

1 TAC
2 BLC(2)
3 Tie H335, 8208XBR

All metered well for me
( I was after powders that would meter well for "bulk" Mini14/AR Ammo, others (stick powders) may be more accurate)

Pictures of powders here to give you and idea of their size and shape
http://www.ilrc.ucf.edu/powders/sample_detail.php?powder_id=149
(link points to BLC(2)
This one is TAC
http://www.ilrc.ucf.edu/powders/sample_detail.php?powder_id=95
(use the drop down filter selection to change powder)

 

[ponchh]

I use H335 & CFE. 90% of my bullets are 60 gr
V-max or sp. 335 seems to group a touch better but CFE can give a little more horsepower if needed. Just keep a eye on case fill if loading on low end of velocity. Low case fill can open groups.

 

[hdbiker]

I began reloading in 1972 for my then new .308 WIN. using IMR 4064. Over the years I've acquired several more center file rifles. I chased many different powders and bullets searching for that sweet spot in all those guns. I bought myself a Rem. STS .223 and again started loading for it. After chasing all those powders all those years I find, IMR 4064 to be the most accurate of them all, in all my rifles. My Rem. STS .223 is printing 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups every time. Good Luck hdbiker

 

[JO JO]

I have had excellent results with TAC in 55 gr and 69 gr ,
I have tried blc2 , 748 , cfe223 , really all of these ball powders have worked
223/5.56 doesn't seem powder picky for me,
I sticking with TAC for now

 

[wanderinwalker]

My favorite powders for .223/5.56 vary by bullet.

Bullets under 65-grains: H335, Win 748, maybe H4895

Bullets over 65-grains: H4895, Varget, RL-15

For "blasting" ammo for my carbine, I like H335 and 55gr FMJ bullets. I can load these on a progressive and get accuracy that's good enough for anything I'm liable to using FMJ bullets for. For accuracy loads I like just about any of the heavy (68, 69, 75 or 77gr) Nosler, Hornady or Sierra match bullets over a heavy charge of Varget, with RL-15 being my number 2 go to.

 

[Ifishsum]

I like BL-C(2) for my high volume .223 loads, it meters extremely well and performs great for me. Also used W748 and H335 with similar success

 

[hdwhit]

z7 wrote:
f you had one powder to play with for 223, using a variety of bullets for 16" carbines what would you use?

IMR-4198.

As one of the fastest powders suitable for use in 223/5.56, it builds its pressure faster and thus makes full use of the shorter barrel of AR Carbines. 62 grain bullets are about as heavy as can be used with that faster pressure-buildup, but something on the order of 18 or 19 grains should put you in between 2800 and 2900 fps, delivering more than 350 rounds per pound making it a very efficient and economical choice.

 

[hdwhit]

Hokie_PhD wrote:
Like you, I'm trying to figure out what powders I want to standardize on. ...I know it's not the cheap way to go, but in the long run it seems more frugal to me.

Quite agree.

When I got started reloading 223/5.56, the published sources were generally still using test stands with 20+ inch barrels, hunting rifles or early AR-15s with 20 inch barrels, so I had embark upon my own voyage of discovery for something optimal for my shorter-barrel Mini-14. What worked for me was a 60 grain bullet and IMR-4198. The little bit of extra mass made up for the difference in velocity. There was powder "drought" in the mid-1980's and I could no longer get IMR-4198, so I developed an equivalent load using IMR-3031 and when it stopped being available, Winchester 748. In each case my aim was to have a round that would have the same point of impact regardless of which powder it had been loaded with. And I think that ability to standardize the performance of the load rather than the component(s) is missing from a lot of reloaders' products. It has been very nice to be able to open up an ammo can, put the cartridges in the magazine and know that regardless of what can they came from, they will still have the same point of impact as they did back in 1982.

 

[Gtscotty]

I use TAC for my progressive loaded AR fodder. It meters much better than any of my extruded powders through my thrower. I've heard great things about H335 as well, if TAC hadn't worked well for me in the progressive, I would have tried H335 next. If I'm weighing loads, Varget or AR-Comp get the nod.