How many .223 cartridges with 1 pound of powder?

[Lucky]

I've set up my Lee Challenger press and am going to try my hand at reloading some .223 tonight or tomorrow, but with screwing the dies in and out I'd rather know how many cases I will use ahead of time.

Does anyone know how far 1 pound of IMR 3031 goes for making .55grn .223 Remington cartridges? 1000? 10,000?

 

[mscott]

There are 7000 grains in a pound. If you use 25 grains per load you'll get 280 cartridges per pound. I don't know how much 3031 you'll need.

 

[MikeFF]

At 25 grns per round, about 280 ,give or take


EDIT: you beat me to it

 

[CrackerJim]

I just changed powders for my 223 reloading.

At 20 grs of powder; 350 rounds.

My new powder is between 24-25 grs so 292-280 rounds.

FYI 1lb = 7000 grains

Good luck,

Jim

 

[CrackerJim]

I guess I can't type fast enough.....

 

[Lucky]

Ok thanks all. Any idea which powder is the most economical for .223?

 

[Walkalong]

Surplus.
Years back I bought 32 Lbs. of SRB-118 for blasting loads in the .223. I also have an 8 Lb-der of 2230-S put back.

The guys will provide links to current sources of surplus I am sure.

 

[Clark]

Last spring I took my brother 1000 pieces of primed .223 brass I had sized, 1000 33 gr Vmax bullets I had moly coated, plastic ammo boxes, and a pound of Blue Dot.

I adjusted his powder measure on his scale, while he watched, for 15 gr.
I adjusted his seating die until the over all length was 2.17"

I calculated for him:
7000 grains per pound
15 grains per round
7000/15 = 466 rounds

He loaded his ammo and we had a good hunting trip.

 

[Walkalong]

I would be scared to shoot Blue Dot in the .223.

 

[308win]

If you read a few of Clark's postings you will notice that there doesn't seem to be much he isn't afraid to try. His postings are always interesting and as long as he is trying this stuff it is fun to read; I am going to miss him when one of his experiments finally catches up with him.

 

[Walkalong]

I tried Blue Dot in the .22 Hornet and found that it was VERY position sensitive. I severely blew a primer and almost a case head with a charge away from the primer and against the bullet. That same charge kept against the primer was just fine.

Made me weak in the knees when I unchambered and looked at the case.

I was younger and froggier at the time.

Young, dumb, and full of.................

 

[Clark]

I went hunting in 2005 with a guy that shoots Blue Dot in .223.
I shot up 400 rounds of 62 gr 13 gr Blue Dot in 4 hours and the barrel never got hot and the cleaning patch looked like one round had been fired, not 400.

I hunted with him again in 2006 and shot hundreds of 33 gr 15 gr Blue Dot.

The guy I got the idea from got the idea from Calhoon:

http://www.jamescalhoon.com/tobee2.php

What I am really doing is downloading the 223 to 218 Bee velocity for shooting gophers.

 

[MachIVshooter]

IT will vary some, but generally ~250.

 

[musher]

Cripes. I guess I wasted my money on an education and a calculator.

Never realized I could just ask other folks to do my math.

 

[Walkalong]

I used to shoot 6 Grs. of 700X in the .223 for 22 mag type velocities. I also used it in the Hornet for the same purpose. My experience with Blue Dot in the Hornet just made me leary of it for that application. Obviously it works fine in the .223. Sounds interesting actually.

 

[Uncle Don]

If you know how many grains of powder the load you want uses, simply divide 7000 (grains in a pound) by that number and you'll have your answer for any load.