POWDER=reloader 7 for a AR-15 is it the wrong stuff?

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husker

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its in little pellet like form. not at all like the powder that is in the PMC Or Hornady rounds that i pulled apart. the manual says to start with re loader 15
& the guy at Cabel's said this was the same stuff=7 so i bought it. it says to start with 27.7 & work your way up to 28.0 with a 50grn jacketed bullet. the brass wont hold all the powder at 27.7 I also bought some Hornady 68grn BTHP
& it says to start out at 23.5 to 25.6. so i did at 23.5 with new rem brass & rem # 6,1/2 small rifle primers. i put 10 together & went out & ran them threw the colt sporter AR-15 1-7 twist H-bar. first 4 cycled then jam. couple more then jam. & the head on the shot brass looks bad it has a little C shape that was carved into the brass. i think its the extractor. all 10 have it & are all chewed up around the out side of the head & the primers were know longer in 1/2 the shot brass. the length coming out of the press was 2.246 maybe this is to short.PS after my 10 reloads i ran 40 rounds of Cheap PMC threw the rifle & no jams or marks of any kind on the head stamp. It has never jammed with store bought ammo
 
the manual says to start with re loader 15 & the guy at Cabel's said this was the same stuff=7

The guy at Cabelas gave you some very bad information. Reloder 7 is not the same stuff as Reloder 15 and you can not use load data for one if using the other powder. Alliant doesn't list data for RL-7 with 68gr bullets. Where did you get the recipe? If you used RL-15 data for RL-7 you were probably way over pressured.

Also, Rem 6-1/2 primers are not recommended for .223 (it may say so on the box). Use their 7-1/2 primer for this cartridge.

Take a look at your firing pin and bolt face. You may have already cratered both.
 
The guy at Cabela's is wrong, Rel-7 is a fast burning powder and at the charges that you mention, you are lucky that you haven't ruined your rifle.
Don't load anymore ammo until you get this straightened out.


NCsmitty
 
that would explain the holes in the primers from the firing pin. nothing looks wrong with with the bolt or pin
 
The guy at Cabela's is wrong, Rel-7 is a fast burning powder and at the charges that you mention, you are lucky that you haven't ruined your rifle.
Don't load OR SHOOT anymore ammo in your rifle until you get this straightened out.


NCsmitty

I'll also add that you now need to have your rifle THROUGHLY checked out by a gunsmith who KNOWS ar15's. You've fired loads that likely exceed proof testing ammo pressures by a wide margin, you're lucky you gun didn't explode in your face. I personally wound not trust that bolt again without it being dye, mag or particle tested for fractures.


I also bought some Hornady 68grn BTHP- so i did at 23.5 with new rem brass & rem # 6,1/2 small rifle primers.


I have a manual that actually shows RE-7 data for 69grn bullets, according to this source 20 grains is a MAX load for a 69-70 grn bullet at 47,000cup

it says to start with 27.7 & work your way up to 28.0 with a 50grn jacketed bullet

for 50grn bullets the max load is 23.5grs

Please don't take this the wrong way, but did you actually read any of that stuff in the front of your reloading manual?
 
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that would explain the holes in the primers from the firing pin.

Holy cow! That's called "getting a clue!" Even if you only reloaded 10 rounds, check each round as it is fired and at the FIRST sign of anything like this you should have stopped shooting that batch, checked the rifle for damage, and probably pulled the rest of the loads in that batch.

In the future, please be more careful and don't go just trusting random counter-monkeys.
 
the guy said it was reload 15. so i went with what the Manuel that came with the lee dies.
i shot 8 out of 10. & new something wasn't right. & switched to the store bought PMC. i had know probs.40 rounds But it looks like i was 3-1/2 grns over on the first 8 from what Krochus came up with for a max load. so yes i prob. should take to a smith that i know. i didnt load or shoot any of the 50 grn.
 
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the guy said it was reload 15.

Wait a second

What does your powder (purchased from cabellas) actually say on the can?

is it number 1 or number 2


1
HUN-000550-2T.jpg



2
HUN-000548-2T.jpg
 
its # 1. & he said or i thought he said that it was the same stuff. I left thinking it was just the Brand name. I looked over the counter & 7 was all that i could see. It dosent matter. I F-EN new better that to go to that store for anything important. I have know one to blame but me.
 
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Load data for Hercules powders in the .223 Rem. Always check your data and while the salesman may have said they're the "same" thing he probably meant they're both Hercules rifle powders and you assumed they where identical in reloading data.

I never believe anything is "the same" until I independently verify it for myself.
 

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Toss out the proof-load cases you fired.

The head has expanded into the ejector hole in the bolt, and you will no doubt have loose primer pockets now with those cases.

Don't risk using them again.

rc
 
go back to cabelas and speak to the manager and tell him about the idiot that gave you that info. It might save someone from getting hurt!
 
Take the cases that you shot with you when you go back to Cabela's. Show them to the counter guy along with the manager at the same time! Always check the powder burn rate on a burn rate chart against a powder of a powder that you know. The chart will not "tell all" but it will tell you that Bullseye and IMR 7828 are not even close to being the same.
Jimmy K

But then again you can not blame anyone but your self for not knowing what you needed before you went shopping for powder. I always carry a written list of what will work for the bullet I am reloading just in case they don't have what I've got on my mind. Which happens a lot nowdays!
 
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