Reloading Newbie striving for accuracy

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MJMcMahon

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Hi all -

just getting started into the wide (wild?) world of reloading and am looking for some sage advice.

I made the investment into a Lee Classic Turret press in late July and am working up loads for my CZ-527 and DPMS M-4, both chambered in .223 and both with a 1:9 twist. I keep the brass from each rifle separate and am only doing neck-sizing on the brass.

First problem: I seem to be experiencing inconsistency in the amount of powder thrown by my Lee Pro Auto Disk Powder Measure. I started with the non-Pro but upgraded after seeing wear on the non-Pro because I was constantly changing out the disks. I've spoken to Lee about the inconsistency and they said that a lot of the issue had to do with my choice of powder: Varget. Based upon some research on the 'net tonight, I think I should be sticking with extruded powders because of their consistency....the question becomes how to get a consistent powder charge. I'm sometimes seeing a difference of between .5 and .9 grains. This concerns me a bit - how can I determine which load is giving me the best accuracy if the amount of the powder charge is inconsistent??? I only chose Varget at a friend's suggestion and am too new to the process to be hooked on it. Suggestions for other powders would be gladly accepted. My current bullet choices are Hornady 75gn AMax BT's and Nosler 55gn Spitzer BT's. I realize the 75gn AMax's are a bit heavy for the 1:9 twist, but they were donated after I made whiny noises about the wind at Boise's outdoor range. :D

Second problem: I started with some once-fired factory brass from various manufacturers. Most of them I had no problem with but some of the brass (Speer) will not accept the primers (Winchester Sm. Rifle). If I try and seat the primer, it gets hung up and does not seat properly. The primer is not seated flush and forcing it only causes the edges to be flush with a bulge at the center of the primer. Is this a known issue with Speer brass?

Looking forward to learning from some of the more experienced reloaders!

Thx,

Mike
 
1/9 can deal well with 55 gr at 100 yards. nicer would be 64. past 300 yards try 69 gr. 75gr is more for 1/7 twist sierra BTHP are the standard. my load for 500 yards is 26.5 gr Varget below a 69gr BTHP sierra out of a 1/7 bbl. if ua can cover the cost of a rcbs powder thrower, varget will meter +/-.1 gr. season a new one by running a pound of powder through it.
i dont know from speer brass. i segregate LC for my 500 & 1000 yard loads. plinking gets all mixed together and loaded on my lee turret. lyman turret loads the long range.
 
Whilst Varget may work well with the heavier loading for 223rem, have you considered looking into Benchmark for 55gr loadings. If it's the same format as it is here, the finer grains of Benchmark are more suited for powder measures, and i have found it one the most suited powders for 222rem/223rem with 50-55gr. As that is what it was specifically developed for.
 
MJMcMahon, I'm not sure what the problem is with the Speer brass, either discard it or perhaps you can invest in a primer pocket swager like this.
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=447022&t=11082005
I love Lee products as a rule but the Disk measure often has problems with consistency with certain powders. Everyone has their favorite measure to recommend, and mine is the Lyman 55. Absolutely consistent with everything that I use, including Varget.
Varget is a very versatile powder but IMO there are much more suitable powders for the lighter bullets such as the mentioned Benchmark or H335. With Varget you're dealing with compressed loads as a rule, and not getting the most out of a 16" or even 20" barrel.
It's your call.

NCsmitty
 
MJ,

You may want to full size the brass you're going to run through the M4, neck sizing for an auto loader is not the way to go.

Make sure the powder measure is clean inside. Clean it with a fabric softener sheet to stop any static cling, and dust it inside with some graphite or mica. The most likely problem is bridging of the powder in the drop tube or neck of the case . Some times you can tap the dispenser as the powder is dropping through the tube and it will lessen the problem. Varget is those little extruded rods and it will bridge easier than a ball or shortcut type.

If the once fired Speer brass is military it probably has a crimped primer pocket and the crimps need to be removed, there are several tools to do that but some use the deburr tool to do this, just enough to remove the little line from the crimping process.

As for powder AA 2230 Win 748 BLC-2 are tried and true .223 Rem. powders.
 
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Thanks for all the hints guys. I'll try out your suggestions and try and remember to post back.

thanks again!
 
If you're looking for the best accuracy, the brass needs to be of the same brand.

I've found an easy way around the problem of a powder measure not throwing consistent charges. For years, and in loading thousands of cartridges, the majority of the time I weigh all charges.
 
First off
keep bolt gun brass seperate from ar brass.

I prefer different head stamps for things like this. You need to have a uniform lot to work from. Keep the variables to a min. I would suggest you get a different powder measure.
Cheaper volumetric measures are not meant to
 
Dropped by Sportsman's Warehouse this evening and picked a pound each of Benchmark and H335. I'll try loading some up and report back.

thanks again, guys!
 
Lee Square Hopper

In my Lee Auto Disc with the square hopper I had problems with powder consistencies also. I remedied it by taking a hot butcher knife and cutting the baffle out that blocks the powder from falling directly into the disc.

With large flake powders now I get very consistent charges.:)
 
Are you sure you use the same stroke every time. I know Varget has a reputation as being difficult to meter, but I can consistently throw +/- 0.1 grains of Varget with my Pro Auto disk, I have never found any powder to throw .4 grains off.
 
I load with the pro auto disk which should be the one you upgraded to. When you use the double disk make sure the smaller hole is in the top disk. If it's in the bottom disk it will create a shelf and give you inconsistant powder throws. I use W748 and H335 powders with 55 grain and 62 grain bullets and both powders meter great in the pro auto disk. I can load all day and not be off more than .2. You will want to FL size for your AR but I have found that a small base die is not required. Any brass that is hard to prime check for a crimped primer. That can be fixed with the chamfer tool if you don have a lot to do. If you do then Dillon makes a good swage tool or you can buy a RCBS primer pocket reamer that will chuck into a drill.
Rusty
 
Fastbike -

what do you mean by a "consistent stroke" with the Pro Auto Disk? As long as I'm pushing all the way thru the full stroke of the ram and waiting a second or two, shouldn't all the powder in the disks fall thru?

By the way, guys, I've checked the Speer brass and it's definitely NOT crimped....just looks like the primer pocket is a couple of hundredths smaller than the standard....odd

I took some handloads I made up with H335 to the range today and it shot VERY well. Powder charges were much more consistent. I'm still playing with it (had to run out to the range before I'd finished up a full run of all the options for powder charges, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to shoot at all today), but H335 looks very promising. I'll be curious to try the Benchmark too!
 
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