I've got a Lee turret press, set up for 38 special, 9mm pistol at present. Looking at reloading AR ammo. I realize pistol and rifle reloading have different needs. Before I get started I figured I'd ask those that have done it what basics I need to know. I have some 5.56 brass accumulated, will need a die set, recommendations for bullets and powder, etc.

Bullets, powder, primers are very hard to find right now. The best deal in powder, IMO, is the 8lb jugs of WC844 military pull down stuff which not so long ago, could be had for $89. Right now, everyone seems to be out.

It's the equivalent of H335. Whether/when it will be available again and at what price remains to be seen. FWIW, for target/plinking stuff I use WC844, CCI #41's and Hornady 55gr soft points.

Don't forget for Bottle Neck Rifle Loading you will need to lube the cases prior to sizing so you will want to pick up some lube & possibly a case lube pad.

Somebody needs to say this out loud: trim your cases. Every time if necessary. ARs seem to magically stretch the cases a bit with each firing. Plan on full length sizing, and trimming your cases every time you load for a 223 semi-auto. I use Hornady and Redding dies for 223, and have a set of each, the Hornady sizing die seems a little tighter than the Redding, but both work perfectly. Also, ball powder is your friend with 223s. Some guys have great success with extruded powders, but I suggest ball powders for consistencys sake.

Seems like something's wrong if your cases require trimming after each use?

To the OP, you'll need to open those primer pockets up on once fired milspec brass. That's a chore I hate.

There are better tools at more affordable prices now, but I still hate doing it.

RCBS offers a small bench tool for the job now. It's the least aggravating method I've tried.

Cabela's: RCBS® Primer-Pocket Swager Bench Tool

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Or you could get RCBS X-Dies, trim once, and forget.

First you should always clean the cases so you aren't running dirty cases through your steel sizing die. I find using crushed walnut media in a vibratory cleaner to be economical and functional. You can add NuFinish car polish to fresh media and let it circulate into the walnut. Never add the polish with brass in the mix or it will glue to the brass inside the cases. You can also add a cut up used dryer sheet to collect dust and soot from the media to make it last a little longer. Shaking the brass free of the media is a nasty dusty business and it's best done outside. I started with a strainer and shook the brass in it and then I bought a Frankford Arsenal media separator and thought it was junk. I suffered through it since I paid for it but finally broke down and bought a Dillon media separator and think it's awesome. As far as I understand it the only way you can get away with neck sizing is if you are loading for a bolt action. So for everything else you will be full length sizing your cases. I started with a set of Lee dies but the crimped primer pockets were constantly making the depriming rod back out. I switched to a regular RCBS FL sizing die and haven't had this problem since. I've not tried their X die, small base die, or AR die and all my ammo runs in my AR just fine. Military and some commercial .223 use crimped in primer pockets. You can ream the primer pockets to remove the crimp. Doing that in any serious volume gets old fast. I took way too long to buy a Dillon Super Swage 600 and I find it to be the best way hands down to fix this problem. Full length case sizing requires case lube for the friction during sizing to not give you a case stuck in the die body. I went through several different case lubes and I've found Imperial case sizing wax to be the best one yet. You have to be careful with .223 cases as you will find case volume to vary brand to brand. I prefer to use a primer pocket uniformer as sometimes even those vary. After full length sizing you will find you must trim the cases to a proper length. I used a Forster trimmer for a while until I thought my hand was going to fall off. Then I read about trimmers that trim by measuring off the case shoulder. I've found that to be very accurate, repeatable, and fast. The best one I've used is the WFT trimmer but the CTS is also pretty good. RCBS has a new three way trimmer head for their system but I've not used one yet. At this point it's worth re running your cases through the vibratory cleaner to clean off the case lube and any trimming shavings left over. At this stage I have my Lee Classic Turret setup for finishing loading. The fist stage hole is empty but is used for priming. The second stage is set with Lee's universal charging die setup with a Pro Auto Disk powder measure that has a Double Disk kit installed. Just make sure the disks are stacked so the smaller of the two cavities is above the larger so you don't have a shelf to catch powder. And I prefer Win 748 as it measures out really well and is a very known powder that has been in use for a long time. The third station has a bullet seating and crimping die but I only set it to seat and not crimp. Doing both at the same time can lead to the bullet shaving some while inserting into the case mouth. The forth station has the Lee Factory Crimp Die. The bullet is actually held in place by the case neck tension and the crimp has little to do with it. I only use it in this step to take the square shoulder down just a bit so there is nothing to catch on during feeding from the magazine to the chamber. It's not the fastest way to load but it works for me.

I started with Varget but have since settled on Ramshot TAC for 55-grain through 77-grain bullets.

As mentioned, supplies are hard to come by right now, but I've been using Powder Valley quite happily now for several years.

I have been using a Lee classic turret press and 223 dies to load my 223. Works very well I use H336, and what ever brass I can buy, and I prefer to use a 55gr projectile. Clean your brass before reloading your dies will thank you and your firearm will thank you. I suggest that you take your time reloading. I started loading for handgun first I develop a routine for loading after I felt proficient I moved to rifles.

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That's exactly the plan, I have learned enough to know that rifle reloading requires a bit more effort so that's why I'm starting with this thread, I've gotten plenty of info to start, thanks to all!

Not really. I've talked with a lot of guys who trim 223 brass every time. I have a Gracey trimmer, with a Giraud carbide bit, so trimming goes really fast for me. It's a lot like sharpening a pencil.

Processing 223 cases takes a lot longer if you have to measure every case. It's quicker for me to simply trim every case, every time. I used to shoot a lot of 223, but not so much any more.

As previously mentioned, reloading 5.56 is more labor intensive than handgun rounds. Case length needs to be checked and most likely trimming will be required. Most once fired military brass I've sourced has been .015 +/- over the recommended trim length. To give you an idea of the work involved, here's the process I've used for thousands of rounds. Everything is done in batches using a single stage press...

Lube
Deprime and resize brass
Swage primer pockets w/RCBS swaging tool
Tumble
Clear flash hole, inspect case
Check with case gauge
Trim if needed
Deburr case neck
Prime
Charge with powder verifying charge weight every 10 rounds
Visually check each powder charge
Seat bullet
Verify OAL with dial caliper
Crimp with LEE crimping die
Final check with case gauge

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For 223/5.56 ammo meant for use in a semi-auto I use:

CCI #41 NATO primers or Remington 7 1/2 primers
55gr to 62gr bullets, mostly 55gr because they were cheaper
Mixed brass, mostly LC, FC and PMC
H335 or WC844 or most recently CFE223 powder.

There are other combinations and you can use other powders, bullets and primers but those are the ones I have had very good success with.

In a bolt action rifle I use commercial brass, CCI400 primers, Sierra 55gr GameKing or Sierra 53gr MatchKing bullets and Varget powder.

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ArchAngel, whats the verdict so far on the CFE223 powder Ive been using H335 but havent tried the C
Fe 223 yet