Oh oh

[Hobie1]

Just started loading for my 5.56 Sporter. I'm in love with my new gun. I decided to load some Hornady 68 HPBT match rounds and following the load data, I used 25 gr. of BL-C(2), CCI Benchrest Small Rifle primers and brand new LC brass with all the trimmings(subtle play on words). I seated the bullet to 2.235 OAL per instructions. Remember that I am new to loading magazine sized rounds.

Go out to the range and have fun with some PMC and American Eagle factory stuff. Life is good! Now it's time to try out the hand rolled stuff. Well sir, it won't fit in the magazine(clip for mall ninjas). However, I knew from reading Sierra's info that I'd be ok using it. So, one round at a time, I shot the rounds and I'll be da...darned I got sub minute of angle out of them at a hundred yards. Wow!

What fun! It's a PITA to load one round at a time but the results were worth it.

Hobie

[Dragon88]

Up to 2.260 should fit in any AR-15 magazine. Are you sure on your COAL?

[Hobie1]

I'll recheck just to be sure. They wouldn't fit so I'll try another couple here in a few to see if I screwed the pooch.

[Hobie1]

Uh, I apparently made a bit of a mistake. 2.35 doesn't work. Stoopid but fortunately harmless mistake. Whats a mere .09 off?(blown up gun maybe?) You know, this has just served to be a wake-up call for me.

Hobie...

[Dragon88]

.09" is huge in reloading. Take some time to double check all your notes and measurements before loading more rounds.

Did you crimp your rounds? If not, you can reset your seating die and fix all your loaded rounds very quickly (If you didn't shoot them all up today). If you did crimp, there is no need to in the future. Bullets without a cannelure do not need a crimp, and in fact should not be crimped for best accuracy. Crimping into the jacket, not a cannelure, upsets the thin jacket on match bullets.

[Hobie1]

Originally Posted by Dragon88

.09" is huge in reloading. Take some time to double check all your notes and measurements before loading more rounds.

Did you crimp your rounds? If not, you can reset your seating die and fix all your loaded rounds very quickly (If you didn't shoot them all up today). If you did crimp, there is no need to in the future. Bullets without a cannelure do not need a crimp, and in fact should not be crimped for best accuracy. Crimping into the jacket, not a cannelure, upsets the thin jacket on match bullets.

Roger that. I must admit that I broke one of my own rules yesterday in that I hurried. If I'd been loading for minimal jump I could of wrecked the gun, my hand, my face etc. Like I said, a major wake-up for me. I only loaded 20 and shot those with no problems with the primers as I did look to be sure all was good. I have a Stoney Point gauge and I'm going to measure the actual chamber to rifling with this round just to see how close I came to bad results.

Don't worry, I do learn by my mistakes but this one ranked in my book as huge. Mea Culpa.

Hobie

[Hobie1]

BTW, I didn't crimp and don't see any reason to unless I see set-back but it seems that there is plenty of neck tension for my needs.

[Dragon88]

I seat to 2.255". This allows for a little variance, not all bullets are exactly the same in the ogive and COAL will vary a few thousandths from round to round. After you load all your rounds, do a spot check, say 10% or more, to ensure none are over 2.260.

[Hobie1]

Appreciate the info. Even though I was a bit bummed by my mistake, it has served to re-instill due diligence on my part. I was out of the reloading game for several years and now I'll pay much more attention. Funny thing is that I single stage loaded these guys even though I have a 550b. I wanted to be sure I didn't mess up. Oh well. Press on.

Hobie

[MDaly]

You are not loading 223, you are loading 5.56. The military brass routinely has a smaller capacity than commercial brass. The wed thickness and the sidewall thickness of military brass is usually thicker than commercial brass. This will raise pressures. Generally, a reduction in powder charge is a good idea when military brass is used. The usual recommendation from the folks making the data is to reduce data developed in commercial by by 10% when the data will be loaded into military brass.

You might find you have better luck if you run small base size die rather than standard 223/5.56. This will size the brass a bit smaller and help assure feeding.

If you have questions about this you can call 800-622-4366 (M-thurs, 7:00AM to 5:30 PM Central time) for answers.

MDaly

[Clark B]

The military brass routinely has a smaller capacity than commercial brass. The wed thickness and the sidewall thickness of military brass is usually thicker than commercial brass.

Not neccessarily. Military brass in 5.56 has been found to have higher case capacity through H2O weight test, which can only mean there is less material in the case. Granted the difference is actually around a grain- grain and a half

[Dragon88]

Originally Posted by MDaly

You are not loading 223, you are loading 5.56. The military brass routinely has a smaller capacity than commercial brass. The wed thickness and the sidewall thickness of military brass is usually thicker than commercial brass. This will raise pressures. Generally, a reduction in powder charge is a good idea when military brass is used. The usual recommendation from the folks making the data is to reduce data developed in commercial by by 10% when the data will be loaded into military brass.

You might find you have better luck if you run small base size die rather than standard 223/5.56. This will size the brass a bit smaller and help assure feeding.

If you have questions about this you can call 800-622-4366 (M-thurs, 7:00AM to 5:30 PM Central time) for answers.

MDaly

I understand you work for Hodgdon and are no doubt very knowledgeable on reloading, but I disagree on both points. The need to reduce for 7.62 military brass is indeed very true, but not for 5.56 brass. The case capacities of military and commercial 223/5.56 cases are very similar, such that your standard reduction for working up a load will cover it. Reducing an additional 10% in this case would mean 2.5gr, which would cause weak cycling of the AR-15 and possibly short stroking.

Small base dies overwork the brass, and are not needed for AR-15s.

[Hobie1]

From everything I've read to date indicates that the issue of case capacity isn't particularly relevent to .223/5.56 as it is with the .308/7.62 nato brass.

Regardless, the start load for BL-C(2) is 24 grains with a top end of 26.5 for the 68/69 gr. bullet. Since I used 25 gr. I was just a bit over the 10% reduction anyway.

As I've stated, time to step back a bit and pay more attention. I loaded several different calibers a few years ago with excellent results(most of the time)and just need to pay closer attention and not be in a hurry.

Hobie

[Skip Sackett]

One thing I do know, BLC-(2) is a great powder for the 223/5.56! Of course, I like Hodgdon powders anyway but find that this one is exceptional in this caliber. My go to load for range fodder is a 55gr loaded to the maximum with BLC-(2). The main reason I went to this powder is because I had some "sloshing" problems with Varget when loading on my XL650 press.

The case was so full with Varget that when the press "snapped" into position that some of the powder would come out of the case. The BLC-(2) load doesn't do this as it fills the case less. @ 100 yards I can shoot 1" groups all day long with my 55gr loads with BLC-(2) from my DPMS AR-15 kit gun. When I us Varget and a 69gr BTHP I can get sub-MOA groups. Because there is less powder in a case for the heavier bullet, I don't have the problem with that load on the press.

I have had some issues with military brass in this caliber though. Either of my loads fill the case to a normal level in commercial 223 brass and are much higher in the case when put into Lake City brass.

Just my observation. I don't load for the 308 so I have no input on that caliber.

FWIW