Greetings.

I just need some links to load procedures. The most recent recipe books I have are more than ten years old. I have all the equipment necessary(except the die set) to produce viable rounds.
My M&P 15 sporter may not be here for 5-6 months. Should I wait to get it before I load mil-spec rounds? I can get magazines for it and if the rounds will fit in the mag. and are trimmed, chamfered, and full length sized, using older load data(powder is old but hasn't been opened and kept cool)I should be on the right track, shouldn't I?
I have a variety of .224 bullets, weight and manufacturer, but no brass yet. Do I need mil-spec primers or will small rifle primers suffice?

Thanks, I wondered if I should of posted in the load forum but such is life.

Hobie

Well, give me enough time and I can answer my own questions it seems. After doing a more refined search on this forum, I happened across the Sierra info(exterior ballistics) on loading for service rifles. It pretty much told me everything I had questions about. I have everything ordered or on hand to start the loading process.

So, as soon as my supplies show up, I'm going to start the process. Load just enough to establish a base line and go from there.

Hobie

One of the biggest advantages to reloading is the ability for you to dial in the round so that it works the best with the firearm.

Cranking out months worth of reloads.....and not having a clue how they will work in your rifle, seems very silly, IMO. I would wait until I have the rifle in hand....and then start working up a load for it.

Worst case scenario....the load you decide on shows a high pressure problem when you try it in your rifle. Do you really want to pull thousands of rounds apart and reload them?

__________________
Stu

Yep. That's why I'm going to load maybe 50 of one type of batch and 50 of a different type...to establish a base line. I've reloaded lots of ammo with various results for different guns of mine over the years, such as my M-1 Garand. I looked at the data and found out back then that gas guns have specific parameters as far as powder selection. Use the wrong powder, wreck the gun or worse, even though it's a "safe" load". I found out by reading Sierra's info about sizing, primer seating, powder selections and other things.

I have all of the tools(trimmer,primer pocket tools,run-out indicators,incipient head seperation gauge,chamfering,headspace tools,single stage press,OAL gauges, measure to the Ogive tools etc.) to produce quality match grade ammo. What I was seeking was some specific user data and I should of posted in the reloading section of this forum to achieve that.

I have a Rem. 700 PSS that has been re-crowned, headspaced and with the hand-loads I worked up for it will clover leaf at a hundred and is really good farther out. So, as we say around here,"it's not my first rodeo".

I do appreciate you expressing your concern for my gun and my well being. Better to help than to have something bad happen.

Hobie

You really dont need to recreate 'mil-spec' ammo for a AR. Its a SA rifle just like any other 223.

One load which is good in my 7 ARs and the approx 10 ARs and 1 M16 my father owns is a 55gr FMJ/BT over 24.0 gr IMR 4895. We have used CCI SRP as well as Win SRP with no problems. This load works fine in all the ARs I have tried them in, I actually over the last 4 days loaded 1K of them for the summer.

Thanks! I'm just getting started in the "real" AR world. It's an addiction.
So, no probs. with civilian primers. That's a good thing. Slam fires aren't what I want as well as OOB things.

Regards,

Hobie

Hobie I found this link http://accurateshooter.net/Downloads/sierra223ar.pdf

on a site for bench rest shooters. It's from Sierra and has their loading data for the AR15 and it has been very helpful for me. Maybe I shouldn't ask, but why do you have to wait 5 or 6 months to get a Sport?

Thanks for the link! What I've been told is that since the word's gotten out what a great entry level AR it is, is that S&W is lagging behind in production to meet demand. That's okay with me as I've got my 15-22s to have fun with. Plus, I only paid $550 inc. taxes. Plus it gives me time to put some money aside for a really good optic for it and buy some different kinds of manufactured ammo to run through it. As mentioned earlier, I plan to reload but not in any quantity at first in case it doesn't work. I have or will have all the neat tools to make some good ammo for it.
Besides, I'm a very patient person................NOT!!

Hobie

Hobie you got a great deal on your ordered Sport, mine was $100 more w/tax. Not sure where you shoot, but everytime I go to the range I find 50-100 brass casings for 223/5.56, most look to have been the 1st firing. Some folks don't use range brass, but I pick up the good looking stuff and reload it.
You could pick up alot of brass in 5 to 6 months. I've been using the Sierra data for a couple years in a Mini-14 and it has worked great.