.223 loads whats your go to load?

[mmaher94087]

.223

Has anyone developed a nice plinker load with IMR 3031?

Edit: Add the bullet is 55 gn. out of an AR 1:10.

 

[Benchrest1]

Hornady 60 gr V-Max and H4895.

 

[MrG5122]

Have used 25 gr. of H335 and a 55 gr RNSP seated to the cannelure for many years and not one prairie dog has complained.

Randy

It's interesting that my go-to, all-around load has come up four times in this thread!

The most accurate load in my 18" 1:7 AR is a 69gr Sierra HPBT over 26gr Varget. It groups well under 1/2".

 

[2ndtimer]

My go to load for AR's with a 1 in 9" twist or faster is 62 gr Hornady HPBT, 24.5 gr of Ramshot TAC, RP 7 1/2 primer LC brass.
Rem 700 SPS Varmint with a 1 in 12" twist 26" barrel gets factory Nosler Trophy Grade 40 gr Ballistic Tip ammo (I got a great deal on 400 rounds, then got a screaming deal on 400 more), and when those run out, I will load the fired cases with 40 gr Nosler Varmageddon bullets and max charges of either RE 10x or Benchmark and CCI-400 Primers.
My Weatherby Varmint Special 1 in 12" 22" barrel likes Nosler 52 gr Custom Competition BTHP bullets with 26.0 gr of Ramshot TAC, CCI-400 primers.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I find it interesting with all the loads talked about, at all the powders used, how your rifles like different powders, primers and bullets, which give you your best loads.

One powder that was not mentioned, since it is a very slow burning powder for this size case is IMR 4350 but I do lots of crazy things when it comes to checking out fps and accuracy in any caliber that I load for.

I found out that IMR 4350 and SR4759 with a 55 gr FMJ at the velocity from 2750 to 2830fps can give a nice light, accurate load.
Yes you use more powder but it is nice to have a "Power Puff" in the house.

 

[Culina]

Sierra 69gr HPBTM, 25.5gr Varget and a Wolf .223 primer.

 

[68Dave]

My go to load for AR's with a 1 in 9" twist or faster is 62 gr Hornady HPBT, 24.5 gr of Ramshot TAC, RP 7 1/2 primer LC brass.

That's my exact 62 grain load. I put together 100 of them this morning.
For 55 grains, I like 26.7 grains of CFE 223.
I want to love XBR, but haven't gotten it to out do these first two.
David.

 

[TMan51]

These are just AR plinking loads.

What are you guys making?

Midway sells the Hornady 55gr BTSP in bulk, and that shoots just great in my 1:7, 1:8, 1:9 barrels with BL-C2, W748, AA 2230, AA2015, etc. Whatever I have on hand. The ball powders meter the best when grinding out 500 rounds. Standard or magnum primers.

 

[The Norseman]

IMR & Hornady

So far my favorite Gun Powder for the 223 Rem reloads is
Improved Military Rifle (IMR) 4198. Clean burning, best
accuracy, and cycles my M4 AR15 (1-9 twist Bbl).

I have had very good success with Hornady Bullets so I
reference the Hornady Guides.

I reload Cartridges in small batches, using a single stage
press. So IMR 4198 being a Stick Powder does not bother
me because I measure each charge with a Scale.

 

[muddocktor]

Midway sells the Hornady 55gr BTSP in bulk, and that shoots just great in my 1:7, 1:8, 1:9 barrels with BL-C2, W748, AA 2230, AA2015, etc. Whatever I have on hand. The ball powders meter the best when grinding out 500 rounds. Standard or magnum primers.

You can also buy this same bullet for a cheaper rice in normal times from Midsouth Shooter's Supply for a cheaper price being sold as one of their name brand bulk bullets. They evidently source these bullets from Hornady and resell them as their Midsouth Varmint Nightmare BTSP bullet. Note, it's not their 55 grain SP flat base Varmint Nightmare Extreme which is made for them by Nosler, but a different offering.

I bought the Varmint Nightmare BTSP bullet from them a few months ago and have bought the Hornady 55 gr BTSP in the past and compared them directly side by side and they are exactly the same. With that said though, they are out of stock on them now.

 

[rich5674]

So far my favorite Gun Powder for the 223 Rem reloads is
Improved Military Rifle (IMR) 4198. Clean burning, best
accuracy, and cycles my M4 AR15 (1-9 twist Bbl).

I have had very good success with Hornady Bullets so I
reference the Hornady Guides.

I reload Cartridges in small batches, using a single stage
press. So IMR 4198 being a Stick Powder does not bother
me because I measure each charge with a Scale.

If you like Hornady bullets their 75grain hpbt works well in my 1/9" Remington and 1/8" RRA Ar15. Worth a try. Depending on your powder thrower, and your accuracy expectations throwing your stick powder might work. When I do that I visually inspect the filled cases in the loading block before adding bullets. Looking for over filled or half filled cases.

 

[Sevens]

I have three AR's but I rarely shoot them. I'm not a big rifle guy. I'm like 95/5 handguns to rifles. So the AR's just get bulk factory fodder.

However, I do load for my prairie dog red misting tool. That is a simple Howa in .223 with a 26-inch heavy barrel in a Boyd's AT-One stock. And the load that I have hunted with now for 7 years has been a 50 grain Hornady V-Max over 25.7 grains of H-335 with a CCI-400 small rifle primer.

I chose H-335 because it's easy to find locally in 8 pound jugs and unlike the extruded rifle powders, it's effortless in my Lyman 55.

 

[The Norseman]

Steels the Show

If you like Hornady bullets their 75grain
hpbt works well in my 1/9" Remington and 1/8" RRA Ar15. Worth a try.
Depending on your powder thrower, and your accuracy expectations
throwing your stick powder might work. When I do that I visually
inspect the filled cases in the loading block before adding bullets.
Looking for over filled or half filled cases.

rich5674 - Thank you for the Heads Up on the 75grs. I have a reload
for the Seirra 65gr SPBT 7"-10" twist, #1395.

Thought I would try to reload the Steel 5.56 cartridges you find
on the ground. I used just 10 with no rust on them, to try.

Walnut tumbled cleaned, wiped the dust off with Armor All treated
rag, Mic'd them for length; "Ok", lubed them up, and Full Length
sized them. Clean lube off with Armor All rag again. Prep'd the
same as all Handgun/Rifle. Ready to go.

65gr/IMR4198/CCI SR/Steel Case/2800-2900fps?

Man! tell you what, they turned out to be very accurate.
109yrds = easy 1". What a deal, who would have known!

Who ever started this Thread is getting an ear full.

 

[pasote]

Sierra 69 grain HPBT

Having a little time to reload stuff I processed a bunch of .223 brass. Now its time to loadem up!

I have been using Varget in them and had decent results. I have quite a big of IMR 4895 and am using that now. In the past, I have used 24g with 55g bullets. My notes say shot well but I can't recall shooting the load. The Hornady book doesn't seem to care about bullet type I have some flat based PSP and some boat tail.

These are just AR plinking loads.


What are you guys making?

I have some lightweight bullets I was thinking of putting together for the Rem 700, havent gotten to it yet...

Well, I was a high power service rifle shooter and I shot across the course with the AR-15 (Colt MT 6601). For 200 and 300 yards I used the Sierra 69 grain HPBT with 24.8 gr of varget. For 600 yards I used the Sierra 80 gr HPBT with the same charge. Unfortunately, I dont have a load for a 55 gr bullet . I have never used the 55 gr bullet as it would not buck the wind reliably at those ranges.