5.56 Military Case Reload Info

[tjgilbert57]

Hi everyone. I'm a frequent information lurker, first time poster and I have a question for the more experienced re-loaders out there.

I purchased a quantity of new, factory primed, WCC 09 5.56 military brass. I will be charging them with BL-C2 powder and loading them with 62 grain soft-steel-core "penetrator" boat tail bullets for use in my S&W VTAC II 5.56 semi-auto rifle (otherwise known, of course, as a "Feinstein assault rifle").

My Lee 2nd edition reloading manual lists 26 gr of BL-C2 with a 63 gr jacketed bullet giving 3054 fps at 48,971 psi. I don't believe I would want to put that much powder behind my reloads because of the smaller volume in a military case.

Given my components listed above, does anyone have any suggestions as to a reasonable powder charge of BL-C2 with the idea in mind of decent velocity and, above all, safety?

Thanks,

Ted Gilbert

 

[bob1956]

My suggestion would be find a way to determine the volume of the factory case for the load listed in your manual. then check the volume of the military cases and reduce the load by the % of volume difference. load one fire it and look at the primer for signs of excessive presure. I'm sure others here have pet loads but don't want to share there experience due to the forces involved, just sayin....

 

[tjgilbert57]

Bob,

That makes perfect sense to me. I'll get a small volume graduated cylinder and do the comparison. Thanks for your help.

 

[358156hp]

26 grains is the maximum load Hodgdon lists for a civilian 223 sporting bullet, and a (supposed) civilian 223 case. This is not what you are loading, all of your components are different except for (possibly) the powder. You need to start with the beginning loads listed, and work your loads up, or down, as needed. Are you using actual Hodgdons BLC2, or WC844 surplus? WC844 is non-cannister BLC2, but the data is different.

 

[tjgilbert57]

I'm using BL-C2. I like Bob's suggestion of a volumetric comparison, however, starting at the smallest listed loads and working up a 10th (or 2) of a grain at a time, while watching for signs of high pressure, would also be a good method.

I guess, I was really just interested in other peoples experiences with their loads. In today's litigious atmosphere I completely understand why people may not wish to discuss it.

Thank you for your response.

 

[Fkimble]

Go to this link, 223 Rem + 223 AI Cartridge Guide within AccurateShooter.com it's at accurate shooter. Scroll down, there are 2 charts showing weight of various 223 brass. The 2nd shows H2O capacity of various LC and commercial brass. Looks like LC has more H2O capacity. Now different batches of the same headstamp will also have variances possibly as big as the different brands. But LC 223 aint extra heavy like LC 308.

 

[mcnee229]

IIRC the new Hornady manual has a 5.56 section in addition to the .223.

Scott

 

[SMSgt]

The difference in case volumes of .223 and 5.56 is insignificant, while .308 is noticeable.

 

[125JHP]

I have loaded IMI SS-109 (62gr pulls) with 25.0gr of BLC2 into MilSurp cases, including WCC, LC, HB (Hirtenberg), IMI. Out of my 16" barrel I am clocking 2650 fps and out of my 24" Rem 700 I get 2900 fps at 10'. Also remember that the MilSpec velocity is measured at 78' IIRC, so you have to adjust for MV.

As mentioned, I would go to a range and pickup an assortment of cases (several of each headstamp) and perform a water capacity weight test on all of them (averaging by headstamp) and compare that to what you have bought (don't destroy your good primers with water- get some fired cases). I think you'll be surprised to find those WCC cases weigh the same as US commercial cases, at least the ones I have done do. Foreign cases are a different story.

 

[moxie]

The difference between .223 and 5.56 cases, if any, is insignificant, and no more than the differences between different brands of commercial ammo, or even lots of the same brand. I use them interchangeably with good results. It is always a good idea to begin with the "starting" load and then work up to the one you like. You might be happy with the starting load. Never begin with a max or near max load, regardless of the components being used.

 

[WR Moore]

I personally haven't seen enough difference in case volume of the various brands to make a significant difference. All the ATK companies (CCI, Federal, Speer & LC) use the same cartridge case. After all, the .223 cartridge was developed as a military cartridge and only afterward submitted to SAAMI.

However, to be cautious, you might want to drop back a grain or so and see what happens, then work up if needed. If you don't have access to a chronograph, you're just guessing what results you get. The pressures cited by your source are below allowable maximums for average pressure.

 

[jepp2]

The suggestions to check "your" brass is excellent. If you actually checked brass that is fired in your rifle, it would be even better. Since your chamber size can significantly impact pressure. Just for reference I am including a single data point of WCC brass weight vs. other brass. But yours might be quite different.

 

[tjgilbert57]

Thanks for all of the excellent suggestions. I've got a Chrony on order from Midway USA. When the weather finally turns decent I'll start off with a 10 round lot loaded with 24 grains of BL-C2 and work my way up from there.