M&P15-TS Handload Recommendations

[thumbs]

I haven't shot them yet. In fact I haven't gotten the bullets yet. But the best I can do right now on reloads is about 19 cents a round. These are soft point wad cutter Hornaby 55
55gr bullets, cci primers and Accurate 2520 powder. Of course I have the brass.

 

[oneyeopn]

I haven't shot them yet. In fact I haven't gotten the bullets yet. But the best I can do right now on reloads is about 19 cents a round. These are soft point wad cutter Hornaby 55
55gr bullets, cci primers and Accurate 2520 powder. Of course I have the brass.

I read somewhere that wadcutters wont stabilize very well in a .223 but I dont remember and it could be bs

 

[thumbs]

I read somewhere that wadcutters wont stabilize very well in a .223 but I dont remember and it could be bs

Don't know to tell ya the truth. I'll find out though.LOL I sure hope they will I just bought a bunch.

 

[Gomizzou1954]

Hi, new guy here. I think that you may be confusing WC - (with cannelure) for wad cutter.

 

[thumbs]

Hi, new guy here. I think that you may be confusing WC - (with cannelure) for wad cutter.

Thanks but I think it is a wad cutter. Take a look at the way it was written.

HRN 22c (.224) 55gr SP WC BULLET w/Cannel.

The way it is written here could go either way. Idono The say WC Bullet but in another font it seems to clarify what the WC means with the lower case w/Cannel.

Is there a way to tell by looking at the pict??

I don't know what it really means what do you think??

thanks

 

[oneyeopn]

the wadcutter's I have seen all have a flat nose the circumference of the bullet. But I havent had much experience with them. I honestly have never bought any.

 

[Gomizzou1954]

I've been away from shooting and reloading for a while. I don't know of any Factory wad cutter rifle bullets. I seem to remember some people who would cast their own wad cutter bullets to load for rifles.

 

[thumbs]

Like I said I may have jumped to conclusions on this thing. I saw WC and "assumed" wad cutter. These are soft point, pointed bullets with the lead tip exposed. They also have a channel cut around the circumference of the bullet. I'm beginning to think they are not wad cutters.

 

[maximumhax]

Ok hopefully this weekend I can shoot @ 200yards. I have the same loads above ready and working up some 55gr vmax w/moly coat and 55gr sierra ballistic tip. Probably going to go with 26gr H4895 + WSR + LC09 maybe a few 27gr as well but not sure if that's pushing it too much as I can't ever find load data for any of my bullet/powder combo's so I am going mostly off of others or calculations.

 

[oneyeopn]

Ok I am loading two different rounds
55 gr Hornady V-Max
26.8 gr. CFE223
CCI #41 Primers for 5.56
OR
55gr Hornady Z-Max
26.8 gr CFE223
CCI #41 Primers for 5.56
they should be cooking around 3100fps
will try them out tomorrow, my IMR4895 that I was using left me less than satisfied

 

[maximumhax]

Found a Nosler loading manual online. Has H4895 25.5gr on a 60gr bullet at 3219fps and IMR4895 25.5gr on a 60gr bullet @ 3131fps so I think my loads using 25gr H4895 on a 60gr bullet above the fps I estimated is wrong, I had 3050fps that I estimated, but it's probably closer to 3155fps

25gr * 3219fps / 25gr = 3155.882fps if you do a ratio. So I will change the above information I had on my loads to 3155fps

 

[maximumhax]

Ok I am loading two different rounds
55 gr Hornady V-Max
26.8 gr. CFE223
CCI #41 Primers for 5.56
OR
55gr Hornady Z-Max
26.8 gr CFE223
CCI #41 Primers for 5.56
they should be cooking around 3100fps
will try them out tomorrow, my IMR4895 that I was using left me less than satisfied

You will probably have better luck with the 55gr V-max than the 55gr Z-max. The Z-max is hollow point filled with soft foam. I found the hollow points I tried didn't do as well as something with a solid tip, whether it was the V-Max plastic tip (ballistic tip) or the Sierra lead tip. I don't know if the hollow points are expanding too early due to spinning so fast in a 1:7 twist barrel or what.

I still had good groups with the hollow points, just not as good as the bullets with a solid tip. The hollow points I was getting around 1/2" groups at 100yards, and the solid tip bullets were getting around 1/4" groups at 100yards regardless of the weights of the bullets. The 77gr Sierra I used was hollow point and was getting 1/2" groups @ 100yards same with the 60gr hollow points.

So I think I'm going to stick with loading the solid tip bullets for now. I still have a few hollow points left that I'm going to try at 200yards hopefully tomorrow along with the other rounds I had above.

EDIT: Sorry, guess the Z-Max are not hollow point filled with soft foam, I thought they were cause the 9mm Zombie bullets I have are foam filled. But looks like the .223 Z-Max are solid plastic, I can't tell by photos.

 

[oneyeopn]

MaxHax...the CFE223 is the best powder I have ever loaded with. It is a ball and meters perfectly. Every round came out the with the same charge. when I compared the V-Max to the Z-Max the bullets appear to be identical except for the ballistic tip. On the V-max the tip is .115 long and on the Z max it is .14 long
I just broke out my calipers and the extra bullets 1 each from a 100 round bag of each. The bullets are z max .816 and v max .814 long, probably supposed to be .815 and within tolerance. We are going shooting this evening so I will be able to tell on accuracy later. I just know that the CFE223 meters way more consistently than the IMR4895 in such a small charge. Also this thread probably should have been in the reloading section.

 

[maximumhax]

So the Z-Max is the same hard plastic as the v-max?

 

[oneyeopn]

it appears to be...I was just at the local wally world..25 miles away they were selling Z-max .223 for $19.98 a box of 20. the way I calculated it thats over a buck a shot after taxes. I just loaded 100 of them for about, I dont know exactly but I am figuring about $.23 a shot.

 

[maximumhax]

Well I didn't get any shooting in this past weekend, but hopefully this weekend I'll get to test out some of my new loads.

All loads are LC09 brass, WSR primer, COL 2.26", and H4895
55gr V-Max w/Moly - 25gr
55gr V-Max w/Moly - 25.5gr
55gr V-Max w/Moly - 26gr
60gr V-Max - 24.5gr
60gr V-Max - 25gr
60gr V-Max - 25.5gr
65gr Spitzer BoatTail - 23.5gr
65gr Spitzer BoatTail - 24gr
65gr Spitzer BoatTail - 24.5gr

Have 30 rds of each loaded up for testing. If I have time may also do some loads with 77gr Sierra MK

I still need to buy some Varget and also the CFE223 you mentioned, ball powder sounds like something I want to use. I haven't used any ever for pistol or anything, I always wanted to try some to see how well it comes out of my powder thrower. As of not with the stick powders and flake powders I use I always have powder thrower slightly under weight and then trickle in cause I can't get stick or flake powders to come out of thrower consistently.

 

[maximumhax]

I have a spreadsheet I made if you want me to post it for calculating cost of loads. You enter quantity and price of each component, amount of powder, and how many times you reuse your brass and it will calculate price per shot.

 

[maximumhax]

Load Cost Calculator

Here is the load calculator I made. There is OpenOffice.org format and Microsoft Excel..

I had to zip them to allow forum to upload.

 

[oneyeopn]

MaxHax...thank you very much let us know which ones are the most accurate

 

[xICEMANx]

Finally worked up some loads and had some range time with them. The loads I've tested so far was:

*$0.276/shot*-60gr Hornady V-MAX + 25gr H4895 + WSR + LC09 Brass (Estimated 3155fps)
*$0.257/shot*-60gr Sierra HV HP Varminter + 25gr H4895 + WSR + LC09 Brass (Estimated 3155fps)
*$0.281/shot*-65gr Sierra Spitzer BT GameKing + 24gr H4895 + WSR + LC09 Brass (Estimated 3000fps)
*$0.360/shot*-77gr Sierra HPBT MatchKing + 23gr H4895 + WSR + LC09 Brass (Estimated 2750fps)

The *Price/Shot* is for everything; brass, primers, powder, and projectiles.

The 65gr Sierra and 60gr V-MAX did the best groups at 100yards. I still need to test 55gr V-MAX, 55gr Sierra ballistic tip, then maybe try almost same loads using Varget powder instead of H4895

Those prices seem pretty high. Are you not reloading your own brass? Buying bullets in bulk will really help keep costs down. I can load 55 grn .223 for around 11 or 12 cents a round.