Reloading 223 and IMR Powder question Update.

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Magload

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I picked up a pound of CFE 223, Varget, IMR 4198 and small rifle primers, Winchester, let the fun begin. Well After the the bullets, 55gr V-Max and all the hardware I ordered last night. Big order to Dillion. I love them but they take so long to ship. The Lee dies I got from Amazon Prime they will be here tomorrow. If I had bullets I could strip one of my handgun tool heads for the time being. Don

PS had to pay to much for the powder the IMR 4198 was $31.45 at the range/club and the CFE 223 and Varget was $39.95 at the ripoff LGS. The price and their big red sign on the door saying no concealed carry. Well you can but it can't be loaded. None in the mag none in the pipe making it worthless.
 
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Magload said:
I picked up a pound of CFE 223, Varget, IMR 4198 and small rifle primers, Winchester, let the fun begin. Well After the the bullets, 55gr V-Max and all the hardware I ordered last night. Big order to Dillion. I love them but they take so long to ship. The Lee dies I got from Amazon Prime they will be here tomorrow. If I had bullets I could strip one of my handgun tool heads for the time being. Don

PS had to pay to much for the powder the IMR 4198 was $31.45 at the range/club and the CFE 223 and Varget was $39.95 at the ripoff LGS. The price and their big red sign on the door saying no concealed carry. Well you can but it can't be loaded. None in the mag none in the pipe making it worthless.
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What sign? I didn't see any sign.;)

$40 for a pound of powder? That's crazy. As I was trying to say you do not need expensive hard to find Varget or CFE 223
Varget is stick or extruded to depending on your powder measure it will cut the powder while measuring. Spherical like the CFE meters much nicer.

Obsessed Benchrest guys will like stick powder as they say it burns better. All depends on what rifle you are shooting.

Buy hey, it's you money.;)

Could buy a bunch of powders here and even with haz mat come out ahead. Maybe bullets and or primers also.

https://www.wideners.com/itemview.cfm?startrow=13&dir=278|283|311
 
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I read and re-read your post and couldn't find your "question." :D

If you're just chewing on powders, I don't really care for 4198 in the .223 and the little experience I have with CFE223 has been disappointing - so far. I've always liked 4895 for the .223, and of course more recently Varget. However, if I had a big batch of 4198 I would find some way to use it.

I'm not sure Dillon is so "slow" - it's just that everyone else has gotten so fast these days. How the folks at Midway and Midsouth do it amazes me, and Brownell's lately seems to have taken an interest in turning on the after-burners when it comes to delivery too. I guess they think all their customers lack patience. :D I have to admit, I appreciate the quick delivery too.
 
The door sign carries no weight in FL. You should know that.
 
For .223, H335 and AA2230 are my favorite powders. 23-25grs with the 55gr projectiles. They both meter like water.
 
The powders are, at least, suitable for the cartridge. Now, will they shoot well in your firearm?? Who knows. Same with the bullets. Who knows how they will shoot? Let us know. The prices for the stuff... yea, I've seen lower prices. So what? Them Dillon press ain't cheap. Good firearms ain't cheap. If you can afford all that fancy stuff, there's no need to quibble about an extra 5 bucks on a pound of powder.
 
Rule3 said:
What sign? I didn't see any sign.;)

$40 for a pound of powder? That's crazy. As I was trying to say you do not need expensive hard to find Varget or CFE 223
Varget is stick or extruded to depending on your powder measure it will cut the powder while measuring. Spherical like the CFE meters much nicer.

Obsessed Benchrest guys will like stick powder as they say it burns better. All depends on what rifle you are shooting.

Buy hey, it's you money.;)

Could buy a bunch of powders here and even with haz mat come out ahead. Maybe bullets and or primers also.

https://www.wideners.com/itemview.cfm?startrow=13&dir=278|283|311
Click to expand...

If it wasn't for these are test loads and I only need powder in pound lots till I decide what my final load is I would have ordered 8 pounds online. It is next to impossible to buy powder locally here with out paying the big price. There is no buying a cheap type as they place the same price sticker on all powder. The range/gun club was some what better at $32 a pound and they had about every IMR rifle powder each at $32. At least their Primers were $35 they were $52 at the LGS. Academy Sports has them for $40. The day I pay $52 for a thousand Tulammo primers I will stop reloading. Don
 
If you still have the cash and availability, Win 748 work very well in 223! Varget is what I use in my 1000 yard 223 with a 75 grain A-Max; but I hand weigh each charge. This load combo in my gun does 5" for me and 3" for a better shooter. Your primers can make a big difference, when you get a good powder/bullet load, run 5 of the same load over different primers. Rem 7 1/2, Fed 205M, CCI BR4 are all very good primers in this cartridge! I had good results with CCI Small Rifle in pre- 1998 primers, but that was a different formula.

H335 and H322 have performed very well (one hole groups at 200) in a few different cartridges in this size range (222 Rem; 223 Rem; 22 BR; 22 PPC, 6 PPC) all these had this kind of accuracy with these powders and these primers, it is worth a test ! Ivan
 
My 2 Cents!

As I have aged I find myself sticking with powders that meter accurately thru a measure. Ram shot X=Terminator W748 BLC-2 H335 and LT-32 have all done really well for me in the 5.56.

Primers I go with CCI 41's or their small rifle magnum. As far as bullets go I love Sierras but as far as accuracy Hornady's and Noslers are close Hornady being cheaper.

Let me say that the process of finding accurate and juggling available components is fun if you don't bulk buy until your set on a load. One other thing that many 223/5.56 loaders shrug off is loading like head stamps. In general commercial cases will yield better accuracy. However in you sort military cases tou get much better accuracy than if they are all different.

Have Fun and try the accuracy load listed with H-335 and the Sierra 52 Grain Match King!
 
Gun show on 8-22, price updates to follow.

EDIT / UPDATE: Bullseye was $209 + tax for 8#, some IMR was $189 for 8#, thirty different IMR / Alliant / Hodgdon powders were $26 to $31 per pound. Primers were $29 to $35 per thousand, the best deal was various bricks of 22 LR (325 rounds to 500 rounds) priced from $25 to $55 per brick. I got in for $8, walked, looked, chatted, didn't sell a Howa .308 with wood stock, and finally left with all my money.

The best deal was lunch at Arby's (1 block from gun show) and only having to drive 50 miles, round trip, to attend the show instead of 300 miles. I saw 3 non-lock S&W revolvers -- all high dollar and well worn.
 
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Magload said:
If it wasn't for these are test loads and I only need powder in pound lots till I decide what my final load is I would have ordered 8 pounds online. It is next to impossible to buy powder locally here with out paying the big price. There is no buying a cheap type as they place the same price sticker on all powder. The range/gun club was some what better at $32 a pound and they had about every IMR rifle powder each at $32. At least their Primers were $35 they were $52 at the LGS. Academy Sports has them for $40. The day I pay $52 for a thousand Tulammo primers I will stop reloading. Don
Click to expand...


I was only trying to point out that you could have bought almost twice as much powders (in 1 lb containers) for less then you paid and have them delivered. Plus could have added primers to the whole order at a place like.

Benchmark, CFE, H335, H332,8208XBR. AR Comp

Several handgun powders and also primers.

Just saying.;)

Welcome To Recob's Target Shop

Browsing HODGDON
 
I just returned from a road trip that included stopping in at three of my favorite gun stores. Although you have the full line of bullet weights in the .223 covered with the powders you picked up, I can't believe the usurious prices you paid. I ended up buying eight pounds of powder and never paid more than $24/pound, but you have to pay what you have to pay.

During the great primer famines of 1995 and 2014, I saw primers as high as $50/1000. I no longer shop at those stores. I also refuse to do business with any store that does not allow concealed carry. They have declared that we are the enemy, but our money is still green.

Off the soapbox - a max load of CFE223 behind your 55gr V-Max will meet 5.56 NATO velocities at .223 pressure levels. Varget may be more accurate but the CFE223 flows like water.
 
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