.223 loads for 10"bbl

[IBRadcon]

Greetings all  
I'm new to this forum so here goes.
Recently bought a 10" bull bbl in .223. I've had 10"ers before in .44 and .41 mags. Reloaded for both of them .Traded both guns awhile back for different toys. As you 'd have guessed, that TC lore kept calling me back.  On the new gun I've shot mil ammo and they all keyholed. Shot some PMC and they were hitting paper but all over the place. It could have been operator error. These are the only rounds I've tried so far.
Rather than buy different  brands/types of ammo ( which I'll do later) I humbly ask for any recipes anyone has used with this length barrel with some success.
Thanks to any reponse.

[PA-Joe]

I think the tc's have a 1/12 twist. I am shooting 46 grain points in my 12-inch and they seem to work good.

[Bug]

I've used primarily 45 & 50gr bullets in my 10" .223 bbl. Useful powders have been BLC-2, H-335, and AA 2015.
 My reasoning for using lighter bullets was to keep the velocity on a par with the 14-inchers shooting 55-60gr bullets. Haven't found any yet, but I've been looking for some of the Barnes' 53gr Triple Shocks. They should be just about the do-all bullet. Be sure you check the crown over really close.
 I've not had any problems with mine keyholing anything. Factory loads DO have a lot of muzzle flash/blast, though. For a test, I would try the winchester white box. They pretty much seem to work in everything.

[Wally]

Hi,

I just recently got my second 10" 223 and find that it shoots just like the first one I had. (Shouldn't have traded it off).  I have shot only the 45 JHP Winchester from Wally World and Academy.  When I hold my mouth just right, I can get 1 to 1 1/2" pretty regularly.  My 30-30 AI and 375 Win will do just a little better, so I think I am getting about all I can out of the Win factory loads, but at the price and no more of them that I shoot, it works fine for me. I definitely think the 10s are a little more difficult to achieve
accuracy than the 14s.

Hope this helps-good luck

Wally

[Lone Star]

If you handload I would recommend using 40-grain BTips and BlueDot powder.  Start at 12.5 grains and work up carefully.  This is highly accurate in almost all .223 barrels, long and short, and gives much less muzzle blast.  Velocities in short barrels are not far off what is obtained with "rifle" powders.  Try it, you'll like it!

The long mil-spec bullets are not stable in 12-inch twist rifle barrels, and with the low velocities out of a 10" T/C most will not fly point-on. Even the 55-grain bullets are marginally stable at higher velocities.  Your experiences are not unique.

[KYODE]

try the blue dot. amazingly less muzzle blast!.....and accurate!

[IBRadcon]

Thanks again.
All points noted and appreciated. I kinda had an idea from other articles that the .223 in a shorter bbl might be more picky. I wanted a longer range pistol than the .41 and .44. It's funny when I was shooting those guys at 100 yds. I had time to write a letter until I heard that bullet hit paper  :lol:  They were both very accurate though and fun to shoot. This is a great sight and I'm just glad to be here.

[Bug]

Perception is a funny thing... :lol:

"I had time to write a letter until I heard that bullet hit paper."

What you refer to is actually the time it took for the report, or muzzle blast sound, to travel to the target/backing, bounce off the target, and return to you.
 It will be basically the same for any cartridge. Regardless of how fast the bullet travels, sound still travels at about 1100 fps, or 761 mph.
 This ignores the supersonic crack that can be heard as the bullet passes. Should you factor this in, the time frame would be reduced slightly. But, I think the difference would fall into the realm of imperceptibility. :roll:

Just being a wi$ea$$ :-D  :-D  :-D    .............Bug

[IBRadcon]

Bug,
Are you a..mutant...too? :shock:
Forgive me for relating to another gun, but I could write a letter and mail it
while waiting for my FN-49 to cycle another round.

[tipiguy]

I have tried to find a listing for Blue Dot in a reloading manual.  So far I have not found one.  Where did the information on using Blue Dot in a .223 originate?

What are the starting/max loads for 40s, 45s, 50s, & 55 grain bullets?

Thanks.

Tipiguy

[KYODE]

there is no data from alliant for blue dot in .223. actually alliant doesn't recommend it.
there are still a bunch of shooters using it.
check these sites.
http://www.jamescalhoon.com/

http://www.reloadingroom.com/page33.html

[Bug]

This Blue Dot thing seems to be getting pretty popular.
http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=9066056864&f=7936077864&m=209100136

 It seems that the formula for starting charges is:
 "fill a case completely full to the top of the neck. empty it into a scale pan and weigh it.
20% of that weighed amount will be a starting charge. max will come somewhere around 50-60% of that same amount."
 You are own your own here. I haven't (yet) tried this myself. FWIW

[Tacoma]

I'm a big fan of the blue dot loads. I've experimented pretty extensively with bullets from 35-55 gr and powder loads from 6 gr to 13 gr of blue dot in .  They all produce "reduced" velocities  but moch less flash and bang out of shorter barrels like carbines or contenders.  You can tailor the load to produce anything from .22 lr to 218 bee performance.  POI isn't all that different from full house loads either.  I can pull a few favorites out of my load book if anybody is interested.

[Lone Star]

Velocities with BlueDot are not that far behind full power loads in short barrels with light bullets.  Go here for more data in 10" barrels:

http://www.handgunhunt.com/tech/t12  

2750 fps with a 40-grain Nosler isn't bad, not all that far off .221 performance.

[haroldclark]

Quite a while back, I think it was Kyode that posted the Blue Dot data on this forum.  I checked it out and 12.6 grains of Blue Dot is scheduled for my 14" 223 as soon as I can quit playing with the same load in the 30-30 16.25 barrel and cast bullets.  I use the 150 grain Saeco #316 for the 30-30 cast with 3 wheelweights to 1 Linotype and gas checked.  It is incredibly accurate and fun to shoot.

I have checked out the potential of a Sierra 45 gr. semi-point bullet with 12.6 grains of Blue Dot in a 10" barrel.

The velocity would be about 2258 fps.  99.85% of the powder should burn while in the barrel and leave little muzzle flash or blast.  Pressure estimated to be around 3,2153 psi.
The maximam allowed pressure in the 223 is 62,366 PSI.

Jump your load from 12.6 to 15 grains of BD and the velocity will jump to about 2564 fps and the pressure will still be low at 45,883 PSI.  With the increased pressure, 100% of the powder will burn in the barrel for peak efficiency.

Like Lone Star suggested, you should not just jump from 12.6 grains to 15 or higher without working your way up a little at a time.  

I tried this load starting with 15 grains of blue dot in a 7-30 waters and a 130 grain bullet.  Once I got to 17.5 grains of BD, I started noticing primer flattening.  Aniticpated velocity was to be about 1800 fps.  It was fairly accurate out to 500 meters.  I had to back down to 17 grains so I would feel safer about it.  Even though the pressure was very low, I think the initial explosion created a peak of pressure.  Could be wrong, but I opted in favor of safety rather than to proceed.

Have fun with the 223 - 10 incher.  

Harold Clark