.223 loads

[mwm]

still looking for any suggestions for .223 40 gr. and 52 gr. handloads for my bull barrel. i have a couple of boxes of each in hornady 40 gr. a-max moly & 52 gr BTHP match. just wondering if anyone has any handload experiance with these. thanks for the help and thanks for a truely GREAT sight

[stimpylu32]

My bull barrel shoots the 52 gr. very well , I use 24.5 grains of IMR 4895 in a Win. case and Fed. small rifle primers .

Have not tried the 40s yet but am getting consistent 3/4 in. groups at 100 yards with the 52s .  :mrgreen:

[Docsmith45]

I've been shooting 23.5 gr A 335 with 45 gr vmax in my 223 and it loves them,

[dawgmaster]

I've handloaded both the 40's and the 52's for my 223 handi (bull barrel)

30grs win748 for the 40's

28grs win 748 for the 52's

the 40's shoot about 1/2" group and the 52's about 3/4" group @ 100 yds

[Wlscott]

40 Grain V Max- 27.5 grains of Varget.

Varget is, in my opinion, the very best powder for the .223 REM.  

It is the most accurate powder in all of my (3) .223 chambered rifles with a variety of bullets.  Plus, it is in Hodgdon's "Extreme" line of powder so it's not temperature sensitive.

ETA:  This is a hot load, so reduce it by 10% and work up to it.

You might want to pick up a couple of reloading manuals.  It's really not a good idea to take reloading data straight off of a web site like this without verifying it with a good manual.

[safetysheriff]

interestingly, hodgdon -- taking over the winchester powders -- will continue their production, saying that both 748 and 760 are still popular with the benchresters.     i think with the light bullets you're shooting that win' 748 is probably a good starting place.   i have loaded bulk wc-846 with 50 gr' Horn' spire points and the 7 1/2BR Rem' primer which ignites it very well.   but if you go with a milder primer i'd go with a faster powder than wc-846 which closely compares with BL-C(2).

good shooting to you,

ss'

[mwm]

thanks for the info. i have the book loads, but was curious if any one had tried these bullets.thanks again.

[stiff neck]

I'm having poor results (1.25" at 100 yards) with 40gr V-max and H335, so I picked up some IMR 4198 to try with them.  I also picked up some 40gr NBTs and some Speer 52gr HPs.  I'll try them this week.

[tstevens41]

I have used both the dogtown bullets with Winchester 748, and other Hornady bullets with the 748 powder. I like the 52 gr. BTHP.  That bullet seems to work well in the 22-250 and the .223.  I also use IMR 3031 in both guns and it works well.  I follow the manuals to the letter.

[Ditchdigger]

I'm using 40 gr.moly Vmax's with 26.5 grs. of H 335 .It takes 15 to25 rds.of the moly bullets for it to start shooting good,but its the only load that my 223 will shoot under 1". Digger

[bluebayou]

I seated a 60gr VMAX out to 2.275 without touching the lands last night.  Didn't get time to make up any loads.  It looks awfully long.  Hodgdon book shows 2.250 for OAL.

[tstevens41]

I have had good luck in the 22-250 with IMR 3031.  Has anyone had any problems with this in the .223?  Is it to hot a powder?  Any thoughts?

[safetysheriff]

I have had good luck in the 22-250 with IMR 3031.  Has anyone had any problems with this in the .223?  Is it to hot a powder?  Any thoughts?

t-41'

see below.   what gives with this server?

[safetysheriff]

I have had good luck in the 22-250 with IMR 3031.  Has anyone had any problems with this in the .223?  Is it to hot a powder?  Any thoughts?

t-41'

i've used it in a .223 and it meters.......... like i won't say!   i doubt that it's any easier to meter into any other .22 caliber cartridge.  

i have saved that powder for other uses down the road.   it is a rather versatile powder, actually.  

don't concern yourself too much with what other people like, however.  what works in Your rifle is what counts.

good luck,

ss'

[tstevens41]

I bought one of those Lee Perfect Powder measures to give it a try and it works well with all the powders that i have tried.  The little ball powders seem to leak a little around the cylinder, but not enough to make a mess or make me angry.  The longer grain powders like 3031 work really well in that measure.  I know it was cheap so i was curious at how accurate it was.  I ran a lot of powder through it and then set it for some 22-250 shells that I was loading at the time.  To be sure i measured every other throw with a good RCBS scale.  That little thing was right on nearly every time.  If it wasn't perfect it was less than .01 off.  I was very suprised at how well it worked.