more velocity out of my handi .223

[thelaw]

just curious as to what powders/loads you guys use to get higher velocity out of the handi .223. mine has the standard tapered 22" barrel. with w748 and h335 using 50gr. vmax and 50gr. bts i get close to 3200fps and then my cases start to stick. with 40gr. vmax i can only get about 3350fps before the sticking starts. yet with some federal premium 55gr. tbbc factory ammo i get near factory velocity of 3200fps. its really no big deal, my handi is a sub-inch gun, but i just would like to get some ideas as to how to get closer to the 3400fps and 3600fps range for the 50 and 40gr. bullets.

[quickdtoo]

Just looking at Hodgdon's data, Varget looks like a good one to try, with a max load, pressure is 44.8kcup at 3383fps for the 50gr Speer SP, the next pressure up is 47.1kcup, so as far as pressure goes, it looks to be Handi friendly and would be my first pick if I were reloading for the .223. Hornady doesn't show Varget, but the Hodgdon Annual data starts at 26.5gr and 40.8kcup, max 27.5gr. Lee shows the same data for a 50gr jacketed bullet, with comparable lower pressure, but in the same velocity range. Looks good to me!

Tim

http://www.hodgdon.com/data/rifle/223rem.php

[thelaw]

thanks for the tip.

[safetysheriff]

try nickel-plated Remington brass for the .223 using either BL-C(2) by Hodgdon or WC-846 bulk from Pat's Reloading.    Varget is good when it's good; but a bad lot of Varget isn't worth having.
i agree with Quick that it can be worth a try, but they seem to have a hard time maintaining consistency with it.    it'll give you a lot of pressure before giving you good velocities if you get a bad lot.

nickel-plated brass will extract more readily.

just another suggestion to add to the list,

ss'   

[sbhooper]

Sometimes the powder that looks like it should be good is disappointing.  BLC-2 should be good, and in my rifle the accuracy was good, but the velocity was pathetic. Varget does a good job.  I get just over 3200 fps with 27.5 grains of Varget behind a 50 grain Hornady Spire Point.

[safetysheriff]

if you don't get the kind of velocity you're expecting out of BL-C(2) it might be the outside temperature (spherical powders lose some of their gumption at lower temps' usually) or it may be that you need to hit it with a hotter primer.   i'd try the Rem'  7 1/2BR primer if you want the hottest one out there for small rifle applications.

the other powder to try for the .223 with very good velocities would be Reloder #15, with recipes for it on the Alliant Powder website.   it's a good one.

ss' 

[Wolfgang]

I'm not really sure what the velocity out of my .223 loads are as I've never ran any across the chrono.  I do know that they are a fairly stout load of Varget (I think 27gr.)  and I'm using Lake City Brass.  I have not yet had a chance to shoot any out of my new Ultra    and all have gone down range out of my Remington bolt gun which will be for sale should the Ultra prove to be as accurate as others here have made them out to be.   I do know that with the 50gr. VMax they knock the #$%@ out of chucks out to 350yrds which is about as far as I have had a shot.  If I can make it out to my reloading room I'll jot down exactly what the load is. 

Best,

Wolfgang

[sbhooper]

I was using CCI mag primers with the BLC-2 and the weather was warm.  I don't remember the exact velocity, but it was under 3000 fps with 50 grainers using a max load.