Speers 218 Bee Jacketed Flat Point in H&R 223

[vacek]

I have an H&R 223 that I want to download some of Speer's 45 grain 218 Bee Bullets.  These are jacketed flat points.  One load noted for the 218 Bee is 7.5 grains of 2400 (starting load).  Understanding the higher volume of a 223 case would the 7.5 grains of 2400 still be a good starting point?  I am looking for a light load under 2000 fps.
 
The H&R is a Topper that was a 22 hornet bored out to .223 back in 85.

[dorothy daily]

do a goggle on the subject, you may find blue dot to be of interest.

[thejanitor]

NO- you can't put a load from a little case with a 45 gr bullet into a bigger case with a 45 gr bullet... it will cause a undercharged load to spike pressures higher than it is supposed to. I know it sounds dumb- less powder more pressure but it is a fact.
Go to the hodgdon site and look up a load for your bullet. And if you get no recipe there read about trail boss, it has lower pressure and is considered quite safe as long as you keep the case 70 - 100% full (Now 100% full does not mean to the top of the case! it means to the base of a seated bullet.)
 BUT READ ABOUT IT ON THEIR SITE, don't just take my word for it.
Hope you find what you are looking for and have a fun safe time shooting your light loads.
I have shot trail boss in my hornet and my .223 with 55 gr bullets but I am sure you will find info for lighter bullets too.
The lighter bullet is not the problem with your question, the charge needs to be upped to what is listed for a starting .223 Rem. load. And do not load it unless you read it in a manual or a powder MFG. website..... The web has many opinions. And this is just mine   
thejanitor

[stimpylu32]

vacek
 
The janitor brings up some very valid points , also you have to consider that your old Topper may have a .223 or a .224 bore and if the bullets are the older 218 Bee bullets , their likely to be a .222 dia. so accu. may suffer greatly .
 
You may want to slug your bore first to see what you truely have to start with , and then start with powder's like TrailBoss , Unique or even BlueDot for plunker speed loads .
 
stimpy

[murphdog]

Vacek,
I've been loading and shooting 40-45 grain bullets in my 223 at a velocity of 1800-1900 fps using a nearly full load of Trail Boss, and I highly recommend it.  Speer's bullet is .224, and should work fine, though I haven't had a chance to try it.  I've used 40 gr Vmax, 40gr Sierra HP, and 45gr Sierra SPT, and all have worked well with about 8.2 grains TB.  I also tried Unique, but was dissappointed with accuracy.  Trail Boss accuracy is as good as I get with full-power factory loads.  It fills the case, and I think that makes the difference.  Advantage of light load is barrel never heats up, so I can shoot all afternoon without vertical stringing or lengthy cool down periods.  Also quiet, and no barrel rise - can watch the bullet hit the target.  Last but not least, I'm squirrel hunting with my handi rifle. 
Duane

[vacek]

Murphdog,
 
Thanks for the info.  I will try some TrailBoss.  I did shoot 3 loaded with 4 grains of Blue Dot.  It went well and will try some for accuracy and precision.  However, I like the idea of TrailBoss better as the BlueDot is touchy for weighing and pressure hits.