223 What a PAIN!

[Skip_B]

I have one of those "black rifles". It shoots the 223. I have been handloading pistol cartridges for years along with some 30-06 rifle. I am as cheap as they come. (Just trying to set the stage here, be patient with me! )

OK, all of that being said, I felt the need to start handloading for my 223. There is an indoor range close by and one of the employees is kind enough to collect brass for me. I have about 500 rounds now and they are different headstamps. Lake City, Federal, Fiocchi and others. I have a Dillon primer swaging tool and in order to use it you have to deprime the case. I do that in a Lee Turret press with the indexing rod removed. Hornady Sure Shot for a lube and about every 20th case and it gets stuck in the die. Sometimes I can tell when they are going to get stuck so I don't push them all the way into it but then I have to throw the brass aside.

That's problem #1.

Now onto problem #2.

In the Lee Turret Press, I had no problem with powder "sloshing" out of the case during processing. I am using Varget, which works really well under the 69gr Nosler HPBT match grade bullets I am currently loading. One hole groups @100 yards, I like that. Varget fills the case so full though that when I run them on my XL650 some of the powder comes out of the case. I am looking at BLC(2) or H335 for use in the future. I am going to experiment with powder no matter what. Any suggestions will help.

After the primer pockets are swaged things go really well on the XL650. It is a great machine to be honest. Intimidating at first because there are a lot of things going on all at once.

At any rate, any help you wise folks can supply will be taken with gratitude!

Thanks,
Skip

[John R.]

I had trouble with Varget on my Dillon 550. I switched to H335 and things went much smoother.

[Troyboy]

I see this your first post. Welcome. Just wanted to say someone will be along that can answer your question. I myself have not gotten to the 223 yet.Enjoy your time here








                                  President elect Obama what a sick joke

[Grumulkin]

Problem 1: Consider a different lube.  Imperial Sizing Wax comes to mind.

Problem 2: If some of the powder is coming out of the cases, you are gaining nothing by filling them so full so decrease your load just a titch.  If the powder is coming out of just a few cases, the problem is probably the different case volumes since you're using mixed brass.  Military brass will have less volume than other brass.

[Autorim]

It sounds like you are depriming and sizing in one die. I use a universal depriming die which deprimes only. I use an old RCBS Jr. press for all depriming - then load in a Rockchucker or Dillon. Also, I recommend you sort cases in lots according to manufacturer. You will have variation in pressure due to varied volume in the cases. If you clean cases, clean before depriming as cleaning medium can wedge in the flash hole.

[jasonprox700]

I use Hornady case lube with no problems.  I actually resized about 300 .223 rounds last night of Lake City make.  A shot up into the die once in awhile, and your good to go.

If your powder is spilling over, maybe try a drop tube to compress the powder a bit.  Otherwise, you could try W748.  This powder works great for me.  It doesn't use up a ton of capacity either.

Keep in mind, I use a single stage press, so things are probably different in your case.

[Catfish]

I only use ball powder in my 550 Dillon. They meter so much better. As for powder there are a bunch that will work well. I`ve used alot of BLc2, but any powder near H-335 in the burn rate chart will shoot well. The only way to tell which is best in your gun is to try them all, but I would guess you be happy with about any of them.

[skb2706]

Hornady spray on case lube is the only lube I've ever used that gave me stuck cases, besides being a waste as half of it never lands on a brass case.

[Larry Gibson]

Skip

Try the Dillon spray lube, it works.

Try AA2460. It is a ball powder and is slightly slower burning than H335, 2520 or BLC2.  I use it to load match loads with 69 gr MKs for my "black rifle" on my Dillon 550B. No sloshing of powder.  A friend also uses it when loading on his 650 with perfect satisfaction. Look in Lyman's #48 (corrected from previous typo) manual for loading data. My loads shoot moa or better BTW.

Larry Gibson

[Skip_B]

Problem 1: Consider a different lube.  Imperial Sizing Wax comes to mind.

Problem 2: If some of the powder is coming out of the cases, you are gaining nothing by filling them so full so decrease your load just a titch.  If the powder is coming out of just a few cases, the problem is probably the different case volumes since you're using mixed brass.  Military brass will have less volume than other brass.

I'll try some of the Imperial Sizing Wax, I've heard great things about it. None available locally though so maybe I will put it on the Christmas list! 

As for the amount of powder in the case, it is a full grain UNDER max. Maximum is listed as a compressed load and this one is in some of the cases I am using.

I think the suggestion to sort brass is closer to what I need to do. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Skip

Try the Dillon spray lube, it works.

Try AA2460. It is a ball powder and is slightly slower burning than H335, 2520 or BLC2.  I use it to load match loads with 69 gr MKs for my "black rifle" on my Dillon 550B. No sloshing of powder.  A friend also uses it when loading on his 650 with perfect satisfaction. Look in Lyman's #43 manual for loading data. My loads shoot moa or better BTW.

Larry Gibson

Larry,
Thanks for you suggestions and information. It is quite helpful to say the least. Next order to Dillon and I'll get some lube.

I'll have to see if I have a Lyman's #43. I may have a #44, I'll check.

My rifle shoots moa too with the Varget load. So I want to duplicate that kind of accuracy.

[Larry Gibson]

Sorry for the typo...that's a Lyman #48 manual, the latest one.

Larry Gibson

[Steve P]

First, if you only have 500 brass, pick up the RCBS decapping die part number 87586.  This is new.  I have an older decapping set up for both '06 and 5.56 cases.  Has the decapping pin you hit with a hammer, the base, and a swager for the press.  The are up to about $35 vs $8 for the decapping die only.   Decap your brass, swage it with the dillon swager, then do your resizing.

Resizing there are only two lubes that seem to work, for me, 100% of the time.  Imperial sizing die wax, and the dillon spray lube.  I put about 200 .223 in an old 9x13 cake pan and spray a few spritz of the Dillon lube on them and let the alcohol evaporate a couple of minutes.  Then you are ready to run them thru your sizing die.  You can also use the imperial sizing die wax by putting a little on your fore finger and a little on your thumb.  Rotate your brass between your finger and thumb as you pick it up and then resize.  I use the dillon spray on anything done in volume.  I use the imperial sizing wax on my expensive brass or things I am only loading small boxes of 50 rounds.

BLC2 will give you a flame oput the barrel.  H335 works great in .223, but also can give a blast.

Good luck with your loading.

Steve

[Skip_B]

I use the dillon spray on anything done in volume. 

Good luck with your loading.

Steve

The idea is to do these in large volume!


Thanks for the advice.