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Offline gs50401

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223 contender
« on: May 06, 2010, 02:43:30 PM »
I got my barrel today and used some wolf steel cased 55gr. hollowpoint ammo.  I just used iron sights and shot pretty well for me until about the tenth shot. I had to tap that out of the chamber with a cleaning rod.

At one time I read that 5.56 nato spec ammo can be a headache but this is labeled .223 win.     At the cheap price I thought that I had found a bargain. Maybe not.

That is my only 14 inch barrel and it is neat using it with irons.
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Offline Curtis

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2010, 04:02:25 PM »
Does the Wolf steel case ammo have varnish?  Sometimes the varnish will heat up and get sticky.  If that is the case, no problem.  You be the best judge though, and play it safe.

Curtis
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Offline gs50401

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2010, 03:47:45 AM »
It seems to have a coating on the case.  I think my search for cheap ammo will have to continue. I must get reloading set up for the .223 but a economical plinking round available OTC is still part of my search.

Thank you for the reply.
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Offline LocnLod

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2010, 08:04:39 AM »
Yeah, I would think that the cheap Wolf stuff is geared towards semi autos that are more forceful in their ejection of fired cases than a Contender would be.  For cheap plinking stuff check Georgia Arms.
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Offline BCB

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #4 on: May 07, 2010, 02:19:12 PM »
gs50401,

You really might want to consider an inexpensive setup that allows you to load only that cartridge.  I think Lee makes them...

You could get one powder, one type of primer, and one type of bullet and do some plinking.  You might find a load that works O.K....

I would think it wouldn't take too many boxes of factory ammor to equal the price of a hand reloader...

Just a thought...

For what it's worth,  I have two 223 barrels and they both shoot M.O.A. or less out to 150 yards and many times at 200 yards...

BCB
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Offline DEACONLLB

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #5 on: May 07, 2010, 03:50:27 PM »
I had the same problem with the 223 ammo that has the varnish, stuck fast, my singleshot has a auto eject and it pulled the case out far enough for me to grab it with a small vice grip, no more cheep 223 for me not worth taking a chance and breaking the ejector.

Deaconllb
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Offline P.A. Myers

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #6 on: May 09, 2010, 03:21:20 AM »
My 223 barrel is one of my favorites,  I have no interest in reloading 223s, so for low-cost blasting I have gotten 'remanufactured'. I have shot several hundred of these and they are accurate as any and no extraction problems, even with a hot barrel. I did have one case seperation. The more you buy the cheaper they are.
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Offline blhof

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #7 on: May 09, 2010, 01:26:46 PM »
My 223 is my favorite varmet round, but I do reload it and have a practically endless supply of once fired brass as most of the AR shooters don't bother with the brass, so there's plenty left at the range and I can even be picky with the brand, if I want.
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Offline luckydawg13

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2010, 03:17:33 AM »
remington cheep ammo works good in my barrel
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Offline Rustyinfla

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2010, 01:37:12 PM »


  Winchester White box from the local Wally World is the cheapest around here.
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Offline gs50401

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2010, 07:08:22 PM »
I got my dies and 50 grain dogtown bullets.     I purchased a 50 pack of hornady ammo and will get 2 or 3 more to shoot and use those cases.

What a difference between them and the wolf. The wolf were accurate but a snug fit even before firing. If I get some extra cash someday I might get a second barrel with an actual 5.56x45 chamber in it.

I am looking at a load of 2400 for about 2200-2300 fps from a 14" barrel. This will be my super WMR type load for more populated areas and another one about 600 fps faster for more open areas.
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Offline vonfatman

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #11 on: May 12, 2010, 03:16:38 PM »
I understand your fun with that barrel.

I just bought a 10" Contender barrel and took it out back earlier in the week and was sure surprised at the accuracy at 50 yards.  I have open sights too.  I'd love to see how darn good it shoots with a good pistol scope!  I have extra base/rings and scopes so I guess I may find out when I get the urge to change to a scope.

I used some PMP (S. African) .223 ammo and found it to be very accurate.  With 55gr. FMJs it averaged 2,656 fps  The low was 2,623 and the high was 2,687 fps

Bob
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Offline securitysix

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #12 on: May 12, 2010, 09:09:27 PM »
It's not the lacquer on the steel cases (which Wolf doesn't really use anymore anyway) that causes them to stick.  It's because the steel doesn't expand as readily as brass, which means it doesn't seal the chamber as well.  Because of this, your chamber gets dirtier quicker.
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Offline gs50401

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #13 on: May 13, 2010, 04:36:05 AM »
Interesting info on wolf.    I bought 200 Hornady .223 rounds (4x50) to shoot and get brass. Also imr 4198 to try for loading.
 I was looking for H4198 but I could not find any. Most Manuals say to load 20-22 grains of IMR 4198.

I will have to see what works.
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Offline countryrebel

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #14 on: July 10, 2010, 07:41:39 AM »
Quote from: securitysix on May 12, 2010, 09:09:27 PM
It's not the lacquer on the steel cases (which Wolf doesn't really use anymore anyway) that causes them to stick.  It's because the steel doesn't expand as readily as brass, which means it doesn't seal the chamber as well.  Because of this, your chamber gets dirtier quicker.

This is exactly what is going on. The lacquer does not come off except maybe in a super heated barrel and even then the round has to sit in the chamber. Everyone just assumes that the lacquer is coming off but it is the carbon fouling because the steel case does not expand like brass does. I had this problem trying to shoot Brown Bear 62gr in my 12" 223 encore. I sure wished it would have worked because I have a lot of it for my AR15.
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Offline securitysix

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Re: 223 contender
« Reply #15 on: July 10, 2010, 01:44:45 PM »
Quote from: countryrebel on July 10, 2010, 07:41:39 AM
Quote from: securitysix on May 12, 2010, 09:09:27 PM
It's not the lacquer on the steel cases (which Wolf doesn't really use anymore anyway) that causes them to stick.  It's because the steel doesn't expand as readily as brass, which means it doesn't seal the chamber as well.  Because of this, your chamber gets dirtier quicker.

This is exactly what is going on. The lacquer does not come off except maybe in a super heated barrel and even then the round has to sit in the chamber. Everyone just assumes that the lacquer is coming off but it is the carbon fouling because the steel case does not expand like brass does. I had this problem trying to shoot Brown Bear 62gr in my 12" 223 encore. I sure wished it would have worked because I have a lot of it for my AR15.

From what I've read and personal experiences with it, I suspect you'd be underwhelmed with the accuracy of Brown Bear ammo.  It does make great blasting ammo, though, and it will drop the 500 meter rams from an AR if you do your part.
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