Author Topic: loaded my first ever .223 last night  (Read 649 times)

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Offline john keyes

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loaded my first ever .223 last night
« on: January 09, 2011, 07:01:01 AM »
I just loaded some .223 for the first time in my life last night.  I have been reloading for over twenty years but this was my intro to small centerfire.  I had two boxes of monarch I had shot but the stuff I loaded last night was some range brass I had accumulated.  the first thing that happened was I guess some of the primer pockets were crimped so on my hand primer the primer was halfway in and I couldn't get the shell out of the shell holder so I had to bite the bullet and just go ahead and push the sucker in hoping the hand priming tool wouldn't break. 

the next thing I was worried about was getting powder down the small neck.  up intil now the smallest neck I had reloaded was 6mm and all  I had was the ol uniflow with the two green spouts so I looked at the green funnel and it would barely cover teh mouth if held square.  so thats what I did.

during all of this I figured when I was done I would hop on the net and order a dedicated powder measure for .223 that would stay in the 25gr  charge size with a small spout.  After not really seeing one and not wanting to spend a $150 dollars I ordered a brass/aluminum funnel special for .22 and a $12 set of Lee powder dippers.  I figure there has to be a combo or single dipper that will do what I need, even if I have to cut one down. 


I ended up with 24.5 gr H4895 with a 64 gr fusion bullet. 
Though taken from established manufacturers' sources and presumed to be safe please do not use any load that I have posted. Please reference Hogdon, Lyman, Speer and others as a source of data for your own use.

Offline Larry L

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Re: loaded my first ever .223 last night
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2011, 07:15:05 AM »
You might look at a gunshow for a powder measure. I have an old RCBS Combo that has the pistol cylinder with it. That's all I ever use and it throws almost all powders, stick, flat rounds, ball, really fabulous and accurate. The Lee dippers are a neat thing but don't rely on the chart in the box to be accurate. It can vary by as much as 2 grs depending on the powder. Make sure to weigh each charge until you get the hang of dipping powder. I use a custard bowl to put my powder in and dip out of it when using the dipper set. But the main point here is that you cannot rely on the chart with the set to be even close to accurate. You'll also find that different people will dip powder differently and get a different weight and do it time after time. So there is a learning curve with the dippers.
The 64 gr pills work great in most 223's. I use mostly the 62s. Varget gets me the most accuracy with that bullet. If shooting the 55gr pills, might consider AA2230. A max load of 25.0 grs works out of every 223 I've shot it in....and that's a bunch of 223's. It also throws out of a measure or dipper like water. You might wanna look to ball powders for your dipper loading. You find it will throw more consistently than a powder of a different shape.

Offline PowPow

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Re: loaded my first ever .223 last night
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2011, 08:23:55 AM »
...even if I have to cut one down...

Rather than cutting the dipper, consider dripping candle wax in the dipper to displace the volume you don't want to use.
Then you will be able to "tune" it by shaving a little wax out of the dipper with a screwdriver blade.
You will have more than one chance to get it right.
I use a wax-displaced dipper and a trickler to fill the pan on my balance scale.
The difference between people who do stuff and people who don't do stuff is that the people who do stuff do stuff.

Offline DANNY-L

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Re: loaded my first ever .223 last night
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2011, 01:12:43 PM »
...even if I have to cut one down...

Rather than cutting the dipper, consider dripping candle wax in the dipper to displace the volume you don't want to use.
Then you will be able to "tune" it by shaving a little wax out of the dipper with a screwdriver blade.
You will have more than one chance to get it right.
I use a wax-displaced dipper and a trickler to fill the pan on my balance scale.

Who would have thunk it,good idea.

Offline PowPow

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Re: loaded my first ever .223 last night
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2011, 01:52:38 PM »
well...just don't hold the candle too close to the dipper. turns out that's a bad idea.
The difference between people who do stuff and people who don't do stuff is that the people who do stuff do stuff.

Offline flashhole

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Re: loaded my first ever .223 last night
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2011, 11:23:17 AM »
Especially when the dipper is full of powder.  :o

Offline av-doctor

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Re: loaded my first ever .223 last night
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2011, 04:43:36 PM »
just get a new funnel i have 2 a lee and a rcbs both have a taper that fits in a 223 case mouth. for rifle i drop directly in the pan from my scale, then trickle up to desired charge