Working up a load for a 77gr SMK

[SC-Texas]

Planning on using CCI #41, Alliant Reloders 15.

Anyone using this load?

 

[baboon]

You trying to match the MK262?

 

[Bullseye Shooter]

24.0 grains of RL 15, OAL of 2.260.

 

[SC-Texas]

You trying to match the MK262?

that is the plan.

 

[SC-Texas]

24.0 grains of RL 15, OAL of 2.260.

Is this a compressed load?

 

[Bullseye Shooter]

Yes, but that's normal with the .223.

 

[SC-Texas]

any special precautions to take with compressing the load?

also, what difference does the primer make?

I know htere are some differences with small rifle primers.

 

[Bullseye Shooter]

any special precautions to take with compressing the load? also, what difference does the primer make? I know there are some differences with small rifle primers.

I would start at 22 grains and work my way up to 24 at 0.5 grain increments; i.e. 22.5, 23.0, etc. Just make sure you set your COAL as recommended and not any deeper.

I've used CCI small rifle, CCI military spec primers and Winchesters and have not noticed any difference. Wolf makes a .223 specific primer now (I saw them at Powder Valley's site). Wolf's small magnum rifle primers have a harder cup than their regular small rifle primer to alleviate slam fires, but having a slam fire in an AR is pretty hard to do. As long as you seat the primers correctly, slam fires just don't happen.

 

[Okierifleman]

I use CCI's in my 223 loads and I seat mine way out but that is for my bolt guns and probably wont feed in your AR. You should not have any problems with compressed loads in the 223, they almost all are.

 

[sharky47]

Heaviest .223 load I have assembled for the AR was 65 grains.

But FWIW, I love Wolf primers - and although I know the chance of a slam fire in a properly loaded round is very slim - I like the Wolf magnum primers as a way of emulating the "military spec" primers.

Also, I use Wolf primers in everything now and have had 0 failures or negative issues.

 

[Bullseye Shooter]

Heaviest .223 load I have assembled for the AR was 65 grains.

Just curious, 65 grains of what powder? Or did you mean bullet? Or is this a typo, since .223 cases only hold about 26 grains of most powders.

 

[sharky47]

Bullet.

I know there are compressed loads - but you'd need a hydraulic press to get 65g of powder in one of those cases.....

 

[Bullseye Shooter]

Okay, just wanted to clarify. In reloading terminology, "load" refers to the powder charge and more specifically, "loading density" is the ratio of the volume of powder charge to the volume of the case.

 

[nhm16]

Also consider Ramshot TAC. It's cheap, and I have read that is what Black Hills uses. Someone posted 5.56 (not .223) loads using TAC on ARFCOM earlier.

 

[SC-Texas]

RamShot TAC?

any cites for Blackhills using it?

 

[ShooterMcgavin]

Ramshot TAC burns faster than Reloader-15 or Varget, and should help get the velocity close to the Mk262 round. I've loaded some with 23.5 gr of TAC with a SMK 77gr through my SPR with great results.

 

[AusTex]

i have been right next to two different .223 rifles that had slam fires... Both times i was shooting my .223 bull long range prone and a friend said " im going to take a shot or two open sights" both times they got right up on the firing line next to me and first shot slam fire. One time was Monarch ammo the other time was wolf. Happened so fast two shots sounded like 1 30-06 in my right ear. Even with protection it was not pleasant. So it probably doesn't happen very often but it can. One was a standard ar15a2 the other was a galani sporter.. kinda ak .223 variant if your not familiar.

jeremy