BL-C[2] loads for .223 and .308

[Major Woody]

The supply problems are starting here I guess. I couldn't find Varget and I ended up getting some BL-C[2] powder locally. Any accurate recipes? The .223 will be for an AR, and the .308 for a bolt gun. Thanks. :1zhelp:

 

[50doa]

Just bought some to,but have not had a chance to reload with it yet. Will be reloading for a M1A!

 

[Major Woody]

The Hodgdon manual says for .223 it is:
24.5 -26.5 max OAL 2.235 @ 2833 fps,
.308 data is 150 corlock gr/45-48 gr @ 2661fps,
168 Sie HPBT or 168 Game king/44-47 gr @ 2569
180 gr Nos BT 42-46 @ 2460-2600 All @ 2.8 OAL. hope that helps.

 

[CJS3]

I use 26.5 gr under 55gr FMJ for 223.
I've got so much 308 milsurp ammo, that I haven't reloaded 308 in years. Sorry, no recipes for that.

 

[Major Woody]

I just pressed 200 .223 with 25.5 Gr BL-C[2] under 69 gr. Sie HPBT. They shot as good as 25.3 gr Varget loads.

 

[jasont]

I use 27.0 gr. of BLC-2 for 55 gr. FMJ. That gave me an average of 3,093 FPS out of an 18" barrel last time I chronoed it. BLC-2 drops much more consistently than Varget out of my powder measure. Planning on using it for most everything from now on.

 

[Old Man of the Mountain]

I agree, BL-C(2) meters better than anything else I have tried.

In my 16" AR I got great accuracy with several different head stamps in the range of 25.5 grains (from about 24.8 up to 26.2) with 55 grain V-Max Moly bullets.

Range brass: Remington, Lake City, Federal, Winchester, S&B.

Each head stamp wanted a different charge though.

They all shot well under 1 MOA.

 

[robocop10mm]

Be very careful when using mixed headstamp brass. Military headstamped 5.56 brass is much thicker than .223 commercial brass. A safe load with commercial brass is likely to be VERY unsafe in 5.56 cases.

Similar caveat for the .308/7.62 X 51 brass

BLC-2 is a very good easily metered powder very appropriate for .223 and .308. Work up you load using normal procedures. Any time you change a component (especially the case) you must work up a new load.

5.56 brass runs long when new/unfired. If you get some that has ben fired through a belt fed gun (M-249) or a loosely chambered M-16, it will be over length after the first firing. All 5.56 brass should be trimmed before the first reloading and carefully checked everytime it is reloaded.

 

[Old Man of the Mountain]

Speaking of pressure.

I recommend buying a firearm chambered in 5.56 mm rather than in .223 caliber, especially if you want to be able to shoot surplus ammo safely. (I would say cheap surplus ammo, but I ain't seen none of that in a while!)

The pressure standard for 5.56 mm is higher than the standard for .223, so a barrel marked 5.56 mm might be able to withstand more pressure than one marked .223 caliber. (Nothing says that a manufacturer can not make his .223 caliber barrel just as strong as a 5.56 mm barrel, and it has been said that some do, and that might be right, but some might not.)

It is the other way around with .308 caliber.

Our .308 Winchester caliber is a higher pressure standard than the European NATO 7.62 mm standard. The .308 Winchester standard is about 10% higher!

 

[Major Woody]

Went to Lonestar Sunday, got there at 3 PM. Sun was right in our scopes. Why did they point it West? The .223 is done in Varget and BL-C[2] . The Varget [25.3/ 69 gr] got bullseyes and the BL-C[2] [25.5/69 gr] came in 1/4 inch lower. So 25.7might do it. Out of a Bushy carbine. 100 yds. My hand loads beat SS 109, I'm cool with that I'll stop there.
The .308 bolt didn't like the first outing, the sun was setting right down the scope tubes. Got 1 1/2" groups, with 42.5 -43.5 gr Varget/ 150gr and 2" groups with 45.5gr BL-C-[2]. I'll drop to 43gr next, but some guy came up and handed me his .308 brass, so 40 extra is good. Reds indoor will have no wind, I can dial it in there on an off day this week.