Reloading .223

[CodyK]

I bought literally thousands of rounds of .223/5.56 when you could get cases of steel case for under $200, and cases of Lake City for about $300, so I never really worried about reloading for my AR’s. But I threw together a rifle with a bunch of parts I had sitting around, and I used a 16” PSA barrel, and threw a Cabellas 6-24 scope on it (another thing I bought off this forum and didn’t “need”, so it sat in a drawer for 2 years!) Decided to see how hard it would be to develop a sub MOA load for it. Whipped up a batch of cheap 55 grain FMJ (think they are Berry’s or Bob’s bullets, can’t remember) using CFE223. Max was 27.4, but I stopped at 27. With the 27 grains, I put 10 rounds in a group, that measured barely over an inch at 100 yards. Pleasantly surprised! No pressure signs, so I’m gonna keep going to see where it goes. I never really considered putting in a lot of work on load development for a .223 gas gun, but now I’m all about it! May order some match bullets to see what it’ll do!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[toddnjoyce]

Move up to 62 and 77 grain projectiles.

 

[deemus]

I developed a load for 223 using 55g ballistic tips using H335. Best group is 3/8” out of a 20” bull barrel.

223 loves H335.

Finally found some CFE223, but only have used it on 224 Valkyrie.

 

[robertc1024]

That's a moderately hot load. I played the ladder game with CFE223 and 55g flat based bullets and came out a little lighter on the powder. Its pretty temperature sensitive, but I've gotten some good loads out of it that seems to work well with most rifles.

 

[Texasjack]

Load for grouping, not for velocity.

I've tried a lot of powders in .223, but the best results were from CFE-223 and Varget.

 

[jrbfishn]

IIRC, the best grouping I got was with 55grn Dogtown HPs with 25.6 grns of CFE 223 powder. Groups well in all my ARs but my 223 Wylde barrel really likes it. I have got 1/2" groups out of it.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

 

[TexMex247]

I've had my best groups come from Sierra projectiles. Most of mine are 1:8 twists. 60gr and 63gr have been the sweet spot for me. 68s were ok too but 75s didn't do anything special for me. The 60gr hp and 63gr are excellent bullets. I still get occasional sub moa groups with other bullets but not as repeatable as those 2.

 

[wickll]

I have both a bolt action .223 and an AR. I developed a pretty decent load for my bolt gun. Really thought I would never bother with the AR since I have decent amount of factory loads. But about a month or so ago, I found myself tinkering around and trying some loads for my AR.

It might just be me, but in my experience it seems like the .223 is one of the easiest calibers to get good to great results when reloading

 

[MrRobot]

@wickll I was on the same boat. Once ammo started coming back I started buying ammo for my AR. Then prices started going up and notice a lot of brass on the ground at the shooting range. I decided to pick them up and save them. Now I just started cleaning all the brass plus I have a new press. I want to see if I could find a good load for my AR.

Just wondering if any of you thought about this. let's say you create a good load for your current AR, and you mass produce the ammo. let's say your AR breaks or you get another one. The current ammo you have won't work on your new AR.

Do you just keep that ammo for that AR separated from regular AR ammo?

I'm just thinking of the barrow the headspace... What are your thought on having 2 AR and different ammo measurements.

 

[deemus]

I have two ARs that both shoot the same ammo well. I developed that load for my 16” AR, and shot 1/2” groups. I was ecstatic.

Then later on I bought a 22” bull barrel upper. I was surprised to find that 22” upper shot 3/8” group with the same ammo.

My daughter shoots the same ammo in her rifle and gets under MOA with it.

One ammo load for multiple guns. Not to say that will happen fir you. But even if it doesn’t it could still be decent range ammo.

 

[wickll]

@wickll I was on the same boat. Once ammo started coming back I started buying ammo for my AR. Then prices started going up and notice a lot of brass on the ground at the shooting range. I decided to pick them up and save them. Now I just started cleaning all the brass plus I have a new press. I want to see if I could find a good load for my AR.

Just wondering if any of you thought about this. let's say you create a good load for your current AR, and you mass produce the ammo. let's say your AR breaks or you get another one. The current ammo you have won't work on your new AR.

Do you just keep that ammo for that AR separated from regular AR ammo?

I'm just thinking of the barrow the headspace... What are your thought on having 2 AR and different ammo measurements.

I am definitely not mass producing this at this point. And I haven't really tried to push the limits on velocities. But my main purpose is to develop good loads for my bolt gun. At some point I will probably try in my AR. But my guess is they will be pretty accurate and considering all the different brands and bullet configurations of factory loads I have , they should be just as good (prbly better) than most of them, if push comes to shove.

 

[Vaquero]

It's a bit late, but not too late.
55gr bullet, 26.5 gr of 223 CFE.
Good luck.

 

[robertc1024]

It's a bit late, but not too late.
55gr bullet, 26.5 gr of 223 CFE.
Good luck.

I concur. This is my data for a 55gr flat based bullet - These were Dogtowns, but I had even better groups using Bergers, and about the same with V-Max. Shot out of a Savage 12FV (22" barrel?)

 

[benenglish]

From Glen Zediker's excellent book, Handloading for Competition:

... try some WW 748. ...I think that if your AR15 won't shoot tight ... off a Sierra 69 with 25.5 grains of that stuff then, son, you have a gun problem...

 

[deemus]

I’ve used W748 with 50g spires. Decent groups.

But my best groups (3/8”) came with a 55g Vmax or Nosler BT, with H335. For whatever reason, 223 loves it some H335. I have a bit of that so I likely won’t switch to CFE223 for 223. 23.8g at 2.2 OAL are my magic numbers.

I used it when I couldn’t find CF223 powder. I have some now, but I’m using it for 224 Valkyrie loads.

 

[robertc1024]

I built loads with CFE223 because it was available at my local Academy. I don't particularly like it because it's so temperature sensitive - I'd rather use Varget, but a few years ago, it was unobtanium.

 

[TexMex247]

If you guys are loading for bolt guns you have a few good powder options that won't run a gas gun. As far as the one size fits all load, you get lucky every so often. My plinking load used to be 24.5gr AA2230 with any 55 grainer. Then 25gr H335. Since I've run out of my supply and refuse to pay current prices for it, I've pivoted to TAC. It meters like sand and does well with the middle weight bullets I prefer. I've gone back and forth with wolf sr mag and Winchester sr primers with no discernable differences. I'll be running CCI going into next year.

Everything fired through ARs of various twists and barrel lengths. I wish I had a true proving round for the 223 but to this day I don't. With the 308 my Federal GMM duplication will group in just about any rifle.

 

[andre3k]

If you guys are loading for bolt guns you have a few good powder options that won't run a gas gun. As far as the one size fits all load, you get lucky every so often. My plinking load used to be 24.5gr AA2230 with any 55 grainer. Then 25gr H335. Since I've run out of my supply and refuse to pay current prices for it, I've pivoted to TAC. It meters like sand and does well with the middle weight bullets I prefer. I've gone back and forth with wolf sr mag and Winchester sr primers with no discernable differences. I'll be running CCI going into next year.

Everything fired through ARs of various twists and barrel lengths. I wish I had a true proving round for the 223 but to this day I don't. With the 308 my Federal GMM duplication will group in just about any rifle.

25gr seems to be a magical number for TAC in my rifles. It has worked well in 55gr to 65gr 223 loads with good accuracy. I've tried different charge weights buts its never varied more than +/- 1 grain.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[TexMex247]

I think I settled at 24.2gr(TAC)for 60-69gr pills. I'm meeting a guy this weekend for 16lbs more. At $200 per 8lbs it's not a steal but as good as it gets lately. Did the math and adding it to my current supply should churn out about 8k rounds.