The time has come.

[hkusp1]

I'm loading up my first .223 round tonight. I'm using privi brass, a Winchester 55gn fmjbt, cci #400 small rifle primers, and hodgdon varget rifle powder. I'm working out of to books the Lyman 49th edition and the hornady 7th edition. Wish me luck will post details and pictures for critique in a few after I get started.

 

[Dawico]

Don't load too many up on the first sitting. You don't want to find out that you have 1000 rounds of ammo that won't feed, cycle, eject, or not function in some other way. Also, you don't need much crimp, just enough to push in the case mouth. If you over crimp and buckle the case, they won't fit in the chamber. Most newbies think you need a massive crimp to hold the bullet, but I don't crimp .223s at all. There should be enough neck tension to hold the bullet without any crimp.

Medium loads seem to give the best accuracy (in general) and function well in my ARs.

Good luck!

 

[hkusp1]

Ok no pictures because my good camera is at the in laws but I'll give you a quick run down.
1. Started with a privi partisan case trimmed to 1.750 per my lyman book.
2. Primed the case with a lee auto prime and a cci#400 primer.
3. Measured out 24.5 grains of varget powder on a digital scale (measured 4 times just to be sure).
4. seated a winchester .22 cal (.224) fmjbt to 2.255 (was trying to seat at 2.260 but I haven't dialed in my bullet seating die perfect yet) and no crimp.

Question.
My hornady book called for 24.6 grains of varget and my lyman book called for 25.0 grains so I went with the the smaller load because its my first time. I was amazed at the powder level inside of the case it was almost up to the shoulder of the case is this normal?

 

[woolleyworm]

Ok no pictures because my good camera is at the in laws but I'll give you a quick run down.
1. Started with a privi partisan case trimmed to 1.750 per my lyman book.
2. Primed the case with a lee auto prime and a cci#400 primer.
3. Measured out 24.5 grains of varget powder on a digital scale (measured 4 times just to be sure).
4. seated a winchester .22 cal (.224) fmjbt to 2.255 (was trying to seat at 2.260 but I haven't dialed in my bullet seating die perfect yet) and no crimp.

Question.
My hornady book called for 24.6 grains of varget and my lyman book called for 25.0 grains so I went with the the smaller load because its my first time. I was amazed at the powder level inside of the case it was almost up to the shoulder of the case is this normal?

This is very normal and desireable. A general (but not always) rule of thumb is that powders that fill a case will usually burn/perform better than those that do not.

 

[Charlie]

I load Varget for my .223, 55 gr. also. It's my favorite load. I loaded 10 rds. with 25 grs., 10 with 25.5 grs., 10 with 26 grs. and 10 with 26.5 grs. Groups got closer and closer up to 26 grs. (7/16" 3 shot group), and started getting bigger past the 26 grs. Handloading is a lot of fun and very rewarding. Have fun.

 

[hkusp1]

bang first 10 test rounds.

 

[Dawico]

Now just find someone to shoot them for you. (I know those first reloaded rounds can be intimidating)

Congrats and good luck with them.

 

[Charlie]

What did the target look like?

bang first 10 test rounds.

 

[medalguy]

Just a suggestion but it's best to start low and work your load up for your own rifle. What is safe in MY rifle may not be safe in yours. Dawico also made a very good comment-- don't load too many up first time, or any time, until you test a load out and know it works and it's safe to use. This is an excellent reason I don't recommend a progressive loader for someone just starting out reloading. You can end up with 500 rounds of unusable ammo in a very few minutes.

 

[hkusp1]

Haven't got to the range yet but I'll be hitting it up on tuesday. I will give a full range report afterwards. I'm only loading up 10 at a time with a medium charge according to my books so we will see how it goes.

 

[beardking]

I notice that your are located in Dallas, where are you shooting in the area that you can shoot FMJ? That's actually one of the reasons that I got setup this weekend to start reloading .223, because I haven't found a close place to go shoot FMJ and anything in a brass case that has any bullet other than FMJ costs an arm and a leg.

 

[OLDVET]

I live in the Dallas area. The only public range I know of that allows FMJ ammo is Elm Fork Shooting Park. You can shoot FMJ on their 30 yard Tactical Range. Due to the potential foe a richoche, FMJ ammo is prohibited from public ranges. This should also apply to shooting FMJ anywhere when they is any question about what might be down range. There is already enough public and government pressure to close local shooting ranges. The last thing we need is for someone to shoot another innocent bystander. The Garland Public Shooting Range is dealing with a law suit concerning that issue currently.

 

[hkusp1]

I used to shoot at elm fork evan worked there for a few years but last I heard they stopped letting people use military style rifles something having to do with their berms getting tore up to quick but that was awhile ago. I go to dfw indoor now its not a long range 50 yards max I think but they let you use fmj's as long as they aren't steel core plus it has ac and the lighting doesn't wash my eotech reticle out to the point where I have to turn the brightness all the way up. I still haven't made it up there yet to much stuff going on at the house.

 

[OLDVET]

The Tactical Range at Elm Fork allows FMJ bullets. I was there this past Saturday and Sunday mornings shooting my pistols. On several occassions I walked around the wall into the Tact bay and saw people shooting FMJ ammo. The Tactical range is only 35 yards long, so you are shooting up close.

 

[beardking]

I live in the Dallas area. The only public range I know of that allows FMJ ammo is Elm Fork Shooting Park. You can shoot FMJ on their 30 yard Tactical Range. Due to the potential foe a richoche, FMJ ammo is prohibited from public ranges. This should also apply to shooting FMJ anywhere when they is any question about what might be down range. There is already enough public and government pressure to close local shooting ranges. The last thing we need is for someone to shoot another innocent bystander. The Garland Public Shooting Range is dealing with a law suit concerning that issue currently.

Agreed, the last thing we need is for an innocent bystander to be harmed by a stray bullet. That being said, you would think that the ranges would be designed in a manner which would limit the possibility of that happening. I understand that sometimes (like in GPSR's case) a range was built long ago and then the suburbanites moved in around them and are now whining about their being a range in their back yard, but you'd still think that it would be easier to find an FMJ friendly range.

Basically, I just have a hard time understanding how I'm always seeing people buying surplus FMJ .223 ammo by the metric ton and yet I am almost incapable of finding a range that will actually let me shoot that kind of ammo.

 

[Texas42]

Why is fmj more likely to riccoche?