Help with powder for .223/556 - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Help with powder for .223/556

Posted: 11/24/2015 9:25:44 PM EDT

Hey all, new to reloading and have Hornady 55 gr SP bullets. I wanted to test out a few types before I bought anything in larger quantities. Anyone use these and could recommend a good, easy to find powder for them? I haven't loaded anything yet and have been researching but would also like the hives input. Thanks.

Posted: 11/24/2015 9:29:30 PM EDT

[#1]

I'll chime in with my CFE-223 and BL-C2.

Posted: 11/24/2015 9:33:07 PM EDT

[#2]

Add H-335 to the list.

Motor

Posted: 11/24/2015 9:34:03 PM EDT

[#3]

You'll find a lot of opinions and pretty much all will be good choices. I personally use Benchmark. Very clean extruded powder, accurate, and meters great for an extruded powder.

Posted: 11/24/2015 9:46:00 PM EDT

[#4]

Thanks for the input guys. Another question, if a powder doesn't have a specific recipe for a certain bullet type, could I follow a recipe that matched only the bullet grain? Ex. 69grHPBT but the only recipe they have for a powder is for 69grFMJ is that still acceptable to use that powder?

Posted: 11/24/2015 10:04:33 PM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
Add H-335 to the list.

Motor

View Quote

+1

Posted: 11/24/2015 10:04:34 PM EDT

[#6]

H-335 and CFE-223 are a good place to start.

Posted: 11/24/2015 10:19:44 PM EDT

[#7]

CFE-223

Posted: 11/24/2015 10:25:08 PM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
Thanks for the input guys. Another question, if a powder doesn't have a specific recipe for a certain bullet type, could I follow a recipe that matched only the bullet grain? Ex. 69grHPBT but the only recipe they have for a powder is for 69grFMJ is that still acceptable to use that powder?

View Quote

Yes, but you must work up the load from the beginning again

Never ever make a component change with a max pressure load, that's a recipe for Kaboom!

Posted: 11/24/2015 10:34:58 PM EDT

[#9]

H335. Time tested.

Posted: 11/24/2015 10:45:36 PM EDT

[#10]

the Lee load book lists bullets by weight instead of a particular manufacter with a few exceptions. With safe start loads and max . ex. would be jacketed bullets, plated, lead.

Posted: 11/24/2015 10:57:32 PM EDT

[#11]

I like h-335 and i just started playing with cef-223 but my go to for my precision loads is 10X it has been very acurate and cleaner than h-335

Posted: 11/24/2015 11:31:12 PM EDT

[#12]

H335 is considered the standard, but I had superb results from Accurate LT-32. 1" ten shot group at 100 yards with Hornady 52gr HPBT Match and 22 gr of LT-32.

Vince

Posted: 11/24/2015 11:53:51 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:

Thanks for the input guys. Another question, if a powder doesn't have a specific recipe for a certain bullet type, could I follow a recipe that matched only the bullet grain? Ex. 69grHPBT but the only recipe they have for a powder is for 69grFMJ is that still acceptable to use that powder?

View Quote

Welcome to the Reloading Forum.

That's the beauty of a start load. (lowest charge listed in data)

A the start load you can substitute like but different brand components.

Then work up watching for pressure signs.

It's pretty rare to have the exact components called out in the data.

So think of data as "what happened when we used these components"

Please do some reading at the top of the page starting in FAQ's. A lot of good info up there.

Posted: 11/25/2015 12:05:19 AM EDT

[#14]

I have had excellent results with 55 gr bullets in a 1:9 twist barrel using TAC and CCI450 primers.

Posted: 11/25/2015 3:25:28 AM EDT

[#15]

Is there such a thing as a bad 223 powder?

I use almost everything, and all my results have been excellent. I'm currently halfway through 48 pounds of AA2200 for 223. It works very well, even though I've never heard of anyone praise AA2200 for use in the 223 round.

My favorite is RamShot TAC.

With powder supplies now back to normal level (although sadly, not to pre-shortage prices), we have a wide selection.

Enjoy the reloading hobby.

Posted: 11/25/2015 8:17:41 AM EDT

[#16]

My first powder for .233 was IMR 4064. Although it worked and went bang, I don't care for it to much because to the longer grains.

Up next I both some Varget to try.

Posted: 11/25/2015 8:38:38 AM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
Is there such a thing as a bad 223 powder?

I use almost everything, and all my results have been excellent. I'm currently halfway through 48 pounds of AA2200 for 223. It works very well, even though I've never heard of anyone praise AA2200 for use in the 223 round.

My favorite is RamShot TAC.

With powder supplies now back to normal level (although sadly, not to pre-shortage prices), we have a wide selection.

Enjoy the reloading hobby.

View Quote

That depends on how you dispense the powder.

Back in the mid 1990's when I first started reloading, I used a single stage Rock Chucker press and a Uniflow powder measure off to the side.

I was using IMR4895 at the time, and it was very crunchey in the UPM.

I have had a Dillon 650 for probably about 5 years now. Then I had a 550 for 10 years before that.

Varget is another extruded powder, like 4895, so it is also crrrruuuuunnnncccchhhheeyyy when going through the Dillon's powder measure.

I like H335 because it seems to flow so much better without any crunch.

EDIT: if you can find WC844, which is the military surplus pull down powder equivalent to or very similar to H335. It saved me about $10 a pound versus regular H335 powder. Start at the bottom, and work your way up.

Posted: 11/25/2015 8:59:40 AM EDT

[#18]

I am trying to decide between varget, 4064, 8208xbr and 4166 for a 53 gr vmax. These powders I currently have and really don't want to get more powder. Thinking 8208 since its the fastest burning and the barrel is 16 inch. Have shot 4166 out of my AR10 and it burns fairly clean and may consider that too.

Posted: 11/25/2015 10:37:38 AM EDT

[#19]

I use what I can get at a reasonable cost, availability and meter ability first.

The cheapest and widely available is H335 for me.

Is meters extremely well on the Dillon powder measurer and has uses in many of my other calibers.

I also enjoy TAC for the same reasons.

While looking for a Extreme BR powder that is tempature insensitive and meters extremely well I use 8208XBR.

Posted: 11/25/2015 10:46:28 AM EDT

[#20]

Have loaded 55s with

H335; AA2230/Ramshot Exterminator; TAC; BL-C(2); Benchmark; RL10X, probably others.

The first 5 are easy metering, give good velocity, run pretty clean, Benchmark got the nod for ultimate accuracy in my rifles.

RL10X is a bit dirty and smokes, but more economical for bulk match loading, gives a different/softer recoil impulse than even min loads of the others, quite accurate, haven't chrono'd any loads using it.

Posted: 11/25/2015 10:51:15 AM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:
I am trying to decide between varget, 4064, 8208xbr and 4166 for a 53 gr vmax. These powders I currently have and really don't want to get more powder. Thinking 8208 since its the fastest burning and the barrel is 16 inch. Have shot 4166 out of my AR10 and it burns fairly clean and may consider that too.

View Quote

Out of those, and assuming you're loading with a powder measure and/or progressive, 8208XBR by a long shot, IMO - it meters fairly well, and is a solid powder.

8208, H335, AA2230, Tac, Xterminator, CFE223 - there are lots of decent powders for loading 5.56/.223 out there.

Posted: 11/25/2015 10:57:30 AM EDT

[#22]

No love for W748?

Ball powders I've been satisfied with in .223/5.56 in no particular order:

AA2230
AA2200
W748
TAC
W844
W846

Extruded powders are great for match loads if you're not loading a high volume, but for high volume on a progressive press, ball powders are the way to go.

Today, my accurate 55fmj ball load (about 1.5moa) is W748 and Hornady 55FMJ. My accurate long range match load is TAC with 77SMK or 77CC. My plinking load is pulled m193 projos and W844 surplus.

Posted: 11/25/2015 11:46:31 AM EDT

[#23]

Thanks for replies on my post. Wish I could find tac to try. Been told it's a good powder to use. Will probably go with 8208 for easier metering.

Posted: 11/25/2015 12:06:12 PM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
Thanks for replies on my post. Wish I could find tac to try. Been told it's a good powder to use. Will probably go with 8208 for easier metering.

View Quote

My H335 meters so well, that when I missed a primer it poured out that little hole like a geyser. I can't imagine a powder flowing any better than that.

Posted: 11/25/2015 1:34:45 PM EDT

[#25]

Quote History

Quoted:
Thanks for replies on my post. Wish I could find tac to try. Been told it's a good powder to use. Will probably go with 8208 for easier metering.

View Quote

No powder meters easier than TAC.

Posted: 11/26/2015 2:34:59 AM EDT

[#26]

Quote History

Quoted:

I use what I can get at a reasonable cost, availability and meter ability first.

The cheapest and widely available is H335 for me.

Is meters extremely well on the Dillon powder measurer and has uses in many of my other calibers.

I also enjoy TAC for the same reasons.

While looking for a Extreme BR powder that is tempature insensitive and meters extremely well I use 8208XBR.

View Quote

I agree with every point you made.

Posted: 11/26/2015 9:17:53 AM EDT

[#27]

Win 748 has always been good to me, in different rifles and bullet weights.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Help with powder for .223/556

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