Me and a buddy just ordered hornady 11th on Amazon.  Will see in about 5 to 6 days.  People might want to start lookin around.  If I see the book before anyone else I will try to confirm.

Well.  That’s not at all visible by eyeballing.

In that case, something like a #41 primer may be important.

I have a variety of SR primers on hand (#41, WSR, S&B, CCI, etc.).  When I can get back to loading, I will take a look at some test loads with different primers.

Got my hornady 11th.  5.45 is in there!  But very limited loading and for their v-max 60 gr.  One can at least build off the data and figure out what else could work.  I cut out the numbers because I don't know what policies are to take pics of loading data from books due to copyright.  But just buy it because it is full of new stuff. Attached File

Perfect.  I suspected there was something.  Caution and all wins the day.

Hi!  

I don’t have the Hornady 11th, but I’m still very curious as to how it compares to my experiment a month and a bit ago.

I got 2940 fps with 23.2 grains of AR-Plus, which is nearly the same as Accurate 2230.  

How does that compare to the chart in the book?  

Thanks!!

After a long hiatus because of a lot of things - mostly some health issues - I’m back looking at loads for the 5.45x39.

I posted in another 5.45-related thread about something I found on Cast Boolits:


Sure looks like forming .222 cases for 5.45x39 ain’t a super idea.

Optics planet has the #56 shellholder

I think keeping track of when and where the specialized tools for 5.45 are available is something that we need to share in this thread.  Just like what non-5.45 bits work.

When Hornady first started selling components, but no load data, I contacted Hornady for load data.

In response, the only load data I was given at the time was their CFE-223 load data.

I thought that might be their best choice as that's all they were giving me.

I had bought their loaded ammo and found 24.0 grains of ball powder in it.

Their load data with velocities now shows 24.0 grains of CFE-223 giving 2600 fps and 25.5 grains giving 2800 fps.

Their factory ammo is rated at 2810 fps.

Their load data shows a maximum load of 23.9 grains of A2460 giving 2800 fps.

Hornady uses a 16 inch barrel for 5.45.

The Hornady data only mentions using CCI-400 primers.

Considering that 5.45 firing pin protrusion is on the order of large rifle primer specs, it is likely wise to use thick, magnum small rifle primers.

A friend loaded 24.0 grains of H335 and the velocity was higher than Hornady factory ammo and likely too hot, but the fired case and primer didn't show pressure signs.

I wouldn't recommend it.

A2460 and CFE-223 are the only two powders Hornady shows reaching 2800 fps and their H335 load is less powder and  slower in velocity.

After my friend tried H335, I figured a slightly slower powder, like A2460 or Varmint, would be a better choice, but even Varmint and TAC have lower velocities in Hornady's data.

Hornady's factory ammo was accurate for me, but only gave me around 2700 fps from a 16 inch barrel.

CCI #41 primers have been hotter than CCI-450 primers for me.

Maybe Hornady does use CFE-223 and maybe a magnum primer would bring 24.0 grains up from 2600 fps to 2700 fps, rather loading a maximum pressure load of A2460.

Of the Russian ammo, Barnaul and Golden Tiger give similar velocities, but Tula is way down in velocity.

Barnaul loaded with extruded powder gives me just over 2750 fps with a 60 grain FMJ bullet.

Barnaul loaded with ball powder gives me right around 2800 fps wit a 60 grain FMJ bullet.

Golden Tiger velocity was right between the two Barnaul loads and used ball powder.

Tula was much slower than the others.

I've read up on 5.45x39 reloading over the years and even picked up a set of CH4D dies and a Lee bullet sizer which I've never put to use.

I've saved links to threads on other forums and figured I'd add them here for general reference.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/417407_Best_way_to_trim__222_Rem_down_to_5_45x39.html

http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44231

http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144529

http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?/topic/81058-545x39mm-reloading-for-the-deer-hunter/

I have a tantel i have reloaded but using 222 rem has been frustrating in 545 mags for obvious reasons.  Just got a polish 556 mag and loaded 30 pre fire formed dummies.  Hand cycled flawlessly 30 times.  Live fire forming from the mag is next.  Hope this helps someone else.

I’ve been working on my Hornady brass, and doing the mathy stuff to make sure I’m staying safe and within tolerances.  I have converted the CIP measurements to inches, and double checked my math, since one number I converted wrong.  A kind of important number too, so I redid everything.

I weighed a sample of my pulled (Barnaul) bullets, and they are all a small margin under 60 grains; Barnaul quotes them as being 3.85 grams, which is pretty darn close to 59.4 grains.  I’m going to use these for my first. Test loads so I don’t use up my expensive V-max bullets.

GHPorter and others - a huge THANKS for your legwork here.  

I know with the recent ban on Russian ammo, supplies will only get tighter - meaning there should be more interest in reloading 5.45 soon.  I hope so anyway.

Would be a shame to let this valuable thread go to the archives.

I emailed Starline about bringing 5.45 brass to market.  Their response:


A while back I had also contacted Prvi about brass, Boxer-primed 5.45 ammo or at least components.  They said they would take it under consideration.  Still no product announcement.

Unfortunately, I only have 100 Hornady cases, and it looks like everybody who lists the stuff is out of stock.  

Just in case if anyone is in need, MidwayUSA has 4x 100-bullet packs of the factory seconds 60 gr V-max.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010918025?pid=399673

Hornady manuals (newer editions) have load data for this caliber.  I have zero experience because I don't own anything that uses it.

I am not even aware of any source for boxer primed brass.

A while back, there was a run of some decent domestic Hornady boxer primed brass, a run of Hornady dies, and Hornady V-Max bullets on the market.

The bullet supply is still around, but the dies and brass didn't take long to get taken up and they haven't cycled back since.

It is just a guess from the sidelines, but with everything else going on it may be a long time before they cycle back to niche topics like this.

Follow up to this.  Loaded 30 rounds and fired them thru this 223 mag.  Flawless.  Also 55 gr short fmjs that were down sized to 221 worked fine.  Loaded mag though has room for them to slide forward.  No burst cases from fire forming.

Hornady makes, "runs" of the brass, but it is not in constant production.

300 Legend cases seem to have the same rim and case diameter and can be formed to 5.45x39.

No, the 350 Legend brass does not have the same rim diameter as 5.45.  It has the same rim as .223, just larger in the base above the rim.  

As a result, the 350 Legend brass that I have used has had rim damage due to only partial engagement of the extractor.  Also, firing pin strikes are not centered on the primers due to the bolt and case head not being actually aligned every time.  I’d like to use a 5.56 bolt, but the bolt face depth isn’t the same as on my 5.45 bolt.

Also, 350 Legend -> 5.45 requires neck reaming or neck turning.  I did it for ~70 cases, and it wasn’t fun without a dedicated neck turning station.

I'm sure the neck would need turning.

I haven't had any problems with 223 rims in 5.45 bolts and extractors.

Soviet extractor test is a loaded cartridge under extractor hook, with the bolt held horizontally.

If it holds a loaded cartridge, it passes.

Biggest issue with Hornady cases is the small primer pocket.

5.45 firing pins have large rifle primer protrusion, unless you get a spare firing pin to modify for small rifle primers.

The larger base diameter of 350 Legend should be large enough to keep the primer centered in the 5.45 chamber.

Morning all,
Working on this project on an AR-15 platform and the issue I have is finding mags. For now I don't have to have a mag that holds 30 rounds. Have any of you used a 5.56 mag that could cycle ~ 5 rounds consistently?

I'm sorting through memories of the thread we had on this subject back around 2007 or 2008, but, it was rather hit or miss on 5.56 Magazines that would reliably feed 5.45 more than a few rounds at a time. I found that if you loaded 10 or 15 rounds max, some of the magazines worked better than others, and, if I remember correctly, one of the few magazines that did work really well, was the (at the time) $75 Fancy coated stainless HK Ar-15 magazines. They were stupid expensive but seemed to work better than most. But you could not load them up to 30 rounds and count on them to work all the time. It was a mess that was not solved until we could get our hands on dedicated 5.45 AR mags.

Thank you for that info. I guess it will be trial and error.

BUMP, for any new info

anyone got load data for 55gr bullets ?

I was using IMR-4198 with resized .224 55gr fmjs. I *think* it was 16 grs(I might’ve posted it earlier in this thread). I was using converted .222 and .223/5.56 cases. It cycled in the AK and AR I tried it in. I didn’t take development past that, at least as of yet.