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Posted: 4/9/2009 11:25:59 PM EDT
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I will be using a Lee Loadmaster Progressive Press. I am seeing .224? I have been told that these are the rounds I need to get. I have been looking at the Lee product dies and plates that I will need on Midway. I am wanting to build up a personal surplus of rounds and am wondering if those rounds would be reliable in a "bad situation" as opposed to factory produced ammunition. That being asked I am also looking at powder and primers. Will I need "small rifle primers"? 1.) What powder should I look at. 2.) What primers should I look at. 3.) What brass should I look at. 4.) What bullets should I look at. I have used 5.56 in deployment and training. I am sure some of it was reloaded (Police Your Brass as those of us have heard). I am firing it from my Colt 1 in 7 twist and I want to use a 55 to 60 grain projectile. I will not be firing at targets more than 300 yards. Any thoughts will be appreciated. |
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For a relative newbie to reloading, I'd say start with the easy stuff. The challenge will be to find ANYTHING you need, much less, what you want amidst the current shortage of reloading supplies.
Use a ballpowder such as Winchester 748 or Ramshot TAC. Use small rifle primers. If you use small rifle magnum primers, probably because of availability, you will want to reduce your powder charge from most manuals. Once fired military brass is good to use. Other than this Winchester commercial brass is really good, too. Stay away from the high cost brass such as NORMA and LAPUA for now. Use bullets that are 0.224" in diameter. The bullets that are 0.223" diameter are not for 223 Remington or 5.56 NATO cartridges. Your hand loads are only as reliable as you make them. Make them well. In a bad situation, a reloaded catridge in your rifle is MUCH better than a factory round sitting on a store shelf because you could not afford to purchase it. In a bad situation, use what you have. |
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If Uncle Sugar provides the ammo, IT IS NOT RELOADED. You "police" your brass because that is the way the Ammunition Supply Point accounts for ammo to make sure it is used and not stolen/divereted/sold. They have a formula and they have sensitive scales. The reason Lake City (LCAAP) ammo looks different than commercial is the latter has been batch produced which allows for polishing the anneal marks off the brass. LC has no time to polish brass nor is it possible on their high speed machinery. So ill-informed people think this ammunition is reloaded. |
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There are many flavors of loads listed. Heres what i use with my loadmaster
hornaday 55gr sp projectiles cci 400 small rifle primers or federal 205 small rifle 23.5 gr of h335 LC brass trimed to 1.750 and decrimped OAL of 2.223 ( eh why not, the black hill ammo i had was that length and i thought it was fun) |
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