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Posted: 4/25/2010 12:40:35 AM EDT
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Is there anything special you have to do when reloading for the AR?
I know about FL resizing, and C.O.A.L., what about powders? Are there certain powders that perform better in a Semi-Auto? |
| I have used IMR 3031, 4064, 4320, BLC2, Varget and a little of a couple others. The IMR 4320 was the cleanest burning I ever tested, left no unburnt powder in the barrel after 4 30 rd mags, but the Varget seemed to be the most accurate and consistant for me. Try a few of them, and see what you like best. |
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Quoted:
Is there anything special you have to do when reloading for the AR? I know about FL resizing, and C.O.A.L., what about powders? Are there certain powders that perform better in a Semi-Auto? Follow a load manual. There are probably at least a dozen suitable gunpowders for loading .223 Remington, and they all work great. We can break the best choices down this way - - for the light bullets from 40 to 55 grains, choose one of the gunpowders with a faster burn rate such as the H4198, BL-C(2), H335, AA2230, H322, and so on. - for bullets on the heavy end, from 55 to 80 grains, choose the slower gunpowders; Reloder 15, Varget, and others. There will be consider overlap where each gunpowder may be useful, but as a rule of thumb the gunpowders that fill the case to 90% or a little more will give the best accuracy. Then many people that are after really good metering through a measure, especially on a progressive press, will choose a ball powder over an extruded powder. They both work great. However, some ball powders tend to be more sensitive to ambient temperature so that warm loads developed at cold temperatures might be over pressure at high temperatures. |
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The Sierra AR-15 section is more useful since it covers bullets other than heavy match types.
I like Ramshot TAC. Meters like a dream, burns clean, isn't particularly heat sensitive and is useful over a wide range of bullet weights. It's also one of the least expensive powders on the market. |
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