Armory Sponsor
[ARCHIVED THREAD] - .223 Plinker Loads (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 4/2/2017 4:16:15 PM EDT
| I'm curious what everyone is using for .223 55gr plinker load data? Obviously something that is fairly accurate and will meter decent out of a Hornady AP powder drop. |
|
I am not too picky on blasting ammo, I aim to make it cheap as possible, and only load in the winter when i have lots of free time. Spring/summer/fall, I just buy factory brass cased cheap FMJ stuff, shoot it/stack it away. And the stuff I do shoot gives me a nice pile of brass to reload in the winter.
My basic plinking load is: Mixed brass, either once fired by me, or range pickups where it's allowed. S&B small rifle primers which I have been getting from Cabela's for $25.90/1000 tax included 24.5 grains of BL-C(2) that I get at the LGS for $26.97/lb after sales tax Hornady 55 grain FMJ's which I get in bulk from the LGS for $53.98/500 after sales tax. I am around .23/rd, It's not really a big savings. I just enjoy doing it. And have lots of free time Dec-March to do it . Cheapest stuff local is Tula steel case for .29/rd at Walmart, Fed. Am. Eagle brass case .223 for .34/rd at Walmart, and Perfecta .223 for .32/rd also at Walmart. |
|
LC brass
55gr FMJ . . hornady is about the best . . . but i've been know to load pulled surplus FMJ's,....for full auto or 25 yard 3-gun stages, it won't matter Wc844 or WC846 military surplus powder, if you can find it cheap. if not, which ever is cheapest in 8 lb jugs win748 H335 AA-2230 BLC2 etc. I prefer winchester primers processed and loaded on a Dillon XL650 . |
|
For me,
Range Pickup cases, inspect well! CCI #41 Primers Any 55 gr FMJ, I have used Montana Gold, Wolf, Hornady and surplus pulled. 25 grains of TAC, H335, WC844, WC845, AA2223, CFE 223, 748, or XBR 8208, whatever I've got. Trim to under 1.76, set OAL to match cannelure, crimp with Lee FCD Load many, shoot often! My cost is generally less than Wolf, Tula etc. If I can get 3 moa out of my carbines I'm good for the type of shooting I do with them! |
|
my plinker load....
Hornady 55gr FMJ ( reasonably accurate, cheap when you buy the 5000 count bulk pack) 25.0gr TAC ( meters great in my 650, works for all my other 223 loads ) Winchester primer various brass, trimmed to 1.745 (yeah I like em short) Gives me about 1.5 to 2.0 MOA out of my precision AR, and it cycles just fine in every AR I've tried it in (my 3 AR's, plus several friends AR's who needed to buy ammo on short notice). |
|
Quoted:
That's a great load. Some find 24.5 works well also. Quoted:
Quoted:
25.0 grains of H335 Some find 24.5 works well also. H335 meters amazing in my dillon pm. 55g Hornady bought in bulk for about $.065. S&b small rifle primers. |
|
Quoted:
Yes 2.250 OAL and no crimp just make sure you have a minimum of .002 neck tension Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
25.0 grains of H335 The 55 gr FMJBT is meant to be seated mid cannelure, so around 2.220, depending on trim length. Seating to near mag length has no accuracy advantage and lessons neck tension. |
|
Quoted:
Serious or a typo? The 55 gr FMJBT is meant to be seated mid cannelure, so around 2.220, depending on trim length. Seating to near mag length has no accuracy advantage and lessons neck tension. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
25.0 grains of H335 The 55 gr FMJBT is meant to be seated mid cannelure, so around 2.220, depending on trim length. Seating to near mag length has no accuracy advantage and lessons neck tension. |
|
I found 2 accuracy nodes when working up my "plinking load" using WC-844 one at 22gr the other around 24gr. Since we rarely shoot more than 200 yards I see no reason for the little velocity gain using more powder would provide so I use the 22gr load.
Since WC-844 is very much like H-335 (the WC-844 I'm currently using just about matches it perfectly) I'd bet that many other people would also find an accurate sweet spot in the same area if they looked. I know 2 to 3 grains don't sound like much but if you load 1000 rounds that's almost 1/2 pound of less powder used if shooting the lighter charge. Motor |
| My 55gr plinking load is LC brass trimmed to 1.760", Berry's 55gr fmj bullets, CCI 400 primers, 23.5gr 8208XBR, OAL 2.220". This is the starting load in Hodgdon's load data. It has functioned 100% reliably in all of my guns. It's mild, clocking around 2760 fps over my chronograph out of 16" barrel, but it's cheap to load and easy on my brass. |
|
Ok I just started collecting equipment to reload my brass this winter so this thread is of interest to me. One of the first things I've picked up is the Hornady reloading book.
Is there more than one H335 or am I looking in the wrong spot. The book I have shows 24.5grs as beyond max load. Complete reloading newb so can someone educate on this? Thanks DTD |
|
Quoted:
That's a great load. Some find 24.5 works well also. Quoted:
Quoted:
25.0 grains of H335 Some find 24.5 works well also. I also got a very light recoiling, fairly accurate load at 22.5 grains using Wolf 55-grain bullets. To the OP, I seat the Hornady bullets to about 2.20", or roughly mid-cannelure. I don't crimp. |
|
Quoted:
I found 2 accuracy nodes when working up my "plinking load" using WC-844 one at 22gr the other around 24gr. Since we rarely shoot more than 200 yards I see no reason for the little velocity gain using more powder would provide so I use the 22gr load. Since WC-844 is very much like H-335 (the WC-844 I'm currently using just about matches it perfectly) I'd bet that many other people would also find an accurate sweet spot in the same area if they looked. I know 2 to 3 grains don't sound like much but if you load 1000 rounds that's almost 1/2 pound of less powder used if shooting the lighter charge. Motor Very soft shooting and accurate. Believe it or not, it works better with the Wolf 55gr projectile than it does with the Hornady. I'm getting low on the Wolf projos too and starting to feel antsy. It's been quite a while since they have been back in stock. Here is a pic I took after testing the 22.5gr / wolf load against the heavier bullets at 50yds with my red dot equipped 3gun rifle. 
Note, the 55gr hornady load was shot with iron sights and a different rifle. ETA: I seem to remember 22.5gr is under book minimum, so work down to it just to be safe. |
|
Quoted:
Ok I just started collecting equipment to reload my brass this winter so this thread is of interest to me. One of the first things I've picked up is the Hornady reloading book. Is there more than one H335 or am I looking in the wrong spot. The book I have shows 24.5grs as beyond max load. Complete reloading newb so can someone educate on this? Thanks DTD Hodgdon shows 25.3 grains as max using H335 and a Speer 55-grain SP, using their online load data. Lyman 49 shows 27 grains as max using a Sierra SP bullet. I would encourage you to consult with multiple load data sources when working up a new load. I consult both my manuals, as well as online data from either the powder manufacturer or bullet manufacturer. |
| I haven't seen anyone mention H322, it meters well for me and is plenty accurate for plinking. I load 22.5 gr with a hornady 55 gr pill seated to 2.200. I my goto is usually H335 but on my last big order they were out of the 8lb'ers so I figured I would give it a shot. Anyone else use this powder? |
|
Quoted:
I haven't seen anyone mention H322, it meters well for me and is plenty accurate for plinking. I load 22.5 gr with a hornady 55 gr pill seated to 2.200. I my goto is usually H335 but on my last big order they were out of the 8lb'ers so I figured I would give it a shot. Anyone else use this powder? Don't see a lot of 62gr bullets either. |
|
I have found that 24.5gr gives me the same groups at 100 yard that I got when I tried 25.0gr of H335.
So my plinking loads are whatever 55gr bullet I have on hand. I have about 20,000 bullets in my ammo fort. A mixture of X-treme, Wolf, Hornady, Lake City, M193 pulls and some unknown brand. I have loaded up the unknown stuff and am currently shooting that. I bought most of this stuff during the panic when I found a deal. If ammo prices continue to drop I probably will start shooting commercial 5.56mm when it hits $0.25/rd. |
|
I typically run two loads for 99% of my .223 shooting, which is for 3-Gun.
23.9 gr TAC with a 77gr OTM with dope set at 50 yards for long range. 23.9gr of H335 with a 55gr FMJ for an "inside the bay" load. However, it's accurate to 200 meters. As both powder meter almost exactly the same, I never have to touch the powder measure. From my 50 yard zero with the 77gr OTM, I just dial in 2 mil elevation and I'm zero'ed at 20 yards with the 55gr load. This way I don't have to think about any adjustments when I'm running a short range stage. It's very accurate and incredibly soft shooting. With a balanced gas system, it's damn near like shooting a .22. Close to zero muzzle movement. |
|
Quoted:
I haven't seen anyone mention H322, it meters well for me and is plenty accurate for plinking. I load 22.5 gr with a hornady 55 gr pill seated to 2.200. I my goto is usually H335 but on my last big order they were out of the 8lb'ers so I figured I would give it a shot. Anyone else use this powder? I have 4K of the wolf bullets stashed. They look good and the Wolf gold ammo has been great. I have high hopes for them. |
|
55gr Hornady with 25.4gr TAC is my current 3gun / plinking load.
I actually seat to about 2.235 OAL and it has been very accurate for me. 2.20 was less accurate and I just settled there. I'm sure with more load development I could make the shorter OAL work. I shot a 3rd group at 50yards of .25" the other day. 5rd groups were just over half inch so I see no reason to fuss at the moment. |
|
Quoted:
Serious or a typo? The 55 gr FMJBT is meant to be seated mid cannelure, so around 2.220, depending on trim length. Seating to near mag length has no accuracy advantage and lessons neck tension. |
|
Any mixed brass (RT1200 trimmed and sized)
Tula KBV556 Primer Hornady 55gr bulk SP @ 2.22 24.3 gr TAC Used to use 24.5 H335, but needed TAC on hand for the 77gr bullets, there was no point in stocking a different powder for a blasting load. Now use 24.3 gr TAC for everything in 556. |
[ARCHIVED THREAD] - .223 Plinker Loads (Page 1 of 2)
Armory Sponsor