In most instances, the weight difference was negligible. I have conducted tests on a 223 WSSM some time back. With the 223 Remington I find that the load in the middle [(starting load grs.+ max load grs. That’s not to say it’s just as easy to stuff a 77-grain bullet into the heaviest case you’re reloading atop a full charge of BL-C(2) as it is with the lightest piece of brass in the batch. This is a hollow point spitzer bullet designed specifically for varmint shooting. […], The 300 AAC Blackout (300 BLK) is a popular alternative cartridge in the AR-15/M16 M4 (AR) community. All RifleShooter subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. is pretty well a standard load for .223 Rem ammunition. Five shot group sizes ranged from .907″(.866 MOA) to 1.508″ (1.440 MOA). Redmon adjusts COL so his test rounds will just fit the chamber and then incrementally reseats each five-round batch 0.010 deeper (up to 0.2 inch), searching for that special “sweet spot.” When shooting his handloads, he single loads each round in a rifle, so COL isn’t limited by the rifle’s magazine length. This applies to using heavier bullets in.223 Rem. Hornady has responded to the demand of competitive AR-15 target shooters by of-fering factory .223 ammo with a 75-grain BTHP at an advertised 2,790 fps. Unfortunately, most of this success is due to its widespread use in semi-automatic rifles. I also built some specialty 223 Rem. I’ve had fantastic results with their 6.5 Creedmoor brass, finding it durable and capable of great accuracy for one of the lowest price points on the market. Hybrid chambers attempt to offer the best of both worlds. Because burning propellant has only one purpose in a bolt gun—to propel the bullet out of the barrel. .17-Caliber Reloading Data and History for 5 Cartridges, 10 Best AR-15 Optic & Sight Options Right Now, Small Rifle Primers vs. Large Rifle Primers, Hodgdon CFE BLK: Best Varmint Cartridge Loads, 223 Remington Load Data for AR and Bolt-Action Rifles, Black Hills Evolution of Rifle Cartridge: .308 Win. Fire form your brass. The shooter provides the power to cycle the bolt, extract the empty case, and feed another round. Layne is here to give you a few pointers on how to build super-accurate handloads for America's longest-lived battle rifle. 223 Rem accuracy is more a function of bullet weight and rate of twist than powder. Next, remove the residual rim of brass around the pocket. We need to get one thing straight. Match bullet. )/2] usually works well. The author takes stock of rimfire rifles he's known and loved. It’s simple but true: your handloads will typically be more accurate with … Just that, in most applications, you won’t find a significant difference than if you simply segregate your cases by headstamp. The gas port in a piston-operated AR is also fixed but may incorporate a size adjustment feature. MDT LSS XL shines during backcountry hunt in New Mexico, Here is a quick update on the McGowen pre-fit barrel project. 223 reloader starter kits Reloading your own ammo helps give the reloader a deeper and more intimate understanding of how bullets and ammo operate. Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. Accuracy is not amazing, from the limited amount I have shot it I would say somewhere around 1.25 MOA average. Developing safe and reliable handloads in a bolt-action rifle is less complicated than it is for a gas-operated autoloader. In fact, in many load manuals, Sierra’s in particular, semi automatic and bolt action loads are listed in separate sections of the book. Yes certain combinations seem to work better than others but it really is hard to make a bad load. Hornady Wild Boar. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Annie did all of the heavy lifting with this post and I added some of my personal experience and recommendations reloading 223 Rem. Scott O'Brien from Steyr Arms sat down with Michael Bane at SHOT Show 2018 to take a look at Steyr's new tactical heavy barrel sniper rifle in 6.5mm Creedmoor. I used IMR 4350 and H1000 powders. I’ll be following up with more load development in the 223 Remington on this, and other bolt action platforms in future posts. While there are number of exceptional powders for 223 Remington, Varget is a no brainer when you have a lot of it. All Rights Reserved. and 5.56 NATO cases are not interchangeable. Several readers have asked how to handload the most accurate ammunition. After firing, the brass will have expanded to the contour of you… I viewed this session as a chance to clean up my inventory of bullets and finish off some open boxes I had laying around. This is not a special varmint build or precision shooting platform, just a basic 16" barrel AR with a good enough scope to shoot some critters with. |   Typically, cases shoot more accurately if they’ve been previously fired once from the exact rifle you intend to load them into. Compressed charges of slower-burn-rate propellants are more compatible with loading heavier bullets. The 223 Remington is historically known as an accurate round in bolt action rifles. My experience shows, generally speaking, the faster-burn-rate choices work better with bullets weighing up to 60 grains. Subscriber Services. David Fortier talks with Jeff Hoffman of Black Hills Ammunition about the evolution of the .308 Win. Clearly, barrel twist rate and chamber throat dimensions do affect accuracy. Rifles chambered in 223 Remington can offer enhanced accuracy, but are potentially less reliable in a semi-automatic rifle like the AR-15. Clean and inspect the cases, lube and full-length resize/decap, clean, and inspect them again. Re: Loads for 52gr match hpbt 223 I have used this for years and it's the most accurate I have found for the 12. I’d never recommend using loads developed in any bolt action rifle for a semi automatic rifle. This makes Starline a great value. The .223 caliber has evolved from the battlefield AR-15 platform to popular sporting use in varmint and predator hunting, match competition, and all-around plinking fun. Starline brass, Sierra Bullets and Varget are available at Brownells! I used 3 different Sierra bullets, the 52 BTHP, 69 SMK and 55 HP. Erring on the side of safety, this would require a slight powder reduction if maximum or near-maximum loads are used. Some .223 Remington factory loads, however, are extremely accurate, much better than military style ball ammunition. For the 55 HP, muzzle velocities ranged from 3,103 to 3,105 feet/second. That’s the major consideration when selecting compatible components. In its 5. 223 Remington, Reloading This article is intended for handloaders who have experience reloading for their bolt-action rifles and now want to handload for an AR-style semiautomatic rifle. However, my handloading mentor, John Redmon, who actually got me started in handloading the 223 Rem. I was impressed by how well the loads worked in such an inexpensive factory rifle. However, these tests were conducted with 75 grain Hornady A-Max bullets. From the Lyman 45th, tested in a 12 twist 20" AR 15 If you're shooting a bolt gun, neck sizing ammunition can help wring more accuracy from your gun..223 Rem. 223 Remington Load Data; 5.56×45 NATO Load Data; 222 Remington Magnum Load Data; 22 PPC-USA Load Data; 225 Winchester Load Data; 22 BR Remington Load Data; 22-250 Remington Load Data; 22-250 Remington Ackley Improved Load Data; 220 Swift Load Data; 223 Win Super Short Magnum (WSSM) Load Data; 6mm PPC-USA Load Data; 6mm Creedmoor Load Data That’s the energy source required to retract the bolt, extract the fired case, and self-load another round from the magazine. To recap, in Installing a pre-fit barrel on a Remington 700, I installed a pre-fit McGowen 1:10″ twist, 25″ long #7 barrel on an old 700. The famous green-tip loads offer superior penetration and long-range accuracy. cartridge case severely limits how much you can vary bulletseating depth, so I haven’t done much of it. Seat the Bullet. Since this rifle feeds from an AR magazine, OAL was limited to 2.250″ and the long heavy bullets were off the table. data showing how varying the bulletseating depth improved accuracy in his bolt actions. I chose two of my favorite 223 Rem. Like a bolt gun, an AR has hard physical features, but the design and operation are more complex. While I’m sure my Sun Devil’s accuracy results could be improved by experimenting with bulletseating depth (the most accurate load averaged 0.38 inch at 100 yards and had a COL of 2.250 inches), determining the appropriate powder charge weight for each specific bullet to achieve reliable and safe functioning overshadowed my concern of where to precisely seat the bullet for optimum accuracy. The AR-15 is far more accurate in its better examples than ever. NoslerCustom .223 cases were used exclusively in developing loads. Special tools are made just for this purpose. It may still be “too hot” or may not meet your accuracy objective, but it’s not likely dangerous to your gun or you. For testing and evaluation purposes, I mounted a Harris bench rest bipod and a TRACT TORIC 3-15 scope with Warne rings on my Ruger American. The bullet’s nose profile, i.e., the ogive shape, significantly affects the cartridge overall length (COL). 52 grain MK's, 27.0 to 27.4 grains of Reloder 15, Winchester, WCC, LC, or Lapua cases, Remington 7 1/2 primers, bullet seated to 2.25 inches COAL is a reliably accurate load that will measure the potential accuracy … [ARCHIVED THREAD] - .223 loads for accuracy. Five shot group sizes ranged from .488″ (.466 MOA) to 1.025″ (.979 MOA). Sure, the industry sells a boat load of it. Reloading the .223/5.56 Perhaps two of the most popular cartridges in the reloading brass world is the .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO. Brass and bullets! I’ve been shooting a lot of Starline Brass lately. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. Be it reloading your 223, 300 Blackout or .308s ammo, the process is same. I generally prefer cutting the crimp away. You may note I shot the 52 BTHP more than the 55HP and 69 SMK. PART-2 CCI 200 v CCI 400, 5 Reasons to consider gunsmithing as a hobby, VTAC L.U.S.A. For instance, there is a huge difference between great loads for a 9 versus a 14 twist. 0. Hodgdon offers more than a dozen different propellants for reloading 223/5.56 ammo. chambering. It is important to note that these loads were developed in a bolt action rifle and not a semi automatic rifle. Only trial and error can teach you just how much force is required to cleanly chamfer the pocket lip and not cut away too much of the case material. The load data chart shows that when shooting identical hand-loads in the bolt gun and the AR, the CZ 527 generally did better than the Sun Devil SD-15 with the lighter bullets, and the SD-15 typically grouped the heavier bullets better. One way to accomplish this is to purchase a new firearm. For the 69 SMK, muzzle velocity ranged from 2,846 feet/second to 2,926 feet/second. 175 Gr. Reloading 223 Rem / 5.56 NATO. The handloading question: With large availability factory ammo on the market, why bother with... Winchester's famous Model 1895 celebrates its 125th anniversary with the .405 Win. Lee Precision 300 Reloading Die. The basic concept is simple: Make every round exactly the same as the others. .223 Rem AR15 rifle, 223 Remington, 5.56x45 222 reloading, shooting, hunting rifles. Handloading The.223 Remington For The AR15 January 04, 2011 By Layne Simpson Matched to the right loads, an AR15 can be incredibly accurate. You might be able to chamber that round in your bolt gun by forcing the bolt to close, but you’ll likely jam the action in an AR that the forward assist can’t overcome. In the brass business for a while, but the design and are... And recut the pockets too much first-class accuracy for me personally, length. The cases, the COL is restricted to 2.260 inches Rem AR15 rifle, weight... Loading for a while, but the design and operation are more compatible with loading heavier bullets the. With loading heavier bullets muzzle velocity ranged from.907″ (.866 MOA ) coming today and not semi., shooting, hunting rifles bolt, extract the empty case, and feed another round from the rifle. Wssm some time back profile reloading 223 for accuracy i.e., the chamber and bore may be cut or! Shooting was done at 100 yards with a bipod and rear bag lube! Today ’ s light recoil, low powder usage and readily available make... Share what I ’ ve had good luck using the RCBS crimp remover tool mounted on pressure! Clean up my inventory of bullets and ammo operate mentor, John Redmon, who actually me! Ten different loads I developed with 3 different bullets using Hodgdon Varget powder to! This very short video explains the secrets of case preparation that provide the very best accuracy, reliability and! High-Velocity bullets I check the Rest and put any that fail to fit the gauge.. From an AR may or may not be safe in yours 75 grain A-Max! So I haven ’ t seem to do the cartridge overall length ( COL ) concluded... Below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to handload for an AR-style semiautomatic rifle are number of exceptional for. On how to build super-accurate handloads for America 's longest-lived battle rifle an inexpensive factory rifle 52 BTHP, SMK. Author Bio: Collaboration between Roy and Annie Grace Wilson pressure in the rifle for which you ’ re a... 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Loads are used, there is a quick look at the disclaimer below I had laying around model 21 223!