small arms food
- Thread starter oli700
- Start date
I am wanting to start loading .223. But need to get everything to do it.
I've gotten several hundred empties just waiting for when I do. I'm going to be using my buddy's recipe and will be using 55 gr sp dogtown bullets. I have gotten some very good groups and performance out of them.
I am also going to be doing 9mm too. I have about 600 cases already cleaned and primed waiting for some unique and 147 gr ranier hp's and another 400 cases deprimed.
So 9mm is probably gonna be happening first.
I've gotten several hundred empties just waiting for when I do. I'm going to be using my buddy's recipe and will be using 55 gr sp dogtown bullets. I have gotten some very good groups and performance out of them.
I am also going to be doing 9mm too. I have about 600 cases already cleaned and primed waiting for some unique and 147 gr ranier hp's and another 400 cases deprimed.
So 9mm is probably gonna be happening first.
If you've already got it, why not use it?
I'm wanting to pick up some unique because I can use it to load 9mm and 40 S&W. Since I have both, I can't see a reason not to use it.
Plus, it has decent reviews from those that use it regularly.
I'm wanting to pick up some unique because I can use it to load 9mm and 40 S&W. Since I have both, I can't see a reason not to use it.
Plus, it has decent reviews from those that use it regularly.
I have probably roughly 400 empty 223's right now.
I had close to 1000 empty 223, but gave a buddy of mine about half of the brass to help him get started, and he gave me about 200 or so of them back that he reloaded.
he'd been loading for a long time is why I trusted his loads, but he had only recently gotten into the AR scene so that's why I gave him so much brass to try to offset the setup cost a little.
And yes, I should've started reloading a long time ago. It's a safe bet that I have spent as much or more on ammo than I have the gun's themselves.
I can remember buying 40 S&W WWB 100 packs for about $11 a box at walmart just maybe 4 years ago. I looked at some a while back and they were more than double that for a 50 pack. [face palm]
And when I started buying .223, I remember you could get wolf for about 1.39 a box of 20 and Federal's were about $3.75 a box of 20.
Now even the cheap stuff is $5 a box of 20.
And that's why I'm getting geared up to start doing my own. I'm tired of feeling violated every time I pull the trigger.
I had close to 1000 empty 223, but gave a buddy of mine about half of the brass to help him get started, and he gave me about 200 or so of them back that he reloaded.
he'd been loading for a long time is why I trusted his loads, but he had only recently gotten into the AR scene so that's why I gave him so much brass to try to offset the setup cost a little.
And yes, I should've started reloading a long time ago. It's a safe bet that I have spent as much or more on ammo than I have the gun's themselves.
I can remember buying 40 S&W WWB 100 packs for about $11 a box at walmart just maybe 4 years ago. I looked at some a while back and they were more than double that for a 50 pack. [face palm]
And when I started buying .223, I remember you could get wolf for about 1.39 a box of 20 and Federal's were about $3.75 a box of 20.
Now even the cheap stuff is $5 a box of 20.
And that's why I'm getting geared up to start doing my own. I'm tired of feeling violated every time I pull the trigger.
Thanks for the offer nitesite. I'll do that. It's very likely that I will run into questions.
The main reason I'm going to do the 147 9mm is I use more of them than the other weight bullets because they're subsonic and I shoot them out of my SMG and SBR's with the suppressor. So needless to say, I go through a lot of them when I take those guns out. Especially if I'm not the only one shooting them.
The main reason I'm going to do the 147 9mm is I use more of them than the other weight bullets because they're subsonic and I shoot them out of my SMG and SBR's with the suppressor. So needless to say, I go through a lot of them when I take those guns out. Especially if I'm not the only one shooting them.
John and Oli,
Here's a very interesting site containing LOTS of interesting loading suggestions specifically for .223/5.56mm. You both probably know all or most of it but it's so well written I occasionally come back to it just for a refresher. Particularly interesting is FREE downloadable pages from the Sierra Bullets load manual for both bolt gun data and AR gas gun data.
http://www.6mmbr.com/223Rem.html
Here's a very interesting site containing LOTS of interesting loading suggestions specifically for .223/5.56mm. You both probably know all or most of it but it's so well written I occasionally come back to it just for a refresher. Particularly interesting is FREE downloadable pages from the Sierra Bullets load manual for both bolt gun data and AR gas gun data.
http://www.6mmbr.com/223Rem.html
Oli,
You get some wild ideas to try something "new" in .223 I will be there to help all I can. You, too, John! I've played with #41 primers, Factory Crimp Dies for .223 Rem (great idea BTY for ARs and Minis), heavy bullets, light bullets, ten kinds of powders, I have a pretty good amount of experience loading this cartridge! If I could figure out how to make case trimming easier I would love it even more. Trimming sux. So does cutting primer pocket crimps; thank god that only has to be done once!
You get some wild ideas to try something "new" in .223 I will be there to help all I can. You, too, John! I've played with #41 primers, Factory Crimp Dies for .223 Rem (great idea BTY for ARs and Minis), heavy bullets, light bullets, ten kinds of powders, I have a pretty good amount of experience loading this cartridge! If I could figure out how to make case trimming easier I would love it even more. Trimming sux. So does cutting primer pocket crimps; thank god that only has to be done once!
S
SHOOTER13
Guest
Thanks for the .223 link nitesite ...lots of good info on one of my favorite cartridges !
Well this is a new load for me. The projo is the usual 55g FMJ BT.
The powder is new to me, 24g IMR 3031. Any exp with the 3031 ?
About half the cases are 5.56 and the other half.223....haven’t had an issue as long as we used .223 data so far, are you aware of any long term issues doing this ?
The ammo is being shot in a Yankee Hill Specter AR and a Mini 14, both 5.56 compliant.
The overall length is 2.20".....Federal small rifle primer
Do you trim once fired ? and what length do you trim them up to ?
thats all I can think of for now thanks
The powder is new to me, 24g IMR 3031. Any exp with the 3031 ?
About half the cases are 5.56 and the other half.223....haven’t had an issue as long as we used .223 data so far, are you aware of any long term issues doing this ?
The ammo is being shot in a Yankee Hill Specter AR and a Mini 14, both 5.56 compliant.
The overall length is 2.20".....Federal small rifle primer
Do you trim once fired ? and what length do you trim them up to ?
thats all I can think of for now thanks
oli700 said:
I find that the resizing operation of the case tends to "stretch" some brass in the shoulder and neck area, even if only fired one time, beyond the maximum length. So after sizing I always check my case length. Then I trim to 1.750" but not all my brass is kept to that length. If it's under 1.760" I call it good if it's just going to be plinking/blasting ammo.
I haven't used IMR3031 but it's right there on the burn rate chart next to Hodgdon H335 and Accurate 2230, both of which are hugely popular powders for the .223 cartridge and both are powders I keep on hand. So I have absolutely no doubt that it'll perform quite well for you. IMRs catalog even states that IMR3031 works very well in the .223 cartridge. Is it a ball or extruded powder? Does it meter easily?
If you ever come across Federal brass marked with an FC headstamp you'll notice that the cases are unusually short, like around 1.725" and their brass is very soft (primer pockets stretch after just a few loadings and cause loose primers) so if I bother to use those cases it's meant for just one use. Typically, if I know I won't be able to pick up my brass this is what ammo I take. :mrgreen:
And I usually segregate my cases to all 5.56 LC or all R-P .223 or all Winchester .223 but frankly, since none of my ARs are scoped I really can't say I do it for accuracy reasons.
Have fun!
VitSports6
20g
I hated reloading .223, I managed only 40 out of the 50 I started with, It was my first crack at it, So there is a bit of a learning curve.
9mm, .40S&W and .45ACP were all a dream to reload though.
One of the issues I had, The bullet would tilt slightly as I pressed it into the case, I have learned that I should look for bullets with a boat tail instead of the Hornady V-Max, I should also refrain from lubing the inner neck.
But the 40 that worked out look good!
One other issue with reloading Federal cases, They crimp the primers in, Which caused a few primers to get crushed, Then I reamed out the pocket, All went well after that.
Hornady 55gr Vmax bullets
Federal .223 brass
22.2gr Ramshot TAC powder
Federal #205 small rifle primers.
9mm, .40S&W and .45ACP were all a dream to reload though.
One of the issues I had, The bullet would tilt slightly as I pressed it into the case, I have learned that I should look for bullets with a boat tail instead of the Hornady V-Max, I should also refrain from lubing the inner neck.
But the 40 that worked out look good!
One other issue with reloading Federal cases, They crimp the primers in, Which caused a few primers to get crushed, Then I reamed out the pocket, All went well after that.
Hornady 55gr Vmax bullets
Federal .223 brass
22.2gr Ramshot TAC powder
Federal #205 small rifle primers.
The 223 recipe that my buddy Rick gave me was:
22.8 gr Ramshot Tac powder, 55 gr dogtown soft point bullets to 2.205" col
I'm going to substitute the bullets for Hornady 55 gr spsx bullets and plan to use #41
primer as long as CCI says it won't change the pressures. I checked the Ramshot load data and that is well within the min/max charge.
I have never loaded, but I have shot those bullets out of my AR and they do pretty good. And considerably better than wolf.
Hopefully within the next 2 weeks I'll be able to order the rest of my reloading gear and get started.
22.8 gr Ramshot Tac powder, 55 gr dogtown soft point bullets to 2.205" col
I'm going to substitute the bullets for Hornady 55 gr spsx bullets and plan to use #41
primer as long as CCI says it won't change the pressures. I checked the Ramshot load data and that is well within the min/max charge.
I have never loaded, but I have shot those bullets out of my AR and they do pretty good. And considerably better than wolf.
Hopefully within the next 2 weeks I'll be able to order the rest of my reloading gear and get started.
VitSports6
20g
My load data is only the start load, I may work up to a little more go go juice in time, Good luck to you