| Author | Post |
|---|
Blackhat
HB Life Member
| Joined: | 2 January 2006 |
| Location: | New Braunfels, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 151 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: 26 June 2008 02:23 PM |
|
There appears to be a shortage of 223 hunting ammo on the market. Does anyone reload for their AR? What type of powder/loads have you come up with and is there anything to look out for?
I am going to pull some bullets in some military stuff and replace them with same weight Nosler/Hornady expanding bullets. Any comments?
|
40twist
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 15 June 2008 |
| Location: | Leola, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 41 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: 26 June 2008 06:18 PM |
|
| I reload tons of 5.56 .... I like to use hodgdon bl-c(2) ... not sure what to look out for really ... if ur reloading mil brass watch out for primer pocket crimps my AR loves BL-C with 55 grainers ermmm 26.8 grains ... the target you see in my avatar is two 3 shot groups at 100 yards with that load .... just check ur basics case length , coal etc and ull be good Last edited on 26 June 2008 06:20 PM by 40twist
|
72coupe
Handloading Master
| Joined: | 11 June 2006 |
| Location: | Iowa Park, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 1493 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: 27 June 2008 03:27 AM |
|
| What you suggest is done by match shooters and called Mexican match. It will not be as good as a good handload. The only thing that might be a problem will be neck tension because of the release of pulling the bullet out.
____________________
Reloader since 1969.
|
wolfkill
Handloading Master
|
Posted: 27 June 2008 05:01 AM |
|
My understanding is it is better to use a fast powder with the AR-15. I did go with 19.5 gr of IMR4198 and Noslers 55 grain Ballistic Tip for accuracy but that load is minimum and would on occasion fail to feed.
Seems to me I dropped a mule deer with it one year in Nevada. I was quite pleased with the bullet and it had been a 200 plus yard shot. The internal damage was as good as my 30-06's in some ways.
How big of game are you hunting though?
____________________
Notice to womenfolk visiting my cabin...the following comments will be ignored:
"There's mice living in my mattress."
"The outhouse is full."
"I smell something dead under the cabin."
http://buckmountainchateau.com
|
Blackhat
HB Life Member
| Joined: | 2 January 2006 |
| Location: | New Braunfels, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 151 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: 27 June 2008 01:37 PM |
|
I'm going to carry it as a truck gun for coyotes. It is only a 16" barrel and pretty light. I mainly use a 22-250 when I am calling. I know that with a 16" barrel my velocity will be limited. So I am pretty sure I will have to use a fast powder. I read on another post that I may have to use small base dies. Does anyone have any comments on that? I have no experience with working with military ammo. What exactly is meant by crimped primers and how will they effect my reloading of that brass?
I pulled one bullet on what I believe to be military ammo. The brass is annealed and bullet is crimped at the connelure. The brass is headstamped with month/year and I believe some letters. The cardboard boxes the stuff comes in is white with caliber, ball type, lot number and the letters MAL then month/year of manufacture, ie. MAL 4-84. The bullet that was pulled was a 55 gr. FMJ boattail with a connelure and open base with exposed lead. Strangely enough the bullets look like some Winchester 55 gr. FMJ that I have. Anyway I seated a Nosler 55gr. Ballistic Tip in the already charged case. The cartridge champbered just fine. I will do the same with some more and give them a try.
Any more info would be appreciated!
|
72coupe
Handloading Master
| Joined: | 11 June 2006 |
| Location: | Iowa Park, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 1493 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: 27 June 2008 02:04 PM |
|
I doubt that a small base die will be required. I have one but almost never use it.
No matter what anyone says, 4198 is not a suiteable powder for AR15s. True you can shoot incredibly small groups with it but the pressure curve is just not right for an AR15.
____________________
Reloader since 1969.
|
3006 user
Gold Sponsor
| Joined: | 30 July 2007 |
| Location: | Denver Area, Colorado USA |
| Posts: | 297 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: 27 June 2008 02:57 PM |
|
Blackhat...My Bushmaster w/ 16" bbl likes just about any powder suitable for .223/5.56x45mm, such as Varget, H335, BLC2, Accurate 2230 and 2520. I'm sure there are many more in that range I haven't tried.
As far as small base dies are concerned, I have not found them to be necessary in my BM or my Ruger Ranch. The regular RCBS dies I use work just fine with several different brands of brass. Have never used the forward assist.
I have tried many different load and bullet combinations, and have found that 60 to 69gr bullets shoot the best for me, with my current load of a 62gr Speer FMJ w/ Accurate 2520 being very accurate.
Primers..I used R-P 7 1/2 until I ran out and then to CCI 450. I have never had a primer failure, even with regular small rifle primers. At this time, I'm using CCI 41 (mil-spec) with the 62gr Speer mostly because these were the cheapest on the shelf when the current "shortage" started.
cases..I have found that some current Winchester cases have crimped primer pockets. Even had some Federal with crimped pockets. Government contract??? A few months ago, I bought some Lake City new, uncrimped brass from Cheaper Than Dirt. They appear to be seconds because of the staining on them. Big deal, they shoot just fine.
One thing I might mention....Buy a Lee factory crimp die and use it for your .223 loads. It adds a reloading step, but it's well worth the extra effort to make sure there will be no bullet set-back when chambering.
It may look like I'm all over the map with my loading info... I am! To me that's the name of the game----experimenting.
Bottom line.. don't feel handicapped with a 16" bbl, after all, the military sets their zero at 300 meters!!
Good shooting
|
40twist
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 15 June 2008 |
| Location: | Leola, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 41 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: 27 June 2008 03:51 PM |
|
yep .. experimenting is the name of the game , and to answer your question about the primer crimps , you need to either swage or ream the crimp out of the primer pocket , if it had one , before you can properly seat a new primer. Oh and 3006 yes I totally agree with the 60 - 69 grain bullets they all shoot very well in my 1/7 barrel above that starts to get iffy
|
40twist
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 15 June 2008 |
| Location: | Leola, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 41 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: 27 June 2008 06:06 PM |
|
| I meant 1/9 barrel I have a 16" barrel and it shoots 1moa at 200 yards also ... Im at work now but ill post a pic of a 200 yd target when I get home . I also never use small base dies ... I just dont need to Last edited on 27 June 2008 06:12 PM by 40twist
|
3006 user
Gold Sponsor
| Joined: | 30 July 2007 |
| Location: | Denver Area, Colorado USA |
| Posts: | 297 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: 27 June 2008 07:01 PM |
|
40twist, I also have to remember about twist rates. My Ruger ranch is a 187 series with the 1-in-7 twist. I know that there are detractors of the Mini 14 who have found that rifle to be inaccurate. However, mine is sometimes more accurate than my BM with selected loads.
Lately I have been in Western Colorado visiting friends who are gun nuts too. Favorite shooting is out in the desert blasting pesky rocks at over 200-250 yards. Can't tell you group size, but hitting head-size rocks from standing at those ranges with my .223 rifles is plenty good with my over-the-hill skills.
Once in a while we can connect wth my friend's .500 S&W, and sometimes with his .460. That one is not fun after a cylinder full!!! Good shooting.
|
Blackhat
HB Life Member
| Joined: | 2 January 2006 |
| Location: | New Braunfels, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 151 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: 28 June 2008 05:56 PM |
|
| Thanks for the info, gents!
|
johndefresno
HB Full Member
|
Posted: 6 August 2008 05:00 AM |
|
I load something for my son-in-law's Ruger Mini-14 Ranch (18.5 in barrel) rifle, and he's quite happy with it. He has already dropped a running coyote with an angling shot at a moderate distance and is very happy with it. It shot smaller groups on paper than two boxes of 55 gr. factory ammo that we tried.
BL-C(2) Hodgdon 26.6 gr., Hornady #22271 55 gr. V-Max bullet, R-P brass, WIN WSR Small rifle primers, 2.250 inches cartridge overall length - mostly straight from the book.
Estimated MV from correlated data (NOT yet chronoe'd) around 2,900 fps for this rifle. This is a moderate, apparently accurate load for the rifle that being used; Hornady lists 28.1 as max.
This might be worth a try. It is our favorite load so far.
Last edited on 6 August 2008 05:03 AM by johndefresno
____________________
Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served... or the gods...in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
|
Current time is 01:09 PM | |
|
