Powder Choices for 223 Bolt Gun - Page 2

ArizonaRick · March 22, 2011, 11:54 AM

My Remmy 700 fat barrel likes H335 with 52gr Sierra HPBT match boolits. Also had great luck with IMR 4198 and 50gr HP Dogtown's. Also my sons 223 loves the 46 gr Rem bulk hollow points with IMR 4198 (1 full grain below max) or with 11.8gr of Bluedot (a quiet killer and very cheep way to shoot). Always use 100% visual check with a strong light when using Bluedot in the 223.

603Country · March 22, 2011, 12:07 PM

A Gamehog,

You mentioned the use of CCI small rifle mag primers with Varget. That's new info to me. I'm a reloader for many years, but only been loading for the 223 for a month or three. In all the reading I've been doing, nobody has mentioned use of anything other than standard primers. Why the mag primer with Varget? And does it really make that much difference in such a small case?

A_Gamehog · March 22, 2011, 08:24 PM

603Country,

In all my testing with Varget, when you get a load that is used in a bolt or ar-15 gun it does make a difference. I have in the past used Wolf small rifle mag's with great results also. The CCI 450 is a harder cup and works well in AR's. My most accurate loads with Varget with bullets in the 55-75 grains range all use magnum primers.Weather usually has no effect on this combo when the loads are worked up/tested in warmer months. This is only for Varget loads as many other variables come into play with other powders with different primers. It's actually given me more accuracy than the CCIBR, or the 205M federal , or the Remington 7 1/2. Lots of 600 yard shooters go with more powder but in my experience, I have over 2,000 rds with the same gas rings in my AR-15 I like a mild repeatable load in all weather conditions. At some of the shoots guys will tell you a recipe for their loads, they won't tell you powder in grains but what I gleaned from many shooters that consistently place are using the 450's with Varget. I can get over 100 rounds out with no cleaning or loss of measurable accuracy in my bolt gun or AR-15.

My match loads for the 1-9 twist .223 are:
23.0 grains Varget
CCI450 primers
Lapua Brass
75 Grain Hornady match

**Unclenick** · March 23, 2011, 09:48 PM

In 2006 Charles Petty had some testing in Handloader of a 24 grain load of Reloader 10X with the 55 grain A-max in his Cooper. He found the Remington 7 1/2 to do best, even though it had the worst shot-to-shot velocity extreme spread, but it was shooting 150 fps faster than the Federal 205.

I think many folks don't realize that when you change primer and resulting velocity, that you have changed the barrel time for the bullet, so it is exiting at a different point in the barrel deflection caused by recoil. In Mr. Petty's case, if he had upped the charge about .5 grains for the 205 primer, he'd have come up to the same barrel time as the hotter primer gave him with the lighter load, and I expect the better consistency of the lighter primer then would have showed to his advantage (at least, at longer range it would).

Since Varget is a stick powder and since it fills the case pretty well in the .223, I'd be very surprised if a correctly compensated charge weight didn't start to show the milder primers well. Wolf/Tula KVM primers have gained popularity among benchrest shooters because they are so mild that the charge weight has greater influence over the total performance of the round. But you do need to expect to run a little bit greater charge with these mild primers.

Clark · March 24, 2011, 12:03 AM

For firing 100 rounds per hour at rodents and punching paper at 100 yards, I use a wimpy load of Blue Dot and a light bullet.

If you are firing one shot a day at Coyotes, 55 gr and a hot load of H335 is more appropriate.

March 22, 2011, 11:54 AM	#26
ArizonaRick Member Join Date: November 1, 2006 Location: Southern Missouri - Ozarks Posts: 89	H335 & imr4198 My Remmy 700 fat barrel likes H335 with 52gr Sierra HPBT match boolits. Also had great luck with IMR 4198 and 50gr HP Dogtown's. Also my sons 223 loves the 46 gr Rem bulk hollow points with IMR 4198 (1 full grain below max) or with 11.8gr of Bluedot (a quiet killer and very cheep way to shoot). Always use 100% visual check with a strong light when using Bluedot in the 223.

March 22, 2011, 08:24 PM	#28
A_Gamehog Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2009 Location: Central Oregun Posts: 563	603Country, In all my testing with Varget, when you get a load that is used in a bolt or ar-15 gun it does make a difference. I have in the past used Wolf small rifle mag's with great results also. The CCI 450 is a harder cup and works well in AR's. My most accurate loads with Varget with bullets in the 55-75 grains range all use magnum primers.Weather usually has no effect on this combo when the loads are worked up/tested in warmer months. This is only for Varget loads as many other variables come into play with other powders with different primers. It's actually given me more accuracy than the CCIBR, or the 205M federal , or the Remington 7 1/2. Lots of 600 yard shooters go with more powder but in my experience, I have over 2,000 rds with the same gas rings in my AR-15 I like a mild repeatable load in all weather conditions. At some of the shoots guys will tell you a recipe for their loads, they won't tell you powder in grains but what I gleaned from many shooters that consistently place are using the 450's with Varget. I can get over 100 rounds out with no cleaning or loss of measurable accuracy in my bolt gun or AR-15. My match loads for the 1-9 twist .223 are: 23.0 grains Varget CCI450 primers Lapua Brass 75 Grain Hornady match __________________ "Happiness is knowing the Barred Owl is Eating the Spotted Owl and environmentalists are watching Nature take it's course" Last edited by A_Gamehog; March 22, 2011 at 08:46 PM.

March 23, 2011, 09:48 PM	#29
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	In 2006 Charles Petty had some testing in Handloader of a 24 grain load of Reloader 10X with the 55 grain A-max in his Cooper. He found the Remington 7 1/2 to do best, even though it had the worst shot-to-shot velocity extreme spread, but it was shooting 150 fps faster than the Federal 205. I think many folks don't realize that when you change primer and resulting velocity, that you have changed the barrel time for the bullet, so it is exiting at a different point in the barrel deflection caused by recoil. In Mr. Petty's case, if he had upped the charge about .5 grains for the 205 primer, he'd have come up to the same barrel time as the hotter primer gave him with the lighter load, and I expect the better consistency of the lighter primer then would have showed to his advantage (at least, at longer range it would). Since Varget is a stick powder and since it fills the case pretty well in the .223, I'd be very surprised if a correctly compensated charge weight didn't start to show the milder primers well. Wolf/Tula KVM primers have gained popularity among benchrest shooters because they are so mild that the charge weight has greater influence over the total performance of the round. But you do need to expect to run a little bit greater charge with these mild primers. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

March 22, 2011, 12:07 PM	#27
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	A Gamehog, You mentioned the use of CCI small rifle mag primers with Varget. That's new info to me. I'm a reloader for many years, but only been loading for the 223 for a month or three. In all the reading I've been doing, nobody has mentioned use of anything other than standard primers. Why the mag primer with Varget? And does it really make that much difference in such a small case?

March 24, 2011, 12:03 AM	#30
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	For firing 100 rounds per hour at rodents and punching paper at 100 yards, I use a wimpy load of Blue Dot and a light bullet. If you are firing one shot a day at Coyotes, 55 gr and a hot load of H335 is more appropriate.