Reloading for my first AR15

[AngloSaxon]

Hello, I just purchased a Colt Sporter match preban hbar 20in that is about 90-95% for $900 (is that an o.k. deal?)
The rifle is 1:7 twist, what is the best overall grain of bullet that is for plinker/100-500yr shots? (I would like to get in to matches that use iron sight)

Also what do you guys prefer, 2 stage dies (RCBS) or 3 stage (Dillon)

I am new to hi power/competition rifles, so please school me.
Thanks

[tom234]

When there isn't a ban what's a pre-ban ?
Your cheapest plinking bullets will most likely be generic 55 gr FMJBT. Midway sells them for $73/1000 but shop for a better price: http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=221585

[KCB]

Save yourself some frustration and wasted time. Get SMALL BASE resizing dies for your AR reloading. I use the RCBS with great results.

[snuffy]

Save yourself some frustration and wasted time. Get SMALL BASE resizing dies for your AR reloading. I use the RCBS with great results.

Unnecessary! They will overwork your brass and put too much strain on your press.

The 1-7 twist will do better with bullets 60 grains on up to 80 grainer's. 55 grain bullets will be over spun in that fast twist.

When there isn't a ban what's a pre-ban ?

He's talking about the clintoon A.R. ban that Bush let expire.

[Tim R]

Congrats on the rifle. With a 7 to 1 twist you can shoot the good bullets. With my 6.5 to 1 and my 7 to 1 match uppers I have shot 52 gr. to 80 gr. SMK's at matches. I also use 52's for practice on 100 yard reduced targets. I just got off the phone with one of my shooting pardners and we discussed using 90's as there is a 1000 yard service rifle match coming up. For across the course, 2 to 600, I use 77's and then switch to 80's at 600. I could just shoot my 308 M-1 but I shoot better with the AR.

Brass: Use only Winchester or Lake City. With Lake City you will have to remove the crimp one time. I prefer to swag the primer as it gives me better feel when seating the primer. Stay away from any Federal 223 brass. The best money I've spent to date is a primer pocket uniforming tool.

For powder I use Reloder 15. Primers I use Remington 7 1/2's and in a pinch, I can also use CCI SR BR's. Both seem to print about the same.

For Dies:

I use a Hornaday Match bushing die for sizing and a Forster Ultra Match seating die. I like the Hornaday because I can adjust how much neck tension the brass has to hold the bullet just by changing a bushing. Havn't done this yet. I don't use a small base die as I found there is no reason for it. If you adjust your size die to touch the shell holder, and then give it another 1/4 turn down, you should be just fine. Using a good case lube important though. I use RCBS case lube II on a case pad. The case lube then wipes off with a damp rag.

The Forster seating die, well there is simply none better.

Good luck, I hope I helped a little.

[AngloSaxon]

Thank you Tim, that was very helpful.

I think I start with 55gr for the general "fun" and then start experimenting with long distance shots.

For the brass I was thinking this place:
http://www.tjconevera.com/1000-once-...-processe.html
or this:
http://secure.cartsvr.net/catalogs/c...showprevnext=1
any comments?

Thanks

[Sevens]

I've got a buddy with the same exact rifle and the same barrel twist and he can't get any use from 55-grain bullets. It enjoys 62-grain and heavier. Were I you, I wouldn't buy 55-grainers in boxes of 500!

[Waldog]

I also have a 1 in 7 twist and it has terrible accuracy with 55 gr bullets. But, it is a tack driver with 62gr and up.

My best accuracy is with VARGET powder.

[UniversalFrost]

Get SMALL BASE resizing dies for your AR reloading

yes!

Small base full length sizer is a must in a semi auto. sure brass life will go down a bit, but you won't have to worry about failure to feed or eject.

[snuffy]

I think I start with 55gr for the general "fun" and then start experimenting with long distance shots.

For the brass I was thinking this place:
http://www.tjconevera.com/1000-once-...-processe.html
or this:
http://secure.cartsvr.net/catalogs/c...showprevnext=1
any comments?

Thanks

Both of those sources say "military brass". That could be just about anything that's .223 caliber and has a military headstamp. If you're looking at the possibility of some day loading very precise ammo, then finding enough of the same type AND year would be hard to do. look into a supplier that says "all LC,(lake city), headstamps. That's good brass.

I just received shipment from www.gibrass.com Jeff Bartlett's outfit. I opted for 1000 all LC UNPROCESSED, $60.00. I've found cases so smashed that they'll never be usable. Some were obviously left out in the weather for a year, chocolate brown. The rest is very serviceable, I'm in the process of tumbling, swaging primer pockets, trimming and getting ready to load them. NEXT time I WILL pay the additional $15.00 for processed brass. That means the smashed weigh counted brass will be gone.

yes!

Small base full length sizer is a must in a semi auto. sure brass life will go down a bit, but you won't have to worry about failure to feed or eject.

Now 2 people have said that, two have said don't bother. It qualifies for urban,(handloading), myth. A solution to a problem that doesn't exist. I load for my bushmaster AR, and for a buddy that has 5 AR's with match barrels, using standard Hornady FL dies. No problem with feeding, chambering, or ejecting! Now one place that the SB die MAY be needed, is when using military brass that was fired in machine guns. The above mentioned brass is said to be "some fired in a SAW",(squad automatic weapon). Those MAY be a little big for my chamber, BUT if they clear my cartridge gauge, they'll feed and fire in my bushy. I MAY have to eat my words, buy a SB die!:barf:

[Alleykat]

I've reloaded and fired thousands of rounds though my Bushy, using either a standard Lee die or the RCBS X die for sizing. Haven't had a failure to feed yet. DON'T use the small base die, unless you can't get "standard" dies to work with your rifle.

[Tim R]

yes!

Small base full length sizer is a must in a semi auto. sure brass life will go down a bit, but you won't have to worry about failure to feed or eject.

Sorry Universalfrost, I must be doing something wrong here. I have not had feeding or ejecting problems with any of the 308, '06 and 223 I've loaded for my service rifles, which by the way, are all autoloaders. I even won money at Perry last year with a M-1A I'd never shot before using some of my reloads.

Granted, an AR will let you know if you didn't set your size die up right. The only problems I've had with brass is when I tried to use once fired Federal brass. I'll stay with Lake City.

Keep in mind I will do everything to make sure my ammo feeds and ejects. Any ammo problems during a match could cost me points and I don't like giving away points for stupid reasons. I did have a round fail to fire this last Feb. in a match which I ended up winning by 3 lousy points. I was happy the fail to fire happened during off hand in which each round is loaded one at a time. If the bad round had been loaded during the rapid fire stages, I would have had to refire and if I shot a couple of nines I could have lost. The match was that close.

Snuffy, sorry to hear about your culls. I have ordered from GI brass several times and have always had gotten some good brass. I like to process the brass my self as well.

[AngloSaxon]

I am really confused now.

What are the main differences between small base and regular full-length dies? are these the ones I want? http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...170&t=11082005
or this:http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...502&t=11082005
or this:http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...698&t=11082005

And should I go with 60gr and up? or try the 55gr in 1:7? It seems there are two schools of thought.

And as for the brass-where do you guys get yours? (online vendors)

Again thank you for the help

[Tim R]

There are some cheap off brand 55 gr. bullets which don't shoot very well. I think if you stay with the major makers, they should shoot just fine. Your 7 to 1 twist will shoot them. As I said in one of my previous post, I've shot 52 gr. SMK's out of my 6.5 to 1 twist without problem. The nice thing about a 7 to 1 is they will shoot the heavy bullets. 77 gr. SMK's will cover 300 yards and both my match uppers shoot them very well.

The dies you have listed are not ones I myself would use if I were going to try to shoot some matches. You can not go wrong with Forster. Some people like Redding but the seat die won't stand up to loading the 77's as it is a compressed load if using Varget or Re-15. Again, if you have a properly set up size die the use of small base dies in a AR is not needed. Let me say it again. Small based dies are not needed. Your Colt chamber is not that tight.

I buy mostly Lake City from GI Brass as he does a good job. OK Weber has a little better deal on the match kings.

[AngloSaxon]

Thank you again for making it clear Tim.

[Alleykat]

Once again, I find myself agreeing with Tim. I just loaded up 700 rounds of .223 for my Bushmaster, using LC brass that'd been "100% processed" from Scharch's. I used a Wilson case gage to verify that headspace was correct and ran all the "new" brass through a Lee f.l. sizing die, just to insure neck concentricity.

I used 23.5 gr of AA2200, behind bulk 55gr Winchester fmjbt bullets. I've never gotten great accuracy from the Winchester bulk bullets, but they offer decent "plinkin'" accuracy.

One of the main reasons for AR feeding failures caused by reloading, in my experience, is the improper adjustment of the sizing die for correct shoulder-bumping, in order to provide correct headspacing.

[IHC]

I have two colt AR15's, bought new in the early 90's - sporter and Hbar (20" barrels and 1-7 twist).

Back then I used to like Federal / AE brass. I've since started to reload again, and can only say that Federal/AE is JUNK. I wonder what happened between then and now....? I don't reload hot and get neck splits at the second reload! I don't buy Federal/AE anymore. Needless to say, more than a little disappointed. Like Remington best and Winchester second. Just me.

I was at the range two weeks ago and met a fellow who has a bushmaster with 16" barrel, 1-7 twist. We were comparing reload data and surprised to see that we both found the same bullet to be a tack drivers for all three of our guns at 100 yds: Hornday 53 gr HP Match. Don't know why, but great results!

[73-Captain]

AngloSaxon,

There are a lot of want to be experts on this forum and when it comes to Servive Rifle Shooting, one REAL expert I know of on this forum.

Forget everything anyone else has told you.

Listen to ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING "Tim R" tells you!!!

On this forum, when it comes to Servive Rifle Shooting, he is THE expert.

I've been reloading for almost 30 years and he is FAR ahead of me in both shooting and reloading.

I'd especially have to second his advise on the small base dies. Only time I've known anyone to need a small base die is when there is some other problem with their reloading.

C.

[AngloSaxon]

Thank you for the advice Captain.

So far I got 1K of LC brass, 2 pounds of h335 and 1K CCISR primers.
I've loaded 10 rounds with 24g to try on the range this wednesday an see how it performs.

Any other suggestions for good powder for this caliber?