Suggest powder and bullets please. +1 question

[baddarryl]

Hi all. I am getting ready to start loading for my 1:9 twist 16 inch AR. I am a little lost as to what it will shoot best. I have tried it with several 55gr factory loads and 1 62gr factory load. The 62's shot best, but obviously hard to find a variance of that on the shelves. I am going to order small quantities online and want to try a few different. I am not even sure where to begin honestly when considering powders and bullets. As the combinations are endless can you suggest where to start? I obviously want better than factory ammo, but no need to spring for the high dollar match stuff.

Question: Are .223 and 5.56 cases the same? In other words can I load 5.56 to .223 data if my cases are mixed and visa versa? I know, better to separate cases, but I am wondering this. I know not to load .223 to 5.56 levels. Thank you.

[nhyrum]

.223 and 5.56 cases are NOT the same. They are designed for different pressures, and I think there are small dimensional changes

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[Reloadron]

Suggest powder and bullets please. +1 question
Hi all. I am getting ready to start loading for my 1:9 twist 16 inch AR. I am a little lost as to what it will shoot best. I have tried it with several 55gr factory loads and 1 62gr factory load. The 62's shot best, but obviously hard to find a variance of that on the shelves. I am going to order small quantities online and want to try a few different. I am not even sure where to begin honestly when considering powders and bullets. As the combinations are endless can you suggest where to start? I obviously want better than factory ammo, but no need to spring for the high dollar match stuff.

Question: Are .223 and 5.56 cases the same? In other words can I load 5.56 to .223 data if my cases are mixed and visa versa? I know, better to separate cases, but I am wondering this. I know not to load .223 to 5.56 levels. Thank you.

The 1:9 twist barrel offers a nice range of bullets which should deliver good accuracy being not too fast or not too slow. The bullets become a matter of what you want to spend and load as to ammunition. Personally I like bullets in the 69 grain range give or take a little. The .223 Remington cartridge offers a wide range of suitable powders, the little cartridge is pretty forgiving when it comes to powders. Personally I like stick type powders like IMR 4895, Varget and VihtaVuori N-135 and N-140 but there are no shortage of really good ball or spherical powders like H-335, CFE 223, Win 748 and BL-C(2) to name a few.

I also believe the cartridge dimensions for the .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO are identical with only the chambers being different, the 5.56 NATO having a longer throat or leade. Even with that the actual .223 Remington chambers may vary between manufacturers. Anyway, I have yet to see a difference in the case dimensions.

Anyway, get yourself a good loading manual and work from published load data seeing what works best for your rifle. Bullets in different weights and profiles run from cheap bulk to more expensive match grades. The idea behind making quality ammunition lies in keeping all the features uniform like any other rifle cartridge.

Ron

[Mike38]

I have had very good results loading the .223 / 5.56 with both CFE223 and IMR3031.

[603Country]

I get excellent accuracy with H335 powder and 40 and 55 gr Nosler BT's and 65 gr Sierra GK's. In the past, I also got really good accuracy with AA2230 and the 65 gr GK's, and Varget with the 55 gr Noslers.

My rifle has the 1 in 9 twist.

[firewrench044]

When you resize your cases you will use a 223 die
for both 223 and 5.56 cases
most manuals recommend trimming to 1.750

I have 2 ARs with 16 inch 1/9 twist barrels
both shoot best with Sierra 69gr MK with Varget powder

Some loaders have found they need a magnum primer
to get a complete powder burn in the 16 inch barrel
with some ball powders

I would not recommend mixed cases for any type of accuracy
blasting ammo its ok

[Unclenick]

Originally Posted by nhyrum

.223 and 5.56 cases are NOT the same. They are designed for different pressures, and I think there are small dimensional changes

Not so. The small dimensional differences have always been in the chambers, not the brass. 223 Remington is a commercialized 5.56, as Remington developed the military's brass for the cartridge. Moreover, in 2012 ATK, who manages the Lake City ammunition plant, brought its pressure measuring equipment and other practices in line with commercial equipment and practices in order to get interchangeability for easier supply in a crunch. If you look at Natchez's out of stock Lake City 223 Brass, it is all labeled Federal Lake City 223 brass, as it was made by Federal for Lake City. Other than the head stamp and not polishing off the annealing stain, I don't believe it is any different from their standard production for 5.56 loads, like their XM193 and XM885.

More comparative information is available here.

Baddarryl,

You can buy the commercial ammo in bulk from Natchez. But if you are looking for good bullets for a 9" twist, it should do OK with anything up to the 69 grain match bullets. The 77 grain match bullets have had mixed results reported, with them stabilizing better in some guns than in others. Your shorter barrel will produce less velocity than more standard sizes, which puts your bullets at a higher drag coefficient than faster ones, and thus less likely to stabilize well at the longer end of the shape range, so anything over the 69's I wouldn't bother trying, and even they may be on the edge with the short barrel.

The Hornady 52 grain A-max may do alright in it. Try something tame like that bullet or the Sierra 53 grain MatchKing over IMR4198 and see how it goes. The MatchKing has given me very good results with that powder at near the Hodgdon maximum of 21.4 grains.

[FM12]

My most accurate powder in .223 was H335.

[Chainsaw.]

Pretty hard to go wrong with todays modern powders so long as you are using powders in spec for rifle. Personally benchmark has become my favorite. AR comp is a good one. 8208xbr is not bad.

For bulk "plinking" ammo I mix any and all cases. For more precise stuff I stick to singke head stamp stuff. All with great results.

[HJ857]

baddaryl, just to clarify - is accuracy your actual primary goal?

[MosinM39]

Nice thing about .223, so many powders work well with it. For many practical reasons, like .45 ACP, it's a really good choice for people who like to shoot a lot and reload.

[baddarryl]

baddaryl, just to clarify - is accuracy your actual primary goal?

I am going to load for both, but in reality I rarely plink anymore.