Best powder for the 223

OkieOutlaw

OkieOutlaw

New member
New to reloading at least for the 223. I have loaded my own for 243 and 44mag for several years and am wondering what powder you guys recomend for the 223 cartridge. Have a good supply of CCI small rifle magnum primers and several hundred CCi small rifle primers as well as an ample supply of 55 grain FMJ and JSP bullets. Gimme some ideas on good loads.
 
Since you're reloading for the 243, check out a reloading manual and see if that powder is also listed for the 223.
A lot are---H380 IMR 3031 Blc2 and the list goes on and on and on.
I use H 380 in a lot of different chamberings and calibers, not the best in all but usually acceptable if you dont mind a little dirt. It's not the cleanest powder out there!!!!!
 
I will use TAC for future reloading of 223's
meters well great accuracy.... good velocity and can get enough in case to go as far as you want to go with pressures ..... burns clean....TAC would be a little better with 55 gr bullets than my other 2 favorite 223 powders....

super powder for 223 is VN 133.... with 50 gr bullets .... tremendous velocity and tremendous accuracy..... 25.X of vn 133 and 50 gr vmax or sra BK is a great great load.... Costs a little more than TAC and I can use TAC for 204's also... but VN 133 is super.. super... near 22-250 velocities safely out of a 223....

my next favorite powder for 223 is Accurate 2015... again with 50 gr bullets... the first really good loads I ever loaded for anything were a 223 wiwth 2015 and 50 gr vmax.... All i would use for several years was 2015... and good velocity and performance.....

R
 
Originally Posted By: hm1996H335 works very well w/55 gr. bullets in 223. Regards, hm
H335 was developed as a military powder for the 5.56 NATO....aka 223Rem...
 
A great powder (perfect?) designed for the 40-55 grain bullets in the .223 is Ramshot XTerminator; also meters great. Also consider Ramshot TAC for the heavier bullets i.e. 55-63, meters well also.
 
Originally Posted By: BuckeyeSpecialA great powder (perfect?) designed for the 40-55 grain bullets in the .223 is Ramshot XTerminator; also meters great. Also consider Ramshot TAC for the heavier bullets i.e. 55-63, meters well also.

+1 I use 3031 and X-Terminator
 
Originally Posted By: Bob TobergteVarget or Benchmark.

Yeah, me too. In that order as well.

Varget may not give me the highest speeds, but it does give me the best accuracy. All the velocity in the world does you no good if you cant hit what you are aiming at.
 
With the CCI mag. primers I try and stick with spherical powders, based on the Speer manual. I've used both Win 748 and H 335 with 52 gr. and 55 gr. bullets with good luck.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

.223 Remington
Bullet-----------------------Powder-------Primer
55 gr. Speer SP w/cannalure 25.0 gr. H335 SR Mag.
55 gr. Speer SP w/cannalure 26.5 gr. W748 SR Mag.

Use at your own risk, but I've fired hundreds of them in the AR and Mini-14's without a problem.


 
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Originally Posted By: Droopyfur2Since you're reloading for the 243, check out a reloading manual and see if that powder is also listed for the 223.
A lot are---H380 IMR 3031 Blc2 and the list goes on and on and on.
I use H 380 in a lot of different chamberings and calibers, not the best in all but usually acceptable if you dont mind a little dirt. It's not the cleanest powder out there!!!!!

+1 you most likely have powder already that will work. I've used TAC, H322, H380, Varget, BLC2 and AA2015 so far and at 1oo yards all are at least MOA. A very forgiving caliber....
 
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My .223's push either 52 gr HP, 55 gr SP, or 50 gr. V-max. I have pretty much settled on the latter for coyotes.

Powder-wise, I've used primarily BL/C2. I started playing around with W748 and it shot almost exactly the same as the BL/C2. Then I tried some Ramshot X-terminator and that's probably what I'll use from now on. It's smooth shooting, clean, easy metering, and a good price. Also tightened my groups just a hair.
 
Benchmark and Win 748... I use Benchmark mainly in all my loads.. But I got one AR that LOVES Win 748 with a Nosler 55 grain BT..
 


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