Need help I'm lost

O

ohihunter2014

New member
Trying to make my first 223 batch with h335 55gr Hornady soft point Lyman says 24.3min 27max

Hodgdon says 23min 25.3 max and Hornady 9th says 20.8min 23.2max

Hornady list it as soot point but the others say spitzer

Why such the far different charges? I'm getting a little worried about doing this.
 
Different pressure barrels, different components, different chamberings etc. Choice of cartridge case is a biggy BTW as they have different capacities.

I would load to the same same brand book and if it looks good go on up a bit more using my chronograph as an indicate and visual case inspection.

No three books will ever agree on a load. They are just guidelines that should be looked at but none are carved in concrete. Different temperatures and altitude can even make a difference as you will soon learn.

The 223is pretty forgiving and following a book usually means worst scene scenario is a pierced or blown primer. Start low and work up. On the 223 try 0.3 grain increments.

Greg
 
/\ /\ /\ /\.
Good advice Greg.

A spitzer is a pointy bullet. Many refer to any pointed soft point as spitzers. They are the same thing.
 
OHI; I live at 4000 elev. and hunt at about 8000 Elv. and the loads that I use here with no signs of over pressure are way over loaded when I shot some in S.Dak.I had to pound the bolt open. When I got home they shoot great here with no problems. GLShooter is right the books are guide lines and not carved in stone.
 
i load for about 12 different calibers, & use mainly hodgon extreme powders. therefore I use hodgon data, & have never experienced any problems. they now have imr & winchester as well. use hodgon's website and forget it.
 
Originally Posted By: BearOHI; I live at 4000 elev. and hunt at about 8000 Elv. and the loads that I use here with no signs of over pressure are way over loaded when I shot some in S.Dak.I had to pound the bolt open. When I got home they shoot great here with no problems. GLShooter is right the books are guide lines and not carved in stone.

Both altitude and temperature have a pretty big effect on BC. But how does altitude affect pressure? And why? I'm at 6500' elevation and shoot at from about 4500 to maybe 8000 or so. My loads are usually pretty stout and worked up at 6500 I've not had problems with them at lower elevation. So. Dakota gets really hot in summer and the prairie can be well over 100 by 9:30am.......are you sure it wasn't temperature making your loads too hot? I've had 17MIV loads that were fine at sea level, blow primer pockets and stick the bolt at No. Nevada elevation......it was also 30* hotter and a temp sensitive powder. Also happened shooting in AZ... lower alt. but 100* and more. Fine at sea level and cooler.
 
If you are using Hornady Bullets then go with the Hornady Book. Unless you are starting at Max,, then you should not have any problems. If Hornady is calling their bullet a soft point then use that data for a soft point. You know what it says on the box of bullets and use that information to determine what your load need to be. Have you gotten a chronograph yet? if not stay at the lower powder charges and work up. If you have a chronograph, then you can start closer to Max.
Next to a really good scale the chronograph is your best friend.

Use the book for the bullets you purchased, since the bullets are designed by that Manufacturer and they know the velocities and pressures at which the bullets will give the best performance.
 
Last edited:
Chrono or not I would never recommend someone starting close to max. Regardless this could prove dangerous. Especially for someone just starting out. Heck he could set the chrono up wrong on accident and then where would that leave him.
 

Good advice already given by everyone. I too don't rely on a Chrony to determine what is safe in my rifle. I only use it as an aid to what the loads are doing. A good rule of thumb is to start low and work up. If in doubt, do lower charges first. Many times you can get a good starting point by comparing manuals, something that appears safe in all of them.

I generally shoot a round or two on a lower charge, then a round on a medium charge, and then work up slowly from there, maybe going .5 gr increments until I get within a couple of grains of max., then I go .2 gr etc to refine it. Rifles are indeed individuals. While one may take a compressed load, others will not tolerate a load even a few grains less. You won't know until you try.

A case in point - when I was relatively new at reloading, I had a .270 that would accept a full compressed load (Jack O'Connor load). I sold that rifle and had a few rounds left over. Later I purchased another 270 in a different make of rifle. I got the old loads mixed with the newer ones. One shot blew the extractor out. I finally had to back the load down almost three whole grains to be safe in that rifle.

So, take it easy and enjoy. A little time and judicious loading will be time well spent.

 
Start at a moderate load. Don't look for speed, look for accuracy. Somewhere along the way, you will find the accurate load for your rifle. Your groups will get smaller and then start to get larger as you increase powder charge a couple of tenths of a grain at a time. When that happens, you will have found your near perfect load for your rifle with that bullet.
 
I loaded H335 in 222 mag with several bullet weights and manufacturer. Had flat primers and hard bolt lift 2 to 3 grains below max in several different manuals. Had excellent velocity and accuracy 3 grains below max
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top