Reloadin Redneck
New member
I've had people on other forums say they like benchmark. Can honestly say I've never shot the stuff....clean?
new to 223 rem. reloading
- Thread starter Reloadin Redneck
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RTLOF18918B
New member
Give WW748 a shot in the .223. Might be surprised. Also Re7.
Tony
Tony
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OldTurtle
Moderator - Deceased
If you are going to be doing any 'volume' loading, you need to consider using a spherical/ball powder for consistency...
I use W-748, X-Terminator, and TAC exclusively for my .204s and .223s...whether AR or bolt action..
I've tried the extruded powders, but found that the potential for 'bridging' in my dispenser causes inconsistency unless I want to take the time to trickle the last couple tenths of a grain into the pan..
That is fine for those rounds where I will just be using a few, but when loading 2-300 at a sitting, I like to be able to use my bulk dispenser...
I use W-748, X-Terminator, and TAC exclusively for my .204s and .223s...whether AR or bolt action..
I've tried the extruded powders, but found that the potential for 'bridging' in my dispenser causes inconsistency unless I want to take the time to trickle the last couple tenths of a grain into the pan..
That is fine for those rounds where I will just be using a few, but when loading 2-300 at a sitting, I like to be able to use my bulk dispenser...
ARCOREY
New member
I've used Benchmark, W748, BL-C(2), 3031, and a few others that are collecting dust on my shelf that I can't remember. I stuck with BL-C(2). I had good luck with the Sierra BlitzKings, but they were 55's and out of a 1-8" twist. The 50gr. V-max shot better for me and the 40gr. and 55gr. V-max did well also. The V-maxes have great terminal performance on groundhogs. LIke OT said, ball powder does load a little easier in the little 223. I'm working on a stack of 400 rounds now and can't imagine having to meter extruded powders and get them in the small necks easily. The BL-C(2) pours in them like water.
billt
New member
Originally Posted By: OldTurtleIf you are going to be doing any 'volume' loading, you need to consider using a spherical/ball powder for consistency.
+1
Good advice here, and more important than one might think. I'm currently in the process of loading up 2,500 rounds of .223, and I'm using H-335. It is a small grained ball powder that flows through a powder measure like water. This helps a great deal in getting very consistent powder charges. On my Dillon every charge is within 1/10th of a grain. I'm loading 25.7 grains, and this helps greatly with shot to shot consistency.
Varget is excellent powder as well which is what I use in most of my .308 loads. However I usually set my powder measure a few tenths short and trickle it up to the exact amount in the scale pan, or else dispense it in my Lyman 1200 DPS Electronic Powder Dispenser. Varget is a short stick powder. I use this same method with IMR 4831 in my .300 Win. Mag. loads. That powder is very long grained and causes shearing in my Lyman 55 measure. I can't even run it through my Redding 3-BR measure because it bridges so badly. For that I'll go with the Lyman 1200 DPS also. The more I reload, the more I'm leaning to ball powders. They meter so much better. Bill T.
+1
Good advice here, and more important than one might think. I'm currently in the process of loading up 2,500 rounds of .223, and I'm using H-335. It is a small grained ball powder that flows through a powder measure like water. This helps a great deal in getting very consistent powder charges. On my Dillon every charge is within 1/10th of a grain. I'm loading 25.7 grains, and this helps greatly with shot to shot consistency.
Varget is excellent powder as well which is what I use in most of my .308 loads. However I usually set my powder measure a few tenths short and trickle it up to the exact amount in the scale pan, or else dispense it in my Lyman 1200 DPS Electronic Powder Dispenser. Varget is a short stick powder. I use this same method with IMR 4831 in my .300 Win. Mag. loads. That powder is very long grained and causes shearing in my Lyman 55 measure. I can't even run it through my Redding 3-BR measure because it bridges so badly. For that I'll go with the Lyman 1200 DPS also. The more I reload, the more I'm leaning to ball powders. They meter so much better. Bill T.
tommyv7474
New member
Varget and 55gr v-max. 200 yards .53 3 shot group. That was the first time I shot it at 200 yards.
Fitch
New member
I realize you have different bullets, however, for varmints, especially ground hogs, I love a 40g Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet in my CZ .223. The 40g bullet is quite flat shooting, PBR is +/- 1" from line of sight between about 18 yards and 224 yards, and the terminal performance is devastating on any ground hog I've shot. You can kill a lot of ground hogs in that range.
Anyway, I load the 40g NBT seated 0.020" off the lands in FL sized Winchester Brass Filled with 28.0g of AA2460 lit by a CCI400 primer. I zero it at 200 yards. It's about an inch high at 100.
I've seen this load shoot holes touching @ 100 yards in CZ's, Remington Sporters, and a Savage Sporter, so it will probably shoot in yours with a minimum of tweaking.
Fitch
Anyway, I load the 40g NBT seated 0.020" off the lands in FL sized Winchester Brass Filled with 28.0g of AA2460 lit by a CCI400 primer. I zero it at 200 yards. It's about an inch high at 100.
I've seen this load shoot holes touching @ 100 yards in CZ's, Remington Sporters, and a Savage Sporter, so it will probably shoot in yours with a minimum of tweaking.
Fitch
BuckeyeSpecial
New member
Hey Fitch:
Lots of good bullets out there for the .223; try 52 gr. Speer HP, Sierra 40gr.HP, Hornady 50 and 55 gr. SX....they are all very adequate accuracy-wise.
The plastic tip bullets are indeed quite accurate, but they cost a bit more.
I do prefer the performance of the HP and lead tips over the plastic tips at shorter ranges (they tend to expand more reliably and almost never splash on impact) and do make it to the target when required to shoot through some foreground grass/weeds on a partially obscured groundhog.
Lots of good bullets out there for the .223; try 52 gr. Speer HP, Sierra 40gr.HP, Hornady 50 and 55 gr. SX....they are all very adequate accuracy-wise.
The plastic tip bullets are indeed quite accurate, but they cost a bit more.
I do prefer the performance of the HP and lead tips over the plastic tips at shorter ranges (they tend to expand more reliably and almost never splash on impact) and do make it to the target when required to shoot through some foreground grass/weeds on a partially obscured groundhog.
Reloadin Redneck
New member
Thanks for the advice guys....i think with everything I've been reading, I'm going to go pick up some benchmark. I'm going to build a couple loads of each and see where it gets me. Have a great weekend.....happy trails!