.223 loads

[whippy]

g'day, i am just starting out shooting f standard, i need some advice and info on loads for a .223. i will be using lapua cases with 80 gn. sierra projectiles. the powder i will be using is ar 2206. i have been told to start with 24 gns. any advice will be very much appreciated.

[RobH]

Hi Wippy
If you start with 24 gns of 2206 it might be the last thing you do. The ADI handbook lists max loads for 223 as 2206-22.5 gns : 2206H-24 gns :2208-25 gns.
RobH

[whippy]

thanks for the warning,rob. it shows that it pays to get another opinion. maybe the person who told me 24gns meant 2206h. anyway much appreciated.

[Barry T]

Hello whippy, this load of mine is for serria 69 hpbts. it is 24.1 grain of ar2206(not ar 2206h).o.a.l is 60.1 mm in lapua brass and rem 7 1/2 small primers,.i use a savage with 1 in 9 twist ,26 inch barrel. this load i used out to 700yards with no problems and 800 yards on some days,but work up slowly,as you should.
another load i used in a rugar 1 in 8 twist was 23.7 ar 2208 with serria 80 grain hpbt and 60.0 mm o.a.l but again work up slowly.

cheers from barry.

[whippy]

any info i get will be helpful. thank you and good shooting.

[peter t]

Hi Whippy
I have shot f/s for years the most accurate load in my 223 for f/s is 24.1 gns 2206H, Lapua match casses, 80 gn SMK's mollyed
& seated 25 thou off the lands, CCI b/r primers. Run all casses through a Redding body die then a Lee collet die to do the necks & trim casses to
1.755 inch each reload, I have shot several 60's with the above combination. I have tried several different loads & powders but none as good as the above load. you didn't say which Lapua casses you have if they are the MATCH casses OK BUT if they are the old Lapua casses which are thicker start off with 23.5 gns and work up a load.
gotta love those 223's
V Bull
peter t

[Iggy]

G'day whippy et al

I have been reading this thread and thought I would post my loads. For my Savage 16FSS 1:9 twist 22 inch barrel, the load is: 69gr SMK; Lapua .223 Rem Match cases; CCI BR-4 primers; 25.4 gr AR2208; OAL 57.4 mm [2.260 in]. This load should be good to 700 yards, I am yet to try the 80 gr SMKs but think I will need a longer barrel if I am going to use them up to 1000 yards.

Barry T

I am interested in how you arrived at the 60.1 mm (2.366 inches) OAL. I have been trying [without success] in determining the OAL that will have the 69 gr SMK touching the lands in my barrel. Any tips?

[Tony Q]

G’day Iggy

Mate you could try the following method if you do not have access to a stony point OAL gauge,

Make a dummy round and keep it to one side for calibrating your dies should you ever need to re set them.

1. Full length or neck size a case
2. Do NOT put a primer or powder charge in it.
3. Seat a bullet so the case is JUST holding it in place
4. Feed the case into your breach and close the bolt
5. You will feel the resistance of the bullet touching the lands while you close the bolt.
6. The bullet will be pushed further into the case as you close the bolt because of the pressure/force created
7. Extract the case and you will see marks on the projectile (these are the lands) and there is no need to worry about these.
8. Set your seating die accordingly to this seated length if you desire a Jamb set up, or wind a few more turns on the die if you desire a Jump. Your die instructions will tell you how many turns per 10 thou.

Hope this helps.

Tony

P.s. Depending on how long your throat is depends on how much seating depth inside the case you can achieve. Regardless it is normally desired to have at least 1x bullet diameter seated into the case, it the case of a 223 that would be 5.56mm inside the case.

For me, and my long throated 308, I only have ½ x bullet diameter inside my case (4mm, excluding boat tail), it works for me so I don’t mind.

[Iggy]

Thanks Tony Q

I tried a method similar to this but coating the projectile with soot to get an indication of touching the lands. All I got was indistinct marks on the projectile and dirty fingers. Will try this and see if I can get a better indication of OAL.

Thanks

[Tony Q]

Yep, soot everywhere!

I forget to add that the marks that will show on the projectile will be elongated, this is because the force used to close the bolt not only pushed the projectile into the case but also into the lands. If you use the start of the mark (closest to the bullet tip) as a guide for seating then this is equivalent to seating on the lands.

Leaving it ‘as is’ is equivalent to a full Jamb.

Finally the amount of jump or jamb you have is directly proportional to final grouping accuracy for your set up, or if you go with a Jamb please remember to check for potential/additional pressure signs.

I feel its always best to start with a jump and work up to a Jamb.

Tony.

[pjifl]

A few general comments about seating depth.

There are all sorts of ways to go about measuring it and the suggestions given here is a good approach.

I do not think it is possible to measure to +/- 1 thou so take 'precise' quotes from others with a grain of salt.

Also , ammo runout may induce false readings, so check this is not excessive before any measurement.

It also changes with number of shots fired as the barrel throat wears, so, unless you follow up on it, OAL looses its real meaning.

Peter Smith.

[peter t]

Iggy
Having loaded over 5000 223's there is only one true way to set bullet depth to my way of thinking, you will need (1) Stoney Point Guage
(2) A 223 ogive guage (3) A Redding micrometer bullet seater
(4) A good micrometer
(1) Seat the bullet in the stoney point guage so it's touching the lands & lock the guage & remove, if you have done it properly the bullet will stay in the lands tap the rifle & it will fall out.
(2) Place the bullet back in the case in the S/P guage
(3) Place the 223 ogive guage over the bullet, then measure the overall length of the case with bullet seated over the ogive guage this will give you a very accurate measurement to the OAL to the ogive.
(4) Now using you're micrometer bullet seater you can very accuratly seat the bullet to any seating depth required
Never try to get true seating depths by measuring from the base of the case to the point of the bullet there is to much variation in the lengths
Not as hard as it sounds, having said all that I'am going for a beer
cheers
peter t

[Iggy]

Peter T

I suppose that one out of four is not too bad...I have a very good micrometer. I think I will need to start investing in some good equipment if I am to keep going in this accurate reloading game.

Thanks

[pjifl]

Peter T makes fair comment re measuring from the Ogive rather than the tip.

Some bullets are more accurately made than others and the 'point' is surprisingly consistent, others are not. This is probably one good argument for meplatting.

But, if testing is done for different seating depths, and the results observed on the target, and the best grouping length chosen, does it matter whether there is jump or how much. All we need is a consistent way to load them the same each time, and since the seater acts on the ogive rather than the point this usually occurs.

Knowing how close to the jamb point is interesting. Its also a good point to work from. But its not the be all and end all.

I know of many who had pet loads which performed well on the target. They supposedly knew the jump to a Thou. and this supposedly led to mgic performance. But the lead had worn many mm and there figures were all wrong anyway.

What does this all prove. Not sure ?????

Peter Smith.

[Iggy]

Peter T

I suppose that one out of four is not too bad...I have a very good micrometer. I think I will need to start investing in some good equipment if I am to keep going in this accurate reloading game. Just ordered the Stoney Point gauge and .223 Rem modified case. Now...where to find .223 ogive gauge and a micrometer bullet seater?

Thanks