Favorite 223 reloads for your AR

[leroy]

Dear fellow TGO'ers:___________

I need to reload some 69 grain loads for an AR carbine. I have no experience with these type loads. Please help me out with any favorite recipe's for reloads.

Thanks in advance.

Kind regards,

LEROY

[Guest Mugster]

I ran though about 3 packs (1500) of the sierra 69 bthp using accurate 2230 over the past 3-4 years. That might be a little fast for a 69er, but i had pretty good results with it. I worked up to max 23.5gr, and that shot pretty good. There's some headroom if your experienced and careful. I haven't tried the nosler 69gr hpbt pill. Used CCI military and wolf magnum primers (and I recommend using a tough primer). All kinds of different cases.

I do full length resize each case and also use a lee FCD die on the finished product, which I also recommend. I've had a few split cases, mostly PMC and one federal. The brass doesn't last long.

I do like other bullets better for .223 and the type of shooting I do (<400), and they are more accurate. For the money in the bulk packs plus the powder savings, they do make a sort of sense I guess.

Before the election, I had determined to switch everything 65gr and over to TAC because the numbers looked great and it was cheap. I got bogged down in 7.62x39/.44/.308 and haven't gotten back to .223 yet...but I do have 10 pounds of TAC

Edited June 29, 2009 by Mugster

[leroy]

...I do like other bullets better for .223 and the type of shooting I do (<400), and they are more accurate. For the money in the bulk packs plus the powder savings, they do make a sort of sense I guess. ...

Thanks for the info. What bullet do you like for the < 400 shooting? I need to learn all i can to get going.

Thanks for the info.

Kind regards,

LEROY

[Guest Mugster]

I had super results with the nosler 55gr plastic tip and sierra 60gr fbhp, and real good results with the 55gr sierra hpbt gameking, if it'll clear the ramp. Basically plinking and groundhog /yote sized game. Although the sierra 55 is a gameking, I just dunno how tough it is. All 3 of those shoot better for me than the sierra 69gr pill. If I had to pop a groundpig at 350 yards...its the nosler for me...its well under MOA out of my rifles at that range.

Also,

For deer tried the nosler 60gr partition (worthless accuracy wise for me) and the speer 70gr (not bad, but not great, and its listed as a varmint bullet). The speer does work on a 1/12 twist its so short. I never could get ahold of the sierra 65gr gameking, its always sold out...probably for good reason. I'd guess thats the best big game bullet. I also tried the winchester 64gr powerpoints. They work ok, I'm not wild about them. The speer 70 is the accuracy winner for me. They are also hard to get and the blunt lead tip can get messed up on the ramp as well.

I really wanted that partition to work, and went through 3 powders (2230, varget, and 2520 i think) before I gave up. If you want a windmill to tilt in .223 armalite handloading, thats it imo. In other calibers they work great, maybe I got bad batch or something, I dunno.

The new nosler 60gr plastic tip looks like an interesting bullet, maybe a deer bullet, dunno.

Since everything has to fit in a magazine, there's not much you can do other than fiddle the powder charge or change powder or go slight variations in crimp. So your going to know if a bullet is going to work pretty quick, imo. From my own experiments, changing powder doesn't do much for you in an ar. If its accurate with one, generally its accurate with everything.

Thats about all I know. If you find the ultimate deer bullet, post up! I'm still looking.

I've been handloading for a long time, and started out handloading for the armalites I guess about 3 or 4 years ago. I was extremely nervous when I started because I'm pretty well aware of the dangers involved in loading for gas guns. I upped my QC to check for bullet setback and primer depth on every round. I haven't had a problem, but I do recommend major caution and QC with a gas gun.

Edited June 30, 2009 by Mugster

[leroy]

I had super results with the nosler 55gr plastic tip and sierra 60gr fbhp, and real good results with the 55gr sierra hpbt gameking, if it'll clear the ramp.

I upped my QC to check for bullet setback and primer depth on every round. I haven't had a problem, but I do recommend major caution and QC with a gas gun.

Mugster:________________

Ordered 500 of these yesterday from Midway. Thanks for the info; you confirmed my thinking on the "lighter" 223 bullets. We always had very good accuracy with the 52 to 55 grain bullets in our old 223 bolt gun. Thanks again for the info. I'm busy prepping brass now. Will order a factory crimp die for the 223 shortly; as we never used one on the bolt gun (loaded single shot; heavy gun anyway, no recoil). We'll start looking at the heavier 223 bullets (say 75 grain hornady) if they will work thru the magazine.

Again, many thanks for sharing your experience.

Kind regards,

LEROY

[Guest Mugster]

Good luck, I hope they do as good for you as they did for me.

Here's a list of online reading and handloading guides I found and keep bookmarked under .223.

exterior ballistics

223 Rem + 223 AI Cartridge Guide

Fulton Armory: On Loading for Military "Gas Guns""

Handloading The .223 Remington For The AR15

http://accurateshooter.net/Downloads/sierra223ar.pdf

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