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Thread: 5.56/223 reload powder question

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    5.56/223 reload powder question

    I'm new to AR's, having just purchased an Armalite M15A4C carbine.

    I plan on buying a case or two of Prvi Partizan 55gr, but I'm a reloader at heart and plan on loading my own on my Dillon 550B.

    My question is about suitable powders for AR15 application.

    My primary bullet weight will probably be 55gr.

    I have a large amount of IMR 4895 and Varget, some H322, and H335 that fit in the suitable for 223 burn range.

    I'd like to use the IMR4895, at least till I use up the 16lbs+. It seems to burn a lot cleaner than either H322 or H335, and about the same as Varget. Is powder residue a major reason for selection for AR use?

    Thanks in advance.

    Mark

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    i just started another thread about H335. DIRTY! compared to IMR 3031 and IMR 4320 anyway.

    i'm kind of confused by the ball powder obsession many people here have.

    i know the army uses ball powder, and it caused some serious issues in original M16's back in vietnam.

    granted a lot of that has been taken care of, but the basic design of the ar15/m16 is still the same, and IMR is what it was made to use...

    all imho of course.

    i've heard some good things about varget...
    worst thing i've heard about IMR is that it's hard to meter accurately. i find i can get it within about .2 grains. not "match grade" but fine for me.

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    I have loaded AA 2230 for years with no problems..
    The devil danced as he went down
    In the hail of arrows comin'
    Out on the wild Montana ground,
    Custer died a-runnin'.

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    scattergun, I will certainly consider AA 2230 when I buy more powder. But for now, I could use some recommendations regarding the powders I have right now.
    Thank, Mark

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    Ball powder meters well and is consistent. It's just easier to work with and flows into casings easily.

    I haven't used the H332, but in regards to the others:

    I feel that 4895 is slow of a powder for .223, especially in the short barrels. You get a noticeable blast, especially when it is getting darker out. It works though and burns clean. I tried this for a while when I shot high power, and it seemed like my zero would drift. For 100yard and in blasting ammo it probably wouldn't be a problem though.

    H335 is one of the go-to powders for .223. It works about everywhere but has just seemed very consistent and is a pretty good performer in my 55-64 grain loadings. If it is that much more dirty, well, I haven't really noticed, but I haven't been paying attention.

    I like varget for heavier bullets. I seem to use a good amount of powder for lighter bullets to get the velocities up. Varget seems to shoot better for me with hotter loads anyway.

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    Quote Originally Posted by skyugo View Post
    I'm kind of confused by the ball powder obsession many people here have.

    i know the army uses ball powder, and it caused some serious issues in original M16's back in vietnam.
    It works a hell of a lot better through as measure when loading on a progressive. Extruded powder can bridge and hang up at the mouth, and when you lower the ram, the powder spills everywhere. It's a mess and a royal PITA. Ball flows smoothly.

    If loading for .30 caliber case mouths I suspect it wouldn't be as big of a problem, but for .22's it's a problem.

    If charging cases of the press and charging in batch mode, it doesn't matter.

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    Thank UVvis, that's what I was looking for.

    Last night I metered 10 charges of IMR4895 and had around .1 grains of variation. Not too bad through the Dillon powder measure. I agree about Varget, it's been a super performer in everything I've used it in. I'll figure on using the 4895 up, and switching over to Varget after that.

    You mentioned muzzle blast with 4895, I haven't seen larger balls of flame than the ones I got using H335. They were visible even in daylight.
    Maybe it was the cartridges/amounts I was using, it was in 22-250 and 35 Whelen.

    One of the things I didn't ask about was pressure curve issues (or non issues as the case may be) in the AR gas system. I seem to remember reading about this in the past.
    Is this something to even care about?

    Mark
    Last edited by MSteven; 02-04-08 at 09:00. Reason: content expansion

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    Quote Originally Posted by jmart View Post
    It works a hell of a lot better through as measure when loading on a progressive. Extruded powder can bridge and hang up at the mouth, and when you lower the ram, the powder spills everywhere. It's a mess and a royal PITA. Ball flows smoothly.

    If loading for .30 caliber case mouths I suspect it wouldn't be as big of a problem, but for .22's it's a problem.

    If charging cases of the press and charging in batch mode, it doesn't matter.
    i have a single stage press. i wasn't really thinking of progressives.

    i was just kinda shocked yesterday at how bad the h335 gummed up the works.

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    Ramshot TAC is a superior powder for use in .223 with 55 grain bullets.
    Clean, inexpensive, meters perfectly and provides excellent accuracy.

    You might also look at Vhita Vuori N133 with lighter bullets and N140 for anything over 69 grains.
    VV powders are the cleanest burning I've ever seen. They are made with cotton cellulose rather than wood cellulose which is why they are cleaner and also a little more expensive.

    Varget is a great powder, but it doesn't meter consistently. Great if you tricle your charges or use a Lyman 1200dps.

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    Mark,

    I've been told (2nd hand info, I have no way to verify it) by some shooters that 4895 is still seriously building pressure by the time the bullet leaves the muzzle, and that it was designed for heavier calibers (.30-06?). I have no idea about that, but I just didn't find it all that great and moved on. I'm sure it will work fine. Just work your load up, and see how it does.

    Skyugo,
    Are you meaning the dirty nature of H335? What type of load are you using it with?

    Kurt,

    I also have found I like Ramshot Tac. Cheap and works well. I've shot VV powders a bit and liked them, not so much for the cost, but they did well. Plus Varget was more available locally when/where I was and I tended to use it more often.

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