AR15 bullets for reloading

[Kelson1066]

ok, I see the problem, small font and no reading glasses. I looked up the 222 Rem and not 223 rem.

It does show 25.5 to 27.5C
55 GR. SPR SP Hodgdon Varget .224" 2.200" 25.5 3174 41,300 CUP 27.5C 3384 49,700 CUP

My Lee book also showed 25.5-27.5C and I'd used the lower number (that I thought was correct but was not).

OK, now that we have that covered, I'd like to hone in on an approximate good load for the existing bullet and powder in the short term.
Should I be concerned about the compressed load indication at 27.5?
I'm using Lee dies. would I be ok to try 25.5,26,26.5 and 27?
or should I start at 25.5 and move up say .4grn increments?

I have a 1:9 twist DPMS Sportical upper I use lee dies with a load of 25.7gr with a 55gr FMJ bullet with better accuracy than the federal 223 they sell at walmart. I say start at the bottom and work your way up in steps towards max load and see what works best for your rifle. Any reloader will tell you each rifle is different and has a seperate sweet spot.

 

[Pinecone]

http://optimalchargeweight.embarqspace.com/

You powder charge increments are too small. You are probably in a scatter node for ALL your charges. 0.7 - 1.0% change between loads.

Load 3 rounds each, and shoot them round robin (Round 1 of Load 1 at Target 1, Round 1 of Load 2 at Target 2, etc).

Once you find the accuracy node, work with seating depth to tighten group.

 

[Sticky]

ok, I see the problem, small font and no reading glasses. I looked up the 222 Rem and not 223 rem.

It does show 25.5 to 27.5C
55 GR. SPR SP Hodgdon Varget .224" 2.200" 25.5 3174 41,300 CUP 27.5C 3384 49,700 CUP


I'm using Lee dies. would I be ok to try 25.5,26,26.5 and 27?
or should I start at 25.5 and move up say .4grn increments?

Reading glasses when reloading are important! LOL

Your new approach is good. That's probably what I'd do for for my first loading, half grain increments from 25 or 25.5 up to 27.0 and see what you get. Watch for pressure signs as you approach the 27.0gr loads.

 

[kohburn]

I don't know about running 69gr anything in a 1/9. It may or maynot work depnding on how lucky you are.

it should be fine but not ideal

1/9 is best for less then 62gr

here is another fun graphic

 

[Melnic]

I loaded up 25.5,26,26.5 and a single 27
I also weighed the bullets to pick out ones that were exactly 55.0grns.
The bullets were +/- .2grns and had to go through about 40 to get the 15 I wanted.
I finished that jug of Varget and then loaded up 15 of H4895. and made up 25.2,25.4,25.6grns.

I'd say there was a slight improvement and the reloads were pretty close to the Geco brand Swiss ammo, but I think I'll order some Different bullets for the next go around. I shot the last 8 rounds taking the scope off and shooting w/ a new rear peep sight which was for his Birthday and the whole reason I borrowed it. Giving it back to him today. I'll borrow it back when I get some other bullets to try.

 

[paxfish]

I loaded up 25.5,26,26.5 and a single 27
I also weighed the bullets to pick out ones that were exactly 55.0grns.
The bullets were +/- .2grns and had to go through about 40 to get the 15 I wanted.
.

Melnic - that might be an unacceptable variance. In weighing the Sierra BlitzKings I see no variation on my balance beam. They are all 55 grains.

Here are some results with ARcomp powder. I'm going to focus on 24.7 tonight and hopefully put up some good groups.

 

[Pinecone]

0.5 grain steps are too large. 0.1 are too small.

For around 26 grains, the steps should be 0.2 - 0.3 grains.

Accuracy nodes occur 3% apart. So you should load a range that covers at least 6% of the total charge weight.

The OCW method starts at 10% below the max charge, and works up to the next step above the max you pick (based on published data). You shoot round robin, so that you are only going up 0.7 - 1% each step, so if one step has no pressure signs, the next step is safe, even if you start seeing pressure signs.

 

[Speed3]

From Sierra data for their lineup of 55gr bullets and varget..

Varget 25.1 25.8 26.5 27.2

I suggest you are still wayyy low in the load range, you need to load some hotter and see what you get.. I'd load half grain increments from 25 to 27 (a few of each) and test them from low to high looking for pressure signs and accuracy...Then go back and fine tune the next loads and test based on your results.

Varget is a very accurate powder when loaded properly...

The whole table.. attached

Got this for the 77gr match kings?

 

[Pinecone]

Load data is available on the Hodgdon web site.

NEVER use data posted online on forums. As this thread shows, people misread or mistype info.

 

[byf43]

it should be fine but not ideal

1/9 is best for less then 62gr

here is another fun graphic

Someone left out the 69 grain boolits!!!!
(It belongs right under 62 grain.)

1:7; 1:8; 1:8.8; 1:9 twist WILL stabilize the 69 grain.

 

[kohburn]

the bullet length and muzzle velocity are really more important than the weight. for determining twist rate stability. but in most cases with standard velocities the weight is a safe method of comparison.

did some reading on it when i started reloading. 1:7, 1:9 can fire pretty much any of the bullets safely, accuracy will just suffer. Everything I've seen has shown 1:9 to be best for less than 62gr bullets.

a quote that explains what i mean the best

"Any given bullet needs to be spun within an RPM range to stablize it.
Whatever muzzle velocity and twist combination spins the bullet in that
range will work just fine."

The 69gr bullets are toward the top end of what your bbl twist will stabilize. That means they need to be driven a little harder. I'm fully confident that if you work up a safe but faster(probably a different powder) load you will find they shoot just fine in your 1-9 twist.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Ask a dozen handloaders, and you will get 19 different aproaches to working up loads.

Working up .1gr works , when you have a private range at home, and no imeadate time constraints.

If that GECO is consistantly giving 1.0moa , that's better than typical results, and you should stock up on that Lot #.

It's been hinted at , but there IS room to experement with seating depth. 2.23in OAL is rule of thumb to work in any magazine, specific mags and specific bullets can do up to 2.25in.

Experement with crimp tension, to include no crimp.

My handloading partner who does have private range at home ( not in Md) , has done extensive .223 load developement with 748 and RL-15 , but not Varget (yet anyway).

 

[Melnic]

I noticed the Geco has a pretty heavy crimp on it. No cannelure. It's 55grn
My Hornady 55grn has a cannelure.
Geco brass is thicker and for reloading seems to hold less powder. It's about 8grains heavier at about 98grns for an empty case
When I reloaded with some LC brass, it did not fill up as much.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Which is why the brass / brand/ lot# is one more variable.

In addition to shooting on paper , chronograph is your friend, and at +/- $100 an affordable tool. In addition to the usual vel, SD, etc , if vels are markedly different from expected (in either direction) that is a sign to search for unexpected variables ( case capacities, lot to lot variations of powder/ primers , typos of "Published data" , etc) .

 

[Melnic]

Which is why the brass / brand/ lot# is one more variable.

In addition to shooting on paper , chronograph is your friend, and at +/- $100 an affordable tool. In addition to the usual vel, SD, etc , if vels are markedly different from expected (in either direction) that is a sign to search for unexpected variables ( case capacities, lot to lot variations of powder/ primers , typos of "Published data" , etc) .

I"d brought my chrono yesterday and realized I left it on last time I used it and did not have spare batteries

 

[Pinecone]

the bullet length and muzzle velocity are really more important than the weight. for determining twist rate stability.

But for a given caliber, a heavier bullet will be longer. So weight is proportional to length.

Also, for a given caliber, weight is proportional to muzzle velocity, heavier bullets are slower.

So you can relate bullet weight to twist rate directly, due to the intervening proportionalities.

 

[Bolts Rock]

Got this for the 77gr match kings?

What chamber are you running?

 

[Speed3]

What chamber are you running?

White oak varmit upper, can shoot both .223 and 5.56 ...due in to me in December...so I have plenty of time but trying to get ahead of the curve.

I've got 1k cases, sized and primed....just trying to do as much prework as I can.

 

[Deep Creek Rock]

White oak varmit upper, can shoot both .223 and 5.56 ...due in to me in December...so I have plenty of time but trying to get ahead of the curve.

I've got 1k cases, sized and primed....just trying to do as much prework as I can.

By prework do you mean preping the cases?

Do not use a different gun to develop loads for a gun you do not have yet or the same caliber you shoot. You should develop your loads using the particular rifle you are shooting. Your results for each gun can, and do vary, even with alike calibers.

 

[Speed3]

By prework do you mean preping the cases?

Do not use a different gun to develop loads for a gun you do not have yet or the same caliber you shoot. You should develop your loads using the particular rifle you are shooting. Your results for each gun can, and do vary, even with alike calibers.

yes sorry.... I have another 1k cases to prep lol. I will measure the chamber...but I'm limited to 2.26" if I remember to fit in the pmags. I'm going to work up in .1grain increments and trying to see what a good starting point is. I know that most use the 10% under max as a guide and I probably will as well...just trying to see what others are using.

sounds like I will be spending an awful lot of time at the range dialing it in. But thats the fun part right?