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5.56x45 reloading question
- Thread starter TomH
- Start date
While on this thread can someone tell me what the startup cost and savings is????
Im debating on starting up my own reloading. I am slightly overwhelmed at all the different pieces of machinery Ill need, tumbler, press, etc, so any additional info will be interesting!
Im debating on starting up my own reloading. I am slightly overwhelmed at all the different pieces of machinery Ill need, tumbler, press, etc, so any additional info will be interesting!
Depends how much shooting you do, how many calibres, and how much your time is worth. If you don't count your time....or the one-time equipment purchases (can be upwards of $600-1000+), then you are probably looking at saving ~25-50%. But again, your time could be more worth while elsewhere.
wiskie762
Instructor
tomh
heres a site that tells you the deference between a 223 and 556 cartridge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.223_Remington
hope this helps
heres a site that tells you the deference between a 223 and 556 cartridge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.223_Remington
hope this helps
I do it all the time.
I was wondering this as well. I'm looking to get in to reloading in the future and have a fair amount of .223 and 5.56 brass and am wondering how you would load one compared to the other. Can you load them both the same? Can one take higher pressure loads than another? Any additional info is appreciated.
Bill Nance
Banned
If you shoot a lot, it's a huge savings (assuming you count your time as "free.") While I mostly shoot a different caliber,(.45 ACP) I can say my costs went down probably 70% after I started reloading. If you're an occasional shooter, it may not be worth the hassle, though personally, i enjoy reloading for itself. Just part of the hobby for me. The initial costs don't HAVE to be high. an RCBS partner press is about $60, dies another $25 a good set of calipers and a scale another $200 or so, a book $30. From there on, it's pretty cheap. Cases will be your main expense as your existing ones wear out. Powder is dirt cheap and bullets for .223 run about $12 per 100 for hornady 55 grain fmjbt, less if you can get them mail-order. Still waiting on my LTCs for this horrid little state, but when I was shooting seriously at 200 rounds a week or so, reloading was the only way I could afford the hobby. Also, as I'm also starting to reload .223, the 5.56 mm NATO military cases have a thicker case wall than the commercial .223 Remington, so technically, thsat could effect your potential powder loads, but from what I understand, unless you're loading very "Hot" rounds, you should have no problem reloading them with mid-range powder charges. But as someone has already posted, you should be religious about keeping your brass separate so you know what you're reloading. Also the primer pockets may need a little more TLC on the NATO rounds. Hope that helps. -Bill
I urge that you not start reloading with a goal or expectation of saving a noticeable amount of money. That may happen, and, if so, accept it as a byproduct, with a smile. Reloading is an enjoyable hobby in its own right, enables you to produce ammunition that may not be available (or readily available, particuarly for those of us who can no longer mail order ammo), and yields the thrill of using something you made with your own hands.
Reloading is for those capable of devoting a high degree of attention to detail, who tend by nature to be neatniks, and who tend by nature to be cautious. There are some perfectly lovely folks who don't meet this description; they should try a different hobby.
Reloading is for those capable of devoting a high degree of attention to detail, who tend by nature to be neatniks, and who tend by nature to be cautious. There are some perfectly lovely folks who don't meet this description; they should try a different hobby.
wiskie762
Instructor
a load for .223 will work for 5.56 as long as you use the case in a 5.56 chamber. everything else is pretty much the same. a 5.56 can handle higher pressure than a .223 thats why a load for .223 will work for a 5.56 brass.
I trim my brass to the data of .223 and use .223 dies to do this.
I trim my brass to the data of .223 and use .223 dies to do this.
I believe the spec differences are in the case material thickness and the web between powder primer, thus in some loads for .223 you can create higher pressures in 5.56 rounds because there is less space/ lower area volume inside. hence the warning on 5.56 rounds in a weapon stamped .223. Dies and outside dimensions are the same as far as I know.
1903Collector
NES Member
Just a suggestion, but maybe a sticky is in order on the 223/5.56 explaining the differnces in chamber throats, military vs commercial brass, eqiupment, etc. penned by one of our more knoweldgable members here? I know you can get that info other places but it might be a good reference for the new guys and maybe for some of us not so new guys.
The major difference is in the throat. The Military throats tend to be long (this has the tendency to reduce pressures) where as the commercial ones tend to be short.
AR-15 barrels.com has a bunch of info on chambers on their tech. page. In fact LC cases tend to weigh less than some commercial cases, so typically their capacity is just a tad more. That webpage has a nice comparison of case weights in a excel workbook.
B
AR-15 barrels.com has a bunch of info on chambers on their tech. page. In fact LC cases tend to weigh less than some commercial cases, so typically their capacity is just a tad more. That webpage has a nice comparison of case weights in a excel workbook.
B
223
the cartridges(cases) are the same,it seems the chambers are slightly different.and the max load is higher on military.and the throad is longer BUT if you have the 69/70 gr bullet and lower the pressure level it would work.
the cartridges(cases) are the same,it seems the chambers are slightly different.and the max load is higher on military.and the throad is longer BUT if you have the 69/70 gr bullet and lower the pressure level it would work.
boston_007
NES Member
When I first got into reloading I was directed to www.brianenos.com; it's a great reloading resource. Also, I would suggest reading the ABC's of Reloading. As a matter of fact, I'll lend you my copy. Just let me know.
http://www.amazon.com/ABCs-Reloadin...5205000?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227932325&sr=8-4
My "normal" 5.56 load is:
55 gr. Win BT FMJs (cheap in quantity).
26.0 gr. Win 748 (meters like water).
Mixed military and commercial brass.
CCI Small Rifle primers.
I do not use special "hard" primers, but I am careful to seat primers sub-flush. Do some research on "slam fire" to see what this issue involves; it is not insignificant.
My routine is:
On return from the range, the brass is decapped (using an RCBS Universal Decapper), lubed (don't forget to put a dab of lube inside the neck of every fourth or fifth case; a Q-Tip works just fine), and FL sized. Brass then goes in the tumbler. When bright and shiny, brass goes in a plastic tub labelled: "Decapped, Sized only".
When the spirit moves me, I take the contents of the tub and perform the following operations:
All cases are guaged.
Anything that exceeds 1.760" is trimmed to 1.750"; necks are then deburred inside and out.
Priming done on RCBS Auto Priming tool. Each primed case is checked for sub-flush using Mark I, Mod. 0 finger tip.
Cases charged and bullets seated.
OAL checked for 2.250 on a spot basis (just seeing if the die has backed out of the press or the stem has backed out of the die).
55 gr. Win BT FMJs (cheap in quantity).
26.0 gr. Win 748 (meters like water).
Mixed military and commercial brass.
CCI Small Rifle primers.
I do not use special "hard" primers, but I am careful to seat primers sub-flush. Do some research on "slam fire" to see what this issue involves; it is not insignificant.
My routine is:
On return from the range, the brass is decapped (using an RCBS Universal Decapper), lubed (don't forget to put a dab of lube inside the neck of every fourth or fifth case; a Q-Tip works just fine), and FL sized. Brass then goes in the tumbler. When bright and shiny, brass goes in a plastic tub labelled: "Decapped, Sized only".
When the spirit moves me, I take the contents of the tub and perform the following operations:
All cases are guaged.
Anything that exceeds 1.760" is trimmed to 1.750"; necks are then deburred inside and out.
Priming done on RCBS Auto Priming tool. Each primed case is checked for sub-flush using Mark I, Mod. 0 finger tip.
Cases charged and bullets seated.
OAL checked for 2.250 on a spot basis (just seeing if the die has backed out of the press or the stem has backed out of the die).
