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What did you do in the reloading room recently?

PRS competition. First match is next weekend. Regarding the Hornady bullets, that's a bummer. I expected these to be a little finicky so overall I'm not disappointed, just a little more work to do.



so, on the topic of blems, check out these amazing Sierra seconds. I've had good luck with 175smk seconds in the past so I bought some 168tmks without reading the fine print. anyone need some Sierra NTMKs (no tip match kings)? 🤣 About 1 in 10 have no tip or are badly deformed.
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Just yank the tip! Lol
 
not really, just saying that the other guy commenting about throat erosion isn't entirely wrong. I never insulted you. You're the one who previously called me a liar and has now resorted to name calling.

3000fps isn't crazy hot in a .223 bolt gun. Plenty of guys are pushing 22cal projectiles out of 22cal chambers going well in excess of 3000fps, whether it be .223 or now 22cm. Granted, they aren't shooting sierras, they're shooting Bergers or Hornady with thicker jackets. To my previous point that you obviously took personally, Sierras have thin jackets. That is all. I'm sure they work lovely in an AR. Have fun.
Are bolt guns getting 69,77,85 or even 90s in 223 to 3000 fps?
 
Every shot they wear!
JFC. Obviously, sir.

All I was saying is that measuring the throat so you can adjust the distance off the lands CAN and WILL improve accuracy in most cases and is worth doing.

Anyone that disagrees with me or gets a tingle in their vagina to want to correct me on that can pound sand.

I’ve done it personally and the results were measurable.
 
Are bolt guns getting 69,77,85 or even 90s in 223 to 3000 fps?
69 load I use is far from max but it clocks at 2950 from my 20” gas gun. Can be easily enough pushed to 3100, but, why?
For hunting loads, may be, dunno.

A 26” long bolt gun - sure, easy enough, but, again, it is highly unlikely it will group well if pushed that far.
 
69 load I use is far from max but it clocks at 2950 from my 20” gas gun. Can be easily enough pushed to 3100, but, why?
For hunting loads, may be, dunno.

A 26” long bolt gun - sure, easy enough, but, again, it is highly unlikely it will group well if pushed that far.
Im just questioning the 223 rem velocity capability of the heavier 223 bullets. The case being the limiting factor. Im sure with some faster powders pushing the max chamber pressure limits you might get a 75-77 gn to 3000. Just seems like pushing the safety margin.
 
Im just questioning the 223 rem velocity capability of the heavier 223 bullets. The case being the limiting factor. Im sure with some faster powders pushing the max chamber pressure limits you might get a 75-77 gn to 3000. Just seems like pushing the safety margin.
Safety? No. But accuracy will deteriorate for sure.
I have subMOA accuracy with 77gr noslers at 2630. It is where they belong, with 24.3gr varget.
A 26gr of other powder, compressed, can make it go 3000+.
 
Safety? No. But accuracy will deteriorate for sure.
I have subMOA accuracy with 77gr noslers at 2630. It is where they belong, with 24.3gr varget.
A 26gr of other powder, compressed, can make it go 3000+.
Seems like 223 like 24ish of varget for a wide range of bullet weights and profiles.
Now Im that guy that goes in the other direction , how low can you go. Like min charge to cycle a AR with
JFC. Obviously, sir.

All I was saying is that measuring the throat so you can adjust the distance off the lands CAN and WILL improve accuracy in most cases and is worth doing.

Anyone that disagrees with me or gets a tingle in their vagina to want to correct me on that can pound sand.

I’ve done it personally and the results were measurable.
touchy today? Lol. You must forget who your talking to. Lol
 
Seems like 223 like 24ish of varget for a wide range of bullet weights and profiles.
Now Im that guy that goes in the other direction , how low can you go. Like min charge to cycle a AR with

touchy today? Lol. You must forget who your talking to. Lol
around 22.5gr for my guns is the limit on 69gr. playing with buffer and spring could perhaps reduce that, but all my ARs are setup to cycle good on m855.
m855 on my 20" clocks around 3050, a 62gr bullet.

varget is the absolute great powder - once you hear a slight crunch seating the bullet in - it means it will shoot well. as simple as that, any bullet weight.

ps. i do not use 55gr bullets, i think varget can be used there too, but, not going to be optimal for low weights. for me varget is the only powder i need, as it goes to .223, .308 and 6 dahser i have. a 6.5CM uses reloder16. so i only need to stock 2 powders. works fine for me. 9mm pistol i do not bother to reload.
 
around 22.5gr for my guns is the limit on 69gr. playing with buffer and spring could perhaps reduce that, but all my ARs are setup to cycle good on m855.

varget is the absolute great powder - once you hear a slight crunch seating the bullet in - it means it will shoot well. as simple as that, any bullet weight.
I do zero mods to my ARs ( to influence any cycling ) and was shocked at how well they perform on low charges if H4895- but I agree my “normal” loads are m195/855 velocities and my 77 gn CC load is 24.3 Varget
 
I do zero mods to my ARs ( to influence any cycling ) and was shocked at how well they perform on low charges if H4895- but I agree my “normal” loads are m195/855 velocities and my 77 gn CC load is 24.3 Varget
what was interesting - i retested that several times, but in my guns both 77 and 69gr SMK group the best at 24.3gr varget. going into 25 with 69gr opens up groups considerably, so, i gave up trying. 77gr noslers also like 24.3gr, like it is a some magic number. i bet it is compression factor.
 
Are bolt guns getting 69,77,85 or even 90s in 223 to 3000 fps?
69 and 77, for sure. guys here are posting 2900fps out of a 20" gasser. An extra 6" of barrel length using varget will get you another 100fps, probably with the same charge. I don't know why it's so hard to believe. A New England shooter beginning of last season was running 85.5 bergers to 3k fps in open out of a 26" .223, albeit his chamber was likely throated long to run that bullet, but it wasn't an ackley or anykind of wildcat. For the longer/heavier bullets, some guys are now starting to shoot 22gt, 22cm, etc. Still, 3000fps and above out of a 22cal throat/bore, absolutely.
 
69 and 77, for sure. guys here are posting 2900fps out of a 20" gasser. An extra 6" of barrel length using varget will get you another 100fps, probably with the same charge. I don't know why it's so hard to believe. A New England shooter beginning of last season was running 85.5 bergers to 3k fps in open out of a 26" .223, albeit his chamber was likely throated long to run that bullet, but it wasn't an ackley or anykind of wildcat. For the longer/heavier bullets, some guys are now starting to shoot 22gt, 22cm, etc. Still, 3000fps and above out of a 22cal throat/bore, absolutely.
What powder? Are they pushing limits on chamber pressure also?
Im not really in dis belief it just seems out side any published data I have seen.
 
Just did a little google and there is a thread on 1911 site about the spent primer issue. Somebody is supposedly selling a fix. As well there is an old thread about your priming problem here @ NES. He just did a little handle adjustment.

Hate to say it but there is always hand/bench priming. I am cosidering picking up a used single stage just for decapping just to take some pressure off the Lee because you are right, a tank it ain't. Maybe a separate decapping press would work for you if all else fails
Is this the wrong time to say 1675008019750.jpeg
 
Taking a deep dive into .357 Sig. First running them through a 10mm/40 S&W resizing die. Then the .357 Sig die. Trying Power Pistol and No:9 powders with a 125gr bullet. So far the No:9 shows most promise.
 

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What powder? Are they pushing limits on chamber pressure also?
Im not really in dis belief it just seems out side any published data I have seen.
varget mostly, lapua brass. Chamber pressure, probably in the upper limits of safe. No flattened/cratered primers or anything. The guy shooting 85.5s, don't remember exactly which powder he was using but it was a VV powder.
 
Runnings (awesome store in CT and out west - tools, farm stuff and guns, what more could you ask for) is having a sale on Aguila .22lr $14.99 for a box of 250. The only problem is they are covered in what may as well be mouse trap glue and they wouldn't feed worth a damn in my Mk III. I tumbled what I had left in fresh walnut media, cleaned the gun and all the magazines. The tumbling seemed to get the coating off and I can't wait to try them out again.
 
i really must be losing my marbles as it seems i already tested those bullets back in september and totally forgot i did.
unless it was somehow a custom competition type, but, i cannot find them in my cluttered space, only see 3 boxes of RDF and one was open.
well, anyway, it will be just a confirmation then, from below looks like 24.3 worked ok.
cannot believe i totally absolutely forgot i already did that. covid brain... :(
View attachment 714054
got some shitty results today, go figure why.
.223 in 77 nosler got way worse, but the speed and deviations almost match. probably was me, but, dunno why.
actually, i think i may know why - i used a 'military' #41 primer there instead of #450. hmm.. will re-ry next time with #450

the 308 passed rather well, the 44.1gr load seems to be good for 175 RDF.
nosler77grRDF223.jpg

last right lower corner had 5/5 split between 2 seating depths, and it shows.
nosler175RDF308.jpg
 
got some shitty results today, go figure why.
.223 in 77 nosler got way worse, but the speed and deviations almost match. probably was me, but, dunno why.
actually, i think i may know why - i used a 'military' #41 primer there instead of #450. hmm.. will re-ry next time with #450

the 308 passed rather well, the 44.1gr load seems to be good for 175 RDF.
View attachment 715290

last right lower corner had 5/5 split between 2 seating depths, and it shows.
View attachment 715291
I'm curious how your best powder charge with that bullet in 41 compares with the same in 450.

I didn't realize there was so much of a difference in primers until I started playing around with them and various powders in 357.
 
I'm curious how your best powder charge with that bullet in 41 compares with the same in 450.

I didn't realize there was so much of a difference in primers until I started playing around with them and various powders in 357.
i will eventually retest it with #450, but it will not be same temperature outside, most likely. i still did not like at all that speeds did not match my previous test, at all.
the same 24.3 load in september was clocked at 2634 ES36 SD12. today was colder and somehow did 2670 with almost same deviations. go figure. so far that 20" larue barrel seems to love 69gr SMK the best.

my right shoulder still feels discomfort after dislocating, so, i dunno, difficult to say. i may had shaken too much there.
it is also possible i did that test not seating 77gr noslers to the mag depth and fed them by hand one by one. that would not be nearly same and also explain speed deviation.

the 308 worked fine, though.

PS. from other perspective - it seems the larue got beaten up a bit by now, as it seems last 69gr shoot i had with it was not too stellar neither. group is a bit tighter than that 77gr noslers, but, not too different spread wise. i guess it is what it is.

1675101518771.png
 
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also pretty interesting - found results of the 175gr CC - custom competition - on the same 44gr varget load. it was way slower. quite interesting - because CC gets seated quite a bit higher than RDF has to be in order to fit in the mag. still a lot of a speed difference, on a same power load and same primer - but groups comparably same.
or may be tad better, actually.
1675103552983.png
 
A pound of 2230 loading 223 disappears a whole lot faster than a pound of Power Pistol loading 9mm.

I loaded up a few magazines' worth of 223 with 55g Hornady fmj at 2.210" with 25.0g of 2230 and CCI#41s. Didn't chrono anything, just went banging away on steels with a gas gun. Looked like about 2.5-3" groups at 100 yards, but I was not being super bench-resty with my technique. Good function and all, very light ejector swipes on the brass. Cleaned the brass up and loaded another batch at 24.5g to see how that goes. May chrono a few of those.

I have some 69g Sierra Matchking that I'd like to load for a 223 24" bolt gun with a 1/8 twist. Powder options are Accurate 2230, Accurate 2520, IMR3031, and H335. I'll be using CCI #400 primers. I'm leaning toward 2520 for these, testing 5 each at 22.5, 23.0, 23.5, 24.0g.
 
A pound of 2230 loading 223 disappears a whole lot faster than a pound of Power Pistol loading 9mm.

I loaded up a few magazines' worth of 223 with 55g Hornady fmj at 2.210" with 25.0g of 2230 and CCI#41s. Didn't chrono anything, just went banging away on steels with a gas gun. Looked like about 2.5-3" groups at 100 yards, but I was not being super bench-resty with my technique. Good function and all, very light ejector swipes on the brass. Cleaned the brass up and loaded another batch at 24.5g to see how that goes. May chrono a few of those.

I have some 69g Sierra Matchking that I'd like to load for a 223 24" bolt gun with a 1/8 twist. Powder options are Accurate 2230, Accurate 2520, IMR3031, and H335. I'll be using CCI #400 primers. I'm leaning toward 2520 for these, testing 5 each at 22.5, 23.0, 23.5, 24.0g.
For the most part I think 223 is one of the less picky cal. To load
If your shooting sub 3moa with irons sitting standing , prone , kneeling your loads are probably capable of moa.
For my bulk 223
55 gn bucket full from the Old Wideners which are PPU or General Dynamics I forget- they where cheap at the time.
I pretty much load any powder safe for 223 especially all the 1lb jugs that are running low. Im going probably going to do another round of bulk odds and ends
 
I have some 69g Sierra Matchking that I'd like to load for a 223 24" bolt gun with a 1/8 twist. Powder options are Accurate 2230, Accurate 2520, IMR3031, and H335. I'll be using CCI #400 primers. I'm leaning toward 2520 for these, testing 5 each at 22.5, 23.0, 23.5, 24.0g.
69SMK = 24.3gr varget. gives a slower load that groups the best for me.

if you think .223 eats powder fast, wait for the 308 at 45gr loads.
 
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