Bulk handloads

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Lefty SRH

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I have several thousand pieces of 5.56 brass and 55gr FMJ bullets I'd like to load and turn into bulk shelf ammo. What powder and loads do you recommend for this request. They would likely be shot from an AR. I would also like a consistent metering powder as I wont be weighing each and every charge. I want to drop powder from a powder measure.
Thanks
 
Originally Posted By: gary paughI use 23.5 grs of AA-2200 with a 55gr FMJ or SP. for my blaster ammo.

What do you like about that load?
 
For that kind of charge weight dropping, I would stick to 'ball' (spherical) powders and those in the moderate burn rate area...Winchester 748 or TAC are two that I use a lot for bullets in that weight range...Hadgdon has a new Super Performance powder out that meters well, but I haven't been able to evaluate it's performance yet in my .223 ARs...

You want to do a little research regarding temperature sensitivity since it seems like you are planning to store some for an unknown time frame...I've found that loads made in cooler weather and fired in hot weather perform much differently, depending on the powder, and how extreme the temperature gets...The same holds true, to a degree, when going from rounds that work well in hot weather and then fired in cold weather...Excessive changes can cause unsafe conditions...That's one of the reasons I will prep my brass and hold off loading it until right before it's needed and I try to test it in the current conditions that it will be used...
 
I have developed a strong liking for Tac. It is all I use in .223 these days. It is clean burning and has a decoppering agent in it, so I don't have to clean as often.
 
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Alliant 1200R was made for that application. I run 22.5 to .23 gr depending on bullet. Meters great burns clean good powder.
Only negative is that it only fills the case a little over 1/2 full which can be a positive if running a progressive as no powder spillage.
 
Originally Posted By: Lefty SRHIs TAC a ball powder?

Yes it is. It is RamShot's most popular powder. I bought an 8# jug at the start of the Obama induced shortages. RamShot was new to the market and most shooters did not know much about their powders. When everything else had disappeared for the shelves, Tac was still there. It has given me great accuracy with 50-55 grain bullets in several .223s and three AR15s.
 
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55 grain psp w/cannelure over 24 grains of W748 is my go to bulk load for mass quantities of plinking ammo.
 
I currently have 3,000 rounds loaded up with Widener's 55gr mil-spec bullet and 25.0gr of H335. Working on doing another 1,500 rounds. I've used this recipe for years.
 
Originally Posted By: C.Jay55 grain psp w/cannelure over 24 grains of W748 is my go to bulk load for mass quantities of plinking ammo.

Instead of using FMJs for plinking, I load Hornady 55 SPs. The bullets are about the same price and I can hunt with them if I want to. The Hornady bullets are bought in bulk from Midsouth as Varmint Nightmare bullets for about $42/500 plus shipping and in my case sales tax, since I am a Tennessee resident. The Hornady 55 grain bullets are not quite as accurate as the 50 grain V Max, but they are close and a whole lot cheaper.
 
For 55 FMJ plinking loads I'd recommend Hodgdon H335 from 24.3-25 grains. Hornady 55 FMJ's or even Spire Points and a recommended AR primer.
 
I use 22.7 grain of X-Terminator for anything in .223/5.56 from 50 to 55gr. (FMJ, HP, SP, BT) from 1 in 12 to 1 in 8 twists. Spherical powder, temperature in-sensitive. Good stuff.

Powder is not as available as TAC. I'll be buying TAC in the near future based on the good reviews I've read.
 
I would recommend only loading as many as you are going to use in the next several months.

I would suggest that you buy a couple of powders, ones that are not temp sensative, and work up a good load for your AR.

Then get the components and store them in that form.

The reason is that there are many threads of guys that change their pet loads and then are stuck with the choice of just trying to use those thousands of rounds of what ever you are not using, or, pulling the bullets and reloading them.

Personally buying a pound of powder is still a good thing. I know that i could turn around and sell any of the ones i have bought for $20 very easily, same goes for all the other components. Loaded bullets are a different deal.
So, i would get the stuff to load what you like, but don't load them, just have it so that you can load them at your lesure.
 
If these are just SHTF rounds for that rare "just in case the world ends" scenario I would just buy the cheapest FMJ bulk 55 grainers I could find and whatever decent 8lb jug of powder was available and load em up with a middle of the road charge and call it good. Shoot some for POI and cycling and box em up on the shelf for that day we hope never comes.
 
If something hit the fan, i am not sure that i would want ammo that isn't accurate.
I have seen the effectiveness of just throwing lead down range. All that does is tell everyone where you are. I have been with people that just spray, and a FMJ is the last bullet that i would use. If it doesn't drop a coyote DRT almost everytime why would you want to use that to defend your family? Do you think you are going to get better results than you do with coyotes?

When you need it, you don't want the accuracy of your weapon less than you can get because of the ammo. You will be adding to that accuracy issue plenty on your own. That, and I would perfer to just shoot once.

I can easily load a couple hundred rounds an hour with my single stage if i just did a charge drop and seat a bullet.
 
W-748 would probably be a good powder for you. It meters like water, and is proven in the 223. Probably somewhere around 25.5-26 grains with a 55 grain bullet. I like the CCI-450 with W748, it seems to light that ball powder a bit better.

It sounds like you already have the 55's, but that is about the worse bullet weight to run in an AR. Not saying they all have feeding problems by any means, but nearly every time you do hear of someone having feeding problems in an AR, it is usually with a 55. The profile just isn't quite right. You may have to play with seating depth some to get feeding right. Of course M4 ramps will help.

If you didn't already have the bullets, I would highly recommend Midway Dogtowns. Very economical, shoot great, an my experience with the 50 spitzer is that is an excellent coyote bullet.
 
Originally Posted By: Lefty SRHI have several thousand pieces of 5.56 brass and 55gr FMJ bullets I'd like to load and turn into bulk shelf ammo. What powder and loads do you recommend for this request. They would likely be shot from an AR. I would also like a consistent metering powder as I wont be weighing each and every charge. I want to drop powder from a powder measure.
Thanks

I just did this very thing. I used RAM TAC with 55 gr xtreme FMJ bullets. Mine were also loaded for an AR. I used up a lot of them for a 3 gun match and had zero issues so I can vouch for RAM TAC as being a very consistent and easily metering powder. I loaded mine on a Dillon XL 650.
 
I load TAC powder in a Super 1050 Dillon for .223 in AR's and also for .22-250 loads. I have settled for 24.5 grs. for the AR's. I also shoot a plinking load made up of 50 gr. hp bullets and 12 grs. of Blue Dot at 2850 fps. This is a load by Calhoon from Havre, Mt. Haven't tried these in the semi-auto rifles but they work great in bolt action. Less noise and no barrel heating up. I am very partial t VMax and if I can't get them in large boxes I will load Sierra Blitz Kings. I have been loading 55 gr. for the AR's, but have a friend that says his shoots 40 gr. the best. The VMax come in boxes of 5500, and the Sierra's come 3000 in a box and cost more money. Save a ton of money buying in these amounts. Powder in 55 lb. keg at about $12.50 per lb. I feel blessed to have access to these supplies. I have loaded over 150,000 rnds. on the Dillon. I have shot some of these loads breaking in my Savage LRPV .223 and and they shot just as well as my Redding bench rest dies produced. Under 1/4", .1070" at 100 yds. Haven't shot any FMJ through my rifles lately.
 
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