Reloading for .223

stinkfoot

New member
I am getting back into reloading after a 15 year layoff. I have never loaded for the .223. I have a Ruger American with 1:8 twist in the barrel. I am hoping to find a happy medium as far as bullets go. I hope to hunt coyote, javalina and also use it as a 100-150 yard coues deer gun. I chose the Sierra 55gr SP Gameking bullet. My brother sent me 100 45gr TSX Barnes bullets to try. There are a ton of good powders on the market to choose from. I'm still a bit old school I guess. When the time came to choose a powder I had a list of all the newest powders but at the last minute I chickened out and went with my old standby H4895... I have 300 Lake City 07 brass primed and ready to go. For those of you who use the .223 am I on the right track here? I've always loaded and used heavier calibers in the past. Now that I am much older I wanted something I could take to the range and shoot without going broke. Something I could hunt the basin and range land with. Something that wouldn't aggravate my cervical stenosis. (Getting old) Thought?
 
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I believe that if you are comfortable with what you know then you will be comfortable and more relaxed then trying new stuff. I have always stuck with W748 in the 223 until I put 5 55gr V-Max's in the same hole using benchmark. If I feel frisky I will purchase a different powder like I did with CFE223. I have yet to find a great group with this powder but in spare time I will keep looking. You are doing just fine with what you have.

according to hodgdon there starting and Max loads for 55gr spr soft points only have a 1 grain difference starting at 25 and MAX at 26. use your book and be safe.

Let us know what the results are.
 
You will do good with H4895. With the 55 grain bullets, you will see accuracy as you get close to maximum. You will need to pour slowly to get it all in. This will fill the case up to the neck shoulder junction, as in 100% fill. You may get a slightly compressed load, but not to worry, smokeless powder can't be set off by crushing. Even if you were to pour some on top of a anvil and strike it with a hammer. Nothing would happen. I have had the best luck with Federal 205 primers with this and the IMR version. Speed will about match 55 grain ball ammo.
 
please note that while their burn rates are similar - they're only a couple places apart on the burn rate chart - - IMR 4895 and Hodgdon 4895 are NOT the same powder. Make sure you use the proper respective load data for each.

additionally...

the hodgdon version is in their extreme line and shows little temperature sensativity.

IMR's version of Hodgdon's extreme lineup of powders is the Enduron series - IMR 4895 is not part of that series of powders and will likely show both pressure and velocity differences as the temp changes.

the closest powder in the enduron line would be IMR 4166 which has a burn rate between H4895 and Varget, both of which are great 223 powders.
 
I've always had good luck with Winchester 748 and Ramshot's TAC powders with the light to mid weight (40-60gr) bullets in the .223..My Rem 700 has a 1/12 twist, so 60gr is about the max weight that it shoots well..

I started using TAC several years ago when W-748 became pretty scarce for awhile..
 
I agree. Either h4895 or Ramshot TAC are both good powders that I use. Also, check out sagesreloadingsupply.com or look it up on Facebook. He alway has great deals on 224 bullets and brass
 
I went from H4895 to IMR 4166 and cut the size of my groups in half. I'm old school but new to reloading so I wasn't hesitant to try something new. Only problem is finding enough load data on the new powders out there. so far it's pretty limited.
 
Sierra has load data a bit different than Hodgdon.

Powder /Velocity 2800 2900 3000 3100 3200 3300

H4895 23.1 23.7 24.3 24.9 25.5 26.1

Has anyone used the Sierra 55gr SP Gamekings?
 
25.0 gr Benchmark with a 55gr VMAX with LC cases was where I found nirvana. It's has worked well in several .223s for me.
 
I will throw in another plug for Win 748 it has always did me good, have shot bullets ranging from 40-55grs in a few different rifles.
 
Thanks guys. I was hoping for more responses to the H4895 and Gameking bullets. But, maybe they are not as popular. Thanks for the opinions. I will get started with the reloading.
 
Hope you have better luck getting your American to shoot than I did...after a $200 Boyds glass bedded stock, a $120 Timney trigger and a $250 X-Caliber 1 in 9 twist 26" barrel {would have cost more, but I did all the work myself} mine is acceptable.
When it was stock, it liked 52 grain A-Max with 24.0 grains of H322. Now it is liking 26.0 grains of W748 behind a 69 grain BTHPM Sierra.
 
I have not shot deer with 55 gr. Gamekings but quite a few with the 65 gr version. They do quite well on ribcage shots on smaller deer, even at higher velocities than the .223 will produce (shot a bunch of deer on herd reduction with this bullet in a .223 WSSM).
 
Odd to only see Varget once on this page.

The tried and true load is a 55grn BTHP over 27.3grn Varget, but I tend to supplant the 55grn BTHP with a 50grn V-max over the same charge. Kills coyotes for me very well.

For deer and hogs, I favor more reliable penetration, so I run the 60grn Partition, typically also over Varget.

It might not be the fastest powder for a given bullet weight, but I can run it from 223rem up to 458win mag with forgiving load envelopes, plenty of power, and fantastic accuracy.
 
serveral of the best grouping loads i've ever shot were varget loads. +1 on the varget voting, but there are so many powders that perform in the 223 it can be hard to pick just one
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H335, Varget, and CFE 223 are all good powder that we have used with good results in AR15 with Sierra 55 grain FB or BT bullets. Loads tested over Oehler 33 chronograph. I am currently using CFE 223. Best loads near maximum recommended by powder manufacturer.
 
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