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reload 223

Rusted

Rusted

Let's Ride!
Supporting Member
Location
Sandy
Any one have an recipies for reloading .223 that have worked for them. Something to give me a good baseline start. I am hoping for the ~50gr range. Any leads that are good to work with? Any that were bad to work with?
 
Rusted

Rusted

Let's Ride!
Supporting Member
Location
Sandy
I was hoping for quality over quantity. Know of any places that sell bulk quality ammo? I am loooking for a varmint hunting / match type of load.

I was doing a rough estimate on pricing, and I can buy 1000 rounds of cheap stuff for $165, and to reload would be about the same price (if I have brass) plus hours of my time. So for cheap rounds bulk makes more sense.

I was hoping to reload with the moly coated (unless it is a pain, I have never reloaded with moly), and build something that compares more with this

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/15461-14739-67.html

I can reload similar to that for about half the price even if I have to buy brass each time.
 
bobmed

bobmed

- - - -
Location
sugarliberty
Nosler 50 gr. ballistic tip
Hodgdon Benchmark 26 gr
br4 primer
2.235 oal
3396fpm

works good in mine 1-9 16"
 
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M

Meat_

Banned
Location
Lehi
0_o buy a book -_-

Or you can dl several different manuals in pdf, they are only basic but .223 is included in basic

Cheap bulk ammo will rarely be accurate. Walmart and what not have "Varmiter" packs of 40rds. They are Winchester, new brass, hollow point and HOT for factory loads. IIRC the box of 40 is $11ish

I have never seen cheaper than dirt be cheaper than anything.

I LOVE Barnes VLC's in my .220 swift, although I really haven't shot many of them in my .223 (too lazy to load for it) and they aren't anywhere near as expensive as the X's

Nosler Ballistic tips are good

Hornday bullets are always good, and cheap.
 
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Rusted

Rusted

Let's Ride!
Supporting Member
Location
Sandy
I like reloading books, I have 3 or 4 and will always compare what I am doing across all of them to make sure everyone agrees and there are no typos. And I always load on the conservetive side, usually stick right in the middle of the ranges.

How come I can't find the VLC's on the barnes website? Do they call them Varmin-A-Tor now??? Wasn't the VLC and the XLC the same minus the coating? I have yet to load with Nosler Ballistic tips, but I ended up using a lot of hornady in the handgun loads.

I am just getting excited about reloading again, these comments are good, I think I will start with an assortment of leads to see what is easiset to work with.

Any other suggestions on powder?
 
M

Meat_

Banned
Location
Lehi
rusted said:
How come I can't find the VLC's on the barnes website? Do they call them Varmin-A-Tor now??? Wasn't the VLC and the XLC the same minus the coating? I have yet to load with Nosler Ballistic tips, but I ended up using a lot of hornady in the handgun loads.
Click to expand...

Ya I forgot about that, they are Varmin-A-Tor™ now, they dropped the coating and dropped the price. You can probably still find some VLC's on the shelf. I've got such a pile of them from when I worked there that I haven't tried the uncoated ones.
No, XLC's are solid copper, VLC's were a traditional lead/copper hollow point. both coated.
rusted said:
I am just getting excited about reloading again, these comments are good, I think I will start with an assortment of leads to see what is easiset to work with.

Any other suggestions on powder?
Click to expand...
I despise extruded, I tend to stick with WIN and Hodgdon ball powders, unless an extruded powder is just too much better with a particular cartridge/bullet weight... but as I said, I have not loaded for my .223 enough to have a favorite.



rusted said:
I like reloading books, I have 3 or 4 and will always compare what I am doing across all of them to make sure everyone agrees and there are no typos. And I always load on the conservetive side, usually stick right in the middle of the ranges.
Click to expand...
I tend to push some cartriges/guns if I know they can take it I have a chrony, and I work my way up keeping a close eye on the brass.

(I may be a bit off on the numbers as it has been awhile now but...)

I have a 30-06 30º PO Ackley improved in a Ruger M77 Ultralight (20in barrel with another 1.5" or so of break) that I worked up to 3,200ft/s with 165gr XLC's

Now I wanted to shoot a bunch of cheaper bullets at rabbits and what not so I loaded up some 165gr Hornady Interlocks (non coated)....

Load for the XLC's (DO NOT try and load this in your dad's 30-06, 54.6 is the max load for WIN760 in a default '06)

WIN Large rifle primers 64gr's of WIN 760 165gr XLC = 3,150ft/s

So for a starting point on the Hornady's I backed it down to

WIN Large rifle primers 60gr's of WIN 760 165gr Hornady Interlock = blowed the **** up cases :eek:

The morel of the story; The coating makes a HUGE difference on the higher ends of the load spectrum.

Edit: NO ****, Winchester powder is now made by Hodgdon? :confused: Guess I haven't reloaded much lately
 
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muleskinner

muleskinner

Well-Known Member
Location
Enoch, UT
Loading for a gas operated gun is different than a bolt action gun. Do yourself a favor and buy the Sierra manual, it has a whole section on reloading for gas operated guns. It goes over slam fires(seat your primers deep), case selection(dont buy military), which primers are better(harder cups are needed), neck tension, and proper case sizing, and other important things. There are 18 pages devoted to loading for a gas operated gun, read them. What gun did you buy? My Rock River 18 inch 1in8 twist will shoot 5 shot 1/2 groups with cheap ammo. Have fun.
 
V-DAWG

V-DAWG

someday
Location
Taylorsville
rusted said:
I was hoping for quality over quantity. Know of any places that sell bulk quality ammo? I am loooking for a varmint hunting / match type of load.
Click to expand...
I have been pleased with Federal 50 gr JHP at wally world- $52 for 200. It is good for varmints, but I don't shoot past 200 yards........


rusted said:
I was doing a rough estimate on pricing, and I can buy 1000 rounds of cheap stuff for $165,
Click to expand...
I would be interested to know where I can get rounds for that cheap. Even wolf is more money than that.........
 
Rusted

Rusted

Let's Ride!
Supporting Member
Location
Sandy
V-DAWG said:
I would be interested to know where I can get rounds for that cheap. Even wolf is more money than that.........
Click to expand...


It has been awhile since I have been to a gun show, but last time the gun show prices were a bit higher than these prices (but semi local, and you have them in your hands)

But here are two links (both currently out of stock) for wolf ammo for that price

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/62704-8703-67.html
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=119442

I just searched for other sources on cheap wolf ammo, and they were out of stock as well. Cheap but out of stock does not help at all now does it?
 
muleskinner

muleskinner

Well-Known Member
Location
Enoch, UT
Hickey said:
Can you use this ammo in a standard .223 Remington chambered bolt action? I have heard that some .223 bulk ammo will not.:confused:
Click to expand...

You should be able to shoot any of it. Some guns (like my AR) they recomend you don't because of the coating on the case. I've never heard of a bolt action not shooting anything. How much ammo do you have?:D I hope its lots..
 
Hickey

Hickey

Burn-barrel enthusiast
Supporting Member
Location
Grantsville, Utah
muleskinner said:
You should be able to shoot any of it. Some guns (like my AR) they recomend you don't because of the coating on the case. I've never heard of a bolt action not shooting anything. How much ammo do you have?:D I hope its lots..
Click to expand...
James had some that wouldn't chamber in his bolt action.
I have
100 rds for the .223
150 for the .17
200 for the 9mm
I wish I had more .223...:-\
 
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