Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Best all around powder for 223?

Benchmark, then H335, then varget.

Swifty

Good info guys, Tac,Benchmark and H4895 seem to be favorites, H335 seems like another favorite but have read that some have had pressure issues in hot weather has anyone here had any issues?

Yeah, 335 can definitely get touchy in hot weather, especially when shooting prairie dogs or other small rodents. I used to run it all the time, but also found it dirty-burning, though it may have improved since then. When TAC appeared I switched over, as it's very clean-burning and about as temp-resistant as any powder made, at least in my tests. Benchmark is also great, as it's about the fastest powder for bullets in the 40-55 grain range, and also clean-burning. It's extruded, but has very small granules so meters fine.

Do you find that TAC keeps the copper away better than Benchmark, over long strings of fire?

And even 50gr and 75gr+ bullets. With 50, 52, 53 & 55gr, just load the case up even with the mouth and seat the bullet.

Varget is the no-brainer for .223.

I have...same scenario every time...sustained firing creates a hot gun/barrel/chamber. A fresh round is chambered and a shot opportunity doesnt show up for 2-3 minutes....allowed to sit in a hot chamber, pressures go through the roof... soooooooo H335 is out for PDs and Gophs...but in for deer in my .223AI

H 335 is the only powder I've ever had trouble with, and that was in a 223.. and that problem showed its head twice...

and since I have the philosophy that it is harder to find a powder that doesn't work well in a 223, than it is to find one that works 'the best'...I have a million other choices over H 335...

DakotaDeer,

I haven't done any direct comparisons between TAC and Benchmark over a long string of shooting, but have used TAC considerably in a number of varmint rifles over the last decade or so, including the .17 Fireball, .204 Ruger along with the .223. It does seem to result in less copper fouling than other powders, and the benefit is even greater when used in a barrel that's been treated with Dyna Bore-Coat.

The routine at prairie dog/gopher shoots when I first started burning a lot of ammo on rodents in the 1980's was for everybody to get back to the motel or camp and start cleaning barrels immediately. Often we'd even have to clean 'em during the day, if the shooting was furious enough.

But I don't usually bother cleaning my rodent rifles even on a 2-3 day shoot anymore, since sticking to cleaner-burning powders and using DBC, since they shoot just as accurately after hundreds of rounds as they did at the start. There are exceptions, such as my .221 Fireball, which shoots best with Li'l Gun, not the cleanest-burning powder in the world. But That rifle's been DBC'd now, and the most "cleaning" I do during is run a few Hoppe's soaked patches through it to knock out the powder fouling--which also comes out easier once the bore's been treated with DBC.

Alot of good info thanks guys!

MD,
I dont notice alot of fouling using Benchmark, carbon or copper. Very clean burning powder, unlike 335. I get as good of velocity, and groups from it as I did with H335, but have found that it is a little more predictable in hot weather.
Most of my shooting is in 50 round sessions per rifle with 25 shots being fired for group in 30 minutes, which pretty much mirrors what I would do in a match. I have not tryed TAC yet as BM works really well in my Varmint rifles including my 22.250 & Swift. But I wouldnt suggest it in the Swift on a hot day if you are faint of heart.
Dont know about DBC, but did play with moly (PIA) was a bad idea.
BM in your weight ranges is excellent. Meters very well indeed.


Swifty

Yeah, Benchmark is very clean-burning--which also helps with copper-fouling. It's a little fast for the Swift, though, which is prrobably why you're getting some higher pressures on hot days. Even the most temp-resistant powders get a little wonky when taken out of their ideal applications.

I've had great luck in the Swift with Ramshot Hunter and 55's.

Moly is VERY different than DBC. For one thing, it reduces fouling of all kinds, rather than producing it's own. Plus, you only apply it once to the bore, and it lasts the life of the bore.

Found the same thing with TAC; it pays to work up loads in the hottest weather, the hottest you'd get the gun to be safe, with ANY powder!

But you already knew that...

H4895 or Benchmark

Their are no best all around powders only compromises.

My AR likes H335 quite a lot, but TAC is well worth a try there...

Why is there a need to inject political biases into an abstract discussion of which powder is better in a .223? I'm a gun nut, however the NRA doesn't dictate my common sense. What has our current president done to curtail current gun laws? Please, don't spout talking point, yet point to real facts. This type of stupidity is exactly why I question the real underlying motives. The NRA thrives under President Obama because of mis-informed, gun-loving bigots!

Uhhhhhhhh.......

What happened....

Hey, don't bring race into this..... (just kidding, ?????)

8208xbr. It is awesome out of my heavy barrel 223 hows.