Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles blc-2 in 223

Anyone have any pet 223 loads with blc-2? I have a few pds, and i'm going to load some sierra 63 gr's up to kill a few does. The only load i've found like this calls for 26 grs. At 3050fps i assume thats a book max load ?

I can only answer for a bolt action... but I have ran it higher than that, pulled from older data, but have had ZERO issues with it at the higher doses...but 3000 fps is more than enough oomph with that bullet on deer..

This is for a bolt gun. I'm not looking for a hot load per say. I've read that blc-2 is a pretty temp sensitive powder. That said,how far off pressure signs this time of yr would be a safe bet for warmer temps? I have a few pds of this to use, so i'll be loading some lighter stuff with it as well.

Just load yourself a small batch of 20 for deer hunting season this year after you try it at the range.
Then next summer you can do the full monty in hot weather.

you won't see many comments on it, because very few folks test this sort of stuff....but many folks might be surprised what a e downloaded 22 caliber bullet will do, even compared to full power loads, into larger medium....

testing 55 grain SP at 2500 fps MV, into steel plate of 3/8 thickness at 100 yds... vs the same bullet at 3100 fps at the same steel plates at 100 yds...

at 3100 fps MV, the bullets will bounce right off the steel plate at 100 yds...

at 2500 fps MV the bullets will penetrate right thru the steel plate at 100 yds...

point I am making, if you are hunting deer with a bullet like that at reasonable distances, you don't need to push a bullet to max velocity to have to worry about your charge once the weather heats up...

the 63 grain Sierra at 2700 to 2800 fps will be more than up to the task of dropping a large deer or antelope...

if you are worrying about temp sensitivity, use a less temp sensitive powder.... AR Comp would be a good choice, and would be one of the first powders I'd reach for...

Grovey, it didn't shoot all that great in my AR, so I switched to imr4895 and H322. I've had much better results with these powders.

I have no doubt the sierra will work,but understand the debate over such calibers. I've yet to kill anything but paper with this gun,and it's time it earns it's keep. As long as i can get it to shoot this load around an inch @ 100 in a middle of the rd load, it'll get the nod. It's been a spell since i reloaded my own ammo, and for the first time i have my own setup. I know the basics, but have lots to learn for fine tuning.

I have used it in a bolt gun with no issues. In my AR I started using TAC, I'm loading Sierra 65 SPBT & 23.8 grns. of TAC 1/9 twist. Not max @ all (24.3)TAC data. It's just over 2800 fps and did less than an inch @ 100 yrds in SE wind around 5 mph. I'm going to use it for coy dogs & deer with my bad shoulder. That's if I survive muzzleloading opener this Sat.

I've been playing with the 64gr Nosler bonded solid bases ans H322. It will put 5 under an inch at 100. Be careful if you substitute data for it....it's a long bullets and powder charged need to be backed off compared with what you can load behind a Sierra.

H-335, BLC2, and H-380 are powders that due to their finicky nature I never work up max loads in the fall, and then expect to shoot them in the summer no matter what bullet weight.
That is a recipe for disaster, all 3 have been known to give BIG pressure swings under those conditions.

grovey,
The Sierra 4th Edition Manual shows the following:

Bullet = 63gr Sierra Semi-Pointed
Test gun = Colt HBAR AR-15 with 20" bbl (1x7" twist).
Remington case.
Remington 7 1/2 primer.

BL-C 2 powder:
Starting load = 22.6gr for 2600 fps.
Maximum load = 25.6gr for 2900 fps.

Your bolt gun probably has a longer barrel and should get better velocities if it does.
Good Luck,
-Ted

Shot a lot of BlC2 in my .223, but with lighter bullets than the 63 gr. You could hang on to it and use it for woodchuck loads in the summer.. I liked H4895 with the 63-64 grain bullets in my .223.. Even with the 1-14 twist, it shoots them very accurately.. That is my turkey load for the .223..

Win brass.
Fed 205.
26 grs BLC 2
65 gr Sierra GK.

Running them in a 1/8 Tikka bolt gun.