Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles H 335 Temp sensitivity

If I work up a max load for my 223 ai with 75 amax and 335 in 50 degree weather is it likely to be too hot (high pressure) in 95 degree weather?

Here is what we have done for 30 years with ball powders,

Load development is as follows:

load one shot and one shot only, increase your powder charge .5g at a time. Fire and check for pressure signs.

Keep going up until you find pressure and stop.

Back off 2.0g and now shoot three shot groups, looking for a group where all the bullets are touching or smaller group.


When you find the most accurate powder charge, you can play with primer choice and/or alter seating depth.

Bryant, your question can only be answered by you with your specific barrel with the components that you have on hand. If you load the 75g read hot at 50*, then go to 95*, you might have slight pressure increase. Don't let your ammo cook in the sunlight at 95* either.

H335 is the mack daddy with your AI.

No intent to dispute our buddy Keith here...but H 335 is one powder I have a real respect for, when it comes to LACK of temp insensitivity....

it can pressure spike like no tomorrow...

it is one powder I won't use in 223s or anything else... even tho I know tons of people swear by it.. I swear at it...

I had experienced twice where a load of 25 grains with a 55 grain bullet, blew up, and messed up the gun, screwing up the stock...and needing repairs to the action...

I don't trust it when the outside temp heats up... and I also don't like how much "flash" it can produce.... shoot a round with it at night and get a load of the fireball it produces...

I don't want to be shooting that prone on dry grass while out varmint shooting...

I know it is hard to find powder, but so many powders work well in a 223, I'd look elsewhere...

No slam meant there Keith.... just reflecting my experiences and they were not positive...

I have had undesirable situations arise when using max 335 loads on hot days. I still use it from time to time as it was my baseline powder. For the most part I now use Benchmark. Close enough to my baseline load, and no problems on hot days.

Yes.

+1 most of the older ball powders were temp sensitive and H335 is no exception. It is not ridiculous like BL-C(2) and H380 but 45 degrees will make quite a difference.
A powder in this relative burn rate that I absolutely love is IMR8208XBR, it is as temp stable as they come and MUCH cleaner burning.

with 75grainers you might want to try Varget

Yep, had much better luck with powders like Varget, RE-15, and H4895 with 75s in the 223 and 223 AI.

^^^^

That..



I have had repeated episodes of excessive pressure from H335, and will not use it any longer. EVERY episode was caused by putting a cartridge in the chamber of an already hot gun, as would be done a couple hundred times a day on a PD town�
Since I do a lot of that kind of shooting, H335 is out�

In the 223AI hunting rifle ( by hunting, I mean deer and antelope..) when only a shot at a time is fired on a given day, or evening. H335 is a viable powder, but still not the first choice.

I hope stick reads this�.he will be banging his head against the wall�..

Damn skippy, I've used several tons (slight exaggeration)of it through a .223 w/o a problem. I don't try to motor any of my rifles at top end and I don't let my ammo for any rifle lay around in the sun and, when I'm on a Pdog town, I try to monitor my barrel heat and switch rifles fairly often.
I once laid two rounds of 22-250 ammo in the sun for 5 minutes. It was summer time a pretty hot. Both primers popped when I fired the rounds. Two other rounds--same load, brass, etc-- were laid out on the same bench but covered with a cloth. Both fired w/o a problem and exhibited no pressure signs. The 22-250s were loaded with that bad, old H380 when has been used for years and years and only recently did we learn that it was a bomb walking.
And, fwiw, I've never damaged any rifle with a powder charge that was considered safe in the load books. I would suspect that other factors were in play.

Thanks, lots of good info. I just picked up two cans of 335 because some say it the cats meow in 223 ai.

The gun is a 21 in. Barrel 700 my first custom or semi custom rifle. I have shot some good (a few great) groups with 8208 xbr and 77 smk and 75 amax but I have not gotten the vel. I was looking for and accuracy together.

Using rem 7 1/2 primers mostly. Have used som win primers but the seem to show pressure sooner. Getting some cratered firing pin strikes. I guess it could be a high pressure sign or it could be that my bolt has sloppy pin to hole fit?

Wish I had some cci 450's

Hoping to get near 3000 fps and little bitty groups. I have gotten some sub 1/2 Moa groups but slow velosity. Trying to find the combo to get me to the next "node" with out being to hot. Hope that makes sence.

I've been hand loading 5 years but just got my first crony so now I'm chasing vel. And accuracy for better or worse.

You know who swears by 335 and 75's but he lives way up north and probably does not get the heat issues much.

I'd upgrade to powders in the RL 15, H 4895, IMR 4895, Varget burn rate range if you are trying to put out 3000 fps...

curiously, what are you getting and why do you feel it needs to be 3000? accuracy should be the key desire and then when you have a bullet with a good BC, for longer range, 100 fps slower or so can be compensation by a click or two on the elevation knob pretty easily... the extra fps with the faster velocity isn't going to kill anything any better...

you'll get over that chasing velocity thing with the chrony eventually...we all did...

2900 will do just fine I'm sure. But I just can't help but try.

I have chased the velocity dragon more than a few times. Sad to say that the cost more than outweighed the benefits and gain. Accuracy is now #1 even if it means a loss of a little velocity.
Wish you luck on finding that next node. I did, but at the cost of ruining a very good tube.

Beeman, yep 380 is finicky, but my 250 and my Swift love the stuff so I still buy it in 8 pound jugs. Just have to know when to back off just like 335.

was checking some of my notes...if you have or can run down any H 322, 23.5 grains of it in a 223 is listed as 2980 something fps according to Hornady load data... guess you could fudge a 1/10 or two to make up the difference...

Swifty, I admit not to running H 380 in the 22.250, but with heavier bullets in the 223, I have had good luck with it, and it runs lower pressure.. It is my GoTo powder for the 223 with a 70 grain Speer...a combo I have been known to use, to wack a blacktail or three with..

Wisdom for the ages here�.

Yep on accuracy. Hit slow or miss fast, I'll go for the hit.

By the way, Br, you could do yourself a favor giving TAC a try. I've worked up several "other people's" rigs with the stuff and it's easy cheesy to work with. Good enough that if I keep not being able to find H-4895, and a jug of TAC magically appears, it will be mine.

+1 on TAC�JB turned me on to it years ago...

Bryant: Maybe YOU should work up your H 335 loads on a 95 degree day and make sure they are safe in your Rifle?
I have been using H 335 in 223 Remington Rifles since 1966 and have as yet to encounter my first "problem" while using it!
Thats 48 years of useage so far!
I love H 335 and use it in other Varmint calibers as well.
The hottest day I ever remember shooting H 335 in one of my 223's was a day that got to 102 degrees while Prairie Doggin out of Pierre, South Dakota.
Again, NO problems.
I am currently loading for and Hunting with 14 (fourteen) different Varmint guns in caliber 223 Remington - 5 (five) of them prefer H 335 powder!
IF.. there was a proven threat to me or my guns with this powder I sure as heck would NOT be using it - I have no monetary allegiance or affiliation with it.
In addition to my experience I have given my favorite H 335 223 load to at least a dozen of my friends over the years and I have as yet to hear a complaint from any of them.
I simply shake my head at the reports I see from time to time of "problems" with H 335 - I have NEVER seen any firsthand.
I will say this "I" am a notorious "non-hotrodder" when it comes to my handloads. I "aim" for accuracy first and then applicable and useable velocities second - H 335 has sure served me well in those regards for going on half a century now.
Again I would do my load testing under similar conditions to the most extreme you can expect once afield - or use moderation and common sense to get where you want to be.
I have been getting such good reports from my friends regarding a somewhat new powder on the market for the 222/223 Remington family of cartridges - and that powder is CFE 223.
I have acquired two pounds of it and my latest acquired 223 Varminter is going to be tested with this powder soon - and I will do as I always do - USE CAUTION and foresight when assembling test loads.
Maybe CFE 223 would serve you well in your 223 A.I.?
IF.. temperature sensitivity is your main concern then might I suggest H 322 - it is an "Extreme Powder" and I obtain excellent accuracy in many Rifles with it.
Best of luck to you.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Yes. Just yes!