Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 55gr Hornady SP 223 speeds?

Hornady tests in 26in barrels. They list 24.7gr TAC as max at 3200. That load is 3/4in in my 20 inch barrel but only averaging 2850 with a lot of velocity variance. Is this all I can expect out of the shorter barrel or should I carefully load on up and shoot for around 3100?

Also I'm about to start loading for a 16.5 inch barrel Ruger Compact. What kind of speed should I expect from that barrel?

Gotta tell us what cartridge boss...
My Hornady book shows that is a Max load in the 223. Please tell us you didn't start with that load...?

No one ever gave a shyte about being able to miss REALLY quickly, so go for groups and ignore the speed.
Large velocity variations means ignition issues, or a poor choice in powders.

Yes it is a 223. I started at the mid load listed in the book but the best group was at max. The speed is just way short of book. The brass was primed when I got it. I've got some CCIs to use next time.

I have an accurate load with that bullet also loaded with TAC. My load is 24.5 gr. in LC brass with CCI 400 primers. This load strains to get 3000 fps. out of a 24" barrel, but accuracy says don't mess with trying more powder. I am pushing book maximum, no signs of pressure, so I'm happy...........

If your load is showing a lot of variation, you might try working back up with magnum primers. Sometimes Ram Shot powders do a little better with magnums.

Sometimes ball powders do a little better with magnums....

I had the high extreme spread problem in my 223 AI with TAC. My ES would be between 90 and 100 fps. I was using magnum primers as well.

Mule Deer recommended I carefully bump the powder charges up as there is a bit of fluff in 223 max pressures and see what happened.

At .6 grains higher the ES settled down and accuracy was wonderful.

I would recommend hotter primers and very carefully working your powder charge up

Best accuracy will be right up next to a max load for your rifle, so don't get scared to bump up, watch your pressure signs, you will be ok.

On another note, I am getting unreal accuracy out of benchmark with that bullet, don't know the velocity...load is in the 24.7-25.6 area with CCI450 primer(best accuracy).

Good info.

Good advice from MD, as usual. Also, download the latest reloading data from Western Powders for their Accurate & Ramshot powders here: http://www.ramshot.com/load-data/

Then look at Ramshot's TAC data for traditional cup-n-core 55gr bullets (not polytips or mono-metal or thin jackets) and you'll notice that the max TAC charges for 55gr bullets are in the 25.5 to 25.8 grain range.

Then for a real eye opener look at Ramshot's TAC loads for 5.56 NATO.

I guess I should clarify that this is a bolt rifle, not an AR, not sure if that makes a difference in pressure tolerance.

Why are 5.56 loads hotter when it's essentially the same round? Never have fully understood the difference in the two.

I just PM'd the guy about buying the Lapua brass for sale in the classifieds. Gonna get me some CCI magnum primers to go with the quality brass and start over on my loads. Also think I'll get a pound of Benchmark.

This might help you some.

http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/223rem-vs-556-whats-in-a-name

While the 5.56x45 mm chamber is slightly larger than the .223 Rem. chamber in just about every dimension, the primary difference is throat length, which can have a dramatic effect on pressure. The 5.56x45 mm has a longer throat in the chamber than the .223 Rem. The throat is also commonly called the leade, which is defined as a portion of the barrel directly in front of the chamber where the rifling has been conically removed to allow room for the seated bullet. Leade in a .223 Rem. chamber is usually 0.085 inches, while in a 5.56x45 mm chamber the leade is typically 0.162 inches, or almost twice as much as in the .223 Rem. chamber. Also, the throat angle is different between the two chambers, and that can affect pressure rise and peak pressure.

I couldn't find a load with TAC and that bullet that my son's .223 #3 liked. Found a load w/ Varget, and was happy. Doesn't relate other than the speeds I was seeing were pretty slow, i.e. 2850 or so if memory serves.

Magnum primers and step on the gas with TAC. It always works.

IMR8208 25.3,rem 7 1/2,hornady 55sp,gets me 3012 with my 20" RRA groups are around the 3/4 mark.

I've experimented a lot with TAC in the 223. It does like to be pushed hard for best accuracy.

However, with all but the heaviest bullets, X-Terminator always outperforms TAC, with every load I've tried, in accuracy and velocity. It's not a huge difference, but X-Terminator always shoots a little tighter and a little faster, and slightly outperforms other powders like Benchmark, 748, etc in my rifles. Like TAC, it does best when pushed hard too.

My 55gr loads (Sierra BK, not Hornady) are running 3,000 from a 16" AR15 barrel.

mine haven't seemed to have any issues with TAC ( so far )... however my fastest velocities have been with H 322....with the 55 grainers...

strictly a bolt action guy tho...not an AR guy...

I got a few pounds of CFE a few years ago, and it became my go-to powder in a 223 bolt target gun. It has a 25.5" bbl, and actually gets book speeds. The CFE does really well for extreme velocity spread, and accuracy follows in that gun.

There is 'fluff' in 223 data because we are most of us used to loading bolt guns to 60k+ psi. Still the data is what it is. No fluff. It is far easier on a bolt gun to shoot a .378" case at 65k psi than it is to shoot a .473" case at 65k psi.

Looks like this works. Thought I would update this and say thanks for the good advice. I finally got back around to this rifle lately. I used the magnum primers/Lapua brass and eased on up in .3 grain increments to 27gr. Not getting any pressure signs and at 3210fps avg got this 3 shot group. ES of 23.



I had 3 loaded at 26.7 but I misfed the first into the rifle and jammed the bullet deep into the case. That group was .75 but the last 2 at the correct seating depth went into the same hole. I plan to load 10 of each charge and see what happens. I've killed deer with a 22-250 and 220Swift but not a 223. I think this load may get the job done this season.

Rem 700 VTR. High Tech Specialties stock with PT&G bottom metal. Bedded and floated, trigger at just over 2lbs.

That's A GOOD LOOKING RIFLE THERE TATER!