well don't ask me why, but a few weeks ago, I got this gut feeling while looking at a container of 4064.. why not try it out in the old 223..

4064 is not known to be 22 caliber friendly for a handloader, due to its bulky granulas... but yet it is accepted in the 22.250 and 220 Swift.. so why not the lowly 223?

So I tried some and was I surprised! to say the least...In three different rifles, with all sorts of bullet weights between 50 and 60 grains...in all sorts of bullet types...from trendy plastic tipped varmint bullets, to the lowly bulk bullets..

all these combos, 4064 is still turning out the best and tightest groups these rifles have ever shot! and these are some good shooting rifles!

played with charges from as low as 20 grains to 22.. 24 and 25 grain charges...

you may give up a 100 to 150 fps MV maximums...but it more than makes up for it in tiny little groups..

I have never been a velocity hound, so I can live with that, for those increases in accuracy!

Since it is not known as a 223 powder normally, I thought I would pass this on to my fellow varmint shooters..

looks like my next powder order will have to include 8 lbs of 4064 instead of one of the other powders...don't want to run out of a good thing!

cheers
seafire

I have used IMR 4064 with a 52gr. Sierra HPBT match bullet out of my Remington 700 Varmint Special for over 35 years with very excellent results. DEADLY on squirrels.

I got some fine accuracy using 4350 in my 22-250 but I couldn't get enough in to get any sort of decent velocity.

I'd hate to load x000 rounds of Pdogs ammo using stick powder.

That depends on the stick. Metered charges of Varget, N140, N133 and RL15 all do very well in my 223.

I tried 4064 with 55 gr. bullets but could not get anymore than 25 gr. in the Win. brass. What brass were you using? Nosler listed a max of 26.5 gr. of 4064 for their accuracy load. I would like to know how they got that much in it. Accuracy was good. Maybe I am doing something wrong. I have had good luck with N135 with the 55 gr. bullets in the 223.

PaPa260

25 grains is clocking right at 3000 fps, so as I said, it sacrifices some max velocity, but really picks it up in the accuracy dept..

.

I have been using 4064 for years in small caliber rifles for accuracy and bullet testing. It is NOT a mass production powder, I use ball or flake powder for that purpose. Reloder 7 is good for volume reloading and it gives good accuracy with top velocity. 4064 is the powder for making small groups for accuracy test or for bragging rights. Don't get the two different uses confused.

.

I like a powder that gives max velocity and accuracy. In the 223 Benchmark,X-Terminator,H335, and RL 15 serve that purpose well depending on the bullet weight.

I am not a Dillon Lover at all...

I reload with a Rock Chucker press, a 505 BeamScale...and Lee Powder dippers..

so even tho I reload a lot of rounds..I don't sit and reload 1000 rounds at a time..

so me and this "accuracy thing" are good friends..

Every one of those x000 rounds were loaded on a single stage press and a Redding powder measure. Rarely do I load 1000 rounds in one seating. I have one station on my reloading bench set up for Pdogs and I can slide in and do however much work I have time for.

Seafire: I have owned a bunch of 223 Remington Rifles over the last 4 1/2 decades but looking through all my loading log notes for them I have never tried IMR 4064 in ANY of them!
I will have some time once December gets here and will give your "Accuracy Champ" powder a try in a couple of my 223's.
Thanks for the tip.
By the way is there any chance I will be bringing my Rifle home in a basket with this IMR 4064 load?
I do use a lot of IMR 4064 in my 22-250 Remingtons and of course almost exclusively in all my 220 Swifts but never in the "littler" 22's.
Thanks again.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG,

I am loading the case with 25 grains...there is load data that runs it up to 26.5 grains...and they must be using a jack hammer to compress it all in there...

25 grains is right to the shoulder...

and with the velocity, I am guessing its pressure is down in the 45,000 CUP range...

with 40 to 55 grain bullets, I don't think the 223 can get enough 4064 into the case to give ANY pressure problems..

actually since trying it, I have noticed that 4064 is in the Sierra and Nosler reload manuals....

what also surprised me is a string or two of 10 shots fairly rapidly, the barrel didn't heat up as much as you'd expect on a case full of this much powder..

depending on what I see for the size of deer running around the wooded area I hunt, I have some Barnes 53 grain X Bullets loaded up with this charge for my featherweight 223, just in case I decide to carry that when I am guiding for a few boys I will be taking out hunting...

Seafire: Received, thank you for that additional information!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy