Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 223 AR loads

Putting together my first AR and was looking for load data. I've done a little research, but not too much on AR platform with 24" tube. I'm plan on using 50-60gr pills (most likely 55gr), mostly steel and 'chucks out to 4-500 max. I was planning on using Benchmark, but I know there are a lotta options for 223. This doesn't need to be a speed queen, as I am more concerned about consistency and repeatability. Along with powder suggestion, what primers are recommended? Kind of want to stay away from the BR-4 price range......

I have a 20" barreled AR for this task and use H335 and 55's NBT, ARComp and TAC are sure bets as well and cleaner than H335. I just can't leave the 335 due to it is so accurate.

Benchmark ought to work fine. So would about 20 other powders.

CCI 41s are supposed to be designed for AR's and such, I've been doing fine with Federal 205s and S&Bs. The main thing I think is not to use Remington 6 1/2s or others designed for low pressure rounds.

Love CFE-223 with the55 gr TSX's and 64 gr Nosler bonded bullets, not long rangers, just house guns, but damn they shoot clean, and accuracy is plenty good, even with the crappy eo-tech reticle at 100 yards.

I've had the best luck with TAC, LT-32, and H335. Benchmark was just "ok". IMR4895 as been the best with 60gr partitions.

wish I was able to buy 4oz or so of 10 kinds of powder.... A place down the road from our cabin does this, but i'm pretty sure the powder is older than this forum.

CFE 223 and any of the following Nosler bullets: 55 B/Tip, 55 Varmageddon HP or Varmageddon (tipped).

My initial loads with CFE 223 resulted in pretty smoked up cases but that went away as charge weights went up.

Gunner,

What primers were you using with the CFE-223 and the Nosler Bonded Solid bases?

I've found AR-Comp to work well with Partitions. Got good accuracy at 23.5 grains, it's giving me about 2900 fps out of a 16-inch barrel. I think it will kill a pig.

CCI-450 mags AS, I want that bit of a harder primer face for those damn loose AR firing pins that bounce to and fro, also, when the time comes, I want it lit, and lit hard and clean.

Thanks Gunner.

The 450's are my default AR ball powder primer as well. I just didn't get the groups you did with that combination. Now that I have more regular range access, perhaps I will try that combination again.

You're welcome, it may group descent with a scope, I don't know, another thing I wanted to see was differing bullet weights and loads ability to hit in close proximity at 50 yards with the Eo-Tech.

55 gr TSX with CFE and a 450 primer
64 gr Nosler with CFE and a 450 primer
Federal XM556FBIT3 factory loads

All three loads landed nicely into a 1.5" cluster from the bench at 50, so, for house loads and around the farm, they will work fine for me.

In the various AR's I've reloaded for, H335 and W748 have probably been the best choices. That's with bullets in the 50-55 grain weight range. I use Rem 7/12 primers, with an occasional load using Wolf primers.

I have a Rock River Lar 15 and have had great luck with Benchmark powder, using both the 52 gr Sierra HPBT and Hornady HPBT match bullets I have shot groups under two inches at 400 yards.

My AR's are not built as target rifles, but I use CFE 223 with 69gr SMK's or for cheap rounds I use the Midway dogtown bullets with same powder.

old school once again...

if I am going to have to use ball powder in the 223...

BLC2 and W 748.....

10 shots at 100 yards. 55 grain Sierra Blitzking, Rem 7 1/2 primer, IMR-8208.



18" bull barrel, 223 Wlyde, 1-8 twist.


Dan

Man I hate NY regs and those awful looking stocks we need to have a detach mag. Brutal. Good info though, guys.

Those Thordsen stocks are ugly but they do work. My build this year is a fixed magazine in 450 Bushmaster. That jammed on me once and wasn't fun clearing without being able to remove the magazine.

Dan

I've had great results with Benchmark and H335 but the most universal accurate powder in bullet weights from 50gr to 75gr has been H4895.