Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire IMR 4198 in 223

I found a pound in my stash. I think I got it for 45-70 but never used it. H322 does ok with Nosler 40 grain BT's but runs just over an inch. Try this? Who knows.

Any thoughts?

I use CFE 223, meters very well!

Couldn't hurt to try. Let us know how it goes.

I have standardized on Tac for almost all of my .17 Fireball, .204 Ruger, 22-250, and .223. Meters like water, and is cheap and easy to find around here.

Used to be very popular in .221 FB, .222, and .223. It gives good results with good economy, but does not meter so well. I shot a lot of it in .222 back in the '70s before I graduated to .22-250.

Not capable of the highest velocity obtainable for the cartridge, but I've used it in bolt actions for over 30 years. Extremely accurate in a couple guns I have.

IMR4198 was also my go to with the .222 & 52 Sierra Match Kings.

you looking for max velocity, or accuracy? or a cross section of both?

IMR 4198 is a GREAT powder for the 223.. bullet weights of 65 grains and under..

if it isn't accurate in your gun ( I'm a bolt action guy).. its not the powder.. its your gun or the shooter...

I probably send 3,000 to 4.000 rounds down range most years with IMR 4198
in the 223, with 40 to 63 grain bullets..
main bullet weights i use..40s, 50s, 52s & 53s, and occasionally 55s...from high volume varmint shooting to target practice
at the range.. 100 to 500 yds as that is what we have available...go thru an 8 pounder and a couple of 1 pounders a year..
at least 10 to 12 pounds of it..

I also do a lot of it in cartridges like the 243, and 308 based cartridges, 30/06, 270, 338/06...
range work and hunting.. with the same charge weight.. 30 grains...regardless of bullet weight..

allows a lot of trigger time, on an economy scale... without wearing out the barrel as fast...

most recent use for that kind of work... 243 Savage I picked up new for $269.00 a Cabelas close out deal..
30 grains of 4198, 58, 65 and 75 grain V Maxes... been ringing steel over at the range, when I need a little vacation
from being constantly working.. live 3 miles from the range...

take 20 to 30 rounds over to the range, ring steel at 300 and 500 yds the range has set up.. a nice 60 to 90 minute break or so...

If I'm down to 5 pounds of 4198, its time to stock up on a couple of more of them down at Bi Mart...

IMR4198 is all I’ve used in 223 and 222, since about 1982.

While my 223 load of under 21 grains is likely considered mild with a 55 gr SP......it has never failed to cycle in any carbine, mid-length, or rifle-length AR of mine.

Burns cleaner than most.

Groups just fine with 223 bolt rifles too, heavy or sporter weight barrels. Even my little M7 stainless/synthetic shoots great!

222 with 52 Hornady BTHP and 4198 works just fine.

The metering issue is a little overblown.

Used a few 8 lb’ers over the years.

Yea......give it a try and let us know. Couldn’t hurt to try.....

Just make sure you use IMR data not H data as these are not the same powders.

what I started reloading 223 with in the 1980s. worked fine. I was using 55 gr bullets and under then, so can't speak to anything heavier with it.

It must have met my 2 criteria for powder then: A) Is it in the speer manual? B) Is it on a shelf somewhere in town?

Have loaded thousands of 50-55 grain in .223 with IMR 4198 begining early 80s

I know that 22 grains of IMR498 and either a 50 V-Max or Blitzking has been very accurate in every rifle I've fired them in.

22 inch barrels go just north of 3100 fps but accuracy is there, works good in an AR, too.

Armednfree: I say "you got it - use it"!
Out of my 14 Varmint Rifles and an additional 2 Varmint pistols in caliber 223 Remington only ONE preferred the IMR 4198 powder "accuracy wise".
And that was with the 50 grain Sierra "Blitz" (not BlitzKing!) bullet.
Good luck and I hope it shoots well and safely for you.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

First powder I used in the .223 and good for making some accurate loads, but maybe a little fast for the cartridge. It has a perfect burning rate for the .222.

I have burned a lot of IMR 4198 in the 223 under a 50gr V-Max.

Not the fastest, but great accuracy in my bolt gun.

4198 with 40 grainers, you can get those going in the 3700 fps range... or more..

Load data is always on the conservative side... and accuracy won't be suffering...

RL 7 is another great one, especially if you want velocity and accuracy with the 40 grainers...