Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Preferred powder for 52-55 gr .223?

What are some go-to powders for 52 grain bullets in .223? I have on hand TAC and Re-15, but will pick up something else if it would be better suited for 52's.

TAC should work fine, somewhere around 26.0 grains plus or minus 0.5 grain. But there are LOTS of other powders that work well in the 223 Rem. It's a very easy cartridge to reload successfully.

1. Benchmark
2. LT32
3. 335
4. Varget

Benchmark gives excellent accuracy and velocity ~3400 w/52
LT32 same same except ~3450 w/52
335 dirty, stinks when lit off, temperamental on hot days
Varget very consistent ES/SD but velocity sucks. What a pooch ~ 3200 w/52

After the Varget ran out, I've been having good luck with Alliant Varmint

I use Xterminator/A223 a lot for the lighter bullets. CFE223 and BL-C2 are also options.
If you have TAC, that’s what I’d use, Xterminator just gives a bit more velocity.

I will be shooting these loads in a 1:12 twist 22" barrel - shoot I shoot for faster or slower speeds when starting load development?

Benchmark is hard to beat. H322 is also great. I also like Reloder 10x but I found it to be dirty. My preference would be the Benchmark followed closely by H322.

Tac is great, I use that and benchmark mostly but I'm sure that some of the newer powders work great too.

AA2460 and IMR 3031. I shoot these powders with 52 grain Speer HP's From a 700 with a 1/12 twist. I'm loading to around 2650 and 2700 fps. This seems to be the sweet spot for my Sporter barrel 700.

kwg

CFE223 has worked well for me with those bullet weights.

CFE-223 for me too.

Reloader 10X

My choices for those bullets are TAC, Blc-2 and CFE-223. The problem I have with CFE-223 is that it stinks, meaning has a foul smell, more than the others when fired. Mine is a 1:12 twist M700 24" barrel. It is my favorite rifle of all time. I wish I could shoot it every day.

Aa2230 has been my go to for ever. Best 5 shot group I ever fired was with it and a matching.

Since you have RL 15, I'd use that... about anything works in a 223, but RL 15 stands out in my experience...

I am RL 15 poor at the moment... but have plenty of H 322 and Benchmark, along with 3031 and a host of other powders...

If I had every powder under the sun, RL 15 would be one of the first I'd reach for if I wasn't doing reduced loads.

Benchmark.

Probably the best for 52-55gr bullets is VVN133, RL15, Varget, CFE223 etc work better with heavier bullets

Cfe223 is hard to beat.
I enjoy how clean it burns, especially when running suppressed.

H335, BLC-2, and W748 are the powders I like in that weight of a bullet. Varget and TAc work better with the heavier bullets.

Brother and I use Benchmark in our 700's, 55's at 3400 and CCI 450 is the key. I shot kegs of Win 748 on p. dog towns years ago, 26.5-26.g depending on the lot with 55's.. Longest shot I have ever seen on a ground squirrel was 26g of H335 with a 55g Sierra, CCI400.