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

Benchmark

IMR 8208

H4895 are my go to powders

Since you've got TAC I'd start there before buying anything else.

My general go-to is H335 but if you can get H322, CFE 223, AA 2230, or any number of others you should be in good shape.

Mostly H335 or some 4895. But I'm an old fart, so......

This thread is a testament to how versatile the 223 happens to be, how tractable and forgiving. For me, in that 50-55 weight range, my hands down faves are H-4895 on the lower weights (50-53) and TAC from 53-55. But both work really nicely all the way across, easy to work with for "better than me" groups.

Does the type of action affect the powder choice? That is, does an AR platform dictate a different powder choice versus a bolt action rifle? Thanks

I use H 335 at 25.0 grains for 55 grainers with great results.

I have never shot the 52's.. But lots and lots of 55's. I have had stellar results with AA2015, W748, Benchmark, N135 and H4895.

I had 2 rifles in the past that would not shoot, despite using all the favorites. I fed them AA2015 and magic appeared before my eyes.

My most accurate rifle shoots 55 Nosler BT's with 26.7-26.9 grains of W748. I am not changing a thing or screwing around with it.

H4895 just works. It goes nuts with CCI #41's. +50 - +100 fps faster than with other primers. Be careful!

I doubt N135 is the best powder for those light bullets, but it sure works great and goes fast with 55's

Benchmark.... purple container, awesome velocity. Everybody's dream.

Was that the AA2015 made in Israel, the Czech Republic or Canada ????

Canada sir.

I like 23.2 grs of AA 2015 with a OAL 2.230. I use this on 52 & 53 gr match & Speers 52. This powder loads nice, a very short stick powder.

Benchmark

I have a couple 8 lb bottles of H335. I hear there's better. But I shoot it at PD's and they seem to not know the H335 isn't so good.

One load I use a lot in my old 78 Remington which has been on many PD shoots (I bought it new, I take it along on every PD shoot) - the barrel could be replaced but it still shoots OK:

223 Remington, Model 78, 55 grain Nosler BT, 7 ½ BR, 26 grains H335 averages 0.47 MOA

My mini-Mauser's most accurate load is with H335 (similar load).

223 Interarms Mark X, 55 grain Remington HP, WSR, 26.5 grains H335, averages 0.79 MOA

My Model 7 however prefers TAC with the 40 grain bullets, yet it likes the H335 with the 55 (similar load).

223 Remington Seven, 40 grain Nosler BT, 7 ½ BR, 22.3 grains TAC, averages 0.44 MOA (I know it's only a 40 grain bullet)
223 Remington Seven, 55 grain Rem HP, WSR, 26.5 grains H335 averages 0.50 MOA


Keep in mind the Seven and the Mini Mauser have very light barrels.

It seems with all three 223's the load they prefer with 55 grain bullets is the similar loads and it's with H335.

👍

Ditto

CFE 223

i just purchased a 8 lb. keg of Tac powder i like the way i can volume load this Tac powder in my Redding benchrest powder measure seems to shoot accurate too for me.

It is this load, which seemed a real bread and butter load for most...and shot well for me...

Until the day, I had some factory Black Hills ammo, that I use to buy when it was like $11.50 for a box of 50, way back... would buy it as that was the cheap way to buy brass...had 7 rounds left of the box, pulled the trigger and BOOM....blew the primer, and split the stock in several places..

77 Mk 2 Ruger.. Disassembled the other 6 and charge was 25 grains of H 335. Verified that by calling Black Hills.... told them the issue I had.
Thought it must have been a freak over charge. Stripped and repaired the stock via a friend who is a cabinet maker, then refinished the stock.
Rifle had about 8,000 rounds down the barrel. I had used a lot of H 335 with a 25 grain charge over the years so figured it was a freak accident.

60 days later, after the gun was back in service, it was one of my handloads this time... same 25 grains of H 335 with a 55 grain SP. Went Kaboom again, this time damaged the bolt fairly bad, but repairable. Stock was blown into several big pieces this time. Took it back to my cabinet maker friend once again, and he put it back together...

at the time, I thought it had to be something wrong with the rifle., then found on the campfire here, several guys were having the same issues out of H 335 at the time...

I admit. I quit using H 335 PERIOD. Its also where I came to the conclusion, about anything else also works well in a 223., so there was no shortages of alternatives. I ended up giving the rifle to gunsmith friend, Mike Bellm, who use to live here in town., he turned the barrel back and rechambered it into a 222. He never had ANY problems with the gun, and we even put another stock on it ( a Zytel stock)... yet, I still have that original stock and refinished it once again, and it serves on a Model 77 Mk 2 chambered in 260 Rem.

I know plenty of guys who use trainloads of H 335 for decades and have never had ONE issue with it....but personally having two incidents so close together, on the same rifle, I've avoided using it at all...

another issue I had been noticing with it before hand... how "flashy" it was, as friend John Noveske called it. In spring Sage rat shooting, I quit shooting it prone, in dry grass... yeah I lit a couple of small blazes, that were easily put out.. however I just started shooting off the hood of my 4 Runner instead... and still do to this day...

pretty much replaced it with using W 748, when using a ball powder.. never have had ANY issues with W 748, and its more consistent.

No critic of those who use H 335.. just sharing my experience.. which is evidently highly rare...but twice in 60 days....I learned a lesson to avoid it.

That's why I like TAC so much. Pours like H335, shoots like it, without the scary part. I'd love an explanation but whatever it is, nobody has pinned it down.

I have shot several powders and all worked more or less. Found a buy on AC 2230 and never looked back.

It has worked well in all of my 223s and the one 222 that I had. What is not to like.

Some newer powder has come out but I have not tried them because 2230 works so well.

CFE223