Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 223 and TCM Load data results

Rifle: Howa Mini in 223, 1 in 9 twist.

Bullet: 50 grain Hornady SP

Primer: Winchester Small Pistol

Charge & Powder: TCM, Charge 10 to 14 grains

1. 10 grains: 2180 fps

2. 11 grains: 2317 fps

3. 12 grains: 2445 fps

4. 13 grains: 2635 fps

5. 14 grains: 2767 fps.

Working out load data for powders that are available as an alternative for powders that are hard to come by.
This is developed for use against sage rats or prairie dogs. Small Pistol Primers was used, since these charges can be used in other calibers in pistol cartridges... NO filler was used in these loads.

I have some test data to add here. All groups were 5 shots.

TCM Powder, 40g Vmax, once fired Norma brass, and Tula/Wolf magnum SR primers. Rifle TC Venture, 20inch Barrel, .223, 9x Scope, at 100 yards...did my best Used a Lead Sled and my new Tri-Focal glasses Most groups were sub moa. Fired brass and primers were all good.

5g - 1321 SD: 41
6g - 1550 SD: 7.5
7g - 1738 SD: 21
8g - 1940 SD: 3.6
9g - 2133 SD: 12
10g - 2336 SD: 32
11g - 2528 SD: 26
12g - 2733 SD: 22
13g - 2900 SD: 9.8
14g - 3058 SD: 26 Avg Group .547
14.5g - 3151 SD: 20 Avg Group .532
15g - 3220 SD: 14 Avg Group .495

TCM is a very fine/tiny ball powder that flows like water. Very precise measurements are the norm.
Went back out to the range with rounds of the 15g - 3220 fps loads and tried it at 200 yards with a 16x Scope and put 18 shots into a 3inch circle target, equaling about a 2.25 inch group. This is definitely minute of a prairie dog, raccoon, beaver...add pesky varmint here________

Thanks Seafire for all your hard work!

That's good stuff. Thank you Lane.

lanenebraska,

Just a point of clarification: A small g is the symbol for grams. The symbol for grains is gr.

There are a little over 15 grains in a gram. Since there are people who read this forum from other countries who use the metric system it might be a good idea to edit your post to reflect that you used grains and not grams. Hopefully to prevent confusion and an accident.

Yes it seems my first load of 5grams TCM powder, is equal to about 75grains....enough to fill three .223 cases all the way to the brim/mouth.
Some how, I think all the metric folks will be able to figure out
that I mean Grains and not grams

Thanks for your concern

Lane

However...now that you mention it, I did forget to label my "Avg Group" numbers. And just to be precise, and non-boastful and humble...
That 15grain load was .495mm

Yep...humble, non-boastful

You also didn't label your velocities. m/s I assume?

M/ps Where M=Miles and ps=picoseconds

Yep :-)

TCM Powder Reduced loads
I was using the TC Venture .223 rifle with 20 inch barrel. The PMC brass was loaded with 34g HP Dogtown bullets
Brass was 4x fired. CCI 550 Small Pistol Mag primers. 5 shot groups.

I measured a full .223 case amount of TCM Powder to be 25g. 60% of that is 15g and 20% is 5g.
I Decided to start at 7g and go to 14.5g for my testing. 70 degrees, 50 Yards only. Just trying to gauge speed and pressure signs.

7g Avg: 1682 M/ps SD: 48
8g Avg: 1901 M/ps SD: 21
9g Avg: 2114 M/ps SD: 10
10g Avg: 2331 M/ps SD: 48
11g Avg: 2559 M/ps SD: 30
12g Avg: 2733 M/ps SD: 30
13g Avg: 2934 M/ps SD: 35
13.5g Avg: 3023 M/ps SD: 54
14g Avg: 3124 M/ps SD: 40
14.5g Avg: 3214 M/ps SD: 38

A few of the 14g and 14.5g loads showed some signs of flattened primers and three primers showed signs of backing out of the primer pocket slightly,
about 2 thousands (of an inch)

(I will revisit this test later, with once fired brass and SR magnum primers.)

YMMV = Your mileage may vary