Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 223 reloads (how fast?)

I was at a Christmas party last night and over heard a bullsh_t session going on about how fast a guys 223 was reloaded to. (4300fps)

So I said you would have to prove it to me so I said I would buy the chronograph and would throw it in if they prove me wrong and it had to have a bullet hole in the target at 100 yards.(Because I didn't think the bullet would hold together.)

I was just wondering if I called out the guy or does the 223 really capable of reaching this?

Just curious if I just threw away some money!!!!

I don't load any of the lightweights, but my 24" factory rifles run around 3300 with the 50gr. stuff. 223AI would get closer, again I don't know about the lighter weight bullets. That's light bullet 220 Swift territory.

You can do 3900 with 40's out of a 223AI, but that's tops.

It would have to be a wildcat of some sort as I can just get to that with my 243 and 55s but 4100 is a better place to stay at. HAPPY HUNTING

223 Winchester Super Short Mag. would probably do it if, as you pointed out, you could find a light bullet that would hold together at that velocity.
Took a quick look at Hodgdons 2008 manual I keep at my computer desk and they have 7 loads listed that go over 4300 with a 40 grain Nosler BT.
Doc

Not even close, even with a 30gr. Berger....Hope he wears glasses.

I have a 223WSSM and I tried the 40gr Vmax which hornaday shows you can get to 4600 but I couldn't hit paper at 4000 I don't know what 4600 would be like but if you can't hit paper it is worthless, I do know you can get a 6mmAI necked down to 22 and get to 4000 pretty easily with heavier bullets but it is a wildcat. No factory chambering in 223 except for the WSSM will do 4000 with any accuracy. HAPPY HUNTING

Like others said, maybe he has a WSSM and didn't clarify.

Or maybe he shot it over a Chrony that was on the fritz and didn't realize it. My Chrony once told me my 25-06 was shooting 100gr.'s @3650fps!!!

Or maybe he's just a [bleep] moron.

Travis

Here's a blast from the past along similar lines:

Last year a fellow guest hunter at a deer camp showed me his allegedly AI'd 300 RUM. He told me of the marvelous velocities he was getting, something like 4000 fps with 180s. I asked to see a piece of fireformed brass and he didn't have any on him. When I asked about load data he said he didn't load any yet. So I had to ask where the velocity numbers came from. According to him when the charge first ignites it generates enough pressure to form the brass to the vastly improved AI configuration. Then the remainder of the charge burns so much more efficiently that it gives the major velocity boost.

mathman

you can fireform normal brass when you upgrade to a ai chamber. but i don't know of the speeds you are talking about. sounds like BS to me as well.

Oh yes, it was total BS spouted by someone who had no clue what he was talking about.

Christmas party gun discussions too often leave me with teeth marks on the inside of my mouth.

LOL just like some of the posts you read. He'll either never show or will renege on the bet if you have one. Some things never change.

my first thought on this, is the guy has a 223 WSSM, and doesn't know the difference between this and a regular 223...

from experience, I can hit 4000 fps with a 40 grain Bullet, out of a regular 223, using a very stiff load of RL 7.. I am sure it is pushing redline past SAAMI specs, but it is able to hold primer pockets tight for 5 reloads in Win, Rem and LC brass in several of my 223 bolt guns...

I've never tried the same load with a 30 grain Berger, but for arguments sake I think I will load up a couple and see what the chronograph might give us for readings....

my guestimation is that it might give us another 200 to 250 fps over the 40 grain loads...

as long as the barrel isn't a fast twist, the bullets should hold up on this...

playing around with a 22.250, I have been able to hit 4750 fps with a 40 grain blitz king.. accuracy wasn't all that hot, but the load was...the case was good for 2 loads only...at that velocity....

I come back to the logical question tho, what would someone really need to shoot a load that fast in particular...what will it give you that the 3800 to 3900 fps won't?

I find even shooting small sized sage rats at 200 to 250 yds, where 90% of them are taken within, the 223 shooting anywhere between 2400 to 3000 fps will take care of just fine..

a 223 AI may give a little more potential to hit the 4300 fps.. but I think all of us will agree, it can't be a very safe load..

If I get a chance to test this, I'll report my findings here.. but I wouldn't recommend anyone try this out, unless you really know what the hell you are doing... which I really don't think included this guy....could be wrong.. but I doubt it..

of course this guy could be bragging and actually accomplished this feat.. he just left out the blown primer part, or the having to bang the remaining part of the case out of the chamber, or the $75.00 repair bill on his bolt from the gunsmith..

I can guarantee you, I can get a 223 to shoot a 40 grain bullet at 4300 fps ONCE.. of course the action may be wrecked, but those bragging guys usually leave out details like that...

a 223AI, bolt action, RL 7, 26 inches of barrel and a 30 grain bullet.. it could probably be accomplishable..but why????

4k out of a standard 223Ai with a 40gr is just nuts.

Easier than 3700 with 50's(grin) 4000 with a 223AI is certainly pushing things.
Been a while since I did 223AI load work up as I have pushed things to where pressure definately shows and have my loads. I get 3900+ with 40's in my 22" and definitely do not feel trying to reach that magic 4000 figure would be prudent though I can see maybe a 26" barrel breaking that barrier without issue.
Internet 223AI velocities are crazy and I know of one poster who claims a couple hundred fps over 4000 with 40's and well over 3800 with 50's and magic brass......might even be 3900.
Gotta shake my head when people talk what is possible aligning ever possible hand loading planet, then exaggerate a bit besides and pass it off as norm.

And a potential member of the Darwin Awards!

Using a Berger 30gr .224 pill, the velocity from a stout reload in a 223 might be surprising. Not sure where you find any applicable data...
It is a 25% reduction in bullet weight under the 40gr bullet.
When LilGun and AA1680 provided 3600fps with 40gr pills out of my Fireball (published data), I had to try some Berger 30's "just because". I do not recall the load data, but speed was right at 3900 fps, and quite accurate, and the load gave no signs of being over pressure. But I never pursued using it for field use. Sort of a novelty load..
The Berger 30's are unusual, rather standard in length, but if you probe into the HP, the lead is WAAAY down in the jacket.

Greg

Not true "223" info, but..
The link is to some 223AI data that is ...ummm...fast! As usual, this Internet data is unconfirmed as to pressures involved.

http://www.accuratereloading.com/223ackley.html

If I recall correctly that published load of 16 grs. Lil Gun in the Fire Ball behind a 40 doesn't list 3600 as the velocity. It does however give 3600 in many Fire Balls, and the primers seat much easier in one firing. Getting higher than listed velocity for a load and loosened primer pockets says either the brass is soft or.........