Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Ramshot TAC Disappointment

It's this one



Panther� A3 Lite 16

16" Length w/ A2 flash hider (birdcage)
4140 chrome-moly steel light contour barrel
6 grooves, right-hand 1x9 twist,
button rifled

Chamber: 5.56x45mm

so with all your experience you put together a load you knew probably wouldn't work and then were amazed?

I dunno, and its not a flame, but it just doesn't make sense to make that statement.

I know that the only way I do load work is an audette test.. anything else to start with is a waste of time and components.

TAC with 77s was by FAR the best choice when load work was done on multiple rifles for NTIT ammo. I was surprised at that, test included varget,RL15 and N540. N540 was right there too, but many folks do not like to use it. Team settled on TAC as it ran as fast or faster than the rest, clean, and very accurate. If I had to pick for pure speed I'd think N540, but its supposedly changed so much since I shot any of it, that I might well doubt it these days.

No, not amazed, suprized at how bad it was. I wasn't ready for 5" + groups.

Hi crossair,

TAC is an euro powder, we use in France and Belgium but under another name, when i was shooting AR15, AUG and Sig rifles in 5,56x45 i used to load them rather warm close to Mule Deer spec using 60grs bullets, load was 26,3grs and a CCI250 SRmagnum primer, burning was complete and barrel clean, accuracy was really good particulary with the Sig, speed close to 2950fps. Generaly sphericals like to be loaded at hi density, close to max and are not well adapted to mild loads. Try the mag primers, sometimes it helps even with small capacity cases.

Dom

Ruger280,

If this question was meant for me, yes I did include your powders plus W748. I settled on H4895. It was a bit slower, 2750, but more accurate. I use LC 2001 and newer brass, match prepped, WSR primers (older nickel plated style to hold up to higher pressures) FL size with Forster and seated with same brand die. At 20 deg F, I can keep 10 in 10" @ 600 yds in a 16" RRA 1:9 twist barrel using a 2x compact ACOG. It have no doubt it's not match accurte but It's my EOTWAWKI load for zombies; aka, home brewed MK262 load.

Alan

Nice weapon.

The 5.56 chambering definitely has a longer lead then your normal 223 chamber and will reduce pressure. Bumping up the charge will be your ticket I'd bet.

H4895 is a great powder for 223 it seems. I wish it were any easier to find then Varget.

Just confirming what's already been said. I've gotten to really like TAC but for it to really work, it needs to be ran at top accetable pressures. This is a geat powder for 75 to 77 gr bullets in the 5.56 loads.

My personal experience, with heavier bullets in 223 is that either of teh 4895s are accurate but as mentioned on the slow side. Much like 4064, very accurate, way to slow.

Truth be known, I've never loaded for a 5.56 chamber. Some for my RRA NM, but maybe I got lucky there. In fact my loading for semi auto rifles is very limted. Always I shot bolts. I guess this ain't my daddy's 223.

Me and the boys have loaded 4,500 rds of .223 using TAC and I'm about to do another 1K and one bud has 500 more to finish his session out for a while....

Yep we like TAC!

Mike

My .223 Rem. sporter shoots 45 gr. TSX bullets in ragged holes with Rem. brass. federal small rifle primer and 27.5 gr. TAC.

Not the powder's fault. I found a nice load with it right away in 223.
Prvi factory ammo isn't super accurate, either. So I wouldn't expect the bullets to be, um, like Bergers.

OK, I shot the 25.5 grain load today. The groups were less than half of what they were before. The rifle ate it fine, no pressure signs. Groups ran 2" to 2.5"(Irons). I don't know if I hit the bullets limit.

I'm going to load it again. This time I will shoot it in my RRA NM to factor in another rifle. Then I'll shoot some loaded with 26 grains of varget, through both the DPMS and the Rock River.

I think I'll load a few with TAC at 25.7 grains in the DPMS.

I'm wondering if a free float tube would help the DPMS.

I just loaded up a bunch with X-Terminator but haven't had a chance to try them out yet. Did I do wrong? Is TAC better?

X Terminator is a great powder for lighter .223 loads. It is about perfect for .223 with 40-55 grain bullets. I bought a couple of cans at a close out sale for half price and loaded them up. They shot really well in my sons ARs. I have since gone to Tac because of its versatility.

Thanks. My main interest is shooting 50 gr. Barnes VG.

Way back, when I got my first.223 700V and put an 8x Weaver on it I was a religious follower of Ken Waters (on somethings). H4895 was a chosen high velocity with great accuracy recipe listed in "Pet Loads"with 50gr Sierra spitzers. 3500 +fps,it did shoot great ,nice groups and fast but that powder goes thru a Uniflow like Lincoln logs. In recent years H335 and 748 have been used successfully.Now in the process of preparing about 7000 casings for a new new batch of 223's I have procured TAC and MR223 to try test loads with.Some with heavier bullets and some with 50-55 gr bullets as I now have an R-15 to feed as well as a different 700V. This is a great and informative thread for me ,Thanks Magnum-Man