Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .223 with 70gr Speer???

New to loading the .223 . Have some 70gr Speer semi-spitzer and both TAC and RL-15. For use in Mini-14 and/or Rock River. Anybody have suggestions on powder & weight? Thanks

I loaded some up with some BLC2 and they did very well. Ill take a look at my data and let you know what I loaded them at. I think it was .5gr under book max

They and the Sierra 63 grain SMP are the first two bullets I'd reach for hunting deer with a 223.. yeah there are newer trendier bullets that may be even better...

but these two bullets have been dropping deer and more for decades..

I only load bolt guns, but I can tell ya both RL 15 and H 380 will flat drop a deer on the spot with that bullet...

Those two powders along with W748, BLC 2 and a host of others in similar burn rates,.....

I run them at between 2900 to 3000 fps out of a bolt action rifle...depending on barrel length, as I have 223s with barrel lengths from 20 to 26 inch...

H380 was my favorite powder for it.. and I was running 28 grains in that.. It ran the lowest pressures according to the 25th edition of the Hodgdon manuals

Unfortunately today the best powder for the .223 is Available Powder. Luckily the two I have in the small rifle range are apparently very suitable. What weight charge did you use with the R15? The Speer 13 manual I have doesn't get into either that Varget or TAC.

Older data listed 26.5 grains of RL 15...

I still have some loaded up that I shot the other day in my ADL...

of course newer data is less...start AT 24 grains or so and see what it gives you...

Shootem...I am running the 70 grain Speers in my older mini as well. The accuracy was a pleasant surprise...been using them on pigs/coyotes for the last few years. I was using H380, but recently switched to Varget and it groups just as well. I don't recall the powder weight, but I will check when I get home this evening.

Never loaded the .223 but have used the catridge on deer with the 60 Grain Partition and Federal factory ammo.
Works great ,if for deer I would think the 60 grain Partition deserves a good look.


Craig

Kinda wish I'd hoarded some of the Partitions when 2nds were available. But I've got a thousand or so of the Speer to play with. Times being what they are I consider myself fortunate to have bullets, powder and primers all at the same time.

That 70 gr Speer has been my goto bullet in my r-15 for years now. About 20 deer and truckload of yotes. I'll try tro remember to check my data when I get home but I believe it consists of wsr primer and blc2.