Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles .221 level loads for .223?

Can I safely get a load at about 3000 FPS with a 40 gr Ballistic Tip or V-Max from a .223? The lowest starting loads I got off Hodgdon's site show about 3150 FPS. I want a really light-recoiling load so I can see the hits better....

Thanks!

I use a load of 11.8 gr of Blue Dot, CCI small pistol primer with a 40 gr Vmax to get right at 3,000 out of a 16.5" bbl.

Thanks - does that function out of an AR? I don't think I'll use the light loads out of mine, but I'm curious. I most likely will use it out of a 20-inch heavy barreled bolt action.

I've never tried Blue Dot loads out of an AR and don't know anybody who has, don't know if it generates enough pressure or not to cycle. I've got a little Ruger compact .223 that is my designated Blue Dot gun.

I just happened to think that a pistol primer in a semi-auto rifle might not be a good idea, anyway. I was thinking about buying another rifle in .221 or .17 Fireball, but realized I ought to be able to load a .223 to accomplish pretty much the same goal. I already have more guns than I can shoot regularly.

I've also used Fed 205M primers with the Blue Dot and you are correct, I wouldn't use either primer in an AR. By the way I just picked up a .221 Fireball R700 in a laminated factory stock and am looking forward to seeing what it can do.

Yeah, but what's the fun in that

Blue Dot won't cycle an AR bolt or a Mini 14 bolt, unless it has been modified...

John Noveske lived here in town, and we'd run into each other at the range frequently....he modified a bolt on an AR to cycle with Blue Dot loads... but told me that regular loads would quickly mess it up...after the experiment, he converted it back to a normal AR...

One rifle I run 10 grains of Blue Dot regularly with a 40 or 46 grain HP....and have tested it to quite a bit lower...

but this sort of stuff, gets into loading technique, and increases the risk of double charges for those not paying attention to what they are doing...

you can also accomplish under 3000 fps loads with SR 4759 and H 4198, IMR 4198 and ReLoader 7... with good accuracy... same with Unique...cast bullet manuals are handy for that type of info..

Blue Dot, 40 grain V Max from my load data work:


Hornady 40 grain Vmax:

4 grs: 1161 fps
5 grs: 1538 fps
6 grs: 1798 fps
7 grs: 2148 fps

8 grs: 2243 fps
9 grs: 2539 fps
10 grs: 2771 fps
11 grs: 2956 fps

12 grs: 3013 fps
13 grs: 3218 fps
14 grs: 3375 fps

Other than concern about double charging, are there other issues like "other than normal" seating depth, etc? Do you also use small pistol primers?

Thanks!

I prefer small rifle primers... but during the last primer scare, I tested out small pistol primers, and small pistol magnum primers...from CCI, Federal and Winchester, and has no real issues...

as far as seating depth, on all of my handloads, I make a dummy round in the rifle they will be going into... barely seat a bullet and then ram it home with the bolt... then set it in the die and adjust it down a hair below that... and call it good...
not rocket science, but it seems to work pretty well...

some one asked this question also... NO I DON'T RECOMMEND ANY FILLERS... they increase pressure and Blue Dot nor Unique is position sensitive...

I tried my Blue Dot loads in my AR and they will not cycle. I suppose you could get a carrier and a buffer and start hogging away metal until it does, and have considered that myself as the BD loads I run are as accurate as the full-house stuff up to 200 yards (I'm a rotten shot).
They shot so well, it got me thinking rather than a Hornet (I wanted an accurate, hot Hornet equivalent) I'd be better off going with the Fireball. Oh yass....vooonderbar.
Small Rifle primers are fine under Blue Dot in a bolter. Never felt the need for SP primers.