What are some go-to powders for 52 grain bullets in .223? I have on hand TAC and Re-15, but will pick up something else if it would be better suited for 52's.

TAC should work fine, somewhere around 26.0 grains plus or minus 0.5 grain. But there are LOTS of other powders that work well in the 223 Rem. It's a very easy cartridge to reload successfully.

1. Benchmark
2. LT32
3. 335
4. Varget

Benchmark gives excellent accuracy and velocity ~3400 w/52
LT32 same same except ~3450 w/52
335 dirty, stinks when lit off, temperamental on hot days
Varget very consistent ES/SD but velocity sucks. What a pooch ~ 3200 w/52

After the Varget ran out, I've been having good luck with Alliant Varmint

I use Xterminator/A223 a lot for the lighter bullets. CFE223 and BL-C2 are also options.
If you have TAC, that’s what I’d use, Xterminator just gives a bit more velocity.

I will be shooting these loads in a 1:12 twist 22" barrel - shoot I shoot for faster or slower speeds when starting load development?

Benchmark is hard to beat. H322 is also great. I also like Reloder 10x but I found it to be dirty. My preference would be the Benchmark followed closely by H322.

Tac is great, I use that and benchmark mostly but I'm sure that some of the newer powders work great too.

AA2460 and IMR 3031. I shoot these powders with 52 grain Speer HP's From a 700 with a 1/12 twist. I'm loading to around 2650 and 2700 fps. This seems to be the sweet spot for my Sporter barrel 700.

kwg

CFE223 has worked well for me with those bullet weights.

CFE-223 for me too.

Reloader 10X

My choices for those bullets are TAC, Blc-2 and CFE-223. The problem I have with CFE-223 is that it stinks, meaning has a foul smell, more than the others when fired. Mine is a 1:12 twist M700 24" barrel. It is my favorite rifle of all time. I wish I could shoot it every day.

Aa2230 has been my go to for ever. Best 5 shot group I ever fired was with it and a matching.

Since you have RL 15, I'd use that... about anything works in a 223, but RL 15 stands out in my experience...

I am RL 15 poor at the moment... but have plenty of H 322 and Benchmark, along with 3031 and a host of other powders...

If I had every powder under the sun, RL 15 would be one of the first I'd reach for if I wasn't doing reduced loads.

Benchmark.

Probably the best for 52-55gr bullets is VVN133, RL15, Varget, CFE223 etc work better with heavier bullets

Cfe223 is hard to beat.
I enjoy how clean it burns, especially when running suppressed.

H335, BLC-2, and W748 are the powders I like in that weight of a bullet. Varget and TAc work better with the heavier bullets.

Brother and I use Benchmark in our 700's, 55's at 3400 and CCI 450 is the key. I shot kegs of Win 748 on p. dog towns years ago, 26.5-26.g depending on the lot with 55's.. Longest shot I have ever seen on a ground squirrel was 26g of H335 with a 55g Sierra, CCI400.

Benchmark

IMR 8208

H4895 are my go to powders

Since you've got TAC I'd start there before buying anything else.

My general go-to is H335 but if you can get H322, CFE 223, AA 2230, or any number of others you should be in good shape.

Mostly H335 or some 4895. But I'm an old fart, so......

This thread is a testament to how versatile the 223 happens to be, how tractable and forgiving. For me, in that 50-55 weight range, my hands down faves are H-4895 on the lower weights (50-53) and TAC from 53-55. But both work really nicely all the way across, easy to work with for "better than me" groups.

Does the type of action affect the powder choice? That is, does an AR platform dictate a different powder choice versus a bolt action rifle? Thanks

I use H 335 at 25.0 grains for 55 grainers with great results.

I have never shot the 52's.. But lots and lots of 55's. I have had stellar results with AA2015, W748, Benchmark, N135 and H4895.

I had 2 rifles in the past that would not shoot, despite using all the favorites. I fed them AA2015 and magic appeared before my eyes.

My most accurate rifle shoots 55 Nosler BT's with 26.7-26.9 grains of W748. I am not changing a thing or screwing around with it.

H4895 just works. It goes nuts with CCI #41's. +50 - +100 fps faster than with other primers. Be careful!

I doubt N135 is the best powder for those light bullets, but it sure works great and goes fast with 55's

Benchmark.... purple container, awesome velocity. Everybody's dream.

Was that the AA2015 made in Israel, the Czech Republic or Canada ????

Canada sir.

I like 23.2 grs of AA 2015 with a OAL 2.230. I use this on 52 & 53 gr match & Speers 52. This powder loads nice, a very short stick powder.

Benchmark

I have a couple 8 lb bottles of H335. I hear there's better. But I shoot it at PD's and they seem to not know the H335 isn't so good.

One load I use a lot in my old 78 Remington which has been on many PD shoots (I bought it new, I take it along on every PD shoot) - the barrel could be replaced but it still shoots OK:

223 Remington, Model 78, 55 grain Nosler BT, 7 ½ BR, 26 grains H335 averages 0.47 MOA

My mini-Mauser's most accurate load is with H335 (similar load).

223 Interarms Mark X, 55 grain Remington HP, WSR, 26.5 grains H335, averages 0.79 MOA

My Model 7 however prefers TAC with the 40 grain bullets, yet it likes the H335 with the 55 (similar load).

223 Remington Seven, 40 grain Nosler BT, 7 ½ BR, 22.3 grains TAC, averages 0.44 MOA (I know it's only a 40 grain bullet)
223 Remington Seven, 55 grain Rem HP, WSR, 26.5 grains H335 averages 0.50 MOA


Keep in mind the Seven and the Mini Mauser have very light barrels.

It seems with all three 223's the load they prefer with 55 grain bullets is the similar loads and it's with H335.

👍

Ditto

CFE 223

i just purchased a 8 lb. keg of Tac powder i like the way i can volume load this Tac powder in my Redding benchrest powder measure seems to shoot accurate too for me.

It is this load, which seemed a real bread and butter load for most...and shot well for me...

Until the day, I had some factory Black Hills ammo, that I use to buy when it was like $11.50 for a box of 50, way back... would buy it as that was the cheap way to buy brass...had 7 rounds left of the box, pulled the trigger and BOOM....blew the primer, and split the stock in several places..

77 Mk 2 Ruger.. Disassembled the other 6 and charge was 25 grains of H 335. Verified that by calling Black Hills.... told them the issue I had.
Thought it must have been a freak over charge. Stripped and repaired the stock via a friend who is a cabinet maker, then refinished the stock.
Rifle had about 8,000 rounds down the barrel. I had used a lot of H 335 with a 25 grain charge over the years so figured it was a freak accident.

60 days later, after the gun was back in service, it was one of my handloads this time... same 25 grains of H 335 with a 55 grain SP. Went Kaboom again, this time damaged the bolt fairly bad, but repairable. Stock was blown into several big pieces this time. Took it back to my cabinet maker friend once again, and he put it back together...

at the time, I thought it had to be something wrong with the rifle., then found on the campfire here, several guys were having the same issues out of H 335 at the time...

I admit. I quit using H 335 PERIOD. Its also where I came to the conclusion, about anything else also works well in a 223., so there was no shortages of alternatives. I ended up giving the rifle to gunsmith friend, Mike Bellm, who use to live here in town., he turned the barrel back and rechambered it into a 222. He never had ANY problems with the gun, and we even put another stock on it ( a Zytel stock)... yet, I still have that original stock and refinished it once again, and it serves on a Model 77 Mk 2 chambered in 260 Rem.

I know plenty of guys who use trainloads of H 335 for decades and have never had ONE issue with it....but personally having two incidents so close together, on the same rifle, I've avoided using it at all...

another issue I had been noticing with it before hand... how "flashy" it was, as friend John Noveske called it. In spring Sage rat shooting, I quit shooting it prone, in dry grass... yeah I lit a couple of small blazes, that were easily put out.. however I just started shooting off the hood of my 4 Runner instead... and still do to this day...

pretty much replaced it with using W 748, when using a ball powder.. never have had ANY issues with W 748, and its more consistent.

No critic of those who use H 335.. just sharing my experience.. which is evidently highly rare...but twice in 60 days....I learned a lesson to avoid it.

That's why I like TAC so much. Pours like H335, shoots like it, without the scary part. I'd love an explanation but whatever it is, nobody has pinned it down.

I have shot several powders and all worked more or less. Found a buy on AC 2230 and never looked back.

It has worked well in all of my 223s and the one 222 that I had. What is not to like.

Some newer powder has come out but I have not tried them because 2230 works so well.

CFE223

335 and CFE 223.

Benchmark, start at 24.5 grns.

Regards,
Manny

Geez, easier to list what powder wont work. H380, 748, BLC2, 322, 335, Tac, benchmark, Varget, 3031.4064 anything that named 223. I'd be surprised if you couldn't find a good load with anything mentioned.

Yes, as the OP, I could add probably another half dozen powders that would work. However, there are usually certain powders that are generally preferred for certain cartridges and certain bullet weights within that cartridge.

But, I may just get some H4895 or Varget, since they are known to be some of the most temperature-insensitve powders available, and just use them in everything I load for rifle-wise. .223, .243, .270....everything.

Same powders as I use in my 30-30's & 308's work best in 223, you can use in several calibers, it's the most popular burn range.
Another good one is AA 2230 for the works.

a 223 will work with about anything you put in it....

but whatever you do... don't try to load it with Kitty Litter in a drunken stooper, and get it to shoot...

Schtick doesn't like to talk about it that much...

had to leave the rifle in the creek all damn day to get that kitty litter to wash out of the action and barrel...

Kitty Litter? There's got to be more to this story - please tell.

Been using H335 for about the last year as it was all I could find.

well the way I got the scoop, it involved a lot of meth, alcohol and weed soaked in LSD... NOT Marijuana... Real Weeds...
oh and almost left out the mushrooms and a 300 pound hooker named 'Tilly.....followed by a Paternity suit....

Years ago my brother, cousin and I bought 8 8lb jugs of AA2230… never had any complaints about it. I’ve used a lot of 322 also. Lately I’ve been using a lot of TAC and some CFE223.