Poll: Do a running 223 thread?

Member 34319 · Aug 5, 2022

I've got some 10,000 surplus 62 grain projectiles. I've got some 8,000 primed mixed cases prepped and ready to load. Got a decent bolt gun in 223 again and I've been reminiscing of older days of tinkering with the cartridge. I'm thinking I can try to squeeze the most out of these 62 grain projectiles in a running thread. May step out of the 62 grain pills too here and there.

Mostly it's something for me to do, as I collect a lot of the data and don't get scared by published maximum load data!

I'll let this run for 2 weeks and see if enough folks like the idea.

Reno

kmk1012 · Aug 5, 2022

I had a very good friend flip me some 3 or 4k 62gr pills in years past. Down to less than 500 now. Was only able to get about 2moa at best. Now, was primarily loaded for blasting ammo but did several ladder tests for a couple different rifles. These were seconds though, had some varying lengths.

Dr Prepper · Aug 6, 2022

Reno said:
I've got some 10,000 surplus 62 grain projectiles. I've got some 8,000 primed mixed cases prepped and ready to load. Got a decent bolt gun in 223 again and I've been reminiscing of older days of tinkering with the cartridge. I'm thinking I can try to squeeze the most out of these 62 grain projectiles in a running thread. May step out of the 62 grain pills too here and there.

Mostly it's something for me to do, as I collect a lot of the data and don't get scared by published maximum load data!

I'll let this run for 2 weeks and see if enough folks like the idea.

Reno

Who were your 62 grainers made by? I've been eyeing the Hornady brand SS109's I'm kinda curious. I've been wanting to get some to replace my garbage 55gn winch's (those are hardly worth the weight in lead)
I'm pretty happy with results I've seen from 75gr horn BTHP's

Member 34319 · Aug 6, 2022

kmk1012 said:
I had a very good friend flip me some 3 or 4k 62gr pills in years past. Down to less than 500 now. Was only able to get about 2moa at best. Now, was primarily loaded for blasting ammo but did several ladder tests for a couple different rifles. These were seconds though, had some varying lengths.

Thus far I've only got 6moa out of them. Their weights, ogives and lengths are wild.

I'm going to go down the road of sorting them by weights lengths and ogives. Then work through other processes till something decent comes from that work.

oremike · Aug 6, 2022

Sure, I'll follow along as you sort this out. It'll be entertaing and maybe educational. My input will be limited because I'm loading one load (Speer 50gr TNT) for one rifle (CZ 527) so a bit far away from what you are doing.

2ndtimer · Aug 6, 2022

Will the 62 gr FMJ bullets even stabilize in a 1 in 12" twist barrel? My AR's are twisted 1 in 7", 1 in 8" and 1 in 9", and shoot 62 gr BTHP abd 62 gr SP okay, but even though my bolt gun has a 26" barrel, it's' 1 in 12" twist makes for marginal stability and fair to horrible accuracy, especially in cold temperatures.

Member 34319 · Aug 6, 2022

2ndtimer said:
Will the 62 gr FMJ bullets even stabilize in a 1 in 12" twist barrel? My AR's are twisted 1 in 7", 1 in 8" and 1 in 9", and shoot 62 gr BTHP abd 62 gr SP okay, but even though my bolt gun has a 26" barrel, it's' 1 in 12" twist makes for marginal stability and fair to horrible accuracy, especially in cold temperatures.

Mine is 26" 1-9t

2ndtimer · Aug 6, 2022

Reno said:
Mine is 26" 1-9t

Older .223's are twisted 1 in 12", as both my Remington SPS Varmint 26" and Weatherby Vanguard Varmint Special 22". I have not even tried the 62 gr bullets in the shorter barrel of the Weatherby. Can't say I am a huge fan of open base FMJ bullets, since primers and powder have become so expensive/hard to find. If I am burning powder and primers, I want the best accuracy I can get (hopefully at a reasonable cost for bullets).

Dr Prepper · Aug 6, 2022

2ndtimer said:
Older .223's are twisted 1 in 12", as both my Remington SPS Varmint 26" and Weatherby Vanguard Varmint Special 22". I have not even tried the 62 gr bullets in the shorter barrel of the Weatherby. Can't say I am a huge fan of open base FMJ bullets, since primers and powder have become so expensive/hard to find. If I am burning powder and primers, I want the best accuracy I can get (hopefully at a reasonable cost for bullets).

This...

pharmseller · Aug 6, 2022

75 ELDM and TAC in a 1-8" stainless Tikka Varmint is the shizzles.

No experience with 62 grain.

40, 50, 55, 64, 70, 75, and 80 grains but no 62.

Varget, TAC, and Benchmark, mostly.

1-10" and 1-8".

Tikkas mainly.

Dr Prepper · Aug 6, 2022

75 bthp were pretty good with H335(355?) Around .696" IIRC. Looking forward to trying TAC.

gmerkt · Aug 6, 2022

The 62 gr. bullets I have on hand are the Hornady FMJ BTHP. They only sell these in boxes of 5,500. When I've bought them, they were in smaller lots broken out of the factory package. Like bags of 500. I've had reasonable accuracy with them in 1-9 AR's.

I've got two non-AR rifles, one is an older Ruger Mark II the other is a NEF Handi-Rifle. Both of those are 1-12 bbls. I haven't tried the 62 gr. Hornady FMJ in either of those. There is the twist issue. For another thing, the 62 gr. bullet has a military type ogive. Many civilian rifles chambered for .223 (vice 5.56mm) have a throat that doesn't agree with the military ogive. I've tried 55 gr. FMJ military type bullets in the Ruger Mk II, they were all over the paper. I also had a .222 Rem. that wouldn't shoot 55 gr. FMJ bullets well either. So I stick to 55 gr. (and under) bullets in the two 1-12 twist civilian bbl. rifles, no FMJ's.

My powder of choice in .223 for many years has been Win. 748. But as I've cut back and simplified on my holdings, my remaining powders for .223 are BL-C(2), H-335, Varget, Vectan Tu3000, H-322, and IMR 4320. Which are varied enough for the stock of bullets and rifles that I have on hand.

pharmseller · Aug 6, 2022

I love Varget. I can't get enough Varget in the case to get the velocity I want. That's why I switched to TAC.

P

6Corsa6 · Aug 7, 2022

I will eventually get a .223 or 5.55 bolt gun bit want one with a barrel longer than 16in. I bought some 69 gr rmr bthp and have blc2 and I think h335 and another powder that I have read is too fast of a burn rate to cycle the ar15. So far I have only done a ladder test on blc2 and all cycled just fine and ejection patterns were all sent to roughly the same location. I didn't have time to shoot a groups on paper to see what groups best and go from there.
It will be nice to hear about the ins and outs of reloading .223

pharmseller · Aug 7, 2022

If you want a bolt gun find a stainless Tikka 1-8" twist. If you don't mind heavy get a Varmint instead of a T3/T3x. 24" heavy barrel, big heavy stock, absorbs recoil to the point that I see the bullet hit.